Kansas football’s losing streak extended to five-straight games this past weekend, after a 35-31 loss on the road against Arizona State.

The Jayhawks (1-5, 0-3 in Big 12 Conference) once again couldn’t hold on to a lead in the second half. Once again, their defense couldn’t get off the field in a drive that could have clinched a victory. While the offense is appearing to make gains, the defense is regressing — in part due to injuries.

Looking ahead, there are some questions to ponder as Kansas moves forward. The Jayhawks have an open week this week, so there’s time to reflect and get healthy. Here’s a look at those questions.

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Will this locker room stick together?

This has been a trying season for Kansas for a number of reasons. The Jayhawks entered as a Big 12 contender, and now appear like they’re on the outside looking in when it comes to even making a bowl game. It’s something that has the potential to splinter a locker room.

Skinner said Leipold’s message postgame boiled down to a question — how bad do you want it? How the rest of the season plays out, Skinner explained, will come down to the mindset he and his teammates have and how they carry themselves as individuals, position groups and more. It’s also up to the seniors to set the younger players up for success next year.

Did the heat matter much against Arizona State?

A lot was made about how hot it was going to be when Kansas faced Arizona State. A lot was made about how the Jayhawks were going to be able to handle that challenge. But from head coach Lance Leipold’s perspective, and that of his players who spoke to reporters there after the loss, the weather didn’t play a significant role.

Leipold said he told the team that weekend that once the sun went down, it was actually comfortable even if it was still in the 90-degree range. Although there may have been some players cramping up, it wasn’t significant and he thought they handled it well. They rotated guys they thought might be susceptible to that, and he doesn’t think they lost the game because of it.

Senior wide receiver Quentin Skinner noted Kansas’ staff focused on him during the week leading up to the game, and he may have undergone a hydration test twice each day. He played well against Arizona State, and mentioned this is likely one of his first well-played games that he didn’t cramp.

Redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels said he told his teammates that once the sun goes away they won’t feel like it’s as hot as it is, drawing from his experience from growing up in California. He doesn’t think the weather changed anything about how they approached the game.

Can Quentin Skinner keep his personal momentum going?

After failing to produce much through the early weeks of the season, due to a number of reasons that aren’t all on him, Skinner thrived against Arizona State. He caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. It was his best game of the year, as Leipold highlighted postgame.

Skinner didn’t allow himself to say too much that would come across celebratory about it, alluding to ways the offense can still improve, but Daniels praised him postgame. Daniels acknowledged it’s been hard to see a wide receiver like Skinner not make as many plays early on as they’d like this fall, and put part of the onus of that on himself. But to see them finally have that connection again, Daniels explained, was exciting.

Jordan Guskey covers the University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: 3 lingering questions following Kansas football’s Arizona State loss