Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels talks about the strides this team has made and can still make after the Jayhawks scored a Big 12 opening win over the BYU Cougars.
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00:00 it doesn't really matter what we do as long as we're on the same page.
00:03 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:08 >> Yeah, no, honestly,
00:09 in that first drive when I threw a dig to Jarrett Casey, I hopped off my first
00:12 progression and didn't even really realize how I was just standing in the pocket.
00:16 And I was like, wow, that was crazy.
00:20 >> In the second half, you had a lot of nice runs.
00:22 Was that a point where the emphasis to come out of the half and
00:24 run a little bit more?
00:25 >> The emphasis to finish the game.
00:28 No matter what the play was called, we came in to have time.
00:33 And we really just said that we need to go out there and
00:35 get a clip, finish the game.
00:36 And we're down right now.
00:38 So at this point, we've been here before.
00:40 We've been down 14-0 before.
00:41 So we're just gonna go out there and play ball.
00:44 >> You have 180 years, going forward on back to back years.
00:48 What goes through your mind when you hear that?
00:51 >> Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier,
00:52 I'm just glad that we're being able to take those steps that we wanted to take.
00:55 I mean, we're a long way from our nine programs.
00:58 We were my freshman year.
00:59 And the fact that my class, the 2020 class, who were freshmen that year,
01:03 are finally able to see the changes that we've made in this program.
01:07 I mean, it means the world to us.
01:09 >> Jalen, second half, Hyshaw, McDuffie have some nice runs.
01:13 We always know about Neil.
01:15 How big is it to have some other guys step up to it?
01:17 >> Yeah, I mean, I've been saying that before the season.
01:19 We have a stable back there now.
01:20 I mean, I feel like whichever one we give the ball,
01:23 they're gonna make a play with the ball in their hands and show tonight.
01:26 >> Less than 200 passing yards, but more than 200 rushing yards.
01:29 Is that kind of how you prefer to play the game?
01:31 >> Honestly, as long as we win the game,
01:33 it doesn't really matter what the statistics are offensively, rushing,
01:36 passing, touchdowns.
01:37 If we're able to have one more point than them and get that win,
01:40 that's all that matters.
01:40 >> Jalen, looking ahead, ABC, big matchup next week against Texas.
01:46 What do you say?
01:47 >> I mean, it's the next game.
01:48 So we're gonna start breaking the downfield on them.
01:51 We're gonna come in with the same mindset to be able to try to go one and
01:54 two, and we're gonna get two.
01:56 >> Thanks, Jalen.
01:58 >> Thank you.
01:59 >> How excited are you to see Kobe's fans?
02:02 I know all your teams are.
02:04 >> Yeah, I mean, Kobe always finds himself around the ball at the right time.
02:10 I mean, when he had that scooping score, I was like, wow.
02:13 That reminds me of the one he had last year.
02:15 So it's just amazing to be able to see a playmaker making plays.
02:19 >> When you see it with just starting off with such a bang like that,
02:22 I mean, how does that get the whole team going?
02:24 >> Yeah, I mean, when stuff like that happens off the rip,
02:27 kinda like it's a game of momentum.
02:30 And that changed the momentum, kinda put the momentum on our side.
02:33 And as offense, we're just like, all right, when we get back on the field,
02:36 we're gonna have to keep on using this progress that the defense has used at
02:39 the beginning of the second half to just keep on going.
02:41 >> Can you just talk about your offense within the red zone?
02:46 All year it's been spectacular, and you've made countless throws over time,
02:49 and between 15 yards per touch, can you just talk about that?
02:52 That's something you've worked on a lot, right?
02:53 >> Absolutely, every day of practice we have a different emphasis on what our
02:56 offense is gonna work on.
02:57 First day of the week, it's usually third down, second day is down, no,
03:01 first day is red zone, second day is down the distance, third day is third down.
03:05 So when we're working these things every single day of the week,
03:09 when it happens in the game, it's kind of like, all right, we've seen this before,
03:12 we've been here before.
03:14 It's hats off to BYU and their defense to being able to make adjustments.
03:18 I mean, they did a lot of stuff that we weren't expecting,
03:20 that we usually seen them do on film.
03:22 And they made a lot of adjustments, but
03:24 thankfully we were able to come out with a win.
03:26 >> So is your game plan going into this game being more mobile and
03:29 moving out the blockers,
03:30 that's something that you said to come up with on the fly?
03:32 >> Whatever it takes to win the game.
03:34 Honestly, I've been saying it doesn't really matter what play is called,
03:38 if we feel like it's the best play call ever,
03:39 we're gonna be able to go out there and be successful with it.
03:41 So at the end of the day, it's in Coach K's hands.
03:44 When the players call it, we're gonna go out there and run it 100%.
03:46 >> Right, and obviously the game just ended, congratulations.
03:48 >> Thank you. >> So is this Texas game,
03:50 is this a game that you circled on your calendar, are you ready for it,
03:52 are you excited for it?
03:53 >> I mean, it's the next game, so absolutely.
03:55 I mean, I'm ready to be able to come in Monday and
03:58 come in with that one and all mentality again.
03:59 I mean, it's the next game of the year and every single week this year,
04:02 we went in with that one and all mentality starting the week.
04:05 So definitely looking forward to being able to get right, get in the film room,
04:09 start breaking down the defense, and start practicing.
04:12 >> Do you feel like the last time you guys were in Austin was when that switch
04:14 kinda flipped on the program and you guys started going?
04:17 >> Yeah, I mean, you can say that, but at the end of the day,
04:19 I feel like it just goes into all the preparation that we put into the program
04:22 during the offseason.
04:24 It happened before Texas, it happened during that offseason where we would say,
04:27 it doesn't really matter how we started, it matters how we finish.
04:29 And when we keep on pushing that mentality,
04:33 I feel like it just keeps on going over.
04:35 >> With the ability you guys have had to win each of these games in completely
04:38 different ways, how does that help you guys as you get ready to prepare for
04:42 a brand new team every week?
04:43 >> Yeah, absolutely, I mean, we've been down 14-0 before.
04:46 So at halftime, we were down by field goal and we were able to say,
04:50 we've been here before, this isn't anything new to us.
04:52 We just have to go out there and finish playing our game.
04:54 As long as we play our brand of football,
04:56 Ken's football, we're gonna be able to be straight.
04:58 >> Awesome, thank you.