photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas quarterback Cole Ballard (15) heaves a pass during the third quarter on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

A 48-3 season-opening win usually means good things for the entire winning team, and for Kansas’ 74 players who took to the field on Thursday night against Lindenwood, it meant players on the back of the depth chart got to make appearances.

The Jayhawks held a 34-0 lead at halftime over their FCS opponent, but even by that point several players listed as backups on the depth chart were on the field. Upon returning to the field at Children’s Mercy Park, KU had completely deployed its reserves.

“They told me 75 guys got in the game… That’s good because we have a lot of guys who work extremely hard since the offseason to be a part of this program,” head coach Lance Leipold said.

One of those backups who saw the field was redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Ballard, who scored on both drives he played in. Ballard completed 5-of-6 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown, while adding an extra 20 yards on three carries on the ground.

For the past two seasons, former KU quarterback Jason Bean was the one to step up when Jalon Daniels was sidelined with an injury. Now that Bean is in the NFL, Ballard has taken over the role of Daniels’s backup. Thursday night showed what a Ballard-led offense would look like — and it included a lot of using the quarterback’s athleticism.

Ballard only threw the ball six times, but there was an obvious common thread within those play calls: getting Ballard rolling out of the pocket and throwing on the run. It is a common play-calling tactic for offensive coordinators calling plays for a young, inexperienced quarterback, as the quarterback can avoid having to maneuver the pocket and only has to read one side of the field. Add in some athleticism to make a few runs and a quarterback can account for 71 yards between two drives despite having 13 handoffs to only six passes.

Ballard wasn’t the only young quarterback to get some run time. For the final drive, Mikey Pauley, a redshirt sophomore from Overland Park, played quarterback on a clock-draining drive. The Jayhawks only ran on the drive, but Pauley contributed 17 yards on two rushes.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas quarterback Mikey Pauley (14) hands off to Kansas running back Harry Stewart III (25) during the fourth quarter on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

After the game, Leipold said that the plan initially was to put Isaiah Marshall in after Ballard, but considering redshirt implications among other things, Leipold decided to put Pauley in. After being put in, Pauley made sure to thank his coach for the opportunity.

“He doesn’t have to say thank you for getting in, the young man earned it,” Leipold said. “To have somebody local like him come in and make some plays with his feet, it’s great because he’s done a nice job for us.”

The Jayhawks have nine running backs listed on their roster, and five of those backs recorded at least five carries. Leipold said he was pleased with how well the team ran the ball, and that credit also includes an all-backup offensive line that the team deployed late.

“If you look at the end of the Cincinnati game last year and the end of this one, we’ve been able to put a second offensive line out there and we’ve been able to drive the ball,” Leipold said. “Most of the time in my career that doesn’t always happen.”

Given the strength of the opponent, KU’s play against Lindenwood won’t factor too much into the season. Still, for those players that wake up in the early hours of the morning for practice from spring through fall camp, those snaps matter. For some, it’s the start of their college football journey, their first time getting to play for a Division I FBS school like KU.

So while Pauley may not have needed to give his thanks for getting in, it’s understandable; it’s something to be thankful for.