Lance Leipold reviews Cincinnati game after another one-score loss

Kansas’ 37-34 loss to Cincinnati dropped the Jayhawks to 1-6 in one-score games over the last two seasons. Lance Leipold spoke to the media postgame about Kansas’ execution down the stretch, the play of the back end of the defense, and how the team will prepare for its upcoming road games.

Leipold said he and the team have to be better in close games

The Jayhawks’ loss on Saturday followed an all-too-familiar script from last season. It probably most mirrored the loss to Arizona State, where Kansas took the lead with 2:04 left only to give up a game-winning touchdown. Against Cincinnati, the Jayhawks took a 34-30 lead with 1:45 to play then gave up a 10-play touchdown drive in 1:16 to lose the game.

Leipold said if he knew what the issues were he would fix them. He thinks each situation has been different, including new playcallers and a new roster this season, and they’ve worked hard on situational football.

“I think everyone has got a little different twist to it,” Leipold said. This year on either side, you know, we have different people calling defenses. We have different people calling offensive plays. We have different players out there playing this year. So it isn’t like it’s one thing. I can tell you that we have worked two minute drills to nauseam this year and situational football has been covered more than ever before. But obviously we’ve got to do more and I need to do better and we’ll continue to look for that.”

Kansas scoring with 1:46 left gave Cincinnati the opportunity to mount a drive to win the game. Leipold liked their call on second down and kept the Jayhawks out of third down where they were 3/9. They needed to score and did, but weren’t able to get the stop.

“There’s a time when you have a chance to score in that, that you got to try to make a stop,” Leipold said. “But again, when they got in rhythm, I think we got on our heels at times.”

Back end of the defense lacked confidence in coverage

Brendan Sorsby lit up the secondary, completing 29 of 43 passes for 388 yards. Sorsby was essentially able to complete passes whenever he wanted, with his receivers getting open at a high rate. Leipold said he didn’t know if the back end played confidently and Sorsby was a big test.

“I don’t know if we played real confidently in coverage all day, to be honest. And you know, we started to create some pressure,” Leipold said. “That’s a good quarterback. You know, he took shots, he put the ball where it needed to, he spread it around. They had a good game plan on attacking us and they executed.”

Cincinnati’s scheme allowed its receivers to get open for big plays, averaging 13.4 yards per reception. Leipold thought the back end gave the Bearcats too much cushion, and the young secondary was tested in a way it hadn’t been yet.

“Some communication issues, some was like I said, confident with cushion and things like that,” Leipold said. “There’s a couple of your guys that are still pretty young football players, that I think probably had one of their bigger tests this game as much as any other that have, you know, throwing the ball on a consistent basis.”

Kansas has to improve as it starts road stretch

Leipold said he was proud of the way his team fought against Cincinnati on Saturday. He told the team that they have to get used to playing in close games in the Big 12, but the Jayhawks have to find a way to flip the script.

“I told the team, I said, you better get used to this because this is the way this conference is and you got a lot of new players that maybe haven’t been in this conference or haven’t been in this program,” Leipold said. “You got to be able to understand that there’s going to be tons of close football games in the Big 12, and you better embrace it and you better find a way to flip the script and make these things go our way.”

Kansas will play on the road for two straight weeks, starting with a night game at UCF. Leipold said the team will have a chance to bond and develop a “us against the world mentality.”

“One thing about when you go on the road many times it’s really the guys in that locker room is all you got,” Leipold said. “And sometimes going on the road in these situations, especially a night game, you got a chance that you’re going to be around each other for a long time in there.

You got a chance to bond as a team and do some things. And it’s kind of us against the world type mentality that you have to prepare for.”