Look, so much of the recent history of Kansas Jayhawk football hasn’t exactly been all that impressive or inspiring. KU hasn’t seen a ton of success over the past couple decades. Yes, there is the Mark Mangino 2007 season where things were fun and they won a dozen games, but that was 18 years ago. That season is now old enough to vote and go to college and play college football.
From 2009 to 2021, the most wins Kansas had in a single season was five. JUST FIVE. Five wins in a season. That, my friends, is not good. In that stretch, there were four seasons where Kansas didn’t win more than one game. Again, NOT GOOD.
But things are changing in Lawrence, Kansas. Lance Leipold has embarked upon one of the toughest tasks any college coach could ever take on as he’s been steadily elevating the Jayhawks as a program. While there is still plenty of work to do for Leipold and his staff, he currently has his team at 4-2 and their offense is pretty solid.
If your perception of Kansas is stuck in what the Jayhawks were roughly five seasons ago, it’s time to get up to speed on where they are. This isn’t a game that can be overlooked. And it looks like Joey McGuire agrees with that sentiment.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire sure seems focused on the challenge Kansas can present to the Red Raiders
“This game is huge,” McGuire said during a press conference. “Kansas, if you look at them, they should be 6-0, easily should be 6-0.”
Again, the Jayhawks are 4-2. The two losses came against a Missouri Tigers team that is currently 5-0 and causing problems for folks in the Southeastern Conference and then also a Cincinnati team that is 4-1 and causing problems for folks in the Big 12.
“They were dominating Missouri at Missouri,” McGuire continued. “They are a really good football team.”
And I’d agree with that. Early on, the Jayhawks were up 21-6 over Missouri before the Tigers furiously came back in the second quarter. But it’s worth noting that KU had a 31-28 lead with a little under nine minutes left in that game. And that’s against a good Missouri team!
“This quarterback is the real deal, their receiver, I think, is leading the Big 12 in yardage,” McGuire said of Kansas’ offense.
And again, I’d agree with that. While KU isn’t perfect on offense, the Jayhawks are good. Jalon Daniels has thrown for 1497 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 67.3 percent of his passes and only having two picks. He also has another 239 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Then there’s the problem that Emmanuel Henderson brings to the table. He does indeed lead the Big 12 in receiving yards with 488 yards through six games. He’s gaining 17.4 yards per reception and has four touchdowns so far.