Kansas Opens Season With Dominant Win Over LIU

The Kansas Jayhawks opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion Friday night, defeating LIU 51-6 behind a strong defensive performance and an offense that eventually found its rhythm.

Kansas’ defense immediately set the tone, forcing LIU into a three-and-out on its opening possession. However, the Jayhawks were unable to capitalize on their first offensive opportunity, turning the ball over on downs.

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The early struggles continued for Kansas’ offense, as the Jayhawks scored just six points during the first quarter. While the offense took some time to get going, Kansas’ defense continued to keep LIU from finding any consistency.

LIU struggled particularly on third down throughout the first half, converting just one third-down opportunity. Kansas took advantage of those defensive stops as the game progressed, allowing the Jayhawks to build momentum.

One of the biggest bright spots for Kansas was wide receiver Nik McMillan, who put together an impressive first half. McMillan finished the opening half with 130 receiving yards and a touchdown, providing Kansas with a major weapon in the passing game.

Yasin Willis also made his presence felt, finding the end zone twice in the first half as Kansas gradually began pulling away from LIU.

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The Jayhawks carried that momentum into the second half. Marshall started the second half with a touchdown pass to Tate Nagy, capping off a drive that lasted nearly six minutes. The sustained possession helped Kansas continue to control the game and put even more pressure on the Sharks.

Marshall finished the day 14-of-19 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns before Cole Ballard entered the game.

Kansas continued to add to its lead throughout the second half, with Micah Johnson scoring his first collegiate touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Jayhawks a commanding 44-0 advantage.

LIU eventually got on the scoreboard with 10:09 remaining in the game, hitting a field goal to make it 44-3. The Sharks added another field…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-opens-season-dominant-win-135126099.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-05 13:51:00

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