Via Kansas Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – TCU upended Kansas 38-27 in KU’s conference home opener Saturday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. A crowd of 47,928 saw a contest that had six lead changes through three quarters as Kansas fell to 1-4 and 0-2 in Big 12 play, while TCU improved to 3-2 (1-1 Big 12).
TCU took a 28-24 lead on a punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter and kept Kansas at bay to claim the win. The Horned Frogs outgained the Jayhawks 507 to 346 in total offense for the game.
KU senior wide receiver Luke Grimm caught six passes for 85 yards and one touchdown from redshirt-junior quarterback Jalon Daniels. Kansas redshirt junior Daniel Hishaw Jr., rushed for 85 yards on 13 carries, while senior Devin Neal amassed 70 yards on 14 carries. It marked the third time Hishaw led KU in rushing for his career and the first since he went for 73 yards on 10 carries against Oklahoma in 2020.
The Jayhawks started strong by forcing a turnover on the first defensive drive, as senior Cobee Bryant punched out the football from a TCU ball-carrier, which was recovered by redshirt senior Dylan Wudke at the KU 46 yard-line.
Kansas made use of the TCU mistake and marched down the field on a four play, 54-yard drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown strike from Daniels to Grimm to put Kansas up, 7-0.
TCU responded with a five-play, 92-yard drive that finished with a 35-yard pass from Josh Hoover to Jack Bech to tie things up at 7-7.
On the ensuing possession, Kansas went back to the ground game as the Jayhawks accounted for 55-of-71 yards on the ground, culminating in a two-yard touchdown rush from Neal, which marked his 40th career touchdown.
On the following drive, TCU tied the game at 14-14 with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:10 off the clock. TCU’s Cam Cook capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown rush up the middle.
Both teams then traded punts and KU’s second punt of the contest pinned TCU on its own 16-yard line. Three plays later Kansas senior safety OJ Burroughs intercepted a Hoover pass and returned it 32 yards to the TCU 6-yard line. The Jayhawks later would go up 17-14 on a Tabor Allen 24-yard field goal with 2:57 before halftime. For Burroughs, it was his first interception of the season and fifth of his career.
On the ensuing possession, TCU would take a 21-17 lead on a 11-play, 75-yard drive capped off on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Hoover to Bech. The Horned Frogs would hold a four-point advantage at intermission.
On the opening drive of the second half, Kansas retook the lead at 24-21 going 75 yards in 11 plays capped off by an 8-yard touchdown rush up the middle by Hishaw.
Kansas senior cornerback Mello Dotson would stall TCU’s next drive with his third interception of the season giving KU the ball on its own 14 yard line. The interception was Dotson’s 10th of his career, as Dotson and teammate Cobee Bryant’s now-20 career interceptions are the most in the country.
TCU retook the lead on an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown by Damon Greaves to make the score 28-24 with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter.
With just over 12 minutes to play, Kansas pulled within one point at 28-27 on an Allen field goal, his second of the game, which capped a 10-play, 42-yard drive.
TCU added to its lead on the game’s next drive going 75 yards in two plays with Hoover finding Eric McAlister for a 59-yard score to make the score 35-27 with 11:19 to play.
TCU would end the game’s scoring on a Kyle Lemmermann 29-yard field goal that capped a 12-play, 57-yard drive that consumed 6:10 to make the score 38-27 with 3:02 to play.
UP NEXT
Kansas hits the road to Tempe, Arizona, next Saturday, Oct. 5, for its first-ever matchup against Big 12 newcomer Arizona State. That game will kick off at 7 p.m. CT and be televised on ESPN2.
