Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks christened the reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium with a 31-7 victory over Fresno State on Saturday evening in front of a sold out crowd of 41,525 spectators.
The win gives Kansas a 1-0 record to start a season for the fifth-straight year and is the Jayhawks’ earliest win in a season in program history.
Jalon Daniels had an efficient night guiding the Jayhawks offensive attack, completing 18-of-20 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns while also carrying the ball eight times for 47 yards. Leshon Williams rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while Cam Pickett led the Jayhawks with six receptions for 77 yards and two scores.
Trey Lathan led the Jayhawks with eight tackles (four solo, four assist) and added one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Kansas forced three turnovers on the night, getting a forced and recovered fumble from Bangally Kamara to go along with interceptions by Lyrik Rawls and Devin Dye.
“I thought we had good answers,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said after the game. “I didn’t think we got overly rattled when they did bring pressure and Jalon knew where he was going with the ball. I thought that Jim Zebrowski called a heck of a game and mixed things up extremely well. Leshon Williams played extremely well, and Daniel Hishaw ran hard and they showed the ability to move the ball either in the air or on the ground.”
Kansas received the opening kickoff and took its first drive the distance of the field for a touchdown as Daniels found Pickett for a 21-yard score. The Jayhawks drove 86 yards in nine plays, with Daniels completing 3-of-4 passes on the drive, while also rushing twice for 34 yards. The Jayhawks opening drive lasted less than four minutes, as KU took the 7-0 lead with 11:06 to play in the first quarter.
Fresno State answered with a seven play, 75-yard touchdown drive, knotting the score at 7-7 with 7:20 to play in the opening quarter. Daniels again led the Jayhawks down the field on KU’s next drive, needing eight plays to cover 75 yards. Leshon Williams scored his first touchdown in a Kansas uniform with a 19-yard rush into the north end zone that put KU up 14-7 with 2:10 to play in the quarter.
After the first three drives of the game ended in KU touchdowns, the next three ended in punts before the Jayhawks took over with 9:23 to play in the half. Daniels completed three passes to Pickett on a five-play scoring drive, including a 13-yard touchdown, as KU pushed its lead to 21-7 at the midway point of the second quarter. Kansas ended Fresno State’s next drive with an interception from Dye, then drove into Fresno State territory and got a 47-yard field goal from Laith Marjan to make it 24-7 at halftime.
Fresno State drove into Kansas territory on their first drive of the second half, but Kamara came up with a sack fumble to return possession to the Jayhawks. KU’s offense needed just five plays to turn it into points, which came as Daniels found Keaton Kubecka across the middle for a 12-yard touchdown pass, upping the lead to 31-7, the eventual final score, with 7:47 to play in the third quarter. Rawls ended the Bulldogs next drive with an interception – KU’s second takeaway of the quarter and third of the game.
Kansas returns to action next Friday, Aug. 29, hosting Wagner at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. That game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN+.
