Box Score Kansas had little trouble depositing West Virginia 41-10 tonight at David Booth/Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

It was the Big 12 opener for both teams.

The Mountaineers (2-2, 0-1), coming off an emotional come-from-behind victory over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl last Saturday, were at a disadvantage tonight facing a well-rested Jayhawk team that had two weeks of preparation following their 42-31 loss at Missouri back on Sept. 6. 

And it showed.

Jalon Daniels threw touchdown passes of 41, 39 and 7 yards, and added 69 yards on the ground in Kansas' most lopsided victory ever over the Mountaineers. It was Daniels' second triumph against West Virginia in a collegiate career that has spanned the entire decade.

His other win came in Morgantown in overtime in 2022.

Iowa transfer Leshon Williams contributed 129 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries for Kansas, which improves to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 play.

Nicco Marchiol completed 15 of 27 passes for 126 yards and an interception before giving way to backup Jaylen Henderson on WVU's final possession of the third quarter.

The Texas A&M transfer came in and led West Virginia to its lone touchdown. Henderson marched the team 95 yards, getting 77 of it himself on the ground, including the final 13 to tally his first touchdown as a Mountaineer.

Redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins got an opportunity to run the offense in the fourth quarter and picked up 36 yards on five carries with lots of backups in the game.

Kansas outgained West Virginia 388 to 324, but a good portion of the Mountaineers' yardage came when the outcome was already decided.

After stopping West Virginia on the game's opening possession, it took Kansas just 1:27 to get into the end zone. Daniels completed a fourth-and-1 pass to a wide-open Levi Wentz, who turned it into a 41-yard touchdown.

Daniels' other first-half scoring toss came with 2:11 left in the second quarter when he hooked up with Williams out of the backfield for a 39-yard touchdown.  

Laith Marjan kicked field goals of 42 and 44 yards, the second coming on the final play of the half.

The Mountaineers' lone score of the first half happened with 3:43 left in the second quarter when Kade Hensley kicked a 26-yard field goal, culminating a nine-play, 49-yard drive.

Marchiol passes of 18 yards to Jeff Weimer and 13 yards to Ryan Ward were the key plays on the march.

In a replay of the Ohio University game in Athens on Sept. 6, the West Virginia ground game struggled mightily, particularly on first down. Of its first six possessions, the best first-down run was Marchiol's 5-yard scramble on the game's first play.

West Virginia's first five possessions netted just 36 yards, and the outcome was essentially determined by halftime when Kansas scored 10 points in a span of 3:43.

Emmanuel Henderson Jr. removed any doubts about the game's outcome when he took the opening kickoff of the second half 94 yards for a touchdown. 

His score made it 27-3, Jayhawks.

Following another empty Mountaineer possession, Kansas tacked on seven more when Daniels flipped a 7-yard touchdown pass to Boden Groen, capping a 12-play, 69-yard march.

Marjan's conversion kick made it 34-3.

Linebacker Trey Lathan got one on his former team when he picked off Marchiol's pass at the 46 and returned it 32 yards to the Mountaineer 14, but West Virginia managed to turn away Kansas without any points. The Jayhawks opted to go for it on fourth and 1 at the 5, and Asani Redwood stuffed Williams at the line of scrimmage for no gain.

Williams had a response two possessions later when he broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run, making five tacklers miss along the way.

West Virginia returns to Milan Puskar Stadium to face Utah next Saturday in a game that will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on FOX.

Kansas remains in Lawrence to face Cincinnati next Saturday.