Four takeaways from Kansas football’s blowout loss vs. No. 9 Texas Tech
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Texas Tech dominated trenches and rushing, piling up 372 yards and 9.3 YPC.
- Jalon Daniels led KU with efficient passing amid nine sacks and pressure.
- Loss exposes gap; KU must shore up line during bye week before K-State test.
Lance Leipold crossed his arms. He stared straight ahead at the field.
His face didn’t convey much emotion, but the blank stare said enough. He watched helplessly as his Kansas Jayhawks failed to prevent yet another long run.
This time, it was a 55-yard run by Texas Tech running back Cameron Dickey. The run ended in a touchdown as Texas Tech doubled up KU’s score.
Leipold’s squad was outmatched from the opening kickoff. Outside of brief moments, it really wasn’t close.
No. 9 Texas Tech defeated Kansas 42-17 on Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium. Kansas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) fell to 2-24 all-time vs. the Red Raiders.
This game also featured a tense confrontation between the head coaches, presumably about two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties called on Texas Tech for objects being thrown from the crowd. (More on that in a moment.)
Kansas vs. Texas Tech game recap
The game was all Tech to start.
Texas Tech raced to a 21-0 lead. The Jayhawks did eventually settle down, aided by a Tech injury, and pulled closer at half.
Tech’s starting quarterback, Behren Morton, suffered an injury early in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. His replacement was redshirt freshman Will Hammond.
After the change, Kansas answered with 17 straight points.
Notably, kicker Laith Marjan remained perfect, hitting a career-long 55-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. That cut the deficit to 21-17. But Tech scored the next 21 points, putting the game out of reach.
Daniels finished 27-of-33 passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Boden Groen was his top receiver, with 13 catches for 76 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Daniel Hishaw returned from injury and finished with 53 rushing yards on eight carries. The Jayhawks scored all of their points in the second quarter.
Up next: KU has its second off week. After the bye, the Jayhawks will host rival K-State on Oct. 25.
Until then, here are four takeaways from Saturday’s game…
Texas Tech is the class of the Big 12
The Jayhawks had an opportunity to make a statement. No. 9 Texas Tech came in as a 14-point favorite.
Sixty game minutes later, Texas Tech certainly looked the part of a College Football Playoff contender.
The Red Raiders dominated the trenches. KU’s offensive line allowed nine sacks. Before Saturday, Kansas had only allowed five sacks all season. It was the most sacks since Daniels’ freshman season, under Les Miles.
Not to mention, KU had a number of offensive holding penalties, while the Jayhawks’ defensive line finished with only one sack.
The difference between these teams also showed in the run game. Texas Tech ran for 372 yards (9.3 yards per carry). KU ran for 74 (1.9 YPC).
Despite Daniels doing everything he could, it was clear there was a talent gap in Lubbock.
The game showcased why Tech is a contender for both a Big 12 championship and CFB Playoff spot, while KU will need to continue to fight to secure a strong bowl game.
Jalon Daniels gave his all
Don’t take Jalon Daniels for granted, KU fans.
With the Jayhawks trailing 21-0, Daniels didn’t panic. Instead, he led KU on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a touchdown pass to Leshon Williams.
Despite the offensive line struggling, Daniels went through his progressions and found open receivers. He repeatedly got throws off with pressure in his face
Still, Texas Tech managed to get four sacks in the first half alone. Thus even after an interception and late field goal, KU trailed 21-17 at the break.
But Daniels, at that point, was 18-for-21 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns. It was arguably his best half of the season, as he kept KU afloat.
“It was tough,” Leipold said. “He battled. There were some throws probably or some sacks that we wish he would have just gotten rid of it sooner. He’s trying to extend plays and battle for his team. I thought he was highly competitive again for us.”
With the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter, backup Cole Ballard replaced Daniels.
KU’s defense was inconsistent
Heading into Saturday, defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald had raved about Texas Tech’s offense.
Indeed, Tech’s high-powered offense dominated early. The Red Raiders even started the game with a 71-yard touchdown run by Dickey.
The Red Raiders scored at will early. They put up 18 points in the first quarter, 21 in the first half.
After the quarterback change, the defense settled down. Kansas forced three punts and had an interception before Texas Tech turned to the read option and had success.
Hammond used his legs for two straight runs, the second of which put Tech on the board in the second half. Soon after, the floodgates opened.
But there was some good in the middle periods from the KU defense. Even if this game will be remembered for the gaudy rushing and yardage totals.
Tech finished with 505 yards of offense, including 372 on the ground.
“Those quarterbacks are both talented,” KU safety Taylor Davis said. “They’re both really, really skilled guys. ... We didn’t really see a drop-off there.”
Lance Leipold blasts Tech’s tortilla toss
Texas Tech has a longstanding tradition where students throw tortillas onto the field.
The first toss was right after kickoff, but it happened all throughout the game. The Red Raiders earned two different unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for tortillas and other objects being thrown.
Both Leipold and a KU Athletics spokesperson also alleged a “pocket knife” was thrown from the crowd and hit a KU staff member. It all led to a tense exchange postgame between Leipold and Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire.
Leipold said the environment was “handled very poorly” by the Big 12 office.
This story was originally published October 11, 2025 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Four takeaways from Kansas football’s blowout loss vs. No. 9 Texas Tech."
