Kansas football outlasts UCF for important Big 12 road win. Here are 3 takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas rallied from a 14-point deficit to win 27-20 at UCF on Saturday.
- Defense held UCF scoreless in second half, including three late goal-line stops.
- Leshon Williams scored three rushing TDs, providing decisive red-zone production.
You can exhale, Kansas fans.
On a wet, rainy night in Orlando, the Jayhawks prevailed in a one-score game against the UCF Knights.
Despite trailing by 14 early, Kansas shut out the Knights in the second half and held on for a 27-20 nailbiter at the Ascrisure Bounce House on Saturday.
KU outscored the Knights 20-3 from the middle of the second quarter on. KU (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) improved to 2-6 in one-score games since the start of the 2024 season.
The ending was chaotic.
Clinging to a 27-20 lead, KU’s defense held firm with three straight goal-line stops that forced a turnover on downs. With 1:47 left, KU’s offense took over. The offense only burned 10 seconds after UCF used its timeouts.
UCF got one more chance — and reached the 22-yard line. But the Jayhawks’ defense held from there, setting off a celebration from the visiting sideline.
“We found a way,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “It wasn’t the cleanest and things like that early, but I’m really proud of their perseverance in the second half. Being down 14-0 and being able to come back and outscore them 27-6 I think says a lot about the resiliency of this team.”
How Kansas vs. UCF unfolded
This game was back and forth from the start.
The Knights raced to a 14-0 lead. When things looked bleak, KU’s offense found its footing. The Jayhawks engineered a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Leshon Williams.
UCF scored on all four of its drives in the first half but went into halftime leading only 20-14.
Kansas scored 13 points unanswered in the second half. The Jayhawks finally took the lead, 27-20, late in the third quarter when a fumble gave KU the ball 2 yards away from the end zone. They scored one play later.
Daniels finished 18-of-26 passing for 235 yards. Cam Pickett was his top receiver, with five catches for 64 yards.
Running back Leshon Williams finished with 58 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Daniels added 25 yards on the ground and also connected with tight end Boden Groen, a surprise of the season thus far, for a couple of long catches.
“We found a way to make some stops,” Leipold reflected postgame. “... We found a way to win a close game.”
Up next: KU travels to Lubbock, Texas, to play Texas Tech on Oct. 11.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game…
Jalon Daniels showed off his poise
Heading into the game, Daniels was tied for second in the nation in passing touchdowns (16) and only had two interceptions to his name.
His special season continued vs. UCF, but it came in a different fashion: He made big throws without having to be the one to get the ball into the end zone.
One big talking point all season has been Daniels’ poise. When KU fell behind by two touchdowns, Daniels didn’t make erratic throws or play hero ball.
Instead, he calmly led Kansas on a scoring drive and took his team out of the danger zone. On the very next drive, he did the same thing to pull the Jayhawks within one score at the half.
It was precisely the type of play needed from the sixth-year QB. Daniels entered halftime 11-for-15 passing for 144 yards.
“Y’all have seen us down 14-0 before,” Daniels said. “Y’all have seen a lot of games where we went down 14-0 and we were still able to come back and win. ... It was great to be able to (come back).”
If not for a drop on a diving-catch attempt by Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who finished with 53 yards on five receptions, the Jayhawks might’ve scored even more Saturday. Groen also finished with 63 receiving yards.
KU’s defense bounced back after a rough start
KU’s defense underwhelmed in the first half.
A week after the Jayhawks gave up nearly 600 yards of total offense to Cincinnati, things didn’t look much better to start Saturday. The Knights scored on every drive in the first half, and they had no problem moving the ball on the ground.
UCF had 16 rushes for 162 yards … in the first half alone. On top of that, it felt like the Jayhawks missed tackles on every pivotal third or fourth down.
Then, a switch was flipped.
In the second half, Kansas adjusted. The Jayhawks stacked the box and forced quarterback Tayven Jackson to throw. UCF’s first two drives in the second half ended in punts.
On the Knights’ next drive, safety Jalen Dye sacked Jackson, who fumbled the ball. Kansas recovered and linebacker Trey Lathan returned the ball 5 yards. Kansas started its drive on the UCF 2-yard line.
Right after, Williams scored a walk-in rushing touchdown to give KU the lead. Jackson left the game due to injury.
Leshon Williams made the most of his opportunties
Without running back Daniel Hishaw for a second-straight week, plenty of responsibility fell on the shoulders of Leshon Williams.
And he delivered.
A week after Kansas struggled in the red zone, Williams made sure KU didn’t leave many points on the board. He had three rushing touchdowns, after coming into Saturday with a grand total of two.
Williams didn’t have too many carries, but those three touchdowns proved pivotal. He ran for three touchdowns total in four seasons at Iowa, before transferring to KU. He matched that total Saturday.
“I think it’s my first time (scoring three touchdowns),” he said. “I have to give a huge shoutout to my O-line, tight ends, receivers and all the coaches that trust me to get the 1-2 yards. It’s love.”
The Jayhawks made four trips to the red zone. Those drives resulted in three touchdowns and a field goal.
This story was originally published October 4, 2025 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Kansas football outlasts UCF for important Big 12 road win. Here are 3 takeaways."
