Kansas falls at No. 4 TCU, 43-0
Junior DT Daniel Wise makes a stop.FORT WORTH, Texas – Kansas football was unable to solve No. 4-ranked TCU, as the Horned Frogs beat the Jayhawks 43-0 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday.
Kansas (1-6, 0-4 Big 12) was held to just 21 yards of total offense, while TCU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) picked up 475 yards in the game. The Horned Frogs were powered by 278 yards in the air from senior quarterback Kenny Hill, who threw for five touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing.
Hill’s main target on the night was senior wide receiver John Diarse, who hauled in four passes for 130 yards and one touchdown. Jalen Reagor caught two touchdown passes, while wide receivers Desmon White and Taj Williams each grabbed a touchdown pass.
Redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., who led the nation in solo tackles and ranked third in total tackles going into Saturday’s game, totaled 11 stops, including seven solo tackles to lead the Jayhawk defense.
Kansas picked up a first down on its opening drive with junior quarterback Peyton Bender finding senior tight end Ben Johnson on third down for a 13-yard completion, but the Jayhawks’ drive stalled and was forced to punt.
KU was held to three-and-outs on its next eight drives and finished the game with just four first downs.
Johnson hauled in four passes in the game as the Jayhawks’ leading receiver, totaling 35 yards. Bender finished the night 7-of-16 passing with 38 yards in the air. Junior running back Deron Thompson led Kansas with 10 yards rushing.
TCU scored on its first possession, an eight-play, 71-yard drive that was sparked by a 39-yard completion on third-and-4 from Hill to White down the left sideline. The drive was capped with a six-yard touchdown on another Hill to White connection.
The Horned Frogs drove 52 yards on their next drive, but were held to a field goal, making the score 10-0 with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Kansas forced TCU to punt on its next possession, but the home team took advantage of a short field on its ensuing drive, after a 28-yard punt from KU senior Cole Moos. Taking over at the KU 35-yard line, TCU scored its second touchdown of the game to make the score 17-0 after the PAT.
Hill connected with Diarse for a 67-yard touchdown pass on TCU’s following drive, giving the Horned Frogs a 24-point lead with 4:54 remaining in the first half.
That score would stand until the 12:34 mark in the third quarter, when Hill completed his fourth touchdown pass of the game, capping a six-play, 75-yard drive. A failed PAT made the score 30-0.
A 45-yard scoring drive that ended with Hill’s fifth and final passing touchdown of the night, followed by a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown from the Horned Frogs stretched the TCU lead to 43-0 and cap the night’s scoring with 6:36 remaining in the third quarter.
Kansas will return to Lawrence to face in-state rival Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on October 28 for its next contest. Kickoff between the Jayhawks and Wildcats is slated for 2 p.m. CDT, with the game being televised on FS1.
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