Moments That Popped: KU 27, UCF 20

Road wins are always big, but there was something a little extra-big about the one the Jayhawks picked up on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.

On the heels of one of the worst defensive showings in the Lance Leipold era, the Kansas defense came through not once but twice with the game on the line, holding UCF scoreless in the second half en route to a 27-20 win.

Oh, and remember all that talk last week about Leipold being terrible in one-score games? Well, the numbers still aren't great and he's got a ways to go to even things up, but this was a one-score game on the road in conference play.

And KU found a way to win it.

• Notes & Numbers: KU-UCF

Saturday's victory moved KU to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play. And it came with the Jayhawks’ defense stiffening on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line play late in the game and then again on a fourth-down stop on the final UCF drive just a couple of minutes later.

After giving up 20 points and 253 yards of offense in the first half, Kansas pitched a second-half shutout and allowed the UCF offense to gain just 122 more yards, turning a 14-0 deficit to open the game into a key road win.

There were a lot of things that were different about the second half for the KU defense, but none bigger than the return of linebacker Bangally Kamara, who missed the first half as the result of a targeting penalty called on him in last week’s home loss to Cincinnati.

With Kamara back in his usual, disruptive spot, KU’s defense was much more effective and much more confident from the outset of the third quarter all the way to the end of the game.

The Jayhawks will now look to build on this momentum with a road game at unbeaten Texas Tech next weekend in Lubbock, Texas. Kickoff for that one is slated for 6:30 p.m. central on FOX.

For now, though, here’s a look back at some of Saturday’s action in Florida.

LIKES

• KU started running the ball – It wasn’t a great start for the KU offense, but things really turned when the Jayhawks committed to running the ball. Kansas was without senior Daniel Hishaw Jr. again this week, but Leshon Williams Jr. did more than enough to fill in for him, carrying 12 times for 58 and a whopping three touchdowns. Williams averaged 4.8 yards per carry and ran hard and patient throughout the night. When he was spelled, young back Harry Stewart III. also looked good, running hard and decisive when he received carries out of the backfield. Stewart finished with 26 yards on five carries. That success in the running game allowed Daniels and the rest of the offense to settle in and also opened up the passing game in a big way the rest of the night.

• KU’s 3rd-drive answer – It was probably a must-score possession and the Jayhawks delivered. More importantly, Jalon Daniels delivered. After struggling for two possessions, with very little flow or consistency in any aspect, the Jayhawks marched 75 yards in 9 plays and 4:17 to cut the 14-0 UCF lead to 14-7. Not only did that help on the scoreboard, but it also was huge for KU’s confidence and the visiting team’s ability to settle down a little and feel like they were OK after being smacked for 14 straight points to open the game.

• 3 & out(s) to start 2nd half – It wasn’t the prettiest start to the game for the KU defense, but they did a solid job of standing up when they had to to open the second half. With UCF leading by 6 and opening the second half with the ball, Kansas’ defense forced a three-and-out for the first time in the game to get the ball back for the KU offense and keep the UCF lead at a single score. The KU defense doubled down on the momentum with another three-and-out stop on UCF’s second drive of the second half, and that led to Kansas tying the game at 20-all midway through the third quarter. They didn’t stop there, either. KU’s defense forced four straight three-and-outs to open the second half, a complete reversal of fortunes from the first half.

• Red zone success – All week, the KU coaching staff said the offense needed to do a better job of scoring touchdowns when they got to the red zone. Message received. The Jayhawks were 4-for-4 in the red zone on Saturday night, with three of the four scores being touchdowns.

• Boden Groen really emerging – We saw signs of it last week, when he scored and hit Cincinnati for some big gains. And the transfer tight end showed up big again in this one, finishing with 63 yards receiving, including a couple of huge catches early in the game when the Jayhawks were reeling on offense. It’s clear at this point that Daniels feels comfortable throwing to Groen, who provides a big target, good athleticism and a good IQ that helps him feel the game. Not only has he emerged as a nice option in the passing game but his emergence has been key with starting tight end DeShawn Hanika currently out with an injury.

DISLIKES

• No rhythm on offense early – The start of this one looked a lot like a team that had been sitting around a hotel all day waiting to play. The 7:30 p.m. local time was less than ideal for the KU road game, and it showed in their energy and execution early. KU was not crisp, lacked urgency and struggled to execute for much of the first two series on offense. It wasn’t just one player or one facet either. The Jayhawks have been really good in the first and third quarters this season. Especially when it comes to scoring points. So the slow start was a bit of a surprise. And you can’t help but wonder (a) if the late start had something to do with it and (b) if they’ll look to change things up for next week’s similarly late kickoff in Lubbock.

• Defense picked up where it left off – UCF got whatever it wanted on the opening drive, gashing the KU defense in much the same way that Cincinnati did last week in racking up 600 yards and 37 points. The corners and safeties gave big cushions. KU suffered several missed tackles. And UCF QB Tayven Jackson was in complete control of the game, whether UCF ran or threw the ball. That, of course, didn't last all night, but it was tough to watch out of the gate and it certainly put the Jayhawks in a pretty dangerous hole.

WHAT THE?

• Flipping the script – After falling into a 14-0 hole, the Jayhawks completely flipped the script and outscored UCF 27-6 over the next two quarters to take their first lead of the game on a 2-yard touchdown run by Leshon Williams Jr., his third of the night. Williams’ third TD was set up by a take-away by the KU defense, which came when safety Jalen Dye knocked the ball out of UCF QB Tayven Jackson’s hands on a delayed blitz on third-and-9 play deep in UCF territory. The play by Dye not only flipped the game in terms of giving KU the chance to take the lead. But it also flipped the game in knocking Jackson out of the game for the rest of the night with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. What’s even crazier about the Jalen Dye play was that it might have only been made because of an injury to Dye’s brother, Devin, who went out earlier in the game after appearing to injure his leg on a near-interception in the end zone. It was a wild flip from the start of the game to the finish and it came in a bunch of very wild ways, with KU curing nearly all of its ills along the way.

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