OK, so now it has been established that Kansas University’s football team can win a close game.

But is that worth anything, when Saturday’s showdown wasn’t supposed to be close?

The Jayhawks squeaked by Louisiana-Monroe, 21-19, on Saturday. And, yes, despite what 45,221 witnesses at Memorial Stadium might tell you, Kansas was heavily favored and widely considered a much better football team than the Warhawks.

A win’s a win, sure, but not too many of those performances will fall in KU’s favor over the next 10 games should they be repeated.

“We definitely need to pay more attention to our packages and coverages,” safety Jerome Kemp said, “and more attention to our opponent.”

While the Kansas run defense again came through – Monroe had just 51 yards rushing on 23 attempts – it didn’t matter one bit, because the Warhawks torched KU’s secondary for 60 straight minutes. ULM quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster nearly quadrupled his 100-yard passing output from the week before against I-AA Alcorn State, throwing for 377 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-41 passing Saturday.

Lancaster threw home-run balls all night and had pass completions of 59, 55, 40 and 33 yards, among others. He would’ve hit 400 yards had he hit wide-open receivers on three different occasions in the first half.

Such efficiency gave ULM a bright idea – keep taking it to KU’s weakness over and over in an attempt to come back.

It nearly worked. The Warhawks moved within two with 3:31 left, after Lancaster found Zeek Zacharie for a three-yard touchdown pass, the result of an 81-yard drive.

“There was no letdown,” KU coach Mark Mangino said, “but I just think that since we always had the lead, there was always this feeling that sooner or later it was going to break open. And they fought back.”

Kansas finally made its much-needed stand with its lead at stake. Monroe’s two-point conversion attempt after the last score failed, as Lancaster’s bullet pass to the left side of the end zone skipped through without being caught.

Still, the term “learning lesson” was brought up by Mangino and a number of players afterward, forcing questions about whether the Jayhawks were looking ahead to Friday’s game at Toledo.

“We didn’t necessarily overlook them,” Kemp said of Monroe, “but we kind of got caught off guard.”

How come?

“Looking at the tape of Alcorn, they came out, basically, with an almost totally different offense,” Kemp said. “In the Alcorn game, they were running basic personnel.”

Kansas was able to save face – first by denying the two-point conversion, than by recovering a “bunt” kick that Monroe tried. ULM appeared to be kicking deep, but instead just squibbed it about 10 yards in the middle of the field. The ball kicked up just as the Warhawks desired, but Brandon McAnderson streaked through the scrum, leaped and grabbed it to give Kansas the crucial possession.

The Jayhawks then ran out the clock, getting 21 yards and a big first down from Cornish in four plays to seal the victory.

“The last few minutes are one of the reasons I play football,” said Cornish, who had 103 yards on 23 carries. “People were doing whatever they could to win.”

The Jayhawks did end up getting what it wanted, but it may have been packaged with an unexpected taste of vulnerability.

No matter. Kansas is 2-0 as expected, with a nationally televised game at Toledo next on the schedule.

It was a lot more interesting than intended, but Mangino – positive as always – thinks the moral of the story could be beneficial in the long run.

And besides :

“We won. We’re going to take it,” Mangino said. “We’re not going to give it back.”