Revisiting Kansas football’s Week 1 win with Jayhawks’ offensive, defensive coordinators

LAWRENCE — In the immediate aftermath of Kansas football’s 48-3 win this past Thursday against Lindenwood, Lance Leipold shared his thoughts on the Jayhawks’ victory.

Leipold, KU’s head coach, praised redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels’ long-anticipated return to game-action. Leipold reacted to what it was like to play a home game away from Lawrence, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. And following Leipold, a handful of Jayhawks players had the opportunity to provide their own perspectives on starting the 2024 season 1-0.

But on Tuesday, in Lawrence, Jeff Grimes and Brian Borland had the chance to speak at a press conference for the first time. Grimes, the team’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, spoke on his first game with the program in his role. Borland, the team’s defensive coordinator, spoke on the efforts his side of the ball made through the offseason and how that reflected in their play against Lindenwood.

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Here are some takeaways from what Grimes and Borland had to say, as they reflected on their top 25 team starting the fall with a win.

Here’s Jeff Grimes’ reaction to Kansas’ win

Grimes joked that game seems like a long time ago at this point, but went on to note that while it was a good night it wasn’t a great one. He wishes they could have started better, and avoided turning the ball over on two of their first three drives. As they settled in, though, he saw efficient play that resulted time again in touchdown drives.

The only times Kansas didn’t end a drive with a touchdown were those two turnovers in the first half, and the drive when they ran out the clock in the fourth quarter. Grimes thought there was an appropriate amount of frustration on the sideline after those two giveaways, and highlighted senior wide receiver Luke Grimm as someone who provided the spark that moved them in the right direction. The Jayhawks’ reliance on the running game came, in part, because of how conservative Lindenwood played defensively.

Here’s Brian Borland’s reaction to Kansas’ win

Borland also made a comment about how long ago that season opener feels like now, before mentioning he was pretty happy with how it unfolded. Although it was a game they entered as the favorite, he thought his athletes still played hard while not taking anything for granted. He remarked that showcased their maturity.

Borland also praised the tackling display Kansas’ cornerbacks put on. He said they do some kind of tackling drill each day, and have made a commitment to improving in that area. While there’s a confidence that comes from adding size, muscle and strength, he thinks they also wanted to show they can both cover and tackle — not just cover.

Jeff Grimes highlights an advantage Kansas could have ahead of Illinois

On Saturday, Kansas will play Illinois on the road. That’ll be the Jayhawks’ second game of the year. The Fighting Illini are a fellow Division I, FBS program, while Lindenwood represented the FCS.

But while Kansas will face a step up in competition, there could be an advantage for the Jayhawks. Grimes is in his first season in his role. Illinois could study the Lindenwood tape, and the tape of how Grimes’ offenses have played at past stops of his, but all in all there isn’t much tape on how Kansas’ offense operates with him as the coordinator.

“I hope so,” said Grimes, asked if that’s an advantage. “We didn’t, obviously — yeah, I hope so.”

Brian Borland praises Dean Miller’s effort

Borland became the latest to praise redshirt junior defensive end Dean Miller for Miller’s play against Lindenwood. Miller, who made great strides to earn a starting job this fall, recorded his first sack of the season in that game. The play fired Borland up, because it came on a fourth-down stop.

Borland added the extent to which Miller looked fast off the edge could have allowed him to make a play against a variety of opponents. It also wasn’t just that play, but Miller’s play overall that night, that caught Borland’s attention. Miller, from Borland’s perspective, didn’t seem nervous.

Jeff Grimes puts Kansas’ offensive line play into perspective

Although Grimes thought Kansas’ offensive line played better as the game progressed, and that the players protected well, he didn’t think they were tested much. From Grimes’ perspective, that’s not intended to mean any disrespect toward Lindenwood. He explained Lindenwood didn’t pressure much or employ a lot of movement on the defensive line.

Grimes mused a more accurate reflection of where Kansas’ offensive line is will come against Illinois. Facing the Fighting Illini should provide more of a learning experience for the Jayhawks. That could prove to be especially so, in the one-on-one matchups Kansas’ linemen will face in pass-protection scenarios.

Jordan Guskey covers 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: Revisiting Kansas football’s Week 1 win with Jayhawks’ offensive, defensive coordinators