Marshall, who beat out Cole Ballard for the starting job after Jalon Daniels left for the NFL, finished with 246 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in his first start. Buffalo transfer Nik McMillan was his top target, hauling in 6 catches for 130 yards and a score, and Tate Nagy added a second-half touchdown off a deflected pass. Running back Yasin Willis made a strong first impression in his Kansas debut, punching in 2 touchdowns on 72 yards on the ground. The night also marked the return of Andy Kotelnicki as associate head coach, back in Lawrence after stints away from the program.
Long Island had no answer once Kansas's skill talent got rolling. The Sharks dropped to 0-2 on the young season, having opened with a 21-42 loss to North Dakota, and their offense managed just 111 passing yards from quarterback Luca Stanzani against a Big 12 roster with a clear talent gap. A game played in 98-degree heat under sunny skies in Lawrence only added to the lopsided feel of the afternoon.
For Kansas, the final score matters less than the tune-up value — a clean look at a new starting quarterback and a debuting running back before the schedule gets real. For Long Island, it's back to the drawing board against an FCS slate that still awaits, with two lopsided losses to open the year.