4B
KANSAS 35, IOWA STATE 33
FOOTBALL REWIND
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2008
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Junior running back Jake Sharp runs a gauntlet of Iowa State University defensive players during Saturday's game in Ames.
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
resulted in a touchdown pass from Reeing to Kerry Meier that gave the Jayhawks their first lead of the game at 21-20.
"I had no thought in my mind about kicking a field goal there and I don't think Coach did either," said Meier, who had seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. "We were moving the ball all right and had some confidence."
Kansas appeared ready to add to their lead on the Jayhawks' next drive, but Reesing fumbled the ball on the Iowa State 11 yard line. A few plays later, Kansas added to the lead anyway — on defense.
As IowaStatequarterback Austen Arnaud waited for the offense to set up a screen play, reserve defensive end Maxwell Onyegbule snuffed it out, intercepting Arnaud's pass and returning it to the six yard line. A touchdown pass from Reesing to
Meier made it 35-26, but an Iowa State score cut the Jayhawk lead to two at 35-33 with just over a minute to go.
In possibly the only negative of the second half for Kansas, Iowa State recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving them a chance to win the game in the final seconds. Needing just 30 yards to get into field goal range, Arnaud threw four straight incomplete passes to seal the comeback for Kansas.
"To come here for our first Big 12 road game and to get a win and to do it in the way we had to come back, it's definitely encouraging for us." Reesing said. "It's going to give us some motivation and some fire to go out there and practice for the next game."
— Edited by Rachel Burchfield
Sophomore defensive end Jake Laptad wraps up ISU sophomore quarterback Austen Arnaud during Saturday's game in Ames. The Jayhawks rebounded from a 20-0 halftime deficit to heat the Cyclones 3.
Sophomore cornerback Chris Harris and ISU wide receiver Darius Darks watch the ball bounce away after Harris tackled Darks midfield during Saturday's game in Ameri-
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
FOOTBALL
Jayhawks come back after a scoreless first half against the Iowa State Cyclones
BY TAYLOR BERN
tbern@kansan.com
With a 20-0 lead in his back pocket and the end zone in his sights, Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud took a snap three minutes before halftime. The sophomore charged up the middle after faking a hand-off.
Kansas senior linebacker Joe Mortensen sprinted to the line of scrimmage and ripped the ball from Arnaud's clutches. Mortensen then recovered the fumble to secure the Jayhawks' first turnover and complete one of the only first half plays in which something went right for Kansas.
In the first 30 minutes Kansas had four pints and turned the ball over three times.
Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson scored the first touchdown on a 16-yard scamper and Arnaud hit Marquis Hamilton on an eight-yard strike for the second score. The Cyclones had a lot of fun early in Ames.
While Kansas was falling all over itself, Iowa State was busy gliding up-and-down the field.
"I loved it," senior wide receiver R.J. Sumrall said. "I had a smile on my face the whole entire time."
Still, coach Gene Chizik wasn't comfortable with a 20-point half-time cushion. Especially since his squad had the ball down to Kansas' 13-yard line before Arnaud's fumble.
"I never felt the lead was safe," Zichik said. "Not against them."
They're too good on offense."
Added Arnaud, "There's no way the Orange Bowl Champions are going to roll over and give it to us. We've got to go take it and we didn't do that."
Sure enough, the Jayhawks flipped a magical switch in the locker room and ran roughshod over the Cyclones in the third quarter, scoring 21 points with the ease of a greased axel.
Kansas opened up a 28-20 lead on a drive set-up by an Arnaud interception on a dump-off pass. Jayhawk defensive end Maxwell Onyegbule stepped in front of Arnaud's screen pass and rumbled down to the six-yard line.
Arnaud's okie-doke froze cornerback Kendrick Harper and he connected with Sumrall for a 22-yard strike to bring the score to 28-26. However, the two-point conversion attempt failed and coach Mark Mangino's squad responded with another touchdown.
"We run it in practice and it wasn't a look that we've ever seen and he just cut up field," Arnaud said. "He made a great play."
Showing great poise, Arnaud responded in kind, driving 55 yards and throwing his third touchdown pass of the game and the second one to Hamilton.
Backed into a corner, the youthful Cyclones came out firing.
On the ensuing onside kick, Grant Mahoney perfectly placed the ball high in the air 10 yards downfield, where freshman Sedrick Johnson snagged it for a last ditch
The drive started ominously with two dropped passes and one deflection. On third down he threw a perfect strike to Sumrall, who couldn't hang on.
"I dropped the slant, and it hurt," Sumrall said. "It could have been a first down, or real close, and we wouldn't have to run a deep route."
"Everybody's anticipating a score," Arnaud said. "They look in my eyes and they look at every one around. We're confident we're going to go score."
effort.
That deep route was also a pass to Sumrall, who gained a step and a half on Harper. But the throw sailed just beyond his reach and Sumrall was only able to get a couple of fingertips on it while diving hopelessly.
Arnaud and the offense took over at their own 41-yard line with 1:13 to move the ball into field goal range.
Losses like that can destroy a team, but Arnaud gave his young team some post-game perspective beyond his years.
"The last series there was pretty abyssal." Chizik said.
The Cyclones upset bid fell short at 35-33. Two weeks ago they lost 34-31 in overtime at UNLV.
"You wonder what if we did this, what if we did that," Arnaud said. "The bottom line is we didn't do those things so there's no ifs and or buts about it. We didn't take care of business today."
9
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
—Edited by Ramsey Cox
Sophomore Dezmond Briscoe strugdles through the ISU defensive line during Saturday's 35-33 victory in Ames
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