by KU Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Despite a pair of passing touchdowns from junior quarterback Miles Kendrick, Kansas fell to TCU 59-23 Saturday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
The Jayhawks dropped to 0-8 on the season and 0-7 in Big 12 play, while TCU moved to 4-4 both overall and in conference play.
The Jayhawks fell into a 24-0 hole in the first quarter that they were ultimately unable to crawl out of. Trailing by 24, Kansas got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter when Jalon Daniels found Kwamie Lassiter II for a 48-yard touchdown to make it 24-6. It marked the first touchdown pass of Daniels’ career and the second touchdown this season for Lassiter.
After TCU added two more scores to make it 38-6, the Jayhawks reached the end zone for the second time in the game. This time, Miles Kendrick found freshman Luke Grimm for a 14-yard score to make it 38-12. In the third quarter, trailing 45-12, Kendrick and Grimm hooked up for their second score of the game when Grimm caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Kendrick then located Takulve Williams in the end zone for a two-point conversion to make the score 45-20.
The two touchdown catches for Grimm marked the first two of his career. Lassiter also had a career game with seven catches for 116 yards, giving Kansas its first 100-yard receiver of the season. His 48-yard touchdown catch marked the longest passing play of the season for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks also had a 100-yard rusher in the game with true freshman Amauri Pesek-Hickson rushing for 100 yards on 22 carries with a long tote of 30 yards. It was the first 100-yard rushing effort from a Kansas back this season.
Offensively, Kansas started six true freshmen in Daniels, Pesek-Hickson, Grimm and offensive linemen Garrett Jones, Armaj Adams-Reed and Bryce Cabeldue.
Kendrick, who entered in relief of Daniels, finished 11-of-18 for 166 yards and two touchdowns to go with an interception.
Defensively, Kansas was led by Gavin Potter (Mvskoke Creek) and Ricky Thomas, who each had six tackles. Potter also notched a tackle-for-loss. Kyron Johnson, Marcus Harris and Kenny Logan all had five stops in the game, with Harris, a redshirt freshman, picking up a tackle-for-loss for the fourth-straight game. True freshman defensive end Jereme Robinson also had a tackle-for-loss Saturday.
Kansas will return to action Saturday at Texas Tech.
