photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas quarterback Michael Cummings shows his frustration after losing a fumble to Baylor during the third quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas quarterback Michael Cummings shows his frustration after losing a fumble to Baylor during the third quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas.

There’s no denying that Saturday’s 60-14 loss at Baylor was the first significant blow in interim head coach Clint Bowen’s campaign to become the Kansas University football program’s full-time head coach at the end of the season.

But the Jayhawks’ shortcomings were hardly all on Bowen. Kansas committed six bonehead penalties, ran 14 plays that ended at least a few yards behind where they started and struggled to keep up with a roster that was both overmatched and outmanned.

Oh, and the Jayhawks also played a team that had as much talent as any team in the country in Baylor. How the Bears lost to West Virginia is beyond me.

How the Jayhawks lost, however, was easy to see and came in large part because this remains a team and a roster that lacks enough talent to compete at this level and still is struggling with depth at key positions.

So talented are the Bears that they neutralized what had been easy to see for the first three weeks of the Bowen era — hard work, discipline and toughness. None of the three showed up with any regularity on Saturday and that made for a long afternoon for the visiting team.

Quick takeaway

This certainly is not intended let KU or Bowen off the hook for Saturday’s performance, but was anyone really that surprised by the outcome? While the Jayhawks took hope and confidence into their match-ups with West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech — and at times competed in a way that clearly demonstrated that — this one seemed like a mismatch from the jump and it played out that way all afternoon. If anything was a surprise, it was the KU defense’s ability to hold the Bears to a three-and-out on the opening possession. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the offense followed with a three-and-out of its own — complete with a false start penalty and two of the nine Michael Cummings incompletions — and failed to capitalize on the fast start by the defense and gain some momentum and control. The Jayhawks aren’t talented enough to let those opportunities pass without a fight.

Three reasons to smile

1 – Regardless of the results, you have to continue to be impressed by what Michael Cummings has done for the KU passing game. The junior quarterback completed 21 of 30 passes for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns, despite being pressured all day and getting next to no help from the KU running game. Cummings’ ability to hang in the pocket until the last minute to deliver a pass and his toughness to get up time and time again after getting blasted has helped KU take some more shots down the field and given guys like Nick Harwell and Nigel King a chance to impact the game. Asked how he does it, the QB’s answer was vintage Cummings. “That’s my job,” he said. “And I’m trying to do the best job I can each play at a time.” Cummings became the first KU quarterback since Todd Reesing in 2009 to throw for more than 200 yards in four straight games.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas assistant coach Eric Kiesau huddles the offense during the second quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas.

2 – KU officials announced prior to Saturday’s game that wide receivers coach Eric Kiesau had been promoted to co-offensive coordinator and would take over play-calling duties from offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator John Reagan. The KU offense has been anything but solid throughout the season and giving Kiesau — an accomplished and experienced coordinator himself — a chance to draw up the game plan and call the game can only help. Saturday’s game was such a mismatch and over so early that it’s hard to tell how successful Kiesau was and/or will be in the new role. But it’s proof positive that Bowen continues to give it all he’s got and is not afraid to pull the trigger on a decision he thinks might help the team, whether it works out or not.

3 – After watching Derrick Neal and Keon Stowers leave the game on carts after a couple of scary injuries, it appears both players are OK and on the path to recovery. Stowers posted a message saying as much on his Facebook page late Saturday night. Their availability for next Saturday is up in the air at this point, but the fact that both figure to be OK long-term is much more important than whether they’ll be able to play against Iowa State.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas defensive lineman Keon Stowers leaves the field on a cart after being injured during the second quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas.

Three reasons to sigh

1 – The play of KU’s offensive line continues to hold this team back. Cummings rarely gets the time he needs to let plays develop, the running game is not working — how many times did Tony Pierson take a handoff on Saturday only to see three or four Bears waiting for him? — and, perhaps worse than either of those issues, KU’s offensive linemen also are the most penalized players on the team. Four of KU’s six penalties on Saturday were called on the O-Line. That’s not a good combination, and unless it gets fixed, or at least becomes less destructive, KU won’t have a chance the rest of the way.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas quarterback Michael Cummings fumbles the ball after being hit by Baylor defensive end K.J. Smith during the second quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas. The Bears recovered the ball.

2 – KU’s streaks of futility grew by one. It’s now 31 consecutive losses away from Lawrence. KU also extended its streak of losses against ranked opponents, as the Jayhawks’ last victory over a ranked team came in Week 2 of the 2010 season, when they upset No. 15 Georgia Tech at home. The last time KU topped a ranked opponent away from Memorial Stadium came in 2008, when the Jayhawks knocked off No. 12 Missouri, 40-37, at Arrowhead Stadium, and KU’s last true road victory over a ranked foe came via a 30-24 victory at No. 24 Kansas State in October of 2007.

3 – Three of the four games remaining on KU’s schedule are against nationally-ranked teams. KU will host TCU on Nov. 15 and then finish the season at Oklahoma on Nov. 22 and at Kansas State on Nov. 29. Re-energized by Bowen or not, boosted by Eric Kiesau calling plays or not, that stretch is a nasty way to end a season and the Jayhawks’ loss to Baylor on Saturday may have been a glimpse into their immediate future.

One for the road

KU’s forgettable loss at Baylor….

• Gave the Jayhawks a 578-595-58 all-time record.

• Featured the most points the KU defense has given up this season and most since Texas A&M scored 61 points in a victory over Kansas in 2011.

• Delivered not only the first career rushing attempt by senior linebacker Ben Heeney but also the 17th double-digit tackle game of Heeney’s career. The Hutchinson native led Kansas with 10 tackles.

• Included freshman Corey Avery twice breaking his career-best yardage total on a reception. Avery caught a pass for 36 yards early in the game and later added a 49-yard reception to top that.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas running back Corey Avery is stopped short on a fourth down attempt by the Baylor defense during the fourth quarter at McLane Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Waco, Texas.

Next up

KU returns home for the first of back-to-back home games that will close out the 2014 home schedule, as Iowa State and former KU head coach Mark Mangino (now an assistant at ISU) come to Memorial Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.