3 lingering questions following Kansas football’s latest loss against rival Kansas State

MANHATTAN, Kansas — Kansas football dropped its rivalry matchup in Big 12 Conference play Saturday against Kansas State, 29-27.

The Jayhawks (2-6, 1-4 in Big 12) couldn’t overcome self-inflicted wounds and timely responses from the No. 16 Wildcats. Kansas State (7-1, 4-1) took the lead for good late in the fourth quarter on a field goal. Kansas has now lost 16-straight games in the series, including all four games under coach Lance Leipold.

Here are some questions to ponder as the Jayhawks enter an open week before a Nov. 9 home game against Iowa State:.

Kansas football vs Kansas State recap: Wildcats win rivalry matchup with late field goal

When will Kansas end its Kansas State losing streak?

For the first time in the 16-game losing streak, the Jayhawks have finished within one possession in back-to-back games. Only two other games in the streak finished as one-score games.

It’s a far cry from what Jayhawks senior wide receiver Luke Grimm experienced in his first game against Kansas State, a 55-14 loss in 2020. Even with the competitiveness of the series rising, Grimm is among the Kansas players who won’t have a win against the Wildcats in their college careers.

What did Jalon Daniels see on his costly, 1st-half interception?

With Kansas trailing 16-14 late in the first half, the Jayhawks were driving for a potential go-ahead score when quarterback Jalon Daniels took a deep shot to Trevor Wilson. A Kansas State defender — not the one going step-for-step with Wilson — came over to intercept.

“It was one-on-one with (Wilson),” said Daniels, who has six games with at least one interception this fall. “I mean, I’d seen the safety that ended up intercepting it. I thought I was going to be able to get a one-on-one pass, and the DB kind of didn’t even let my receiver get a chance to be able to make a catch and they ended up intercepting the pass.”

How will Kansas handle this upcoming open week?

Senior defensive tackle Caleb Taylor said it’s always a positive when they can take time as a team to get healthy. The last time the Jayhawks had an open week this season, they responded with a 42-14 home win over Houston.

Leipold noted they’re always going to spend time on fundamentals, and use the week to give the guys some time away, have the team spend time in the weight room and work with some of the younger players. But considering the previous open week wasn’t that long ago, Leipold volunteered they will probably make some modifications with how they handle this open week. He also mentioned they’re going to do some things that will keep the psyche of the team in mind as well.

Jordan Guskey covers the University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: 3 lingering questions after Kansas football’s latest Kansas State loss