Kansas' football players carried a "win one for their coach" mentality into Saturday's Big 12 game at West Virginia.
"We are gonna go play for him today. You better believe that ... They (players) are totally committed to the cause. We're gonna get this one for Coach Miles," acting KU coach Josh Eargle said prior to kickoff on the Jayhawk radio network.
The fired-up Jayhawks, motivated to play well for head coach Les Miles, who was back in Lawrence watching the game on Fox as he completes a 10-day COVID-19 quarantine, were unable to claim victory, but were competitive for a half in a 38-17 loss before 15,000 fans at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The Jayhawks (0-4, 0-3 Big 12) in fact led 10-0 early, prompting Miles to tweet, "Love it! Touchdown Jayhawks!" in the first quarter.
The lead was short lived as WVU (3-1, 2-1) led 17-10 at halftime and led 38-10 late in the fourth quarter after 38 unanswered points.
"Coach Miles is gut-wrenched. He is heartbroken he can't make the trip with his team," Eargle, KU's recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach, said after the contest. "His team's ready to go fight for victory for him. This staff is unbelievable, man," he added of the entire coaching staff. "That's an elite football staff in there. They just didn't have the right leader today. Proud of 'em, but it's extremely humbling Coach Miles would choose me to take the field today in his absence. We can't wait to get him back."
Miles is expected to coach at practice all week and in next week's contest at Kansas State.
As far as Saturday at WVU ... the quick-starting Jayhawks eventually succumbed to a home team led by quarterback Jarret Doege, who completed 26 of 44 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Leddie Brown gained 195 yards on 18 carries and one TD for a WVU team that outgained KU 544 yards to 157.
The Jayhawks offense, which was inept after rolling to a 10-0 advantage, was led by Velton Gardner, who had 43 yards on 11 carries. Pooka Williams gained just 21 yards on 11 carries, while Miles Kendrick completed 14 of 23 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Williams, an all-Big 12 selection the past two seasons, returned a kickoff 92 yards for a TD with 1 minute, 45 seconds left.
"I feel everybody came out with the right mindset to give our all. I'm proud of everybody who stepped on the field today," said KU linebacker Dru Prox.
He had eight tackles including three for loss. KU finished with nine tackles for loss; WVU 11.
"It was a little different," Prox added of making the trip without the head coach. "Coach Miles is our leader. I feel it made us go a little harder for him. He wasn't here. We tried to get that win for him. He'll be with us next game. He will help us even more."
QB Kendrick, who led just one touchdown drive (Eargle said backups Thomas MacVittie and Miles Fallin were available but have been "nicked up"; Jalon Daniels has been out with a foot injury) led a sub-200-yard effort.
"The presence of Coach Miles ... the energy he brings, just the positive reinforcement he is to the team, the leader he is of this team, we missed that today," Kendrick said.
KU's Duece Mayberry recovered a fumble by West Virginia receiver T.J. Simmons (following a hard hit by Denzel Feaster) and KU turned that into three points on a 41-yard field goal by Jacob Borcila with 11:41 left in the first quarter.
KU made it 10-0 when Kendrick connected with Andrew Parchment on a deep 43-yard TD pass that was tipped by a WVU defender. The TD came on a second-and-8 call with 9:21 left in the quarter.
West Virginia cut the gap to 10-7 with 4:53 left in the first quarter, following a 33-yard hookup from Doege to Bryce Ford-Wheaton. The receiver was wide open on the deep pattern. KU's Karon Prunty was guilty of a pass interference call on that short three-play, 50-yard drive.
West Virginia's Evan Staley missed a 44-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the contest with 10:05 left before halftime.
KU lost a key defender when Feaster was ejected for targeting. He appeared to lead a tackle with the crown of his helmet on running back Brown with 6:56 left before half.
West Virginia took a 14-10 lead shortly after Feaster's ejection on a 6-yard pass from Doege to Brown with 3:41 left in the half. No Jayhawk defender was within 10 yards of Brown, who escaped from the backfield for the short completion.
Early in the third quarter with KU down 17-10, Miles returned to Twitter after defensive end Malcolm Lee stepped in front of a screen pass to snuff a WVU drive deep in KU territory. Lee's 11-yard interception return gave KU the ball at its 37.
"Great play by Lee. Important possession here," Miles tweeted.
KU, however, couldn't take advantage and WVU next scored on an 87-yard burst by Brown to give WVU a 24-10 lead.
WVU made it 31-10 after Doege connected with Sam James on an 8-yard TD pass to begin the fourth quarter.
Eargle took to Twitter before boarding the team flight back to Lawrence, Kansas, after filling in as KU's active head coach.
"These young men battled so hard!! So proud of them. Coach Miles is building something special with this staff and these Jayhawks! These Jayhawks are Coming. Rock Chalk," Eargle tweeted.
Again, back in Lawrence, Les Miles retweeted that post.
HANNI NOT ON THE AIR
KU radio play-by-play announcer Brian Hanni missed the game. He is completing a 14-day quarantine for direct exposure to Miles at a recent Hawk Talk radio show. Hanni has tested negative for COVID-19 several times this week and is expected back for Saturday's KU-KSU game. Jimmy Chavez, play-by-play announcer for KU women's basketball, filled in for the game in Morgantown.
