The Kansas Jayhawks welcomed the Texas Tech Red Raiders to Lawrence this weekend for the opening game of conference play. Despite a strong start, Kansas wasn't able to hold up for four quarters and the hunt for win number three continues.
Overall Kansas continues to look much improved on the offensive end, but that is often overshadowed by the struggles in other areas. And with the Big 12 conference looking extremely competitive this year, Kansas fans are starting to wonder if their team will see the win column again this year. So what did we learn about KU football from the game against Texas Tech?
Kansas CAN Compete...Offensively
The Jayhawks came out and handed it to the Texas Tech defense in the 1st quarter running of 20 points before Texas Tech even woke up. Granted Texas Tech is probably one of the weaker defenses in the Big 12 but Kansas was balanced, creative and effective in almost every aspect of their early offensive gameplan.
Jordan Webb continued to convert 3rd downs and manage the game efficiently. The Kansas offensive line was getting a push up front and the Kansas backs were getting to the second level and making plays. Kansas also showed it's depth at running back when freshman Darrian Miller left the game due to injury and Brandon Bourbon stepped in with a new style and proved just as effective.
Turnovers Kill Your Momentum
Three drives into the game the Kansas offense had not been stopped and the Tech offense had yet to move. A couple quick turnovers offset eachother before the Kansas offense handed the Tech offense the ball with a short field on back to back turnovers. That was enough to give the Red Raiders the break they needed to get into an offensive rhythm and just as quickly as Kansas had gone up 20-0, they trailed 21-20.
The Kansas defense had done the job for about a quarter of football. But they aren't a changed unit overnight and two short fields in a row proved to be the beginning of the end. Even though Kansas was able to drive for a late score and take the lead at half, the Kansas defense never regained the momentum in their matchup with the Red Raider offense.
Halftime Adjustments AREN'T Happening
Kansas was outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter after taking a three point lead into halftime. Tech was 3 for 3 on their offensive possessions while the Jayhawks went 0 for 3. After that, this game was all but over.
It's a trend that's becoming all too familiar with Kansas this year. Against Georgia Tech they were outscored 28-0 in the 3rd. At the end of the day it would appear that opposing coaches are heading into halftime, making the necessary adjustments and getting the better of the Kansas staff out of the gate in the second half. It's a discouraging and frustrating trend for a Kansas fan base that is experiencing some level of doubt when it comes to Turner Gill's abilities.