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Grading Kansas football on its 49-36 victory against UNLV in Guaranteed Rate Bowl

jordan guskey, topeka capital-journal
·1 min read

PHOENIX — Kansas football came away with a 49-36 win Tuesday over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Here’s how the Jayhawks (9-4, 5-4 in Big 12 Conference) graded out from their victory against the Rebels (9-5, 6-2 in Mountain West Conference):

Offense: Turnovers stymie Kansas’ effectiveness

Kansas showcased it could move the ball against UNLV. The Jayhawks finished with 591 yards of total offense and an average of 8.8 yards per play. But the three interceptions from redshirt senior quarterback Jason Bean meant they weren’t able to enjoy as much success as they could have.

Grade: B

Defense: Jayhawks struggle to slow down the Rebels

Junior cornerback Cobee Bryant came away with an interception, as did redshirt senior linebacker Craig Young. But UNLV became more and more effective as the game went on and finished with 386 yards of total offense and an average of 6.5 yards per play.

Grade: C

Special teams: Another quiet day on returns

Kansas’ return game left something to be desired. But when it came to extra points, the Jayhawks didn’t leave any on the field.

Grade: B

Coaching: Penalties mounted

Whether you agreed with the calls or not, penalties became a major factor in this game as the officials threw flags during plays — especially on Kansas, comparatively to UNLV. The Jayhawks finished with nine more penalties and 111 more yards on penalties than the Rebels did. Although Kansas wound up winning, it was a negative trend that would usually spell doom for the team’s chances.

Overall grade: B-

Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Lawrence Arnold (2) catches a touchdown against UNLV Rebels defensive back Cameron Oliver (5) during the first half of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday in Phoenix at Chase Field.
Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Lawrence Arnold (2) catches a touchdown against UNLV Rebels defensive back Cameron Oliver (5) during the first half of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday in Phoenix at Chase Field.

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Jordan Guskey covers 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: Grading Kansas football on win against UNLV in Guaranteed Rate Bowl