Jason Bean adds Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory to what’ll be his Kansas football legacy

PHOENIX — Jason Bean is often calm and composed postgame when he sits down to speak with the media.

It could be after a significant win. It could be after a crushing loss. Whatever emotions Bean let out on the field or in the locker room after a game, Kansas football’s redshirt senior quarterback has routinely been that kind of guy.

But Tuesday, following the Jayhawks’ 49-36 win in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against UNLV, there seemed to be an added element. The way Bean reflected on the game, which also represented the last game of his college career, appeared to emulate a feeling that he was at peace with the end of this stage of his life. And it’s one so many associated with Kansas’ program are proud of, because he persevered over the past three seasons to help give the Jayhawks the resurgence they’ve been yearning for.

“These past three years, it’s been a journey,” said Bean, who leaves having helped Kansas to its best season in more than a decade. “There’s been ups and downs and I’ve learned plenty of lessons, good and bad lessons, and I think the credit goes to my teammates and the coaching staff and the support staff and everybody that’s in the building each and every day. I think because of them — they were the reason that I was able to be great and I can’t thank them enough.”

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl itself had no shortage of highlights with Bean on the field. He threw for a Guaranteed Rate Bowl record six touchdowns, on his way to 449 yards through the air. He took chances, time and again, and so often the trust he showed in his teammates was repaid.

Those chances came with mistakes at times, of course. The three interceptions Bean finished with allowed UNLV to stick around longer than the Rebels should have been able to, especially in the third quarter. But Bean and his Kansas teammates didn’t shut down or cannibalize themselves, and half of Bean’s record six touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter.

Barry Odom, UNLV’s head coach, said postgame that his side knew coming in that the Jayhawks featured a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball. During the game, he said they tried a little bit of everything — zone, man, pressure — to slow Kansas down. But the Jayhawks were able to take advantage of the Rebels’ Achilles heel defensively, giving up big plays, with four of Bean’s touchdown passes going for 60, 40, 56 and 43 yards.

“It’s been unique, because with Jalon (Daniels) not being able to play — that in and of itself is a blow and you feel bad for the individual and everything Jalon’s gone through,” Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said. “But you’ve heard me say it many times, probably one of the most improved football players on our team the last two fall camps — it was Jason Bean. So, to see it come together and him have that opportunity? And never once, I’ve said this before, never once did he ever have bad body language and mope around that he didn’t get an opportunity or come in my office and talk about why he doesn’t get a chance or something like that.”

The Jayhawks will look to turn the starting job back to Daniels in 2024, presuming he’s able to get healthy in time. Injuries have hindered Daniels’ availability the past two seasons, and have led Kansas to rely upon Bean at times like the starter he was for them for most of 2021. So, if Leipold’s rebuild leads to the Big 12 Conference title they’re all aiming for Bean won’t be the one making the plays to get them there.

But the Jayhawks wouldn’t have the momentum to get there without Bean, who’ll now turn his attention toward whatever professional opportunities might come his way. Daniels’ injuries in 2022 and 2023 meant Bean was the quarterback who guided Kansas across the finish line to bowl eligibility both years. It’s why Bean, along with Daniels and more, will always be one of the faces of the program’s resurgence.

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Jason Bean adds Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory to Kansas football legacy