Jalon Daniels stars as Kansas opens rebuilt $450M stadium with 31-7 win over Fresno State
Jalon Daniels stars as Kansas opens rebuilt $450M stadium with 31-7 win over Fresno State
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Sixth-year senior Jalon Daniels threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to newcomer Cam Pickett, and Kansas opened its rebuilt, $450 million on-campus stadium with a 31-7 rout of Fresno State on Saturday.
Daniels finished 18 of 20 while running for 47 yards, and Iowa transfer Leshon Williams had a long touchdown run, helping the Jayhawks pile up nearly 400 yards of total offense and win their fifth consecutive season-opener.
“I thought he had great leadership. He was in command. He didn’t get rattled, made people miss and made the throws,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said of his quarterback. “Just everything you want in that, and you’ve seen him play. He just seemed really confident in what’s going on. And that’s what you need out of an experienced quarterback.”
E.J. Warner had 179 yards passing with two interceptions for Fresno State. Elijah Gilliam had a touchdown run.
This one had all the pomp and circumstance of a homecoming — and, well, it was one after the Jayhawks spent all of last season playing home games at stadiums in the Kansas City area. In the meantime, their 104-year-old stadium was razed and the majority of it was rebuilt, with only the east side where the students sit awaiting a facelift this coming offseason.
Then the Jayhawks got busy as they seek to rebound from a 5-7 finish a year ago.
Daniels quickly led them downfield after the opening kickoff, hitting Pickett with a 21-yard touchdown throw. After Fresno State answered with Gilliam’s TD run, the Jayhawks’ longtime quarterback — a one-time Heisman Trophy candidate whose career has been slowed by injuries — helped Kansas reel off 17 points and take a 24-7 lead into halftime.
Pickett, a transfer from Ball State, finished with six catches for 77 yards and his two scores.
Daniels added a touchdown throw to Keaton Kubecka in the third quarter that put the game out of reach.
“It was our responsibility to hold our end up on a special night like this, and play well,” said Leipold, who admitted to marveling at the stadium when the Jayhawks first emerged from the tunnel. “It was exciting and you know, great atmosphere. What a night that way. But again, for us to come out and play the way we did, I’m very proud of them.”
Flaws on the field
Just about the only thing that Leipold was critical about afterward was penalties. The Jayhawks had nine for 72 yards.
The Takeaway
Fresno State got off to a quick start under new coach Matt Entz, and Warner was 5 of 5 for 81 yards in the first quarter. But he was just 13 of 24 for 98 yards the rest of the way while turning the ball over three times.
Kansas dominated both lines of scrimmage. The defense of new coordinator D.K. McDonald was especially disruptive, holding the Bulldogs to just 37 yards on 29 carries while totaling 10 tackles-for-loss.
Up next
Fresno State plays Georgia Southern in its home opener next Saturday.
Kansas plays Wagner on Friday night in its final tuneup before visiting rival Missouri.
___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
