Notes & Numbers: KU-UCF

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 a wild Saturday afternoon in Lawrence that ended in heartbreak for the home team via a 33-32, last-second defeat at the hands of UCF.

KU, which fell to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 play with the loss, trailed 26-7 early in the third quarter, stormed all the back to take a 32-26 lead with just over a minute to play and then watched UCF move its offense down the field for the game-winning TD with 1 second to play.

Series History: Kansas leads 2-1

Kansas Captains: Cole Ballard, Calvin Clements, Blake Herold, Trey Lathan III, Rino Monteforte

Coin Toss: UCF called tails, UCF won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Kansas received the opening kickoff.

Team Notes

• Kansas falls to 619-699-58 all-time, including 30-41 under head coach Lance Leipold.

• Leipold’s career record falls to 176-80 overall.

• The series between Kansas and UCF is now 2-1 in favor of Kansas, including 1-1 in games played in Lawrence.

• Kansas goes to 21-16 at home under Leipold, including 3-2 this season.

Offensive Notes

• Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall finished 21-of-32 for 210 yards, while also rushing for a career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Marshall scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by a 30-yard scoring run in the third as he posted his first career game with multiple rushing scores. He also became the first Kansas quarterback since Jalon Daniels (2024 vs. UNLV) to have two or more rushing touchdowns in a game.

• With 125 rushing yards, Marshall marked his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season, becoming the first Kansas quarterback since Nolan Cromwell in 1975 to have three or more games with 100+ rushing yards in the same season.

• Marshall also became the first Jayhawk with 100+ rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the same game since Jalon Daniels rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns against Houston in 2023.

• Running back Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman reached the endzone on a one-yard rush in the fourth quarter, marking his second career rushing touchdown and his first since Oct. 3, 2026 against Middle Tennessee.

• Running back Dylan Edwards scored his team-leading fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a two-yard touchdown with 1:06 remaining. KU’s leading rusher, totaled 22 yards on 13 carries.

• Wide receiver Nik McMillan led the Jayhawks in receptions with six, while Keaton Kubecka and Cam Pickett had five receptions apiece. Kubecka established a new career-high in both receptions (five) and receiving yards (71).

Defensive Notes

• Defensive tackle Blake Herold set new career-highs for both tackles (8) and tackles-for-loss (4.0) on Saturday. The tackles-for-loss were his first of the season as he now has 11.5 tacklesfor-loss over his career. Herold’s previous career high of 1.5 tackles-for-loss came against Cincinnati in 2025.

• Herold also recorded his first forced fumble of the season on Saturday, which was recovered by David Santiago. The forced fumble was Herold’s second of his career and first since forcing one at Missouri in 2025.

• Linebacker Trey Lathan had seven tackles and recorded his second interception of the season, third of his career, on UCF’s first play from scrimmage. Lathan previously had an interception against Baylor (Oct. 24, 2026) earlier this season. With seven total tackles in the game, Lathan has now recorded seven or more tackles in five consecutive games and in seven games this season.

• Defensive end Leroy Harris III recorded three sacks on Saturday, and now has 6.5 sacks of the season. The three sacks gave him 11 for his career and marked Harris’ second game with two or more sacks this season. Harris’ 5.5 sacks leads the team this season.

• Cornerback Roman Pearson recorded a pass breakup on Saturday and now has a team-high seven on the season and 12 over his career.

• Defensive end David Santiago’s second quarter fumble recovery on Saturday was his fourth of the season and fifth of his career. Santiago recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss on Saturday, giving him 9.0 for the season, 16.5 for his career.

• Safety Christian Pritchett made his first career start on Saturday. Pritchett has played in 25 career games including all nine this season.

Special Teams Notes

• Kicker Martin Connington connected on his lone field goal attempt, hitting from 34 yards out in the fourth quarter to improve to 12-for-16 this season on field goals and 26-for-32 in his career.

• Punter Matthew Gill averaged 38.6 yards per on five punts, with a long of 44 yards and one that was downed inside the UCF 20-yard line.