Your overall thoughts with the win against the Baylor Bears?

Yeah, it's so much fun, my friend, and so needed on so many levels.

So, you know, the type of victory that when you've lost to a particular team 14 straight times, similar to the K-State streak, which obviously is up to 18, we haven't beaten them in a long time.

And to take care of that, but first and foremost, just to get a league win as you start the second half of your schedule here, it certainly builds upon belief and positive energy in that locker room that, hey, We're not just going to compete and be in these games, but we really can spring four quarters together and finish off an opponent.

We talked about it on last week's report that entering this season, we lost fourth quarter leads in nine games the last two years combined.

If you win a third of those nine games in 24 and 25, we're talking about teams that absolutely were bowl teams in both of those seasons and probably four consecutive bowl appearances at that point, and it's a completely different complexion around the program than maybe where some had us feeling at two and four at the midway mark of this season following back-to-back five and seven years.

So, hey, one win a season does not make, and it doesn't guarantee that we're going to start winning close games over the final five, but it can pay immediate dividends just in the positive energy around the locker room.

TCU always seems to hang its hat on the defensive side of the ball, but also what about the challenges that Jaden Craig presents for the Kansas defense coming up this weekend?

So your thoughts on the exhibition game last night and then the exhibition coming up against Duke?

Yeah, you know, Pat, first off, thanks for having me on.

I think maybe the best way to describe how we should feel coming out of last night or maybe you know a suggestion on how you could feel is I'm leaving the field house about 45 minutes after the game and I'm walking out with Norm Roberts former Kansas assistant former associate head coach he's back just visiting this week he's now a broadcaster doing a great job and he and his wife Pascal are walking out and I'm talking with him and he's kind of bopping around with a extra skip in his step walking two inches taller and and i'm like wow you seem upbeat and he said that is just what we needed and he said you know to play a team that good to see where we measure up favorably in some cases and maybe constructively speaking not so great in others but to have it come this early in the year with zero consequence there's no loss other than the fact that i suppose our 58 game home court exhibition winning streak is now over may it rest in peace that's sad i suppose but beyond that this isn't going to affect anything about your resume or your season ahead And yet, Bill Self, and in this case, his former assistant, who still obviously is very much invested in terms of emotional interest in this team, he said, man, this is perfect.

This is what we needed.

Our young guards got to go up against the fastest backcourt they'll probably face all year.

We saw real length in the post and athleticism in the post.

Bill's going to have so much he can show these guys on film now, and they can learn and grow from in October.

two and a half seasons have gone for Kansas with

Your overall thoughts with what went took, with what took place down in Salt Lake City, Utah?

Yeah, I think you walked away encouraged and, um, and yet Lance Leipold said it best with Brandon in the postgame that, uh, you know what? Yeah, we did compete well, but we need to get out of the business of competing and into the business of winning, and there have been so many examples of hard-fought, highly competitive but narrow road losses over the last two and a half seasons for Kansas, the shoulda, coulda, woulda games, and this was another one where it's a three-point game heading into the fourth, and ultimately Utah pulls away late, just as they did a year ago when we led in the fourth and we got outscored 21 to seven in that final period.

But you look back on some of the superlatives and positives, and you can see why there's optimism and, and you feel like you took a step forward because when you head out on the road for the first time all year, which is rare to be in your fifth game, by the way, first road game, but that's what the London experience, you know, kind of caused within the schedule construct.

We didn't know what the young quarterback would look like in a raucous atmosphere, and while it was another slow start out the gates, and starting faster is certainly a point of emphasis this week for Kansas, um, once he got going, my goodness.

Isaiah Marshall finishes fourth in the Pro Football Focus quarterback grades for all of college football last week.

He has career highs in yardage and completions and really an outstanding game once they got the vertical passing game going.

You look at all the X plays or explosives that Kansas had to their trio of receivers that are now Fully healthy with that big three of McMillan and Pickett and Cox.

One particular stands out about this most recent edition of the Sunflower Showdown that's about to unravel coming up on Saturday morning

Like

you were absolutely right about that.

I mean, just talk about what you've seen on the defense over these last couple of games.

I try not to bring too many spicy takes.

But I think what I said at the time was I know there's a lot of focus on Kotelnicki coming back and all these weapons that you alluded to.

But to me, what has me most excited is the fact that we could be really good defensively.

And you know what? In the same regard that Kansas could pose some challenges that Utah hasn't faced, certainly this defense that right now has that glossy number eight national ranking in total defense, which is yards allowed, 244.8 per game.

I mean, last

Your thoughts on what you saw on Saturday against the Blue, Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee?

Yeah, record-setting day on a lot of levels, and exactly how you wanted to head into the, the teeth of your schedule now.

Obviously, conference play already underway, but now begins the, the eight-game and eight-week stretch all against league opponents.

And to get an uptick in momentum and confidence and rhythm and all that for everybody in one of those total team wins where not just the starters, but even the backups behind them felt like they could leave the Booth feeling two inches taller with the contributions they made.

That's the type of win it was.

I mean, greatest yardage total in the history of Kansas football, 706.

First shutout by a Kansas defense since, uh, 20 or 2008, so going back 18 years.

[laughs]

Hmm

... overall, but they got stops.

I thought they made Cutter Bowley look pretty pedestrian and played well enough on that side of the ball to absolutely win that game.

It just took forever to get the offense rolling.

Now, they did finish the game on an upswing, and I credit Isaiah Marshall, who was not 100% healthy in that game- But is much fresher and feeling a lot more like himself as we head into middle Tennessee.

Uh, I give him a ton of credit.

The resilience he showed when things were not clicking or going his way, two running back fumbles when you're driving the ball and, uh, you know, just disappointing stuff.

... essentially utilize him outside of the tackles and utilize Isaiah Marshall's arm maybe a little bit more as well.

All eyes were on QB1 for the opener against LIU, and you know it wasn't perfect he had a couple throws that may have gone the other way against a better opponent but still 14 of 19 246 a couple touchdowns got to see him throw the deep ball to uh to completion a couple times so that was a lot of fun seeing isaiah marshall first start officially as qb1 go out and uh and really prove his worth yeah i was impressed i was

pleased i was more than satisfied Talked to Coach Leipold yesterday as we taped some of our pregame, and he gave him a 7 out of 10.

But that was rooted mostly in the fact that he wanted to have plenty of room for growth and room for him to keep on climbing as the season goes on.

And so while it may seem like a harsher score, I think he understands the opponents starting this week are about to get a whole lot tougher.

And he said some of the best things that we can see Zeke improve upon from last week to this week will involve the reads he makes when he's running toward the edge, deciding to keep or pitch, reading the defense, and we didn't really see the legs fully unlocked, I thought, in that game.

Still good numbers.

He averaged seven yards a carry, seven rushes for 49 yards, but you didn't see him break that big one, and A couple of decisions in the option game that he thinks he'll make better reads on going forward and be more fruitful as a result.

What did you think of the defensive performance holding the Sharks to six?

How much can we take away from the impressive nature of beating Long Island?

I think there's definite tangible takeaways that make you feel good if you can build off of them this week and going forward.

But you're right.

I mean, we're jumping into the deep end of the pool this week with Missouri, a major talent differential and resources differential in your week one opponent.

I think that some of the things that worked last week, you'll have a harder time pulling off this week.

Some of the things that maybe Isaiah Marshall was fortunate to get away with in week one, like a tipped ball that wound up being a touchdown or another tipped ball that could have been picked in the first half, those are both plays that Missouri probably makes instead of Kansas catching a good break or two.

But having said that, to see the way Isaiah settled in otherwise and the connections he had in the vertical passing game, albeit against...

How much do you think the line of scrimmages have improved for the Jayhawks in trying to maybe, you know, get control of the ball, get the ball away from Missouri, maintain possession of the ball this time?

call me Train, that's cool, too.

Any guy who's embracing being called a train is just going to steamroll you.

But it's not just about putting your head down and plowing through dudes.

I've seen him get to the edge, get the shoulder square, and blow past guys as well.

I think on Monday, was it a Jerome Bettis reference that Andy Kotelnicki threw out? Okay, so that's the bus.

The nickname is the train.

Some kind of fast-moving big vehicle is Yassin Willis.

What did you see out of Zeke Marshall in fall camp that kind of made you go like, okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense of why they're picking him to be the starter?

now

he's going to get a chance to show what he can do with, you know, some real rhythm and, you know, starting games.

Finishing games, not just coming in for one or two plays here and there.

And what we've seen from him in camp, I think, is really encouraging.

He can make most all the throws.

Probably doesn't have quite the arm that Jalen had.

But Jalen's arm was one of the best in the modern era of KU football.

And so it's not – talking too much about the end result but it's talking more about what you see from the players on the field for Kansas and how they're setting the tone for the rest of the year and especially the big game the week following but what are some small things that you're looking for just to learn more about this group as you've mentioned with so many you know unknowns and new faces and a brand new quarterback and you know all the things what do you want to learn from week one

So from a wide receiver perspective, has anyone had a chance to stand out over the last couple of weeks?

Yeah, Nick definitely has, and you would expect him to.

I mean, this is a Buffalo transfer that posted some pretty impressive numbers a season ago.

He finished just shy of 1,000 receiving yards and had the ninth most in program history for a single season.

He was first-team All-Mac, seven games of 100-plus receiving yards.

He's been outstanding, and that's a guy that I would think slots into that slot E-man type role.

If you look back to last season, you get the Alabama transfer and you have that immediate favorite target of Jalen Daniels.

confident.