Five takeaways from Utah's 41-24 win over Kansas

The Utah Utes improved to 5-0 Saturday night with a 41-24 win over Kansas, but this one exposed a few things the Utes will need to clean up moving forward.

The offense continued to look elite, putting up 545 total yards, while the defense struggled against the pass for the first time this season.

Here are are the five biggest takeaways.

Outside of a shaky second quarter, Utah's offense was nearly unstoppable. The Utes finished with 287 rushing yards, 258 passing yards, and went a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone.

Devon Dampier had some struggles early, holding onto the ball too long and giving Kansas its first touchdown with a costly fumble. But he made some good adjustments in the second half, getting the ball out quicker and keeping the offense moving.

Kevin McGiven continues to prove himself. This offense can beat teams in so many different ways.

Wayshawn Parker continues to show why he's one of the best running backs in the Big 12.

Parker finished with 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but it was his impact late in the game that really stood out. He was breaking tackles, picking up critical first downs, and putting the offense on his back when Utah needed it most. His 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the dagger.

This game reminded me a lot of the Rose Bowl against Ohio State. Kansas seemed to figure out that Utah was vulnerable through the air and continued attacking it.

Isaiah Marshall threw for 333 yards despite completing just 19 of his 37 attempts. His completions averaged 17.5 yards.

The secondary certainly had its struggles, but I'm not putting all the blame on the defensive backs.

Utah's front four struggled to generate consistent pressure, giving Marshall way too much time to find receivers downfield.

When Utah started bringing more pressure late, Marshall looked noticeably less comfortable.

This is something that needs to improve, especially against better passing teams.

The run defense was elite. Despite the struggles against the pass, Utah's run defense was outstanding.

The Utes held Kansas to just 58 rushing yards on 21 attempts, completely taking away the Jayhawks' ground game.

Kansas had to rely heavily on Marshall's arm to move the ball. Utah continues to be one of the toughest teams in the country to run against.

Ricky Johnson had a really good night.

He finished with five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, including two outstanding catches downfield.

He's becoming another dangerous weapon in an already loaded Utah offense.

And how about Semi Taulanga?

Watching a 330-pound offensive lineman catch a touchdown on fourth down was one of the best moments of the game. An absolutely beautiful play call from McGiven in a critical situation.

Credit to Kansas. Isaiah Marshall and those receivers played a really good game and gave Utah some legitimate problems.

But Utah's offense continues to look like a championship-caliber unit.

The biggest concern moving forward is the pass rush. If the Utes can't consistently generate pressure with their front four, better passing teams are going to find ways to exploit it.

Regardless, Utah is 5-0, and there's a lot to like about where this team is headed.

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