by LAWRENCE, Kan. – Senior kicker Matthew Wyman‘s game-winning 54-yard field goal attempt was just narrowly wide right as Kansas football dropped its Big 12 Conference home-opener in nail-biting fashion to TCU, 24-23, Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Stadium.
The valiant effort by Kansas came one point short as TCU junior Brandon Hatfield closed the contest with a 34-yard field goal on the heels of an eight-play, 59-yard drive with 1:21 to play.
Kansas sophomore quarterback Ryan Willis (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) engineered a 38-yard drive in just over a minute to get within range, but two sacks and an incomplete pass cost Kansas a closer shot to win as Wyman had to attempt from 54 yards away.
The Jayhawks (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) led TCU (4-2, 2-1 Big 12), 23-14, heading into the fourth quarter after a 21-yard touchdown run by Willis. TCU answered right back when quarterback Kenny Hill found receiver Jaelan Austin for a 25-yard score to cut the lead to 23-21 in favor of the Jayhawks.
Like the entire game had gone, the two teams would slug it out down the stretch before TCU’s game-winning drive.
Included was a fourth and 22 call where KU sophomore Steven Sims Jr. caught a Willis pass and lateraled to junior wide receiver Bobby Hartzog Jr. for a 26-yard gain. Willis then hit Sims again for a 23-yard gain setting up the long Wyman field goal attempt.
For the day, Kansas amassed 470 yards total offense to 366 for TCU holding the Horned Frogs to 170 yards below their season average.
Kansas got off to a better start than in its previous three games, taking a 7-0 lead after the opening period. The lead marked the first time the Jayhawks held an advantage over a Big 12 Conference opponent since leading TCU on Nov. 15, 2014.
The KU offense was able to convert on 3-of-5 third downs in the opening quarter, and on its third drive, sophomore running back Taylor Martin carried the ball into the end zone from a yard out to push the Jayhawks in front 7-0.
Willis, who started for the first time in 2016, completed 14-of-19 passes in the first quarter. He established a strong connection with senior wide receiver Shakiem Barbel, who hauled in a career-best five receptions for 40 yards after one period of play and ended the day with nine catches for 94 yards. Willis set a career high with 348 yards going 31-for-45 for the contest.
Sims tied Barbel for the team high with nine receptions and his 101 yards receiving marked his third 100-yard receiving game of the season. Junior wide receiver LaQuivionte Gonzalez had eight catches for a career-high 131 yards for the contest.
The Jayhawk defense, despite missing four starters due to injury, kept the explosive TCU offense at bay. Led by an inexperienced group, the Jayhawks forced four turnovers and allowed just 366 yards on 66 plays.
TCU tied the game up at seven on a one-play drive with 9:54 to play in the second quarter on a Kyle Hicks three-yard run following a fumble by KU’s Willis.
With the score tied, the two teams traded empty possessions, before Kansas again took the lead on a 50-yard field goal by Wyman. Trailing 10-7, TCU took its first lead on the ensuing drive. The Horned Frogs traveled 64 yards on six plays capped by an 18-yard dash by Hill. The score put TCU up 14-10 heading into the break.
The two squads traded points until Hatfield gave TCU the final lead of the game on his 34-yard strike with 1:21 to play. The Jayhawks came inches short of winning on Wyman’s field goal attempt to close, but fell to the Horned Frogs, 24-23.
UP NEXT: Kansas will hit the road to Waco, Texas for a 2:30 p.m., kickoff against Baylor. The contest will be televised live on FS1.
