Jalon Daniels threw four touchdown passes as Kansas easily defeated FCS opponent Wagner 46-7 on Friday night at remodeled David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan.
The outcome was not in doubt after Kansas went up 29-0 midway through the second quarter.
But the Jayhawks (2-0) were not immune from mistakes. They will need to clean up those mistakes as they renew their rivalry with Missouri next Saturday in Columbia, Mo. The two former conference rivals will square off next Saturday for the first time since 2011, when Missouri left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The Jayhawks had a red-zone interception late in the second quarter and fumbled at the Wagner goal line in the fourth quarter. They were just 4-for-10 on third down. They also gave up a long touchdown on a fourth-down conversion by Wagner (0-1).
Wagner quarterback Jack Stevens was 13 of 20 for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Leading 29-7 at halftime, Kansas resumed its dominance on its first possession of the second half, going 75 yards in two plays. Daniels found Emmanuel Henderson Jr. on a 62-yard bomb for the score.
That ended Daniels’ night with 280 passing yards on 18-of-25 passing. Daniels threw two of his scoring passes to Henderson (six receptions, 130 yards), and the QB was picked off once.
Kansas wasted no time in establishing dominance over the Seahawks. After forcing a three-and-out on Wagner’s first possession, the Jayhawks took over at midfield and went 50 yards on six plays for the first touchdown, a 4-yard pass from Daniels to DeShawn Hanika. Daniels then connected with Henderson on a 9-yard strike for a 14-0 lead still in the first quarter.
Daniels’ third touchdown, with 13:06 left in the second quarter, went to Cam Pickett from 20-yards out. The 2-point conversion made it 22-0. Daniel Hishaw’s 20-yard carry made it 29-0 with 5:19 left in the half.
Wagner finally got on the board in the second quarter on a 45-yard screen pass from Stevens to Jeremiah Colclough on fourth-and-3. And the half ended with Wagner’s Jayden Brown picking off Daniels’ pass in the end zone on a first-and-goal play from the 9-yard line.
–Field Level Media
