🏈 2019 Kansas Football In Review
Overall: 3-9 | Big 12: 1-8 | Home: 2-5 | Away: 1-4
The 130th season of Kansas football marked the start of a new era for the Jayhawks, as head coach Les Miles took over the helm. The Jayhawks battled to a 3-9 season record, including standout wins over Indiana State, Boston College and Texas Tech, as the Jayhawks finished off year one of the Miles’ era.
Season at a Glance
- Compared to a year ago, attendance at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has seen a notable spike in attendance, marking a 74.4% increase for the season, the highest in all of FBS. In total, 237,122 fans came to watch the Jayhawks (33,875 avg.), as compared to 116,544 a season ago.
- Carter Stanley moved into fifth all-time in career passing yards with 5,035. Became the fifth Jayhawk to throw 5,000+ or more yards in a career, and the most since Todd Reesing (2006-09).
- Pooka Williams Jr., eclipsed the single season 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career by rushing for 1,061 yards, becoming just the second Jayhawk to do it in consecutive seasons, joining James Sims (2012-13). He also became the fourth Jayhawk to ever rush for 1,000 or more yards in more than one season.
- Pooka Williams Jr., became the second Jayhawk to break 2,000 career yards in his first two seasons, joining Jayhawk legend Gale Sayers (1962-63).
- Andrew Parchment’s 831 receiving yards in 2019 are the 13th most in single-season KU history. Stephon Robinson Jr.’s, 727 receiving yards also ranks 18th. The duo’s combined 1,558 yards this season are the most since 2016 (Steven Sims Jr./LaQuvionte Gonzalez).
- Stephon Robinson Jr.’s eight receiving touchdowns are tied for the fourth most in KU single season history and the most since 2009. Andrew Parchment hauled in seven touchdown receptions this season, tied for the ninth most in KU single season history.
- Mike Lee forced seven fumbles in his KU career, which is the most by a Jayhawk since 2011-14, when Michael Reynolds also forced seven fumbles. His seven forced fumbles also ranked tied for the seventh-most among active players in FBS.
- The Jayhawks were named Reveal Suits National Team of the Week after defeating Boston College on the road on September 13, 48-24.
First Win of the Les Miles Era
The Jayhawks captured the first win of the Les Miles era in their season-opener, when they hosted Indiana State on August 31. The Jayhawks were led by an early interception by senior Hasan Defense, who returned the interception for a 57-yard touchdown to put the Jayhawks up 7-0 in the first quarter.
After falling behind 17-16 with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, senior quarterback Carter Stanley led the Jayhawks on an eight-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead back from the Sycamores. Stanley capped the drive with a 22-yard strike to senior Daylon Charlot in the back of the endzone with 2:04 remaining, before the defense held the Sycamores from scoring to give Kansas the 24-17 victory.
Big Win in Beantown
Kansas recorded its first win over a Power-5 opponent on the road since 2008, when the Jayhawks marched into Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and took down the Boston College Eagles, 48-24.
Despite the final score margin, Kansas fell to a 17-7 deficit to start the game, before outscoring Boston College 41-7 in the final three quarters of play. The Jayhawks rushed for 329 yards and threw for 238, leading to 567 yards of total offense, the 17th most in KU history at the time.
Jayhawks Fall Short in Austin
Arguably one of the most thrilling games in all of college football in 2019, the Jayhawks narrowly fell to the No. 15 Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas on October 19, as Texas kicker Cameron Dicker connected on a 33-yard game-winning field goal as the clock expired to put his team ahead on the scoreboard, 50-48.
Despite falling short on the scoreboard, the Jayhawks put together a special performance that included Pooka Williams Jr. rushing for 190 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, while the Kansas offense accumulated 569 yards of total offense, the second game with 500+ yards this season.
Homecoming Heroics Earns First Big 12 Win of Miles Era
There were several moments throughout the 2019 season that were exciting, but none more thrilling than Kansas’ last-second win against Texas Tech on Homecoming.
After having his first field goal attempt blocked, picked up and fumbled by Texas Tech, then recovered by KU’s Logan Klusman, Kansas kicker Liam Jones had one more attempt to seal the win, which he connected on to give Kansas a 37-34 victory over Texas Tech on Homecoming.
Jones’ game-winning kick came after KU overcame a 13-point third quarter deficit behind consecutive passing touchdowns from Carter Stanley – one to junior wide receiver Stephon Robinson Jr., for a 65-yard touchdown, and another to Andrew Parchment for a 70-yard score.
The win was Kansas’ first over Texas Tech in Lawrence and their first win over a Big 12 opponent in the Miles era.
