Kansas wide receiver Quentin Skinner Oct 1, 2022; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Quentin Skinner (83) gets around Iowa State Cyclones defenders during the second quarter at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t pretty, but the Kansas Jayhawks outlasted the Iowa State Cyclones Saturday, 14-11, to remain undefeated.

Fans hoping to see offensive fireworks in this game — the over/under was 58.5 — were sorely disappointed, but for Kansas, now 5-0, a win is a win.

It all came down to the final 30 seconds of the game, as Iowa State (3-2) had a chance to tie the score, but Jace Gilbert missed a 37-yard field goal. Gilbert missed three field goals Saturday.

That’s perhaps an appropriate ending for a game where points were scarce. Iowa State held Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels to only 93 yards passing. Sophomore running back Devin Neal had a good day on the ground, carrying 12 times for 75 yards

Many fans who watched pointed out that, despite the victory, Kansas did not look efficient.

Kevin Flaherty, a college sports writer with 247 Sports and CBS, tweeted, “I feel like a big part of Kansas’ confidence has come from the riverboat gambler aggressiveness the Jayhawks have played with, and that aggression hasn’t been there today.”

Again, a win is a win, no matter how it came about. And for a program that finished 2-10 last year in coach Lance Leipold’s first season in Lawrence, 5-0 is definitely worth celebrating.

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.