🏈 West Virginia Tops Kansas in Tight Game on Senior Day
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks dropped a tight affair to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, 34-28.
Kansas scored via a 3-yard rush from quarterback Jalon Daniels with 1 minute and 43 seconds remaining to set up an onside kick for the Jayhawks. The Mountaineers were able to recover the kick, ending the comeback bid for Kansas and securing a win for the visitors.
Kansas dropped to 2-10 on the season and 1-8 in Big 12 Conference play. West Virginia moved to 6-6 and 4-5 in conference play and is now bowl eligible.
The Jayhawks opened the scoring on senior night with a 46-yard field goal from Jacob Borcila to take an early 3-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. West Virginia responded at the 5:28 mark of the first with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jarret Doege to Winston Wright to make it 7-3 West Virginia.
Borcila connected on another field goal – this one from 35 yards out – to bring the Jayhawks within one with 2:07 to play in the opening quarter.
The Mountaineers scored on the ensuing drive, going 75 yards on 14 plays on a drive that spanned 7:05 to grab a 14-6 lead with 10:02 to play in the first half.
Again, the Jayhawks answered, this time with a touchdown. Daniels found tight end Jared Casey for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 7:24 to go in the half to make it a 14-13 game. The Mountaineers stretched their lead to eight with 17 seconds left in the half when Doege found Sam James for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 21-13 at the break.
Kansas got on the board early in the second half, thanks to a defensive touchdown. Linebacker Gavin Potter intercepted Doege and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. It marked the first interception of Potter’s career.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold decided to go for two and Daniels found tackle Earl Bostick Jr., who lined up out wide for the two points to tie the game at 21 with 12:33 to play in the third.
The Mountaineers then scored the next 13 points to take a 34-21 lead with 5:53 to go in the fourth. That’s when Kansas responded with the Daniels touchdown to get it to a single possession. However, that was as close as Leipold and the Jayhawks would get.
Daniels finished 22-for-32 for 249 yards and one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. He also added his rushing touchdown. Sophomore receiver Luke Grimm notched the first 100-yard game of his career, hauling in four passes for 105 yards.
Super-senior wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II closed out his Kansas career with seven catches for 45 yards. Casey had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Kenny Logan Jr., led the team with 14 total tackles, including one for a loss. The junior safety finished the season with 113 total tackles.
Potter had 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and his interception. Fellow linebacker Rich Miller had nine tackles, two tackles-for-loss and one sack. Defensive end Zion DeBose also collected a sack in the loss, while Jereme Robinson had a tackle-for-loss.
