Kansas Jayhawks football grades: Report card from KU’s Big 12 loss at Texas Tech
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas suffered a 42-17 loss at Texas Tech, falling behind 21-0 early.
- KU’s offense rallied after the deficit, but special teams and starts faltered.
- KU stands 4-3 (2-2 Big 12); coaches stress faster starts and discipline.
The Kansas Jayhawks lost badly at Texas Tech on Saturday.
No. 9 Texas Tech defeated Kansas 42-17.
The Jayhawks trailed 21-0 early, got it to 21-17, and then tried to play catchup from there.
“We as a whole just got to come out faster,” KU safety Taylor Davis said. “We know that. It’s no secret. We’ve done a really good job of just believing in each other, not turning on each other, so we’re really focused on doing that.”
Here are our grades for all three phases of Saturday’s contest for KU (4-3, 2-2 Big 12), plus a player of the game:
Offense: C-
KU’s offense has certainly looked better. After falling behind early, KU’s offense roared back.
That was due to the play of quarterback Jalon Daniels. Despite his offensive line’s struggles, Daniels had a half to remember.
He made multiple big-time throws despite heavy pressure. He was 18-for-21 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
The second half wasn’t as kind for the Jayhawks. KU failed to score all half. The offense punted five times.
Not to mention, Texas Tech sacked Kansas nine times. Coming into Saturday, KU football had given up five sacks all season.
A small bright spot was the return of running back Daniel Hishaw from injury. He finished with 53 yards on eight carries.
Daniels finished 27-of-33 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Boden Groen had a career night, with 13 catches for 76 yards and one touchdown.
Defense: D
KU’s defense had a day to forget Saturday.
Not only did the Jayhawks let up 42 points, but the Red Raiders finished with 505 yards of offense, including 372 on the ground.
Despite Texas Tech having to go to backup Will Hammond after Behren Morton’s injury, the Jayhawks’ defense failed to slow down the Red Raider offense after Hammond found success running the read option.
The defense played a huge part in why the Jayhawks found themselves down 21-0.
The lone bright spot was safety Taylor Davis, who earned his first interception.
Special teams: B-
KU’s special teams play wasn’t a detriment like the other facets of the Jayhawks’ game vs. Tech.
Kicker Laith Marjan remained perfect on the season, converting one field goal for 55 yards. It was a career-high and tied for the sixth-longest kick in KU history
KU punter Finn Lappin averaged 43.8 yards on his eight punts. Henderson returned one kick for an average of 12 yards.
That said, the Jayhawks allowed a punt return of 36 yards and allowed Tech to make a two-point conversion.
Player of the game: Jalon Daniels
The only reason KU had any hope was Daniels. He continued his special season, truly giving it his all against Tech.
The Jayhawks were clearly overmatched, but that wasn’t the case for Daniels. He’s now thrown for 18 touchdowns, 1,700 yards and just two interceptions this season.
He’s having one of the best seasons in for a quarterback in Kansas history.
This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks football grades: Report card from KU’s Big 12 loss at Texas Tech."
