Via Kansas Athletics
SALT LAKE CITY — The Kansas Jayhawks were outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter as No. 12 Utah pulled away to defeat KU 41-24 in front of a sold out crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night.
Kansas (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) closed to within three at the end of the third quarter, following a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Isaiah Marshall to Nik McMillan. Utah (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) responded with a one-yard touchdown pass and goal line stand that preceded a 90-yard touchdown run which put the game out of reach with 7:24 to play.
Marshall completed 19-of-37 passes for a career-high 333 yards and two touchdowns, completing passes to six different receivers in the contest. His top receiver was Cam Pickett, who hauled in eight passes for 134 yards, while Marshall threw touchdowns to McMillan and Dylan Edwards. Edwards was also KU’s leading rusher with 22 yards on nine attempts, while Marshall had 21 yards and his first career touchdown on nine rushing attempts.
Utah scored on its first two drives to take an early 14-0 lead on Kansas with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter. The Utes used a 10-play 75-yard drive, capped off by a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Wayshawn Parker, followed by a 3-play 66-yard drive to take the early first quarter lead.
Just before the end of the first quarter, redshirt junior defensive end David Santiago forced the first Utah turnover of the game, sacking Utah’s Devon Dampier and forcing a fumble, which Santiago would then recover and return to the Utah 14-yard line.
Kansas would later score on a 3-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior Dylan Edwards, his fourth touchdown of the season, to bring the score to 14-7 with 14:09 remaining in the second quarter.
Utah would respond with a seven-play, 75-yard drive to go up 21-7 with 10:16 remaining in the half.
Late in the second half, Kansas fought back with a five-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a six-yard Isaiah Marshall rushing touchdown, the first of his career. On Utah’s next drive, Kansas forced its second turnover of the game, this time on a Jalen Todd interception to give the Jayhawks the ball with 34 seconds remaining.
Kansas would then march down the field behind big plays to wide receiver Nik McMillan as Martin Connington was able to convert on a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, bringing the score to 21-17 in favor of the Utes.
Utah was the first to score in the second half as the Utes went ahead nine points on a 15-play, 82-yard drive. The extra-point was blocked by Leroy Harris III as the Utes went up 27-17 with 5:13 to go in the third quarter.
Kansas responded with a touchdown of its own as the Jayhawks marched down the field with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 29-yard strike from Marshall to redshirt senior Nik McMillan. The touchdown was McMIllan’s third receiving touchdown of the season and brought the score to 27-24 with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
KU was held scoreless in the fourth quarter, being stopped on downs deep into Utah territory at twice while the Utes scored twice to hold on for the victory.
Kansas will have its second Big 12 Conference road test on Saturday, Oct. 17 when the Jayhawks travel to Manhattan, Kansas to take on the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. CT on FS1.
