Kansas football vs LIU grades: Here’s KU’s report card for its opener
· Yahoo Sports
LAWRENCE — Kansas football picked up a 51-6 win Friday at home against LIU during non-conference play.
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Here’s how the Jayhawks (1-0) graded out from their win against LIU (0-2):
Offense: Jayhawks thrive with Isaiah Marshall starting at quarterback
After turning the ball over on downs on its first drive, Kansas’ offense picked up quickly and scored on each of its next five drives to take a 30-0 lead going into halftime before having more success in the second half. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Isaiah Marshall did well in his first start of the fall, finishing 14-for-19 through the air for 246 yards and two scores — in addition to rushing for 49 yards on seven attempts. Junior running back Yasin Willis shined with his two rushing scores, as he had 72 yards on 11 carries, and redshirt senior wide receiver Nik McMillan had six catches for 130 yards and a score.
Grade: A
Defense: KU stymies LIU in opener
Kansas kept LIU from putting together any scoring drives until the fourth quarter, as the Jayhawks nearly came away with a shutout. KU junior defensive end Leroy Harris III looked every bit of the quality player he was said to have the potential of being during the offseason, and finished with four tackles for loss. Redshirt junior defensive end David Santiago also forced and recovered a fumble.
Grade: A
Special teams: Kansas makes the plays it should, except for one
There was only one significant error that Kansas’ special teams unit made, as there was a turnover on a punt. Redshirt sophomore kicker Martin Connington hit all of his extra points and connected on his lone field goal, which was from 32 yards out. Sophomore wide receiver Tate Nagy had some good moments on punt returns, including one that went 17 yards.
Grade: B
Coaching: Kansas gets its season started off right
The decision to go for a two-point conversion after Kansas’ first touchdown was unexpected, but overall, the Jayhawks seemed to accomplish what they wanted to in their opener. Both sides of the ball got into a nice rhythm for KU, and a lot of different players were able to get into the game and get experience. How much the coaching staff might have held back so as not to put too much on film for Missouri to analyze is unclear, but if there was anything held back ahead of next week’s game, it didn’t keep Kansas from picking up the win.
Grade: A
Overall grade: A
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football vs LIU grades: Here’s KU’s report card for its opener