UH unravels against Kansas in conclusion of ‘Big 12 preview’

It was not the start or the finish for the University of Houston on Saturday.

It was everything in between.

Out to a rare early lead, the Cougars allowed Kansas to take control with 28 unanswered points in a 48-30 blowout loss at TDECU Stadium.

Some of the same “stupid stuff,” as coach Dana Holgorsen described earlier in the week, was again present as the Cougars struggled with any offensive consistency and the defense had no answers for Kansas’ mobile quarterback Jalon Daniels.

UH, however, added another bizarre chapter in a season that has produced plenty. Early in the third quarter, UH wide receivers Joseph Manjack IV and Samuel Brown got into a fight and had to be separated on the sideline.

After needing triple-overtime to beat UTSA in the season opener and falling in double-OT to Texas Tech, the Cougars made sure there would be no need for extra time Saturday.

Playing at home for the first time in 302 days, the Cougars jumped out to 14-0 lead – on a 34-yard catch by T’Zhawn Henry and 40-yard run by Brandon Campbell – and then proceeded to fall apart.

Kansas scored touchdowns on six of the next seven drives, taking advantage of an interception and fumble by UH quarterback Clayton Tune to build a 42-21 lead.

Daniels rushed for a game high 123 yards and two touchdowns. He accounted for five touchdowns as the Jayhawks improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2009.

Kansas ran around, through and over the UH defense for 440 yards. The Jayhawks had scoring drives that covered 75, 84, 97 and 75 yards.

Set to join the Big 12 in 2023, the Cougars concluded a mini preview of their new league with back-to-losses to Texas Tech and Kansas and learned a little about future traditions.

Wreck ‘Em.

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk.

A season that began with lofty expectations that included a possible unbeaten season and New Year’s Six bowl has suddenly been replaced by more questions than answers. How deep are the Cougars problems on offense and defense? Is this still a conference championship-caliber team? Was it ever?

In the momentum-shifting stretch, UH (1-2) managed just 57 yards on the final four possessions of the first half. Defensively, the Cougars had no answer for Daniels, who scored on a 12-yard run, tossed a 60-yard scoring strike to Torry Locklin and marched the Jayhawks 97 yards for another score. Daniel Hishaw added an 8-yard touchdown run.

After blowing leads in the final minute of regulation the first two weeks, Holgorsen said the Cougars needed to eliminate undisciplined mistakes. Well, the Cougars were called for three unsportsmanlike penalties, two pass interferences and two illegal formations. Kansas, which entered as the nation’s top scoring offense at 55.5 points, had 10 “big plays,” which are a pass of at least 15 yards and run of at least 10 yards.

The Jayhawks added three rushing touchdowns for 13 this season, among the tops in FBS.

Tune was 22-of-31 for 272 yards with a touchdown and interception and added a team-high 63 rushing yards for UH, which lost for just the third time in the last 17 home openers. Henry had five catches for 107 yards and 56 rushing yards and another score.

A resurgent Kansas, in Year 2 under coach Lance Leipold, posted consecutive road wins for the first time since 2007. The three-game winning streak is the program’s longest since beginning 5-0 in 2009.

UH took a 14-0 lead with a pair of early touchdowns, marking the first time the Cougars have scored in the first quarter this season. An opening 82-yard drive was capped by a 34-yard touchdown catch by Henry on a screen pass, and, on the ensuing series, Brandon Campbell found a hole to the right side for a 40-yard run.

Things unraveled quickly for the Cougars.

Daniels kept the Cougars guessing with a pair of big runs, a 22-yard keeper and a 12-yard touchdown as the Jayhawks sliced the lead, 14-7. Tune’s second interception of the season – on an overthrown pass intended for Nathaniel Dell – was intercepted by Kenny Logan Jr. On the next play, Hishaw ran untouched to the left side for an 8-yard touchdown.

Daniels followed with a pair of touchdown passes on Kansas’ next two possessions, including a lob across the middle to Locklin, who ran the final 35 yards for a 28-14 halftime lead.

The Cougars closed the gap to 28-21, on a 1-yard run by Henry on the opening drive of the second half. Three plays earlier, UH’s Brown, a transfer from West Virginia, and Kansas’ Ra’Mello Dotson were called for offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties. A heated Brown had to be calmed down by teammates before walking to the sideline. Manjack, a transfer from USC, walked to the sideline and immediately shoved Brown to the ground. Brown grabbed Manjack’s facemask as coaches and teammates separated the teammates.

The game was delayed 1 hour, 9 minutes in the first half due to lightning.

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