Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: On Jalon Daniels, KU football Game 1 standouts & grass vs. turf
Kansas football’s most anticipated season in more than a decade is finally underway.
The Jayhawks blew out the Lindenwood Lions 48-3 on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park. It was exactly the kind of start you were hoping for if you’re a Kansas fan.
Coach Lance Leipold also liked what he saw. Well, mostly.
“For a first game, it’s about what I had hoped for,” Leipold said.
With that, let’s get to this week’s KU football mailbag. Thanks as always for the questions.
Biggest improvement is usually from Game 1 to Game 2. What area should we see a big jump in at Illinois?@TheJayhawk4ever
This is a great question.
My guess is the overall smoothness of the offense and making less mistakes. On Thursday, KU’s offense hit a bit of a lull after scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter. The Jayhawks wouldn’t score until the second quarter.
KU also had two careless turnovers — wide receiver Quentin Skinner fumbled the ball on a long run and quarterback Jalon Daniels threw a pick on a miscommunication with Luke Grimm. Daniels took complete fault for the interception.
Daniels should be even better next week as he slowly gets used to playing college football again. It was clear that Daniels looked more and more comfortable out there as the first half went on after missing most of last season.
If Lance and the players really like playing on natural grass this season, does Lance have enough sway to make natural grass happen at the new Booth? @theREALgigante_
If Lance wanted natural grass, I’m sure he could get it. But financially, it’s a bit difficult.
After asking around, I was told that the renovated Booth plans to host multiple concerts and other events, so the cost of replacement grass would be very high. That’s one reason why Sporting doesn’t host concerts at Children’s Mercy Park.
For that reason, a turf field makes sense in Lawrence.
Did we come out of the game injury free? Plus, lot of backup players got action last night... I was wondering who stood out there and made a case for more playing time? — @crimson_blu_cru
According to Leipold, the Jayhawks escaped without any injuries.
As for the second question, backup quarterback Cole Ballard and defensive end Bai Jobe looked pretty good.
Ballard looked poised and confident in his limited snaps. He didn’t try to do too much, and when receivers weren’t open, he wisely tucked the ball and ran. Ballard finished 5-of-6 passing for 56 yards with one touchdown. He also ran three times for 20 yards, including a carry of 14 yards.
Jobe made an impact despite playing with a cast on his hand. He finished with two tackles in his limited snaps and did an excellent job of helping contain Lindenwood’s run game. It was a good start for the Michigan State transfer.
I think I know the answer, but do you think we’ll see Jalon run the ball vs Illinois? He didn’t tuck it once, but the other QBs did. I’m just guessing Coach didn’t want to show all our cards? Thanks and Rock Chalk! — @jfos4
I rewatched Daniels’ snaps — and Ballard’s — vs. Lindenwood; here’s what I came away with.
First, as you said, there’s no real reason to open the playbook and showcase too much against Lindenwood. Second, KU is trying to keep Daniels healthy and protected. He’s yet to play more than nine games in any season.
For those reasons, he was never going to tuck and run in the FCS opener.
I expect him to get back to his usual scrambling self slowly, as the season progresses and KU opens up the offense. But starting with Illinois: I expect he’ll run some, but not a ton.
SKC press box food review? @jackrritt
Man, it was the healthiest press box food I’ve ever had — and overall very delicious.
I (over)ate chicken breast, potatoes and Brussels sprouts, so I was full until the game ended. It was that good. I do wish the dessert was a little better.
I’d give the food an overall rating of 8.5/10.
This story was originally published August 31, 2024 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: On Jalon Daniels, KU football Game 1 standouts & grass vs. turf."
