There was playing time and highlights to be had for everyone in the season opener, and the Jayhawks took full advantage in last Thursday’s 48-3 win over Lindenwood.
Kansas played around 75 guys, 13 offensive linemen, 3 quarterbacks, five running backs and more. And nearly all of them picked up a notable moment or key statistic to get the season rolling.
It has to be noted that this was Lindenwood, a team still converting to Division I, and the Jayhawks had a big advantage at just about every position, but it’s still worth mentioning that KU coach Lance Leipold said the game went about as well as Kansas could’ve hoped and was pleased with how everyone performed and the valuable reps those reserves got.
All of that, and more, will be celebrated in this week’s Monday Morning Wheaties.
You’ve seen the tomahawks on the back of the Florida State helmets, the buckeye tree leaves on the Ohio State helmets and the paw prints on the back of the Clemson helmets.
Each Monday, we take one last look back at the week that was and hand out different amounts of the iconic breakfast cereal to the Jayhawks’ top performers.
So, be sure to come get your Monday Morning Wheaties and feel free to hit up the comments section — subscribers only for now — with any players you feel we might’ve missed.
Picture on the box
• Senior Running Back Devin Neal – He played just a half and probably would not have been needed at all. But he made the most of his time on the field and set the tone for a massive rushing day by the Jayhawks, who racked up more than 300 yards on the ground, led by Neal’s 100-yard game that included two touchdowns. He looked every bit like he picked up where he left off last season, running smooth, with patience and vision and piling up chunk gains throughout the first half.
A full bowl
• Senior wide receiver Luke Grimm – Grimm was to the passing game what Neal was to the running game, topping 100 yards, setting the tone by catching nearly everything thrown his way and finishing with the lone TD through the air, a 58-yard strike from Jalon Daniels in the second quarter. Grimm’s route-running has always been good, but it was his speed and yards-after-catch that really stood out in this one.
• Senior cornerback Mello Dotson – It’s almost like the 2023 season didn’t end. Dotson, who had back-to-back games with pick-sixes last season, added another in this one, moving into first place on KU’s all-time pick-six list. It’s a good list — Aqib Talib’s on it, as is teammate Cobee Bryant — and perhaps the best part about it is Dotson has 11 (or more) games to still add to his record now.
• Senior safety O.J. Burroughs – The game was lopsided from the jump and the final score reflects that, so there were no real huge plays that were critical to the outcome. But every time one felt a little like that, it was usually Burroughs on the other end of it. As he has been throughout his career, he was fundamentally solid and stellar with his physicality. Nothing really stood out in terms of highlights, but that’s kind of the O.J. Burroughs way. Solid but not splashy and always in the right spot.
Nighttime snack
• Junior defensive end Dean Miller – Miller’s name was one of the most popular throughout the offseason because of how crucial his role will be on this team as a primary pass rusher. He showed up big time in his first opportunity to shine, picking up a sack — the first of his career — and adding momentum to an already big offseason and start to the year.
• Sophomore QB Cole Ballard – Again, it didn’t matter a ton to the outcome of the game, but it was pretty cool to see Ballard step right in when Jalon Daniels was done for the day and play with confidence and move the offense with ease. Ballard’s a leader on this roster, he’s confident in his game and looks even better this year — already — than he did in relief last season. The goal, of course, is that he never has to play. But it’s nice to see that he has continued to improve and progress to the point where the offense looks comfortable with him out there. So many of the guys he played with were second- and third-string guys, too. So, you know he’d look even better with KU’s starters.
Drink the milk
• Redshirt-junior Dylan Downing – It was just by a fingertip, but he still got it, a first-quarter blocked punt by the KU special teams player that helped set up the Jayhawks with good field position. It was the first blocked kick of the Bishop Miege product’s KU career.
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