Kansas kicked off its 2025 run like a team on a mission, steamrolling Fresno State 31-7 in a statement opener. But while Jayhawk fans were celebrating, the other sideline told a brutal story: Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s daughter fought back tears as her brother, Elijah Warner, endured a nightmare debut. From preseason hype to a humbling reality, Fresno State’s new QB couldn’t buy a rhythm—and Kansas made sure of it.

On August 23, Jada Jo Warner came ready for a proud sister moment, not a heartbreak headline. The daughter of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner was riding high Saturday night, firing up Instagram stories and posts during Fresno State’s season opener like any hyped sibling would. “I think my family is just used to it because several of my family members have been college athletes,” she posted, “but the fact I get to watch my little brother on TELEVISION every week will never not be SO cool to me!!!!!”

She even dropped a big-sis shoutout—“go lil broooooo”—complete with emojis. Honestly, it was pure love. And it’s not just Jada Jo. The whole Warner clan has been here before, living and breathing sports from every angle. Their dad, Kurt, knows the grind better than anybody — the Hall of Famer built his career out of grocery store aisles and Arena Football, and he’s never shied away from saying EJ’s “a lot better” than he was at that age. But even a legend’s son doesn’t get shortcuts.

And in the first quarter, it looked like the Warner family might get the fairytale start. EJ came out slinging like a QB who had zero nerves, opening 5-for-5 for 81 yards. Kansas’ defense? He made them look shook early, carving up the secondary and giving Bulldogs fans something to believe in.

Then… reality hit like a blindside blitz. The hot start iced over fast. EJ finished 18-of-29 for 179 yards—a solid completion rate, sure—but two ugly picks and a lost fumble flipped the whole script. Every time Fresno State needed him to punch back, disaster struck. Those turnovers? Straight-up killers, handing Kansas short fields they didn’t waste.

And speaking of Kansas, man, they showed out. Opening their $450 million David Booth Memorial Stadium in style, the Jayhawks smacked Fresno State 31-7 in front of 41,000 loud ones. So while Jada Jo was fighting back happy tears at kickoff, by the final whistle, those emotions had flipped. EJ’s Fresno State debut wasn’t a highlight reel—it was a hard lesson. Next week, the Bulldogs host Georgia Southern, and Warner better shake this off quick. Because the internet? It’s already ruthless.

Welcome to Fresno State, EJ. And sorry, sis—college football doesn’t do Hollywood endings on demand.

Where did it go wrong for EJ Warner and the Fresno State Bulldogs?

Fresno State rolled into Lawrence thinking they might crash Kansas’ stadium party, and for a minute, it looked like they just might. E.J. Warner came out cooking for a second. Folks were buzzing like, “Okay, Fresno’s here to play.” But that was about the peak of the night. Once KU settled in, the Jayhawks’ defense started clamping down, and Warner’s hot hand cooled quickly.

The turnovers hit like body blows. Warner still put up 179 yards, but the two interceptions and one costly fumble flipped the whole game. Kansas didn’t just take those gifts—they cashed ‘em in. Jalon Daniels was ice-cold under pressure, going 18-for-20 with 3 touchdowns, slicing up Fresno State’s secondary every time his offense got a short field. By halftime, it was 24–7 Kansas, and the Bulldogs were staring at a hole they couldn’t climb out of.

And man, the ground game? Straight-up non-existent. Fresno State managed only 37 rushing yards on 29 carries, which is just brutal. The offensive line looked like it was stuck in mud while Kansas racked up 10 tackles for loss and kept Warner scrambling for his life. With no run game to balance things, the Bulldogs were basically asking Warner to do it all against a defense that smelled blood. Fresno State finished with only 216 total yards and 13 first downs, getting bullied up front the whole way.

By the time the fourth quarter hit, it was over. Kansas owned the tempo, dominated time of possession, and had Fresno State chasing shadows. What went wrong? Pretty much everything after that first quarter. The turnovers piled up, the run game was nowhere to be found, and KU just out-muscled them in every phase. Fresno State showed a spark early, but once the Jayhawks punched back, the Bulldogs never recovered.

For the outside world, it was just another college game. For the Warners, it was the messy, beautiful collision of family and football. EJ’s debut didn’t end in glory, but his family’s reaction told the real story: win or lose, the kid’s still their hero.