Throughout each season, there are interesting notes and nuggets of information that come out of every game, win or lose.
Here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting and noteworthy facts and stats from KU's 51-6 win over Long Island in the 2026 season opener at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Series History: Kansas leads the all-time series, 1-0
Kansas Captains: Cole Ballard, Calvin Clements, Blake Herold, Trey Lathan III, Rino Monteforte
Coin Toss: Kansas won the toss and deferred to the second half. Long Island received the opening kickoff.
Team Notes
• Kansas improved to 617-693-58 all-time, including 28-35 in the Lance Leipold era. Leipold’s career record improved to 174-74 overall.
• Kansas now has a 1-0 advantage over LIU all-time.
• Kansas is 76-54-7 in season openers all-time, including 6-0 under head coach Lance Leipold. Leipold is now the first Kansas coach since AR Kennedy (1904-10) to go 6-0 in season openers over his first six seasons.
• Kansas is 1-0 for the sixth-straight season, marking the first time since 2004-09 that Kansas started 1-0 in six straight seasons.
• Head coach Lance Leipold is now 18-2 in season openers all-time, including 10-2 at the Division I level.
• Kansas is 12-6 in non-conference games under Lance Leipold.
• Kansas is now 18-9 at home since the start of the 2022 season and 19-14 at home overall under Leipold.
• Kansas is now 15-12 in night games (played after 6 p.m. central) under Lance Leipold.
Offensive Notes
• Kansas amassed 613 yards total offense, marking the 3rd time in the Lance Leipold era the Jayhawks have surpassed the 600 yards total offense in a game. The 613 yards rank second in the Leipold era and eighth in program history.
• Junior running back Yasin Willis found the end zone twice during his first game as a Jayhawk, on five and ten yard rushes, marking the sixth and seventh touchdowns of his career. It marked the second game in his career where Willis scored multiple touchdowns in a game. While at Syracuse, Willis scored three touchdowns against Tennessee in the 2024 season opener.
• The Jayhawks scored on a three play, 57 yard drive near the end of the second quarter, highlighted by a 47 yard completion from Marshall to redshirt senior Nahzae Cox for his first reception as a Jayhawk.
• In his first career start as QB1, Marshall completed 14-of-19 passes for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 49 yards on 7 carries.
• Marshall recorded his first career touchdown pass with 57 seconds remaining in the first half when McMillan hauled in a 19 yard pass for his first touchdown as a Jayhawk.
• Redshirt senior wide receiver Nik McMillan recorded six catches for 130 yards and one touchdown, marking his eighth career game with 100+ yards. McMillan’s 100+ yard performance made him the first Jayhawk since Luke Grimm (2024 vs. Lindenwood) with 100 or more receiving yards in a season opener.
• Redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Dupree carried nine times for 35 yards and a touchdown, marking his first touchdown as a Jayhawk and fourth of his career.
• In the third quarter, sophomore wide receiver Tate Nagy recorded his first career receiving touchdown on a six-yard touchdown pass from Marshall. Nagy finished with three receptions for 40 yards in the game.
• The Jayhawks scored 30 points in the first half, the most in a half since November 9, 2024 against Iowa State, when KU scored 31 points in the first half.
• Redshirt sophomore Micah Johnson recorded his first career touchdown with 14:19 left in the game, when he capped off a 67 yard drive with an eight yard touchdown run.
• With 336 passing yards and 277 rushing yards, it marked the first time since August 29, 2025 that the Jayhawks had 200 or more yards both through the air and on the ground.
• The Jayhawks longest play from scrimmage came with 8:41 remaining in the game when redshirt junior quarterback Cole Ballard connected with redshirt junior Bryson Hayes on a 48-yard completion.
• Redshirt sophomore running back Donald Collier scored the first touchdown of his career with 7:22 to go in the game, punching it in from three yards out.
• Kansas’ 51 points are the most in a game since October 7th, 2023 against UCF when they also scored 51.
Defensive Notes
• In limiting LIU to six points, Kansas held its season-opening opponent to fewer than 10 points for the third-straight season after defeating Fresno State 31-7 in the 2025 opener and Lindenwood 48-3 to open the 2024 season. KU now has the program’s first such streak in season openers since holding opponents to single digits to open six-straight seasons from 1923-28.
• Kansas held LIU to 146 yards of total offense, which ranks as the second-fewest yards allowed of the Leipold era. The lowest total is 143 yards vs. Wagner on Aug 29, 2025.
• LIU managed just 35 rushing yards on 33 attempts, marking the third-fewest rushing yards that Kansas has allowed during Leipold’s tenure. The Jayhawks previously held BYU to 9 rushing yards on Sept. 23, 2023, and Iowa State to 26 yards on Oct. 1, 2022.
• Redshirt senior Bam Crouch recorded two tackles, including one sack, marking his first sack as a Jayhawk. Crouch now has 4.0 career sacks.
• Junior defensive end Leroy Harris III recorded a career-high four tackles-for-loss, upping his career total to 11.5, 7.5 of which came in 2025.
• Redshirt senior Trey Lathan recorded his first sack of the season in the first quarter for a loss of four yards, marking 5.5 sacks over his career.
• Kansas’ defense held Long Island to -3 rushing yards in the first quarter on eight attempts.
• With 4:12 left in the third quarter, redshirt junior defensive end David Santiago recorded a strip sack and fumble recovery, marking his first as a Jayhawk and third forced fumble of his career.
Special Teams Notes
• Redshirt sophomore kicker Martin Connington connected on his lone field goal attempt on Friday night, hitting from 32 yards out early in the second quarter. It was the first field goal as a Jayhawk for Connington, who is now 14-of-18 over his career.
• Sophomore Tate Nagy returned 5 punts for 48 yards, which represents a new career game high for return yards. His previous high was 44 return yards last season against Wagner (8/29/2025).
