Utah Utes Keep College Football Playoff Hopes Alive Win 31-21 Win Over Kansas Jayhawks

If you’re a Kansas Jayhawks fan, you’re probably feeling a painful sense of déjà vu. The 2025 season closer against Utah felt like a cruel replay of a movie you’ve seen too many times: high hopes, moments of brilliance, and then a spectacular collapse when it mattered most. The final score, a 31-21 loss to the Utes, doesn’t even begin to tell the gut-wrenching story of how this one slipped away, dropping Kansas to a 5-7 record and slamming the door on bowl eligibility.

For a while there, it looked like the Jayhawks might finally exorcise their demons. They were playing with fire, leading by four points in the final quarter. The defense, which has looked lost at sea for much of the year, was actually putting up a fight. But then, in a moment that perfectly summed up the entire frustrating season, Quarterback Jalon Daniels threw a 97-yard pick-six. It was the kind of soul-crushing play that makes you question everything. Game over. Season over.

The Story Of Utah’s Comeback

You have to give credit where it’s due: #13 Utah came to play. Trailing 14-10 heading into the fourth, they didn’t flinch. Quarterback Devon Dampier, cool as you like, connected with Larry Simmons for a 28-yard touchdown to snatch the lead. Kansas tried to answer, driving downfield with the season on the line. But that’s when the turnover bug bit hard.

First, an interception in the end zone snuffed out a promising drive. Then came the haymaker. Elijah Davis stepped in front of a Daniels pass and took it to the house for his second pick-six of the season. Just like that, a tight game became a 24-14 Utah lead.

Even after Kansas clawed back to make it 24-21, Utah’s offense had one more punch to throw. On a critical third-and-five, Dampier hit Simmons again, this time for a 48-yard touchdown that put the game on ice. While the Jayhawks actually outgained Utah on the day, 477 to 412 total yards, the three devastating interceptions were the story of the game. It was a masterclass in capitalizing on mistakes, and Utah taught a painful lesson.

What’s Next For Kansas Football?

This loss leaves Jayhawk Nation in a familiar, uncomfortable place: staring into the offseason with a mountain of uncertainty. This wasn’t a coaching blunder, as some past losses have been. This one was on the players. A false start scuttling a field goal attempt, the turnovers on downs, and of course, those back-breaking interceptions—it was a meltdown of execution.

Now, the program faces a changing of the guard. Star Quarterback Jalon Daniels, who started games across six seasons, has played his final down in crimson and blue. Key offensive weapons like Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Emmanuel Henderson Jr. are also graduating. Who steps up? The quarterback room looks thin, with Isaiah Marshall as the likely heir apparent, but he remains an unproven passer. Coach Lance Leipold has a monumental task ahead of him to rebuild and reload.

For fans, all that’s left is to hope. Hope that this program, which has shown flashes of being so much better, can finally learn how to win the games it’s supposed to. Because, as this disastrous loss to Utah proved once again, they still have a long way to go.