Kansas wide receiver Cam Pickett (7) celebrates as he runs in a touchdown against Fresno State during the first quarter on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug

The Kansas football team may have been playing in a newly remodeled stadium on Saturday night, but it got a very familiar sort of performance from Jalon Daniels.

The Jayhawks’ sixth-year quarterback was nearly perfect in the season opener against Fresno State, with more touchdown passes (three) than incompletions (two) as he went 18-for-20 for 173 yards, adding 47 more yards on the ground.

It evoked the form Daniels displayed when he was playing at his best in 2022, early 2023 and late 2024, and it was more than enough for KU to blow out the Bulldogs, 31-7.

Ball State transfer wide receiver Cam Pickett caught six passes for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all in the first half, and running backs Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams combined for 126 yards and a touchdown in the Jayhawks’ first game post-Devin Neal.

Devin Dye and Lyrik Rawls picked off the Bulldogs’ quarterback E.J. Warner once each, and Bangally Kamara forced a fumble. KU’s defense also held Fresno State’s promising rushing attack to 37 yards.

Daniels scrambled for 11 yards on third-and-5 to give KU a first down on its opening drive, then took a quarterback keeper an additional 23 to put the Jayhawks at the edge of the red zone. On the next play, he found Pickett on a quick hitter, and Pickett did the rest, taking the ball 21 yards for the first touchdown in the new stadium.

Fresno State faced the prospect of an early third-and-out, but Warner wriggled out of a potential sack and flipped the ball to running back Bryson Donelson, who dodged a pair of tacklers downfield for a huge gain down to the Jayhawks’ 32. The Bulldogs finished off the drive in short order with a 3-yard run by Elijah Gilliam.

Daniels moved KU into Fresno State territory with another completion to Pickett, but back-to-back penalties on Enrique Cruz Jr. pushed the Jayhawks back across the 50. That’s when Emmanuel Henderson Jr. got involved, taking a pop pass 10 yards and then drawing a pass-interference penalty downfield to earn the Jayhawks an automatic first down.

KU opted for a run by Hishaw on third-and-7, setting up a fourth-and-short situation. Williams stepped in for Hishaw, followed his blockers through the left side and scored a 19-yard touchdown on his first carry.

After three punts, the Jayhawks used misdirection to free up Williams for a 16-yard reception. Pickett added catches of 13 and 10 yards before adding his second touchdown from 13 yards out.

With Trey Lathan sprinting toward him at top speed, Warner stood in against the pressure and connected with Josiah Freeman for 21 yards across the middle. But Fresno State false-started out of a third-and-2 and Warner made a poor throw across his body that was intercepted by Dye.

KU added a 47-yard field goal by Laith Marjan with 56 seconds left in the half that made it a 17-point game. Fresno State reached the Jayhawks’ 44-yard line and called timeout with six seconds to go, and then Warner got a quick completion to Richie Anderson III to put kicker Dylan Lynch seven yards closer, but Lynch was well short on his 55-yard attempt.

Warner converted a third-and-12 on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half by finding Freeman, who held on through a big hit by Syeed Gibbs. But on third-and-7 from KU’s 33-yard line, Kamara broke through on a blitz to sack Warner, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Kenean Caldwell.

After long carries by Hishaw and Williams, Daniels hit Keaton Kubecka for a touchdown to make it 31-7.

Warner threw his second interception to Rawls, who dove in attempting to break up a pass but ended up snagging the ball when it deflected off Freeman.

The Jayhawks converted one fourth down, but Hishaw ran out of room on another and KU turned it over on downs on its first play of the final quarter.

KU will host Wagner, an FCS opponent, on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Notes and observations

Defensive end Dean Miller, a second-team all-conference selection last season, did not dress to play. Head coach Lance Leipold had previously mentioned that Miller missed practice time late in fall camp due to injury. Leroy Harris III, a sophomore transfer from Chattanooga whom coaches described as one of the standouts of camp, received the start at weak-side defensive end in his place.

Amir Herring and Cruz started on the offensive line, earning an early-season edge over their primary competitors, Tavake Tuikolovatu and Nolan Gorczyca. Gorczyca rotated in for Cruz on KU’s third drive, after the Syracuse transfer had committed a pair of penalties on the second. Tuikolovatu saw his first action on the fourth drive.

Mason Ellis started as the Jayhawks’ fifth defensive back — the position KU’s coaches have largely referred to as a nickel back. He had been listed behind Jayson Gilliom at “Hawk” linebacker — the old name the Jayhawks used in prior years — on the season-opening depth chart.

Williams exited the game after a carry in the third quarter while holding his wrist, and received medical attention on the sideline. Third-string running back Johnny Thompson Jr. saw his first action of the game soon afterward.

In the second quarter, tight end DeShawn Hanika caught an 8-yard pass from Daniels. It was his first reception since Nov. 26, 2022. He sat out the entire 2023 season at Iowa State amid a gambling investigation, then missed the 2024 campaign at KU due to injury.

These two teams will become familiar foes, as Saturday’s contest was the first of a three-game series between the Jayhawks and Bulldogs, as part of a deal initially signed in February 2020 and amended twice since. KU is scheduled to travel to Fresno, Calif., in 2030 and then host the Bulldogs again in 2031.

How they scored

First quarter

11:06 — Cam Pickett 21-yard pass from Jalon Daniels. Laith Marjan PAT good. Nine plays, 86 yards, 3:49 TOP. KU 7, FS 0.

7:20 — Elijah Gilliam 3-yard run. Dylan Lynch PAT good. Seven plays, 75 yards, 3:46 TOP. KU 7, FS 7.

2:11 — Leshon Williams 19-yard run. Marjan PAT good. Eleven plays, 75 yards, 5:10 TOP. KU 14, FS 7.

Second quarter

7:30 — Pickett 13-yard pass from Daniels. Marjan PAT good. Five plays, 59 yards, 1:53 TOP. KU 21, FS 7.

0:56 — Marjan 47-yard field goal good. Eight plays, 38 yards, 3:40 TOP. KU 24, FS 7.

Third quarter

7:47 — Keaton Kubecka 12-yard pass from Daniels. Marjan PAT good. Five plays, 49 yards, 2:31 TOP. KU 31, FS 7.

Box score