The Kansas football team took the field at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for the first time since last November, and it resulted in a feel-good victory for Lance Leipold’s squad. The Jayhawks nearly shut out Week 1 opponent Long Island by a score of 51-6 to move to 1-0 on the season.
It was a good turnout at the Booth as the stadium continues its construction. This contest also marked the first collegiate start for Isaiah Marshall, who is gearing up to be Jalon Daniels’ successor under center.
There was no question KU was going to win this game by multiple scores, but we still learned a lot about this group that we didn’t previously know. Ignoring the final score, here are the three things that really mattered from tonight’s win.
3. Once the Offense Settled In, It Was Firing on All Cylinders
The Jayhawks only mustered six points in the first quarter, which was a concerning sight for an offensive unit that already had plenty of uncertainty surrounding it with Marshall leading the way. However, those concerns were quickly dispelled over the next few drives.
Once the offense got into a rhythm, there was no stopping it. Kansas would go on to score a touchdown on six consecutive drives to end the night, continuing to pull away from the Sharks.
It’s far from a sure thing that KU’s offense will continue to excel throughout the season, and it certainly won’t score at the same pace it did today. However, this outing showed that Andy Kotelnicki’s group isn’t reliant solely on its rushing attack and can move the ball in a variety of ways.
2. The Defensive Line Looks Much Improved From Last Year
After a 2025 season in which the defense finished with one of the conference’s worst rushing defenses, the defensive line looked much improved. Granted, it won’t face an offensive line this weak again all season, but there is a clear talent gap between what we saw in the trenches over the past couple of seasons.
Defensive end Leroy Harris III continues to make strides in his game, finishing with a team-best four tackles for loss in the backfield. That’s more than half of what he finished with during his first year in Lawrence (6.5).
Overall, the Jayhawks’ defense tallied 10 tackles for loss, three QB hits, two sacks, and a forced fumble and recovery by David Santiago. This was an excellent outing from the front four and should excite the Jayhawk faithful about what is to come from this pass-rushing unit.
1. The Isaiah Marshall-Nik McMillan Connection Will Be Elite
The best storyline to arise from this game was the connection between Marshall and Buffalo transfer Nik McMillan. It was no secret that McMillan was expected to be Kansas’ WR1 going into the campaign, but we didn’t know just how much of an impact he could make.
In less than one half of work, McMillan finished with 130 receiving yards on six receptions, including a touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone. He made several jumping one-on-one grabs over LIU defensive backs that were stunning to watch in real time.
With McMillan’s mix of size and speed, the potential for this duo is sky-high. He accounted for more than half of Marshall’s passing yards and bailed him out on a few inaccurate throws.
With slot wideout Cam Pickett held out of today’s contest, McMillan was given his first real chance to shine at a higher-profile program, and he made the most of his opportunity by turning in one of his best performances at the Division I level.
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