Week Four Jayhawk Spotlight: The Weather

Each week we spotlight a player or unit on the Kansas Jayhawks and make them our featured spotlight of that week. After what can only be described as an extremely bad loss, we’re going in a different direction. The next best option after the meltdown was to spotlight the weather. Forgive the metaphors, we’re stretching on this one.

After a two hour rain and lightning delay, Kansas and West Virginia finally emerged to finish their game, Kansas with a 21-17 lead and the ball. And at first it looked like KU was the team that was going to take advantage of the extended break. The Hawks finished off a six play drive, concluding in a 32 yard run from Luke Grimm and it was suddenly 28-17 to the good guys. That was the last time Jayhawks fans could smile.

The West Virginia offense then suddenly came to life, as if the lightning that stopped the game finally surged into quarterback Garret Greene’s arm. The Mountaineers went on a nine play drive that lasted only 2:12, slicing through the Kansas defense like a hot knife through butter. Passing gains of 16 and 26 started things, another ten yards and a personal foul on KU’s Marvin Grant put WVU up to the Kansas eleven in no time. Another three plays and it was a one score game. A two point conversion that was awkward but effective made it a three point game. Kansas was in trouble.

And the offense didn’t help things. A nice thunder and lightning attack might’ve been effective, but Kansas handed it off three times in a row. The dust storm was completely ineffective and West Virginia was ready. Two timeouts from the Mountaineers and the stagnation was complete. One minute and one second went off the clock and Kansas was officially in deep trouble.

The Kansas defense was officially in the eye of the hurricane once more. This time, the Mountaineers took another seven plays and cut and sliced their way through the Kansas defense. A Mello Dotson pass interference call helped the West Virginia cause and the Kansas collapse was almost complete. A fifteen yard pass from Green to Rodney Gallagher with 26 seconds to go pretty much sealed the comeback.

Despite the flood waters smashing into the house, the walls were still standing, and the Kansas offense had a tiny chance to push the waters back and avoid catastrophe. Those plans ended like sandbags gently floating away when Jalon Daniels fumbled to end another frustrating second half from the Kansas football Jayhawks.

Dark skies are hovering over the Jayhawks right now. Hopefully, the skies will part and the sun will shine down on KU in Kansas City on Saturday.