Kansas Jayhawks end BYU Cougars’ undefeated season with 17-13 win

The Kansas Jayhawks stayed alive in their quest for bowl eligibility on Saturday night, and they took out the Big 12’s only remaining undefeated team in the process.

On the road in Provo, Utah, KU held on thanks to a last-minute stop and knocked off the BYU Cougars 17-13, ending BYU’s unblemished campaign.

The Jayhawks got out to a hot start, going ahead 7-0 thanks to a 10-play, 84-yard scoring drive and a rushing touchdown from senior running back Devin Neal less than six minutes into the game. BYU scored the next 10 points, however, and the game went to the half tied at 10-all after senior kicker Tabor Allen knotted the contest with a chip-shot, 25-yard field goal.

After BYU took a 13-10 lead late in the third quarter and with KU’s offense sputtering, the play of the game came from one of the Jayhawks’ usual suspects, albeit in an unusual way.

Senior quarterback Jalon Daniels punted the ball from the BYU 36-yard line on 4th and 14 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. The kick bounced off the helmet of BYU’s Evan Johnson, and after a scramble for the ball KU’s Quentin Skinner recovered the loose possession at the BYU 3-yard line.

One Neal carry and score later, Kansas took the lead for good.

BYU had one final chance to take the lead in the waning moments of Saturday’s contest, but Cougars wide receiver Chase Roberts was tackled on an eight-yard pass play on fourth down and 11 yards to go in the red zone to seal the victory.

Neal rushed for a season-low 52 yards on 14 carries but also scored both of the Jayhawks’ aforementioned touchdowns. Daniels went 12/19 passing for 169 yards and one interception in the win. Senior wide receiver Luke Grimm was his top target, catching four passes for 77 yards. He’s now the third-leading receiver in Kansas history, surpassing Kerry Meier for the all-time receiving yards list.

Now sitting at 4-6 on the year, KU still has to win its final two games to achieve bowl eligibility for the third season in a row. That includes a matchup with the 17th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes next Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium and a trip to Waco, Texas to face the Baylor Bears on the final Saturday of the regular season. Next weekend’s matchup is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

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