LAWRENCE — About to embark on the most ambitious renovation project in athletic department history, the Kansas football team dug one hole too deep Saturday.
On the heels of KU’s announced $350 million, five-year campaign focused primarily on giving Memorial Stadium a facelift, the Jayhawks fell into a 25-point deficit against West Virginia, clawed back to make it a one-score affair midway through the fourth quarter, then unraveled again in an eventual 56-34 home defeat.
KU, which came in as an 21½-point underdog, stumbled out of the gate with another dire first half. However, unlike the previous two weeks — which resulted in a pair of double-digit defeats to Mid-American Conference foes — the Jayhawks showed resolve, scoring 17 unanswered points and cutting the deficit to one score midway through the fourth quarter.