---
FOOTBALL IN REVIEW
THE UNIVERSITY DARRY GANSAN
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2007
9C
ns in
factory
team
> do:
sitive
media
PHOTO
the end points.
checked lined
Mike
ack is job of
s the than tts. In
eattie
d an
water.
game
yards
constreak
mpts.
alance
g 145
e end
game, in that we the forced g and offense used its
mediias, the big and 10 in as not
It think nothing," man. It's
ee Kieler
KANSAS 45, IOWA STATE 7
Receivers shine at blocking
BY ASHER FUSCO
afusco@kansan.com
All week long, media and fans treated Kansas' matchup against Iowa State as an afterthought during the build-up to next weekend's showdown with Missouri. Saturday afternoon, the layhawks proved they put in plenty of time preparing for the game everyone else overlooked.
The Jayhawks' 45-7 dismantling of Iowa State (3-9, 2-6 Big 12) lifted the team to a school-best 11-0 record and ensured that the team would battle Missouri next weekend with a spot in the Big 12 Championship on the line. The victory, coupled with Oregon's and Oklahoma's losses, pushed the Jayhawks to second in the AP poll, the coaches' poll and the BCS Standings, meaning the team controls its own destiny. If Kansas wins the rest of its games, it will play for the National Championship in New Orleans.
Kansas (11-0, 7-0 Big 12) outplayed Iowa State in every facet of the game as sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing added another brilliant chapter to an already-sparkling season.
Reesing completed 17 of his 18 first-half pass attempts and finished the game 21-of-26 with 253 yards and four touchdowns. Reesing avoided throwing an interception for the sixth consecutive game, stretching his interception-less streak to 205 pass attempts.
"It it was bad," Reesing said. "Things were clicking well, and we were moving the ball. I think we had four consecutive scoring drives, so it was good to get things rolling like that in the first half."
After struggling through a three- and-out on its first possession, the KU offense picked up the pace on its next drive. Senior running back Brandon
mcAnderson covered 25 yards on three carries and Reesing completed all four of his passes as Kansas marched 82 yards, scoring on a 17-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Dexton Fields.
Freshman wide receiver, Eric Tyler, left, and junior linebacker Joe Mortensen, far right, try to stop an Iowa State player, center. The Jayhawks defeated Iowa State 45-7, extending their record to 11-0 for the season.
The lahayhaw's first score looked simple enough. Fields caught the ball near the line of scrimmage and jogged 17 vards down the sideline and into the end zone. But Fields would have been stopped short if not for a sensational block by freshman wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe. As fields reed in the pass and headed for the goal line, Briscoe tucked his hands under Iowa State cornerback Chris Singleton's shoulder pads and drove the smaller defender out of Fields' path.
Briscoe's outstanding block was one of many the Kansas wide receivers provided Saturday afternoon. On several occasions, Fields returned the favor by bulldozing Iowa State cornerbacks and safeties to clear the way for teammates. The Jayhawks' wide receivers' ability to contain Cyclone defenders downfield helped the team pick up 212 rushing yards.
"Our receivers have been doing an excellent job blocking." McAnderson said. "It's not about one man just outrunning everybody — definitely not with me — so our wide-outs have to get on their blocks, cover their man and get them out of the way."
The Kansas offense fired on all cylinders for the entire first half. After Iowa State punted on its second possession, the Jayhawks put together an 80-yard drive that ticked just more than two minutes off the game clock. Reesing connected with Fields three times on the possession, including on a 16-yard touchdown pass that gave Kansas a 14-10 lead with 1:57 remaining in the first quarter.
After senior safety Sadiq Muhammed intercepted a pass from Iowa State quarterback Austin Arnaud, Reesing calmly led the offense on another long scoring drive. McAnderson and sophomore running back lake Sharp also helped the cause, combining for 19 yards on four carries and providing just enough of a threat to keep the Iowa State defense guessing.
“it's real easy to find guys open in the pass game when the defense is worried about the running game,” Reesing said. “To have Jake and Brandon back there running well and the offensive line creating holes definitely alleviates my job in the passing game. Having that balanced attack is something we've relied on all season and something that works pretty well.”
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
By the middle of the second quarter, Kansas was cruising. The defense had allowed just 42 total yards in the first quarter and had already forced one turnover. When Iowa State engineered a 79-yard scoring drive, which included 40 yards off Kansas penalties, near the end of the second quarter, it would be the last score yielded by the Kansas defense. After the touchdown run, Iowa State had eight more chances to score. Six of those drives ended with punts, one with a turnover on downs and one with the game's finish.
The Kansas secondary was missing usual starters Kendrick Harper, junior cornerback, and Patrick Resby, junior cornerback, because of injuries. But freshman cornerback Chris Harris and sophomore safety Justin Thornton filled in without missing a beat. Harris made a team-high 11 tackles, and Thornton contributed three. The entire pass defense stood strong Saturday afternoon, giving up only 182 passing yards and holding the Cyclones to 4.2 yards per pass attempt.
The run defense also lived up to its reputation as one of the nation's finest. Senior defensive tackle James McClinton stuffed the Iowa State run game at the line of scrimmage, allowing junior linebackers Mike Rivera and Joe Mortenzen to roam in the back-field. Rivera and Mortensen combined to make 12 tackles and three tackles-for-loss. Iowa State gained just 52 yards on the ground and averaged two yards per carry.
“It's impressive how gap-sound we can be sometimes,” junior defensive end John Larson said. “It’s really a great deal when you force a team to throw the ball and you know what they're going to do. You can really turn up the
By the end of the third quarter, the outcome of the game was no longer in question. Trailing 31-7, Iowa State had not shown any life since its scoring drive in the middle of the second quarter. The Jayhawks used the fourth quarter to run out the clock and put their less-experienced players on the field. Sophomore running back Angus Quigley picked up 43 rushing yards and scored his second touchdown of the season, and freshman wide receiver Johnathan Wilson caught a 36-yard pass. Sophomore quarterback Kerry Meier relieved Reesing in the final quarter, by which time the Jayhawks' starter had provided plenty of support
heat on the passer."
for his Heisman Trophy candidacy.
"He had another great night out," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "He had good protection, and the receivers and tight ends ran good routes that gave him a chance to find holes in the coverage."
Kansas did what it was supposed to do on Saturday afternoon — roll over a helpless Iowa State squad. In the process, the layhawks did what no Kansas team ever has — win 11 games. All season long, Mangino has touted the teams' "one game at a time" approach. Turns out there might just be something to that mindset.
- Edited by Matt Erickson
MISSOURI 36, KANSAS 28
Perfect regular-season record comes to an end at Arrowhead
BY ASHER FUSCO
afusco@kansan.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeff Wheeler came close. The sophomore defensive end's outstretched fingers came within inches of the football as it left Chase Daniels' hand. But the ball spiraled past Wheeler and into the grasp of a Missouri receiver during the middle of the third quarter.
The completion was just one of 40 by the Missouri quarterback, the resulting first down just one of 29. But it underlined the recurring theme in Kansas' 36-28 loss to Missouri: the jayhawks falling just short of making crucial plays.
"We had chances to execute, but that's the way the game went," sophomore wide receiver Kerry Meier said. "Hats off to Missouri because they played very well — well enough to beat us."
Missouri was the first team all season to play well enough to beat Kansas, which dropped to No. 7 in The Associated Press poll. No. 5 in the coaches' poll and No. 5 in the BCS standings. The Jayhawks arrived at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon undefeated and very close to the top of the BCS stands. Kansas left the stadium that night a one-loss team out of contention for the Big 12 Championship, out of the national championship picture and possibly out of a BCS bowl bid.
Early on, it was the Tigers who came up just short, as a trick play backfired in the Jayhawks' favor. After freshman wide receiver Jeremy
Maclin returned a punt 43 yards to the Kansas 32-yard line, the Tiger offense stalled and advanced only 10 yards on their next four plays. But Missouri opted for something more adventurous than a field goal. After holder Tommy Saunders received the long snap, he stood up and fired a pass to wide receiver Will Franklin on the left sideline. Franklin burst downfield but came up several yards short of the first down marker, giving Kansas the ball and the momentum midway through the first quarter.
Jayhawks fall short against Tigers
But Kansas could not take advantage of its good fortune and punted the ball away six plays later. When Missouri took control of the ball with 4:28 left in the first quarter, it unleashed its offensive weapons. Running back Tony Temple broke free for runs of 12 and 23 yards, and Daniel completed a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Danario Alexander for a second-and-long conversion. Saunders fumbled the ball inside the Kansas 5-yard line, but Missouri tight end Martin Rucker recovered the ball and scored on a oneyard pass three plays later. The Tigers' first scoring drive showcased its array of offensive options. Daniel completed passes to five different receivers, and four players ran the ball.
"That is the most talented offensive team we've played this year, without a doubt," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "They are just really talented — they've got playmakers all over the place and a good offensive line. That is a very, very good offensive football team. There's no question about it."
was one example of Kansas coming within inches of making a key play. Leading 7-0 early in the second quarter, Missouri faced third-and-goal at the Kansas 11-yard line. The Jayhawks pressured Daniel and forced him into a quick retreat to the 30-yard line. Just when Kansas junior defensive end John Larson got within striking distance of the Missouri quarterback, a blocker cut him down. After what seemed like an eternity of desperately scrambling, Daniel found Alexander cutting across the field at the 5-yard line. Alexander reeled in the pass and dove into the end zone, giving Missouri a comfortable 14-0 lead.
Daniels' second touchdown pass
"We did an all right job slowing them down at times," sophomore safety Justin Thornton said. "We felt like we could get stops and turnovers, but we didn't come up with any tonight and that hurt us. We weren't able to make the big stops on the third down when we needed them."
Scott Webb twice could have helped Kansas cut into Missouri's 14-0 lead in the second quarter. The senior kicker's first kick, a 33-yard attempt, bounced off of the right upright to the delight of the Missouri faithful seated behind the end zone. Less than five minutes later, Webb 45-yard attempt sailed wide of the left goalpost. The kicks missed their intended target by a just few inches, but they cost the Jayhawks six points and needed momentum.
"It's tough on our kicker and the
snapper and the holder because it's tough to kick a cold ball," Meier said. "We missed those field goals, but we had a lot of other opportunities to execute that we didn't capitalize on. We just needed to execute a couple more plays to get us over the hump, but that's the wav the ball game went."
In the second half, the Tigers extended their lead by capitalizing on lajahawk errors. Kansas was efficiently marching down the field on its first drive of the second half before Reesing barely missed senior wide receiver Marcus Henry on a throw over the middle. The pass tipped off of Henry's left hand and into the hands of Missouri cornerback Castine Bridges. Bridges returned the interception 49 yards to the Kansas 40-yard line, and Missouri scored its third touchdown seven plays later on running back Jimmy Jackson's one-yard plunge.
The Jayhawks finally found the end zone midway through the third quarter when they engineered a 67-yard drive capped off by senior running back Brandon McAnderson's one-yard touchdown run. Freshman wide receiver Dezmir Briscoe's highlight-worthy catch was the key play of the drive.
The Tigers punched back with a quick 65-yard touchdown drive and stretched their lead back to 21 points. But Kansas did not surrender its undeafed season just yet. Led by Reesing, who scored a touchdown on an impressive fourth-down bootleg run, the Jayhawks spent the fourth quarter climbing back into the game. When Kansas marched 57 yards in just more than a minute to score and pull within 10 points, the Jayhawk fans loudered their cheers.
"This is a tough bunch of guys on this team." Reesing said. "We have a lot of confidence in ourselves, and we knew we would be able to bounce back after the first half. We knew if we fought hard we would have a chance to win at the end of the game."
Briscoe streaked down the middle of the field as Reesing lofted a pass toward the goal line. The ball appeared out of Briscoe's reach, but he leaped to make the catch and fell at the 5-yard线.
Missouri kicker Jeff Wolfert made his second field goal of the game with 3:26 to play, leaving Kansas with little time to come back. Reeing and the Jayhawks responded with a 63-yard touchdown drive that took just 1:23. Reeing looked like his typical gun-slinging self on the crucial drive, finding senior wide receiver Marcus Henry in the back of the end zone for the
Kansas, down by only six points, tried to increase its chance to win with an ensuing onside kick, but Missouri easily recovered, and Kansas needed almost a miracle.
The Kansas defense did its job, holding Missouri to a three-and-out on the ensuing possession. Kansas sent 10 players to try to block the punt and sent Aqib Talib deep to return it. Without any blocking, Talib tried to shake away defenders but was quickly tackled.
touchdown.
Left with only 17 seconds to cover 89 yards, the Kansas offense could not muster any heroics. Missouri defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams sacked Reesing in the end zone for a safety, cementing the final score at 36-28.
Kansas came close to a comeback victory on Saturday night, close to a perfect regular season and close to a berth in the Big 12 Championship game. But the small things that Missouri did right and that Kansas did wrong decided the Border Showdown outcome. The Jayhawks 'uncharacteristic mistakes — overthrown passes and barely missed field goals — caught up with them and ended their quest for perfection.
Lasting
Impressions
CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE
Shop..."more fashion for your dollar"
Consign...turn your clothes into cash
Save...everyday at Lasting Impressions
store hours: monday - saturday 10am-6pm
open thursdays until 8pm
consignment hours: monday - saturday 10am-2:30pm
—Edited By Chris Beattie
store hours: monday - saturday 10am-6pm open thursdays until 8pm consignment hours: monday - saturday 10am-2:30pm fine clothing and home decor in the malls shopping center 23rd and louisiana 749-5122
Your Home away from Home
FREE First month's Rent!
- 1 & 2 Bedrooms Available
• Washer/Dryer in each unit
• On KU bus route
• Free Wireless Internet
• Fitness Center
• Tanning Bed
• Gated Community
• Brand New Interior
• Newly Renovated
• Swimming Pool
Campus Court Apartments
1301 W.24th Street
785-842-5111
www.campuscourtku.com