Kansas Jayhawks football dominated Middle Tennessee 55-0 on Saturday, with Dylan Edwards rushing for three touchdowns and the Jayhawks piling up 706 total yards. The shutout improved Kansas to 2-2 while Middle Tennessee fell to 2-3.
Edwards broke the game open with touchdown runs of 6 and 5 yards in the second quarter, turning a 3-0 lead into a 20-0 cushion by halftime. Middle Tennessee’s offense never found traction behind Roman Gagliano, who completed just 9 of 26 passes for 81 yards with no touchdowns as the Blue Raiders managed only 136 total yards.
Takeaways from Kansas’ win
The ground game overwhelmed the Blue Raiders
Kansas ran for 480 yards on 58 carries, an 8.3-yard average that buried the opposing defense all afternoon. Six different Jayhawks scored rushing touchdowns or found paydirt on the ground, with Edwards, Jalen Dupree, Chase Jenkins and Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman all punching one in.
Blue Raider’s offense could not sustain drives
The Blue Raiders converted just 1 of 11 third-down attempts and lost a fumble, never threatening to put points on the board. Kansas controlled the ball for 40:55 compared to Middle Tennessee’s 19:05, a gap that kept the Blue Raiders’ offense on the sideline for most of the second half.
Kansas pulled away with a 21-point fourth quarter
After leading 34-0 through three quarters, Kansas scored three more touchdowns in the fourth, from Dupree, Jenkins and Cummings-Coleman, to complete the shutout. The Jayhawks out-gained Middle Tennessee 706-136 for the game.
Player of the game: Dylan Edwards
Edwards carried 20 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and scoring on runs of 6, 5 and 12 yards. His third-quarter touchdown pushed Kansas’ lead to 27-0 and effectively ended any chance of a Middle Tennessee comeback.
Kansas Jayhawks football by the numbers
Kansas finished with 36 first downs to Middle Tennessee’s seven, a staggering gap that mirrored the final score. The Jayhawks converted 7 of 12 third downs while Middle Tennessee managed just 1 of 11. Quarterback Isaiah Marshall completed 13 of 22 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, adding 110 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Kicker Martin Connington went 2 for 2 on field goals and 7 for 7 on extra points for 13 points. Kansas did not commit a turnover, while the Blue Raiders lost a fumble and failed to convert its lone fourth-down try.
Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
