Kansas vs. Duke has all the makings of a high-profile matchup — in March.
It has been a long time since the two basketball powerhouses have amounted to much in the college football world. They've never won a bowl game in the same year. They've never even been to a bowl game in the same year. Since 1962, the only years they've both finished the season with a winning record have come in 1981 and 1994.
On Saturday, the two blue-blood basketball programs met in Lawrence, Kan., in a match of undefeated, 3-0 football programs. And in the highly anticipated matchup, it was Kansas that came away with the victory, beating Duke 35-27 to move to 4-0.
It has been a bit of a rarity that Kansas has started the season undefeated through the first four weeks of the season. How have they done it, and just how historic is this start for the Jayhawks? The Sporting News takes a look at the numbers.
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Kansas' 4-0 start, by the numbers
How many times has Kansas won four games?
Since 2009? None. That's right. Kansas has had a brutal decade-plus stretch, never winning more than three games and never winning more than one Big 12 game. They've gone winless in the league five times. Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, David Beaty, Les Miles and the Lance Leipold combined for a 23-118 record prior to this year's 4-0 start.
How many times has Kansas gone 4-0?
The Jayhawks have begun the season 4-0 20 times. Sound like a lot? Well, bear in mind it is heavily influenced by the early years of Jayhawk football.
From 1902, its second year as a collegiate football program, through 1915, it started off 4-0 in each season except the 1904, 1911 and 1912 campaigns.
In the history of the Big 12, the Jayhawks have only started 4-0 twice. The first came in 2007 and the second came in 2009. In 2007, Kansas was in a position to potentially play for a BCS national championship until it lost in the last week of the regular season to Missouri to fall to 11-1. It beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
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Then in 2009, the Jayhawks began the year 5-0, but went on to lose every remaining game and fall to 5-7.
Here's a look at the history of Jayhawks starting 4-0 and their record after the hot start:
| Year | Conference | Final Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1902 | Independent | 6-4 |
| 1903 | Independent | 6-3 |
| 1905 | Independent | 10-1 |
| 1906 | Independent | 7-2-2 |
| 1907 | Missouri Valley | 5-3 |
| 1908 | Missouri Valley | 9-0 |
| 1909 | Missouri Valley | 8-1 |
| 1910 | Missouri Valley | 6-1-1 |
| 1913 | Missouri Valley | 5-3 |
| 1914 | Missouri Valley | 5-2-1 |
| 1915 | Missouri Valley | 6-2 |
| 1920 | Missouri Valley | 5-2-1 |
| 1930 | Big 6 | 6-2 |
| 1952 | Big 7 | 7-3 |
| 1968 | Big 8 | 9-2 |
| 1976 | Big 8 | 6-5 |
| 1981 | Big 8 | 8-4 |
| 1995 | Big 8 | 10-2 |
| 2007 | Big 12 | 12-1 |
| 2009 | Big 12 | 5-7 |
Kansas rushing stats
Coming into the game against Duke, there were few offenses more dominant on the ground than the Jayhawks.
Kansas entered the game averaging 259 rushing yards per game, seventh-most in the nation. And at 7.13 yards per carry, Kansas was second in the nation, behind only Alabama's 7.57 yards per carry average.
It has been a balanced rushing attack with capable ball-carriers. Before the matchup against Duke, Kansas already had four players with at least 100 rushing yards this season.
| Player | Position | Rushing Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Jalon Daniels | QB | 27 carries, 237 yards, 3 TDs |
| Devin Neal | RB | 28 carries, 204 yards, 4 TDs |
| Daniel Hishaw Jr. | RB | 26 carries, 170 yards, 4 TDs |
| Sevion Morrison | RB | 10 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD |
All three running backs are still sophomores, while Daniels is a junior. The future looks bright in Lawrence.
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That running game was once again a big part of the team's win, as the team rushed for 204 yards on 39 carries with a touchdown. Daniels had 83 yards on 11 carries with a score, Hishaw rushed 10 times for 61 yards and Neal rushed nine times for 54 yards.
Jalon Daniels for Heisman Trophy?
The rushing attack has been a big part of the offense's success, but this team has really been buoyed by a Heisman-worthy start to the season by Daniels.
The junior quarterback has been a dynamic dual threat this season, and turned in another explosive performance against Duke. He completed 19-of-23 passes for 324 yards and four passing touchdowns, while rushing 11 times for 83 yards and another score.
Heading into the game, he had completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 566 yards with seven passing touchdowns and only one interception to go along with his impressive rushing stats. ESPN's QBR has him as the top quarterback in the country at 97.6.
Daniels came into the game as one of only eight FBS quarterbacks with at least 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards, per Sports Reference.