It was 15 years between Bowl Season wins for Kansas football, which the Jayhawks earned in a high-octane 49-36 clash against UNLV at the 34
th annual Guaranteed Rate Bowl in downtown Phoenix. There must be something that rings to Kansas in the desert, as the Jayhawks previous bowl win was a 42-21 victory over Minnesota at the Insight Bowl in Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium.
Under the leadership of third-year Head Coach Lance Leipold, the Jayhawks concluded their 2023 season with an impressive 9-4 record, marking Kansas' first nine-win season in 16 years. "Good things will happen. To see those guys have a chance to go to two consecutive bowl games, come up with a win – nine wins – all the different things they've been able to experience really in the last two years is pretty special," Leipold said after the game.
In front of 26,478 fans at Chase Field, senior quarterback and Offensive MVP Jason Bean showcased his prowess by setting a Guaranteed Rate Bowl record with six touchdown passes. The Jayhawks dominated the air with 449 passing yards, nearly doubling the Rebels' total of 291.
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Kansas wide receivers Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm were equally explosive, each securing three touchdown receptions, matching the Guaranteed Rate Bowl record and establishing a new school record. Arnold accumulated 132 yards in six receptions, while Grimm recorded his three scores on just four catches. In the first half alone, Grimm totaled 117 of his 160 receiving yards, as Kansas opened a 28-10 lead.
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The Rebels (9-5) initiated the game's scoring with Vincent Davis' 3-yard rushing touchdown on their first possession to cap a 65-yard drive. Kansas responded late in the first quarter, with Grimm catching a 6-yard toss from Bean to tie the score at 7-7. Bean and Grimm continued their connection, with a 60-yard pass to give Kansas the lead and set the tone for three Jayhawk touchdowns in the second quarter. Bean found Arnold for a 15-yard score, expanding the Jayhawks' lead to 21-7, and running back Devin Neal contributed with a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
"The nice thing is being able to get the ball at different times to different playmakers," Leipold said. "The nice thing is the part of our offense that gives these guys an opportunity. When you have this many guys, we don't know sometimes which night which guy is going to get the opportunity, but they all have the capability."
As the first half concluded, Jose Pizano, the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, kicked a 40-yard field goal, to stop a stretch of 28 straight Kansas points and left the score at 28-10.
UNLV launched a fierce comeback in the second half, scoring consecutive touchdowns in less than two minutes, closing its deficit to 28-24 by shutting out Kansas in the third quarter. Quarterback Jayden Maiava connected with Shelton Zeon III for a quick 5-yard pass in the end zone, followed by a 37-yard pass to Ricky White III. White, an All-Conference First Team pick, is the nation's second leader in receiving yards, with 1,483 yards, and eight touchdown receptions.
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The bulk of the game's points unfolded in the fourth quarter, with 33 combined points between the two teams. Arnold added two more touchdowns from 40 and 56 yards out, Grimm scored once more, and two-time All-American Jacob De Jesus rushed for a score. Although Maiava found Senika McKie in the end zone from 50 yards for the game's final touchdown with 6:27 remaining, it wasn't enough to surpass Kansas.
"Credit to Kansas, Coach [Lance] Leipold. They've got a good football team and made tremendous plays tonight to win the game. We didn't play well enough, really defensively. Giving up big plays has been an Achilles heel for us all year, and it was again tonight. They made the plays and we didn't. So, credit to them," said UNLV Head Coach and Mountain West Coach of the Year Barry Odom.
Bean, in his final game with the Jayhawks after six collegiate seasons in all, completed 19-of-28 passes for 449 yards. His six touchdown passes tied a Kansas school record in addition to setting a Guaranteed Rate Bowl mark.
Kenny Logan Jr., the Defensive Player of the Game, led the Jayhawks' defensive efforts with nine total tackles – eight solo – and one pass breakup.
