AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) throws against Arizona State during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz.

Tempe, Ariz. – The stars aligned for Kansas to have its first good end-of-half series in a month.

Mello Dotson had forced a fumble on the first play after the two-minute warning. KU, already leading 14-7, would get the ball to open the second half. With a successful run, the Jayhawks were able to take control before the break.

Instead, they went three-and-out and gave up a long punt return, Bryant made a pair of key penalties and then ASU scored the tying touchdown before KU knelt the first half. By the time the final two minutes were up, the Jayhawks had extended their ignominious score to 38 consecutive opponent points allowed within the two-minute timeout.

The swing ultimately became crucial as KU lost the game by four points, 35-31.

ASU’s Sam Leavitt hit Jordyn Tyson for a game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left, set up by a 39-yard run by Cam Skattebo.

Skattebo split the Jayhawks for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Leavitt threw for four scores on the day. KU quarterback Jalon Daniels threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Jayhawks twice took the lead with late-game touchdown drives, but their defense couldn’t hold on in the final moments.

Early in the game, KU allowed ASU to cross midfield in the span of three plays and gave up even more ground on a 16-yard scramble by quarterback Leavitt. Leavitt found Xavier Guillory for a 28-yard score on a one-handed grab two plays later, putting the Sun Devils ahead by a touchdown within the first four minutes of the game.

The Jayhawks began a less fluid drive that eventually reached ASU territory on a 25-yard pass from Daniels to Devin Neal. That was one of three third downs KU converted before Daniels sprinted 22 yards onto a goalie for a quick tying touchdown.

After a few punts, KU continued to use Neal in the passing game to great effect. By the end of the first quarter, he had four catches, surpassing his total of three from the first five games of the season. But it was Quentin Skinner, shaking off his slow start to the season, who made the crucial catch for the Jayhawks, grabbing an 18-yard grab from Daniels on the sideline to set up third-and-16. He then broke wide open for a 30-yard touchdown reception.

ASU shook off its offensive slump with five straight runs for 52 yards before backup running back DeCarlos Brooks dropped a wide-open pass in space. However, the Jayhawks held Skattebo to one yard on third and fourth down, and the Sun Devils were called for a false start as they lined up to get on fourth down (even if they were only trying to make a hard count feeding). Then reserve defensive tackle Kenean Caldwell got his hand on Ian Hershey’s field goal attempt for a block.

Skinner made another catch from 29 yards, but KU punted after he crossed midfield.

Then ASU, faced with the prospect of giving the Jayhawks the ball back before halftime, converted a fake punt on a pass from Kanyon Floyd to Clayton Smith that surprised them, but Dotson stripped the Sun Devils’ Jordyn Tyson to still give KU gain possession of the ball. .

That’s when the Jayhawks’ battle began late in the first half, as Melquan Stovall’s long punt return set Leavitt up to tie the game, culminating in a touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer.

Daniels came out of the break efficiently, completing passes upfield to Skinner and Luke Grimm. On a failed third-down attempt, the Jayhawks got a gift in the form of a targeting penalty on Keyshaun Elliott, but it didn’t matter much in the short term as Daniels missed Skinner on third-and-goal and KU settled for a field. goal.

Aided by a third penalty on Bryant and a steady dose of ASU’s rushing attack, the Sun Devils moved down the field with ease until Devin Dye collected a twice-deflected pass from Leavitt at the goal line to gain KU possession.

The Jayhawks immediately punted and ASU overcame a disastrous reverse and an illegal block to take the lead on a Skattebo touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

KU mounted a strong drive in response, using a pass interference penalty and a Luke Grimm rush to get deep into ASU territory before the long-held Neal broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run.

The injury bug began to bite KU during its next defensive push, as the Jayhawks were forced to use their deepest reserves as Skattebo surged forward again and again, eventually setting up a touchdown pass from Leavitt to Tyson.

KU capitalized on a third-down targeting call on a play that could have been blown dead when an ASU defender ran offside. Instead, in the waning minutes, KU crossed midfield en route to a touchdown pass from Daniels to Skinner with two minutes remaining.

The Jayhawks, who fell to 1-5 and 0-3 in Big 12 play last year, enter their bye week before hosting Houston on Oct. 19 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How they scored

First quarter

11:44 – Xavier Guillory 28-yard pass from Sam Leavitt. Ian Hershey PAT well. Seven plays, 75 yards, 3:16 TOP. ASU 7, KU 0.

6:24 – Jalon Daniel’s 22-yard run. Tabor Allen PAT well. Ten plays, 75 yards, 5:21 TOP. ASU 7, KU 7.

Second quarter

11:45 – Quentin Skinner 30 yard pass from Jalon Daniels. All PAT well. Ten plays, 85 yards, 5:08 TOP. KU14, ASU7.

0:26 – Chamon Metayer 20 yard pass from Leavitt. Carston Kieffer PAT well. Four plays, 58 yards, 0:52 TOP. KU14, ASU14.

Third quarter

10:00 – Allen makes a 20-yard field goal. Thirteen plays, 73 yards, 5:00 TOP. KU17, ASU14.

Fourth quarter

2:56 PM – Cam Skattebo 1-yard run. Kieffer PAT well. Ten plays, 52 yards, 5:21 TOP. ASU 21, KU 17.

10:49 – Devin Neal 31-yard touchdown run. All PAT well. Eight plays, 75 yards, 4:07 TOP. KU24, ASU21.

6:19 – Jordyn Tyson 37-yard pass from Leavitt. Kieffer PAT well. Ten plays, 75 yards, 4:30 TOP. ASU 28, KU 24.

2:04 – 34-yard Skinner pass from Daniels. All PAT well. Six plays, 69 yards, 4:15 TOP. KU31, ASU28.

0:16 – Tyson 3-yard pass from Leavitt. Kieffer PAT well. Eight plays, 75 yards, 1:48 TOP. ASU35, KU31.

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Written by Hendrik Groenstein

Henry is sports editor at Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com, and serves as KU beat writer while managing daily sports coverage. He previously worked as a sports reporter at The Bakersfield Californian and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (BA, Linguistics) and Arizona State University (MA, Sports Journalism). Even though he’s from Los Angeles, he’s often told he doesn’t exude a “California vibe,” whatever that means.

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