Children’s Mercy Park on Thursday served as a festive venue for the Kansas Jayhawks’ first football game of the 2024 season.
“It felt like home,” fourth-year KU coach Lance Leipold said after the Jayhawks’ 48-3 victory over Lindenwood before a standing room only, sellout crowd of 20,829 fans, including 3,200 KU students; some students took KU-sponsored buses from Lawrence to the contest.
“We’d been here for a practice (on Aug. 2). We had a chance to get a feel for the sound system, the mechanics of coaches,” Leipold added. “The more I think about it, the more the bowl game really helped us, playing in a baseball stadium (2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks). From locker room logistics, walking to get on the field, all those things.”
The Jayhawks had no problem adapting to the grass turf on the soccer field located 27.5 miles from David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. In fact, the players and head coach praised the footing after gaining 530 yards to Lindenwood’s 202.
“The turf was great. It was fine,” Leipold said. “Again we came up here the first week of August. The guys were excited about it. We practice a lot on grass, more than we have ever since I’ve been here. That part was good.”
Luke Grimm, who caught six passes for 111 yards and hauled in a 58-yard strike from Jalon Daniels for a score, said of the surface: “I love the turf here. It’s very firm. Normal grass gives a little bit on the muscles (in legs). You get super tired. This grass is nice, firm. You are a lot faster on it. The venue … everybody is on top of you. Even though it’s 20,000 (capacity) it feels a lot bigger than that.”
Defensive end Dean Miller, who had four tackles, including an early sack for an 8-yard loss, said: “There was great traction out there. It’s hard to come by sometimes. It felt good.”
Cornerback Mello Dotson, who had a pick-six of 33 yards, said he was grateful for all the students who showed up.
“I was surprised at how many came. They played a tremendous role in what happened tonight,” Dotson said. “I want to thank them for making their way out here.”
Daniels, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 148 yards, one TD and one interception in two quarters of play said the fans “came out and made some noise, made it a very exciting environment to play in. I’m proud we were able to come out and make some plays for them.”
Before the game, Daniels, KU’s redshirt-junior QB who played in just three games a year ago because of injury, was able to make the short climb up the first-level stands to visit with his mom.
“She’s on crutches and was unable to come down to see me. I was going to go and talk to my mom because I love her,” Daniels said. “I was able to go up and talk to her, our pregame conversation like we always do.”
The fans were treated to four helicopters flying over the stadium during the national anthem and the lighting up of the end zone videoboard after TDs.
“I thought the atmosphere at the beginning of the game was excellent,” Leipold said. “Great energy. We’ll need them back here in a couple weeks for another one. I appreciate everyone that came out. It was kind of like Travis (Goff, AD) thought. We could fill the place and make it a real nice environment. The electricity to it, the lights after touchdowns.”
KU will return to Children’s Mercy Park for a game against UNLV at 6 p.m. on Sept. 13. KU will also have four home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, all in Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks will next meet Illinois at 6 p.m. a week from Saturday, in Champaign, Illinois.