We talk Daniels’ struggles, Grimes’ play-calls + Leipold in this KU Jayhawks Q&A

The Kansas Jayhawks are off to a nightmare start to the 2024 college football the season.

A campaign that began with Big 12 championship aspirations is now on the verge of collapse.

The Jayhawks (1-3) have lost three straight games, and the ways in which they’ve lost them have been ugly.

KU suffered a third straight fourth-quarter collapse Saturday. The latest came against West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va.

“As a team,” quarterback Jalon Daniels told reporters in Morgantown Saturday, “it’s frustrating when you’re losing, especially when you feel like you’ve become accustomed to being able to win games. Especially when it comes down to those tough end-of-game situations.”

With that, let’s get into another KU mailbag.

Thank you for the (many) questions, as always.

How can a team have so much offensive firepower and use it so poorly? @bigalwallacekc

It’s a mix of different things. First, Daniels has had an awful few games — nine turnovers through four contests. He doesn’t look like the Daniels of the old at all.

New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is still figuring out the right balance between run and pass plays.

The offense also isn’t as creative as it was under former OC Andy Kotelnicki, who left for Penn State. With left tackle Dominick Puni’s departure to the NFL, and a few new offensive linemen starting, the protection sometimes looks unstable. KU’s line sure struggled to protect Daniels against the Mountaineers.

On top of that, Kansas hasn’t utilized its tight ends as much this season. Jared Casey and Trevor Kardell haven’t been like-for-like replacements for Mason Fairchild.

The only receiver Daniels seems to trust is Raymore-Peculiar High School product Luke Grimm. And when he does throw it elsewhere, he’s often staring down his intended target.

It’s one thing for players to struggle, or even for a few to regress. But when you look at KU’s offense as a whole, are more than two or three guys having better seasons than last year?

Most either look to be playing worse this year or haven’t played as well as their predecessors. When you factor together all of these issues, it’s no wonder KU’s offense has taken a step back this season.

What’s the fix for Jalon throwing the amount picks he does, and the way he actually throws them? @LJRosengard

This is a really good question. The issue is that it’s not an easy fix.

Daniels’ picks are a result of various things, including misreads of coverage, staring down receivers or simply trying to do too much.

The fact that Daniels was unable to play a full season the past two years probably isn’t helping. He still appears to be a little rusty. I thought he did a good job of limiting his picks against WVU — besides the one, of course — but he still seems to get too locked-in on his receivers. Defenses notice that.

The WVU secondary is also one of the worst in the nation, so Daniels’ 180 yards and one passing touchdown wasn’t great.

Where does KU go from here? Too many seniors who have been through a lot for this program to stay on its current path. @RockChalkin

The only thing KU can do is regroup and remember that all three of those lost games were completely winnable. Right now, however, the Jayhawks seem to be dangerously close to letting these losses spiral.

Kansas can come back from 1-3 and still make a bowl. If KU is 1-5 after losing to TCU and Arizona State, though? The season is essentially over.

The veterans among this group have played on much worse KU teams. It’s on them to help turn things around.

Every team loses tough games. It happens, and then you come back and refocus. But this is now three tough ones in a row. Why does THIS team seem incapable of coming back refocused? Are they just not good? @pdubinkc

First, I understand your frustration and general annoyance — nobody (except maybe K-State and Missouri fans) expected this start for the Jayhawks. I know that I certainly thought KU would be much better than this.

The fact of the matter is that this team isn’t as good as we thought. Whether it’s Daniels’ regression or the new coaches on staff, KU doesn’t appear to be a team that’s capable of competing for the Big 12 title.

The goal now should be to finish with more wins than losses and qualify for a decent bowl.

Did Lance hit his ceiling last year? @TheHonkDaddy

I don’t think Leipold has hit his ceiling, but this season has been a setback for sure.

Losing several trusted assistant coaches (Kotelnicki, Scott Fuchs, Jordan Peterson) has left its mark. Factor in Daniels’ regression and inconsistent line play on both sides of the ball, and this is where KU finds itself.

So far, a lot of things that could’ve gone wrong with KU’s season more or less have. But would I be surprised if the Jayhawks make some sort of run? No. They’ve shown flashes of what they can still be.

KU must guard against those fourth-quarter collapses, though. They’re incredibly demoralizing.