Kansas falls to Baylor in Big 12 opener, 26-7
WACO, Texas – Kansas football began its Big 12 Conference slate on Saturday afternoon, falling to Baylor, 26-7, inside McLane Stadium.
Kansas struggled on third downs throughout the game, unable to convert them on offense and likewise unable to get off the field on third downs on defense. Baylor was able to get a first down on four of its first five third downs, helping contribute to its 23-0 first-half advantage.
Despite holding the Bears to just three points in the second half, Kansas couldn’t recover from the early first-half deficit. Behind a strong second-half defensive effort, the Jayhawks held Baylor to 26 points, its lowest amount scored this season.
For the fifth game in a row, senior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., recorded a double-digit tackle performance after tallying 11 solo tackles and two assisted tackles. Dineen moved into fourth place on KU’s all-time tackles-for-loss chart by adding 2.0 TFLs and he also was credited with two quarterback hurries in the game.
KU was not able to establish its ground game against the Bears like it had in its previous two outings, both of which resulted in wins. The Jayhawks, who put together a 405-yard rushing performance in its win over Rutgers a week ago, managed just 122 yards on the ground led by freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr.’s 89 yards.
NOTABLES // Complete Postgame Notes
- Senior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. recorded two tackles for a loss against Baylor, moving into fourth place all-time in Kansas history with 37.0. He surpassed Ben Heeney’s (2011-14) career record of 35.5. With his 13 tackles against the Bears, Dineen also recorded a double-digit tackle performance for the 19th time in his career.
- In the third quarter, freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. recorded a career-long rush of 72 yards, igniting the first scoring drive of the day for the Jayhawks.
KEY PLAYS
- Senior Peyton Bender completed a 10-yard pass on third and goal to senior wide receiver Jeremiah Booker, putting Kansas on the scoreboard in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host its 2018 Big 12 Conference home-opener on Saturday, Sept. 29 when it welcomes Oklahoma State to Lawrence. KU-OSU will kick off at 11 a.m., at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, with a live broadcast on FOX Sports Net.
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