Kansas shakes off sluggish start, crushes LIU 51-6 in its opener ahead of Border War with Missouri

Lawrence, Kan. (AP) — In their season-opening game against Long Island University on Friday night, the Kansas Jayhawks delivered a decisive 51-6 victory. Quarterback Isaiah Marshall accounted for 246 passing yards and two touchdowns, while running back Yasin Willis added 72 rushing yards and two more scores in his debut. Buffalo transfer Nik McMillan contributed 130 receiving yards and a touchdown, with Tate Nagy adding a second-half scoring catch off a deflected pass.

Coach Lance Leipold emphasized the team's perseverance after a sluggish start, stating that they had to play well and take over in the second quarter to overcome expectations of a lopsided win. Marshall replaced Cole Ballard as the starting quarterback, succeeding Jalon Daniels who has since moved on to the NFL. The Jayhawks amassed 613 total yards of offense in what was Andy Kotelnicki's return to the program as associate head coach.

The game served as preparation for the upcoming Border War against Missouri, with Kansas set to host the Tigers for the first time since 2005 next Friday night.