Listen if you are looking for a loaded PFF grade card or big into stats then this game isn't for you. This wasn't the prettiest game the Jayhawks played and I even venture to say BYU was the better team on Saturday night.
But, sometimes when you make less mistakes that team comes out on top, and that's exactly what happened.
This was not a sexy game by Kansas, but they took care of the ball when they needed to and didn't let a punt bounce off their helmet. For much of the game the BYU defense played a good game and limited the KU offense. And that's okay because it was about time KU didn't look like the better team and come away with the win. There have been several games this year I thought KU looked like the better team and lost.
BYU had 100 yards more total offense. They had 10 more first downs, they ran more plays, and they had more yards per play and they won the TOP. On the flip side they limited KU to 2.2 yards per carry and shut down the KU offense for much of the game. If you would have told me all of those numbers and that KU would only have 242 yards of offense I am telling you no way KU wins.
However, BYU didn't play a clean game. One major swing in the game came right before half when Retzlaff threw a terrible pass in the end zone that most of this board could have picked off. That would have given BYU at least a field goal lead and the ball after half. Then the quick kick from Daniels that was recovered by Skinner after hitting a BYU player. The next play Neal walks into the end zone that proved to the game-winner.
"It was obviously a disappointing result, but you have to give a lot of credit to Kansas," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "They had a really good game plan. Looking at the stats, we just didn’t make enough plays, and way too many mistakes for us to come out with a victory. I think we played with fire in some ways. In terms of the mistakes that we made, we couldn’t come back from them. I’m frustrated, but we have to get over it. We have to learn from this and move on."
For a team trying to get in the college football playoffs, BYU is not talented enough to make mistakes. They have lived off the other team doing that. Last night, the shoe was on the other foot.
The Jayhawks stole one in Provo. Now, they can get back and focus on cleaning up some things and I think the offense will play much better against Colorado.
I thought the KU defense played well and came up with big stops when needed. BYU goes on a 10:00-plus minute drive to start the third quarter and the defense hold them a field goal followed by a shutout in the fourth quarter.
"For how that game went, where we’re just sitting on the sideline the whole time, and a 17-play drive takes up the whole third quarter, it was awesome to finish it out like that," Luke Grimm said.
Jalon Daniels said they have confidence in the defense.
"That’s a big shoutout to our defense, being able to make big plays when we needed them," he said. "I feel like our defense being able to make those plays definitely gave our offense the confidence to be able to go out there and be able to waste as much clock as BYU was."
The big takeaway for me is how this team never quit. They could have folded last night at different times. They could have quit three weeks ago. Now they have a lot to play for. I promise they will be ready to play against Colorado. They will not need a lot of motivation for that. I think we see a better offensive performance next weekend in a good environment.
But, sometimes when you make less mistakes that team comes out on top, and that's exactly what happened.
This was not a sexy game by Kansas, but they took care of the ball when they needed to and didn't let a punt bounce off their helmet. For much of the game the BYU defense played a good game and limited the KU offense. And that's okay because it was about time KU didn't look like the better team and come away with the win. There have been several games this year I thought KU looked like the better team and lost.
BYU had 100 yards more total offense. They had 10 more first downs, they ran more plays, and they had more yards per play and they won the TOP. On the flip side they limited KU to 2.2 yards per carry and shut down the KU offense for much of the game. If you would have told me all of those numbers and that KU would only have 242 yards of offense I am telling you no way KU wins.
However, BYU didn't play a clean game. One major swing in the game came right before half when Retzlaff threw a terrible pass in the end zone that most of this board could have picked off. That would have given BYU at least a field goal lead and the ball after half. Then the quick kick from Daniels that was recovered by Skinner after hitting a BYU player. The next play Neal walks into the end zone that proved to the game-winner.
"It was obviously a disappointing result, but you have to give a lot of credit to Kansas," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "They had a really good game plan. Looking at the stats, we just didn’t make enough plays, and way too many mistakes for us to come out with a victory. I think we played with fire in some ways. In terms of the mistakes that we made, we couldn’t come back from them. I’m frustrated, but we have to get over it. We have to learn from this and move on."
For a team trying to get in the college football playoffs, BYU is not talented enough to make mistakes. They have lived off the other team doing that. Last night, the shoe was on the other foot.
The Jayhawks stole one in Provo. Now, they can get back and focus on cleaning up some things and I think the offense will play much better against Colorado.
I thought the KU defense played well and came up with big stops when needed. BYU goes on a 10:00-plus minute drive to start the third quarter and the defense hold them a field goal followed by a shutout in the fourth quarter.
"For how that game went, where we’re just sitting on the sideline the whole time, and a 17-play drive takes up the whole third quarter, it was awesome to finish it out like that," Luke Grimm said.
Jalon Daniels said they have confidence in the defense.
"That’s a big shoutout to our defense, being able to make big plays when we needed them," he said. "I feel like our defense being able to make those plays definitely gave our offense the confidence to be able to go out there and be able to waste as much clock as BYU was."
The big takeaway for me is how this team never quit. They could have folded last night at different times. They could have quit three weeks ago. Now they have a lot to play for. I promise they will be ready to play against Colorado. They will not need a lot of motivation for that. I think we see a better offensive performance next weekend in a good environment.
