Kansas’ defense needs to fix its second-half problems

Kansas’ defense showed flashes of being a strong unit during the first half against Missouri, but its second-half struggles played a major role in the Jayhawks’ 38-21 loss Friday night.

Kansas entered halftime tied 14-14 after forcing Missouri into several difficult situations. The Jayhawks blocked two field goals in the first half, with one of those blocks turning into an 88-yard touchdown return by Austin Alexander. Kansas also did a good job limiting Missouri’s rushing attack early and kept the Tigers from building momentum.

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That changed after halftime.

Missouri scored 14 points in the third quarter and added 10 more in the fourth, pulling away from Kansas and securing its fifth straight victory over the Jayhawks. The Tigers’ offense found more consistency as the game continued, with quarterback Austin Simmons finishing with 292 passing yards and three touchdowns. Running back Jamal Roberts also finished with 125 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

While Kansas’ offense had its own problems, the defense needed to find a way to slow Missouri down when the Tigers began making adjustments.

The Jayhawks gave up touchdowns on Missouri’s first two possessions of the second half, allowing the Tigers to quickly take a 28-14 lead. Kansas eventually responded with an 11-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, but Missouri continued to control the game and added 10 points in the fourth quarter. 

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One positive for Kansas was the play of linebacker Trey Lathan, who led the Jayhawks with nine tackles. Leroy Harris III also made an impact by blocking a field goal and forcing a fumble. 

The biggest issue moving forward is consistency.

Kansas cannot afford to play well for two quarters and then allow an opponent to take control after halftime. Against Missouri, the defense was put in difficult situations at times because of turnovers, but it still needs to find a way to get off the field and prevent opposing offenses from putting together scoring drives.

The loss to Missouri…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-defense-needs-fix-second-182250238.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-13 18:22:00

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