Kansas football has been the cellar dwellers of Power 5 football for some time, but the Jayhawks made history with a road win over Central Michigan in Week 2.
September 12, 2009 — That was the last time Kansas football won a road game.
On that date the Jayhawks rolled a hapless UTEP squad, racking up 576 yards of total offense on their way to a 34-7 victory. Since then, it’s been nothing but road woes. The 46-game streak is the longest across any level of college football and doesn’t include three neutral site games against Missouri over the almost nine-year span.
That streak, which at this point seems unbreakable, came to an end on Saturday, September 8 when Kansas defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 31-7 at Kelly Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
You might need to read that again.
Kansas defeated Central Michigan.
On the road.
Kansas played well, but wasn’t exactly dominant in their record-breaking win. Quarterback Peyton Bender completed 17-of-26 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown. Running back Pooka Williams led the team on the ground with 125 yards rushing on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
The defense put the game away with four interceptions, including a pick-six by Shakial Taylor which stretched the lead to three touchdowns at the beginning of the fourth quarter. By all accounts, Central Michigan was decidedly awful, a title Kansas happily relinquishes as they celebrate their first road victory of the decade.
The win gives Kansas a 1-1 record; they fell to Nicholls State at home in the opening weekend of the 2018 season. If they can find a way to take down Baylor in two weeks they’ll officially have a road winning streak! Hang on Kansas. Walk before you run. Still, congratulations to head coach David Beaty on the big win.