Cincinnati Scores Late, Defeats Kansas 37-34

The loss drops Kansas to 3-2 (1-1 Big 12) on the yr, whereas Cincinnati improves to 3-1 (1-0 Big 12) this season. 

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels accomplished 19-of-28 passes for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns. Daniels’ yardage is the second-highest single-game whole of his profession and the fifth-best mark in program historical past. He accomplished a workforce excessive 5 passes to Emmanuel Henderson Jr. and Boden Groen, with Henderson totaling 214 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Groen and Levi Wentz additionally had receiving touchdowns for the Jayhawks.

Leshon Williams led the Jayhawks with 64 dashing yards on 10 makes an attempt, whereas Daniels added 55 yards on the bottom to complete with precisely 500 yards of whole offense. This output marked the fourth-highest single-game whole in KU historical past. 

Lyrik Rawls led the Jayhawks defensively with 10 tackles, whereas Trey Lathan added 9 and two quarterback hurries. Blake Herold had a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and three of KU’s eight hurries.

Cincinnati received one first down on their opening drive earlier than punting and pinning KU at its personal seven-yard line. The Jayhawks offense got here out firing as Daniels went deep to Henderson on the primary offensive play of the sport, connecting for a 93-yard landing to go up 7-0 on the 11:42 mark of the opening quarter. The Bearcats answered, nevertheless, going 75 yards in 13 performs to tie the sport at 7-7 following a 2-yard landing run with 6:10 to play within the quarter.

Kansas was held and not using a first down on its subsequent drive and Cincinnati took their first lead of the sport with a 29-yard area aim early within the second quarter. Daniels and the Jayhawks shortly responded with a nine-play scoring drive, which ended with a 27-yard Laith Marjan area aim that made it 10-10 with 10:00 remaining within the half. 

The forwards and backwards scoring continued because the Bearcats put collectively a 10-play landing drive, regaining the lead, 17-10, earlier than Kansas added a 35-yard area aim from Marjan. Cincinnati added a area aim on the final play of the half to take a 20-13 lead into the break. 

KU’s offense received again within the scoring column on its opening drive of the second half. KU wanted simply 3:22 to drive 75 yards in eight performs, capped off with a 24-yard landing go from Daniels to Boden Groen, which tied the rating at 20-20. The workforce’s once more traded touchdowns on their subsequent drives, with UC needing 5 performs to cowl 82 yards for a rating earlier than Daniels linked with Henderson for one more one-play drive, this time overlaying 75 yards. The Bearcats added a area aim on their remaining drive of the quarter to guide 30-27 as the sport entered the fourth quarter.

Kansas appeared poised to regain the lead earlier than a fumble on the aim line led to a turnover, and allowed Cincinnati to keep up their lead. After permitting two first downs, KU’s protection received the cease it wanted, getting the ball again into Daniels’ arms with 8:02 to play. 

The Jayhawks senior sign caller then engineered the clutch drive, marching his workforce 85 yards in 12 performs whereas draining 6:17 off the clock. Daniels’ remaining act of the possession was a six-yard landing go to Wentz that put KU again on prime with 1:45 to play within the sport.

KU compelled Cincinnati right into a fourth and 10 on its remaining drive, however the Bearcats transformed and scored the go-ahead landing three performs later.

The Jayhawks will now hit the street for the primary time in Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 4, touring to UCF to tackle the Knights at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The sport might be Kansas’ first sport at UCF in program historical past and the second performed in Orlando all-time (2003 Tangerine Bowl vs. NC State).