photo by: AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) throws against Arizona State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz.

Tempe, Ariz. — The stars were aligning for Kansas to have its first good end-of-half sequence in a month.

Mello Dotson had forced a fumble on the first play out of the two-minute warning. KU, already leading 14-7, would get the ball to open the second half. With a successful sequence the Jayhawks could seize control ahead of the break.

Instead, they went three-and-out and gave up a long punt return, Bryant committed a pair of key penalties, and then ASU scored the tying touchdown before KU knelt out the first half. By the time the final two minutes had elapsed, the Jayhawks had extended their ignominious mark to 38 straight opponent points allowed inside of the two-minute timeout.

The swing ended up being pivotal as KU lost the game by four points, 35-31.

ASU’s Sam Leavitt hit Jordyn Tyson for a game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds remaining, set up by a 39-yard run by Cam Skattebo.

Skattebo carved up the Jayhawks for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Leavitt threw for four scores on the day. KU quarterback Jalon Daniels threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns and ran for one more, and the Jayhawks twice took the lead with late-game touchdown drives but their defense couldn’t hold up in the final moments.

At the start of the game, KU allowed ASU to cross midfield in the span of three plays and gave up even more ground after a 16-yard scramble by quarterback Leavitt. Leavitt found Xavier Guillory for a 28-yard score on a one-handed grab two plays later to put the Sun Devils up by a touchdown within the first four minutes of the game.

The Jayhawks embarked on a somewhat less fluid drive that still ended up reaching ASU territory on a 25-yard pass from Daniels to Devin Neal. That was one of a trio of third downs KU converted before Daniels sprinted 22 yards on a keeper for a quick tying touchdown.

After a pair of punts, KU continued to use Neal in the passing game to great effect. By the end of the first quarter he had four catches, exceeding his total of three from the first five games of the season. But it was Quentin Skinner, shaking off his slow start to the season, who made the critical catch for the Jayhawks, snagging an 18-yard grab from Daniels on the sideline to convert third-and-16. He then broke wide open for a 30-yard touchdown reception.

ASU shook off its offensive slump with five straight runs for 52 yards before backup running back DeCarlos Brooks dropped a wide-open pass in space. The Jayhawks held Skattebo to one yard on third-and-4, however, and the Sun Devils got called for a false start when they lined up to go on fourth down (even if they were just attempting a hard count). Then reserve defensive tackle Kenean Caldwell got his hand on Ian Hershey’s field goal attempt for a block.

Skinner made another 29-yard catch, only for KU to punt after crossing midfield.

Then ASU, faced with the prospect of giving the Jayhawks the ball back before the half, converted a fake punt on a pass from Kanyon Floyd to Clayton Smith that caught them unawares, but Dotson stripped the Sun Devils’ Jordyn Tyson to get KU possession anyway.

That’s when the Jayhawks’ late-first-half struggles kicked in, as Melquan Stovall’s long punt return set up Leavitt to lead a game-tying drive, culminating in a touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer.

Daniels was efficient out of the break, completing downfield passes to Skinner and Luke Grimm. On a failed third-down attempt the Jayhawks got a gift in the form of a targeting penalty on Keyshaun Elliott, but it didn’t matter much in the short term as Daniels missed Skinner on third-and-goal and KU settled for a field goal.

Aided by a third penalty on Bryant and a steady dose of ASU’s rushing offense, the Sun Devils moved down the field with ease until Devin Dye snagged a twice-deflected pass by Leavitt at the goal line to get KU possession.

The Jayhawks punted immediately, and ASU overcame a disastrous reverse and an illegal block to take the lead on a touchdown by Skattebo to open the fourth quarter.

KU put together a strong drive in response, using a pass-interference penalty and a rush by Luke Grimm to make it deep into ASU territory before the long-contained Neal broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run.

The injury bug started to bite KU on its next defensive drive, as the Jayhawks were forced to use their deepest reserves as Skattebo plunged forward over and over, eventually setting up a touchdown pass from Leavitt to Tyson.

KU benefited from a third-down targeting call on a play that could have been blown dead when an ASU defender ran offsides. Instead, KU crossed midfield in the waning minutes on its way to a touchdown pass from Daniels to Skinner with two minutes to go.

The Jayhawks, who fell to 1-5 on the year and 0-3 in Big 12 play, will enter their bye week before hosting Houston at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 19.

How they scored

First quarter

11:44 — Xavier Guillory 28-yard pass from Sam Leavitt. Ian Hershey PAT good. Seven plays, 75 yards, 3:16 TOP. ASU 7, KU 0.

6:24 — Jalon Daniels 22-yard run. Tabor Allen PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 5:21 TOP. ASU 7, KU 7.

Second quarter

11:45 — Quentin Skinner 30-yard pass from Jalon Daniels. Allen PAT good. Ten plays, 85 yards, 5:08 TOP. KU 14, ASU 7.

0:26 — Chamon Metayer 20-yard pass from Leavitt. Carston Kieffer PAT good. Four plays, 58 yards, 0:52 TOP. KU 14, ASU 14.

Third quarter

10:00 — Allen 20-yard field goal good. Thirteen plays, 73 yards, 5:00 TOP. KU 17, ASU 14.

Fourth quarter

14:56 — Cam Skattebo 1-yard run. Kieffer PAT good. Ten plays, 52 yards, 5:21 TOP. ASU 21, KU 17.

10:49 — Devin Neal 31-yard touchdown run. Allen PAT good. Eight plays, 75 yards, 4:07 TOP. KU 24, ASU 21.

6:19 — Jordyn Tyson 37-yard pass from Leavitt. Kieffer PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 4:30 TOP. ASU 28, KU 24.

2:04 — Skinner 34-yard pass from Daniels. Allen PAT good. Six plays, 69 yards, 4:15 TOP. KU 31, ASU 28.

0:16 — Tyson 3-yard pass from Leavitt. Kieffer PAT good. Eight plays, 75 yards, 1:48 TOP. ASU 35, KU 31.