First Responder Bowl Recap: Kansas Beats Syracuse 34-24
Final: Kansas 34, Syracuse 24
Kansas won a bowl game. Again.
I keep saying this because I still can’t quite believe it’s real: Kansas is a legitimate football program now. They ain’t a joke. They ain’t a doormat. They’re a team that wins games in December.
How It Happened
Jalon Daniels was excellent. 19-of-27, 247 yards, 2 touchdowns through the air. Another 45 yards and a score on the ground. He was in control all game — making good decisions, extending drives, doing exactly what you need your quarterback to do.
Devin Neal ran hard as hell. 22 carries, 118 yards, 5.4 per carry. The offensive line created lanes all day. Syracuse’s defense couldn’t get stops when it mattered.
Kansas led 17-10 at halftime, then blew it open in the third quarter with back-to-back scoring drives. By the time Syracuse mounted any kinda comeback, it was too late. Jayhawks were cruising.
What This Means
8-5. That’s Kansas’s final record. Eight and five.
For context: Kansas won ZERO Big 12 games from 2017 to 2021. Combined. Four full seasons without a conference win. They were historically bad — like, historically bad.
Now they’re 8-5 with a bowl win and returning most of their core pieces. Lance Leipold deserves a statue.
Jake’s note: I watched this game while eating leftover Christmas turkey and it was actually entertaining? Kansas played well. Daniels is fun to watch. The world’s gone completely upside down.
Pick Results
We both took Kansas -2.5. They won by 10. Easy cover.
Sometimes the obvious play is the right play.
— Mike
Big 12 Bowl Record: 1-1
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