Kansas football’s season ended on Friday with a 31-21 senior day loss to No. 13 Utah. The Jayhawks didn’t end the season with excuses; instead, accountability from the leaders. A heartbroken quarterback who's given his all to the program and a head coach who knows he needs to be better, the program's leaders took accountability. 

Long-time Jayhawk and sixth-year senior quarterback Jalon Daniels couldn’t hide how much the loss to Utah stung. The senior quarterback threw three interceptions, including a critical pick-six in the fourth quarter that flipped the game. Afterward, he said exactly what he felt. 

“I’m heartbroken,” Daniels said. “When my stats are the reason why we’re losing, that leaves me heartbroken, especially when that’s the game we need to become bowl eligible.”

Kansas finished 5-7, just short of a bowl game for the second straight season. Head coach Lance Leipold didn’t shy away from accountability after the crushing loss. 

“I’ve fallen short of expectations as the head coach, and I have to be better,” Leipold said. “We’ve underachieved by most people’s standards.”

Leipold pointed to missed opportunities, red-zone struggles and turnovers as the recurring issues that separated Kansas from a bowl berth. He also said the margins in college football are thinner than ever and the Jayhawks didn’t handle them well enough.

“As a team, we didn't play well enough to win the football game,” Leipold said. “I thought we had some outstanding efforts. A lot of times, after you've struggled a little bit as we have down the stretch, you want to make sure guys come out and strain and play hard. I thought we did that.”

Now, Kansas football graduates 33 seniors and enters a crucial offseason for the program. Despite the disappointment, both Daniels and Leipold took accountability and the Jayhawks will enter the offseason with questions to answer. The next few months, from roster decisions to development to the portal, will determine whether Kansas can turn accountability into progress.