Four Areas Kansas Must Address After Loss to Missouri

Kansas came up short against Missouri in the Border Showdown, losing 38-21 and leaving the Jayhawks with plenty to address before their upcoming matchup with Arizona State.

Kansas entered the rivalry game with considerable momentum, and there were several stretches that gave the Jayhawks reason for optimism. Ultimately, though, those positive moments weren’t enough to prevent the team from dropping its second game of the season against its cross-state rival.

As was the case when these teams met last season, Kansas had a legitimate chance to win this game. The Jayhawks received a few favorable breaks even while struggling in multiple areas, but they failed to turn those opportunities into points when they mattered most.

Taking down a ranked Missouri team was never going to be easy, but the loss exposed several weaknesses Kansas must address before next week’s game against Arizona State in London. These are the four biggest areas that need improvement.

4. Give the Running Backs More Opportunities

Kansas’ struggles throwing the football made the limited involvement of its running backs even more noticeable.

Dylan Edwards and Yasin Willis, who were both included on the preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List, combined for only 14 carries. Isaiah Marshall, by comparison, had 18 rushing attempts of his own.

Missouri frequently put extra defenders near the line of scrimmage early in the game, but Kansas’ offense eventually became far too predictable. Marshall was repeatedly asked to carry the ball on designed quarterback runs, while many passing plays ended with him rolling outside the pocket.

The result was an offense that never truly established its ground game.

Willis had an excellent season opener, rushing for 72 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Against Missouri, however, he had virtually no impact. That may have been the result of Missouri’s defensive strategy, the flow of the game, or some combination of the two.

Regardless, Kansas needs more production from its running backs. The offense will struggle to reach its potential if Edwards and Willis aren’t consistently incorporated into the rushing attack.

3. Tighten Up the Secondary’s Zone Coverage

Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons turned in a strong performance, consistently finding open receivers and avoiding many of the mistakes that can derail a young quarterback. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

Kansas’ defensive backs held together reasonably well early on, but the secondary began to break down at crucial moments later in the game.

One particularly costly play came when Donovan Olugbode caught a pass and raced 65 yards down the left sideline without being challenged. Austin Alexander appeared to blitz on the play, leaving no one responsible for the Missouri receiver.

Kansas also repeatedly had difficulty defending routes that broke toward the outside. That should sound familiar to Jayhawk fans after last season’s matchup, when quarterback Beau Pribula threw for 334 yards against the Kansas secondary.

The defensive backfield entered the season with plenty of question marks, and this performance won’t do much to ease those concerns. Until the secondary can consistently limit explosive plays and communicate effectively in coverage, opposing offenses will continue to view it as an area they can attack.

2. Eliminate Offensive-Line Mistakes

Missouri had its own discipline issues, committing 10 penalties for 76 yards. Kansas, however, couldn’t overcome the mistakes made by its offensive line, particularly during the second half.

With the Jayhawks trailing 31-21 and still having an opportunity to make the game competitive, the offensive line committed three costly penalties. A holding penalty against Tavake Tuikolovatu also erased a sizable gain.

Kansas was flagged 11 times overall, with seven of those penalties coming from the offensive line.

Some of the holding issues can be attributed to Marshall frequently leaving the pocket and forcing blockers to adjust on the fly. Even so, offensive line coach Daryl Agpalsa has plenty to address with his unit.

Kansas cannot afford to repeatedly surrender valuable yardage or erase positive plays through penalties, especially when facing quality opponents.

1. Become More Reliable Through the Air

The passing attack was always going to be the biggest postgame discussion, and Marshall’s performance against Missouri only intensified the questions surrounding Kansas’ quarterback situation.

Making his first start against an FBS opponent, Marshall showed flashes of ability but struggled to maintain consistency throughout the game.

He completed just 13 of 30 attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns while throwing two interceptions. He also fumbled three times and lost one of those fumbles.

The low completion percentage was especially concerning. Marshall missed multiple throws that appeared to be manageable completions, with some passes sailing over his receivers while others came in too short.

Saturday’s performance also brought renewed scrutiny to the concerns about Marshall’s passing ability that existed before the season. His athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs are valuable, but Kansas cannot rely solely on his mobility. To succeed against Big 12 competition, Marshall will have to become much more dependable as a passer.

The biggest question now is how much room Marshall has to work through these struggles.

If he produces another performance along the same lines against Arizona State, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Andy Kotelnicki consider giving Cole Ballard an opportunity to run the offense for a few series.

Kansas has plenty of time to correct these issues, but the loss to Missouri made it clear that significant improvements will be necessary if the Jayhawks want to get back on track.