'We expected this': Confident Kansas Jayhawks improve to 4-0 with win over Duke Blue Devils

LAWRENCE, Kansas — As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Kansas students poured onto the field to join their triumphant football team Saturday afternoon.

It is hard to act like you've been there before when it has been *this* long since Kansas football has been a winning program.

Behind quarterback Jalon Daniels, Kansas beat Duke 35-27 on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2009.

Daniels put together another outstanding performance, with 407 yards and five touchdowns. His 3-yard touchdown run with 4:42 left in the game ended up being the difference. Afterward, Daniels said though the nation has delighted in watching a «basketball school» gain prominence in football, the early results have come as expected inside the locker room.

«I wouldn't say that I would be surprised,» Daniels said. «I would definitely say that it's good to know that the amount of preparation that we put in, it's good to see that it's paying off.»

To put into perspective just how improbable it is for Kansas to be 4-0 right now, since 2010 Kansas has won no more than three games in any season. The futility has been enough to make Kansas the punchline to many jokes about its football program.

But when Leipold arrived last year, he saw an opportunity. Kansas has had winning seasons in the past, and he knew the Jayhawks could do it again. So he began to shift the culture and mindset in the locker room, holding players to accountability and high standards while instilling the confidence and belief this team could win.

Though Kansas went 2-10 last season, there were signs that this program might be turning a corner. Kansas upset Texas on the road, then ended the season with one-score losses to TCU and West