Kansas Edged by UNLV, 23-20, in Friday Night Heartbreaker at Children's Mercy Park
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – In front of a packed house of 21,493 at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas fell to UNLV 23-20 in a nail-biting contest on Friday night. UNLV secured the win with a go-ahead touchdown on a fourth-and-goal with just 1:51 left in the fourth quarter.
Kansas started strong, forcing a UNLV three-and-out on the opening drive and following it up with an impressive 81-yard, 12-play march down the field. Redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Jayhawks an early 7-0 lead. Daniels was a standout, accounting for 58 of the 81 yards—19 rushing and 39 passing—going 4-for-5 through the air. The touchdown marked his first rushing score of the season and 14th of his career.
UNLV quickly responded, driving 55 yards to set up a 38-yard field goal, trimming Kansas' lead to 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Kansas extended its lead to 14-3 on the next possession when Daniels broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run off an option play to the right. The Jayhawks’ eight-play, 94-yard drive was fueled by an 18-yard pass from Daniels to senior tight end Trevor Kardell just before the scoring play.
UNLV added a 27-yard field goal on its next drive, cutting the deficit to 14-6 with 6:19 left in the second quarter. Kansas responded quickly, with Daniels connecting on a 33-yard pass to Devin Neal, followed by Neal’s 20-yard run. Although the drive stalled, senior kicker Tabor Allen nailed a 35-yard field goal, pushing the Jayhawks’ lead to 17-6 with 3:17 left before halftime.
However, momentum shifted when UNLV intercepted Daniels late in the half. Two plays later, the Rebels scored a touchdown just as time expired, making it 17-13 at the break.
UNLV came out of halftime strong, cutting Kansas’ lead to 17-16 with a 23-yard field goal. The Rebels had started the drive at the KU 4-yard line following an interception, but the Jayhawks' defense held firm, forcing a field goal after pushing UNLV back a yard.
Field position favored UNLV in the third quarter, pinning Kansas deep on its own 2-yard line with 2:06 left. Kansas responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, ending with a 41-yard field goal from Allen to make it 20-16 early in the fourth quarter. The drive was kept alive by key plays, including a 10-yard completion from Daniels to redshirt junior Sevion Morrison and a 29-yard pass to senior wide receiver Lawrence Arnold.
UNLV's Kylin James sealed the victory with a 1-yard touchdown run at the end of an 18-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 9:22 of the final quarter.
Despite the loss, Kansas outgained UNLV 352-267 in total offense. Devin Neal led the Jayhawks with 120 rushing yards, marking his third consecutive game with over 100 yards on the ground.
The loss dropped Kansas to 1-2 on the season, while UNLV remained unbeaten at 3-0.
UP NEXT Kansas opens Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, to face the West Virginia Mountaineers. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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