4C
FOOTBALL IN REVIEW
THE UNIVERSITY OF HAIRY KANSAN
KANSAS 45, TOLEDO 13
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2007
Jayhawks aerial attack downs Rockets
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
On Saturday, junior Agib Talib was the high flyer. After a first-down passing play from the Kansas 42-yard line fell apart, sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing rolled out to his right with a defender in hot pursuit. At the last possible moment, Reesing found Talib standing wide open at the 25-yard
The first time a Kansas wide receiver dove into the end zone this season, sophomore Raimond Pendleton's aerial act raised the ir of Kansas' coach Mark Mangino. This time Mangino didn't have much to vell about.
line. Once Talib secured the ball, he raced toward the right corner of the field and launched into the end zone from just beyond the 5-yard line. But Talib's touch-down leap owed more to neces
Kansas senior wide receiver Marcus Henry runs away from a toledo defender during the 45-13 victory. Henry was one of quarterback Todd Reesing's many targets as Reesing through for 255 yards and four touchdowns against the Rockets.
Talib's touchdown reception gave the Jayhawks a 10-0 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter and helped spark the 45-13 Kansas victory.
sity than celebration, and he earned praise from his coach.
The Kansas offense did not need
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
receiver Marcus Henry dropped a near-touchdown pass in the first quarter, forcing Kansas to settle for a field goal with 6:01 to play in the first quarter. Several more drops by Kansas wide receivers kept the offense from putting many points on the scoreboard early, despite the lavahwaks' 373 first-half yards.
"It really shows a little bit about our team that we didn't start off strong and we were a little inconsistent in the beginning, but we were able to bounce back," Reesing said. "We made some big plays, guys stepped up, and I think we started the second half a little better and started clicking on offense."
"Aqib made a lot of plays, and when he gets the ball in his hands, he's a playmaker," Mangino said. "He's a guy that in practice makes plays and then brings it out here to the game field. He's an exciting player and a very, very talented young man."
Talib's touchdown reception gave the Jayhawks a 10-0 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter and helped spark the 45-13 Kansas victory. The Toledo Rockets, who faced a 17-point deficit at halftime, failed to crawl any closer and fell to 0-3 on the season. The win kept the Jayhawks undefeated in 2007 at 3-0.
Though Kansas enjoyed a healthy lead from the start of the second quarter, the Jayhawks got off to a slow start for the second consecutive game. Senior wide
to strike quickly because of the stinginess the jayhawk defense showed by allowing only 77 passing yards, the fewest the team has allowed in a single game since 2004. The
Rockets did not score until the final two minutes of the first half, and their lone first-half touchdown was the result of a turnover deep in Kansas territory.
Pendleton misplayed a punt at the 21 yard line, and Toledo linebacker Terrell Willis recovered. On the next play, Toledo caught Kansas off guard when wide receiver Nick Moore caught a lateral screen pass, then threw it back to quarterback Aaron Opelt for a 21-yard touchdown. The role-reversal trick brought Toledo within 10 points, but the Jayhawks answered quickly with a five-play, 60-yard drive that finished with a Reesing touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Dezmion Briscoe.
Once Kansas had a substantial lead, the Rockets never threatened. Kansas forced three turnovers on interceptions by Talib, sophomore safety Darrell Stuckey and junior
defensive end John Larson. Larson returned his interception 12 yards to the one-vard line.
"I was pretty excited when I realized I caught the ball, and I figured I should probably go for the end zone," Larson said. "It was pretty frustrating not getting in. I kind of put a move on the guy at the end — I guess I should have just powered my way in."
Fortunately for the Jayhawks, senior running back Brandon McAnderson finished what Larson started, scoring a touchdown just minute later. After McAnderson's touchdown run near the end of the third quarter, Kansas led 38-7. Once the fourth quarter began, the Kansas backups trickled in from the sidelines. The second-string players did not fare poorly against Toledo but did allow the Rockets a touchdown with five seconds remaining in the game. Kansas' game on Saturday was similar to its first two of 2007: the Jayhawks dominated their opponents in almost every statistical category and left little doubt as to which team was superior. But even in such a lopsided affair, Mangino said there was room for improvement.
"It thought early in the game we didn't take care of the ball well, and we had a couple of drops," Mangino said. "But I think we overcame that, and the kids persevered and kept at it."
The touchdown from Reesing to Talib served as a turning point and helped the Jayhawks overcome their early follies. Before Talib's touchdown, Reesing was 4-of-9 with 58 passing yards. After the catch, Reesing picked up his level of play, throwing for 255 yards and three more touchdowns. Talib appeared several more times on offense, reeling in two receptions for 62 total yards. He also stood out at cornerback, recording six tackles in addition to his interception.
"Playing offense is a lot of fun, but it just depends on how the defense is doing." Talib said. "We
weren't on the field a lot tonight so I had a little bit more energy, and coach figured I could play a little more offense."
In addition to Talib's wellrounded performance, Kansas received quality offensive contributions from McAnderson, sophomore running back Jake Sharp and junior wide receiver Dexton Fields. McAnderson scored two
touchdowns and tallied 52 rushing yards. Sharp ran the ball only 13 times but gained 9.8 yards per carry and finished with a career-high 127 yards. Fields caught only two passes but ran one of them 26 yards for a touchdown.
Kansas $ ^{c} $ convincing victory avenged a double-overtime loss at Toledo last season in which the Jayhawks collapsed repeatedly
under pressure from the Rockets. The 2007 Kansas team's positive response to last year's defeat underscored what Mangino said was the Jayhawks' mental edge. That mental edge served Kansas well on Saturday evening.
Aqib Talib's leaping ability didn't hurt either.
Edited by Matt Erickson
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