photo by: AP Photo/Tyler Tate

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) runs the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Kansas football team managed just 46 yards on a series of largely futile drives in the first half on Saturday night before the externally imposed urgency of a pair of last-minute charges helped the Jayhawks rack up 108 more and 10 points along the way.

As they continued to play from behind in the second half at No. 12 Utah — having essentially spotted their opponents a 14-0 advantage to open the game — quarterback Isaiah Marshall looked as self-assured and dynamic as at any point in his young career, and the Jayhawks challenged the Utes’ defense in a way few teams have this year.

But it was for naught in the 41-24 loss, in large part because they had taken until 29 minutes into the game to start playing that way — and it wasn’t the first time, after KU’s offense had struggled early in previous losses to Missouri and, most glaringly, Arizona State in London.

“That’s one thing that me and the players and the coaches talk about, is that we need to find a way to start faster,” Marshall said. “I think that’s our biggest problem. We start slow, but as soon (as) we get going, you see that we’re a great team, a great offense.”

Marshall, who eventually finished with a career-best 333 passing yards plus three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing), said that fast starts need to be the Jayhawks’ “No. 1 priority.”

But in truth they had evidently not prepared to come out the way they did on Saturday — losing a potential early first down to holding and punting, throwing a pick on the next drive (Marshall said he threw a “bad ball” and should have waited for his shot downfield to open up) and then punting once more. In fact, head coach Lance Leipold said KU had taken note during the week of other teams facing Utah “passively and tentatively.”

“We wanted to be aggressive in this,” he said. “So that was not something that we planned.”

Marshall almost brought KU all the way back. Once 4-for-10 for 17 yards, the redshirt sophomore found something before the break with a pair of completions to Cam Pickett to set up one touchdown, then relied on Nik McMillan to drive down for a field goal moments later after Jalen Todd intercepted Devon Dampier. That had KU behind just 21-17.

“I knew every single time I threw them the ball that they was going to come down with it,” Marshall said. “They made big plays when it mattered.”

They kept it up for much of the second half, beyond one brutal end-zone drop by an open McMillan (on a pass Marshall might have placed better himself). Wide receiver Nahzae Cox and even reserve tight end Leyton Cure got involved on one drive.

“We were able to hit some intermediate routes and get some confidence,” Leipold said. “We were protecting Isaiah pretty well and got a little rhythm. I think when we started to play faster, tempo-wise, it kind of got us in a good rhythm and made some things happen.”

It certainly provided glimpses of a passing offense that — if extrapolated to an entire hour and complemented by a steady run game — could go a long way for the Jayhawks.

“I believe that Isaiah continues to get better in each and every game and grows, and a game like this against a defense of that caliber I think hopefully will continue to boost his confidence,” Leipold said. “… He doesn’t get rattled and his composure’s excellent. He has a lot of good days ahead of him.”

Of course, the second-half offensive production, whatever stark contrast it might have formed with the early status quo, didn’t amount to a whole lot of scoring. In fact, Utah outscored KU 20-7 after the break, in large part because KU sputtered in a pair of goal-to-go situations. Marshall acknowledged that it might have been his best game overall, “but it was a lot of plays that we left open, a lot of plays that I wish I could have back. It could have been better and it could have helped the team out.”

Pickett said that while football often comes down to a few key moments, “we just got to put a whole four quarters together and we don’t have to worry about stuff like that.”

“We can’t have three-and-outs (the) first couple drives, and the defense making stops,” he added. “We got to do our job on our side.”