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Top 3 Takeaways From Kansas vs. Fresno State (31-7)

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Pete Mundo | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 11:33 PM ET

The Kansas Jayhawks opened up the 2025 college football season in Week 0 on Saturday at home against Fresno State. It was the re-opening of the renovated Booth Memorial Stadium after having to play the 2024 season at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The crowd was lit, the scene was incredible, and the Kansas Jayhawks showed out and showed off for their home crowd. Overall, it was a great night for the KU faithful, as the Jayhawks rolled to a convincing 31-7 win over Fresno State. Here are the three top takeaways on the game.

Welcome Back, Jalon Daniels

Daniels looked like the Jalon Daniels we thought we would get in 2024. But as it turned out, it took him about half a season to warm up and return to his old self. But, he was off and running, literally and figuratively on Saturday night in from of the home crowd.

Jalon’s first half was as good as it gets: 13/15 for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while leading the team in rushing with 47 yards on eight carries. And with KU taking a 24-7 lead into the second half, Daniels took his foot off the pedal and finished 18/20 for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 47 yards.

Overall, it’s exactly the kind of performance he needed for himself, and for KU fans, to get a glimpse into what’s possible for this season. And if Jalon Daniels is able to perform at this level, the Jayhawks will absolutely be a Big 12 dark horse.

Kansas Dominates the Line

I never want to overreact to a Group of 5 win, but KU was absolutely dominant along the defensive and offensive lines on Saturday night. Offensive, KU piled up 197 rushing yards on 34 carries, good for 5.8 YPC. Daniel Hishaw led a balanced rushing attack for the Jayhawks on the night, but Leshon Williams, the Iowa transfer, and Johnny Thompson, a sophomore in Year 2 with the KU program, were also in the mix.

Along the defensive line, Kansas was stout up front. Senior Kenean Caldwell, South Carolina transfer Bangally Kamara, Illinois transfer Alex Bray and Daykus Brinkley were just some of the names wrecking havoc and keeping Fresno State in check all night. Trey Lathan transferred in from West Virginia and immediately made his presence felt on Saturday night, leading the team with eight tackles. As a team, KU had eight tackles for loss and held Fresno State to 34 rushing yards on 25 carries, good for just 1.4 yards per carry.

The New Booth Looks Awesome

A lot has been made of Kansas football opening up its renovated stadium. Of course, the haters are focused on the fact that only the home side of the stadium is renovated. Who cares? The place looks great. And for a program that won four Big 12 games in the 2010’s to now be relevant in the Big 12, renovating its stadium, and playing some exciting football led by Jalon Daniels, what’s not to like?

We had Heartland College Sports’ KU columnist Mark Van Sickle in Lawrence for the game, and here’s what his walk out looked like.

The walk into the renovated Booth Memorial Stadium! #RockChalk

️: @JayhawkerTalker @MarkTheOverseer pic.twitter.com/LjjjzzEzsw
— Heartland College Sports (@Heartland_CS) August 23, 2025

Hate all you want, but this program has certainly come a long way from where it was just a few short years ago. Oh yeah, and they got a $300 million donation from megabooster David Booth in the last couple of weeks. Things are going well in Lawrence right now.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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