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KANSAS 35, SOUTHERN MISS 28
Kansas
14 | 7 | 7 | 7 - 35
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 28. 2009
Southern Miss 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 — 28
Jayhawk Stat Leaders
Rushing
Toben Opurum
109 yds
Passing
Todd Reeing 331 yds
Receiving
Kerry Meier
Kansas Passing
| Player | C/ATT | Yards | Avg | TD | Int |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Todd Reesing | 30/41 | 331 | 8.1 | 3 | 1 |
| Totals | 30/41 | 331 | 8.1 | 3 | 1 |
Southern Miss Passing
| Team | C/ATT | Yards | Avg | TD | Int |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 28/42 | 331 | 7.9 | 3 | 1 |
Kansas Rushing
| Player | CAR | Yards | Avg | TD | Lg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Toben Opurum | 28 | 109 | 3.9 | 1 | 11 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 1 | 20 |
| Todd Reesing | 13 | -26 | 18.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Totals | 45 | 102 | 2.3 | 2 | 20 |
Southern Miss Rushing
| Team | CAR | Yards | Avg | TD | LG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 26 | 64 | 2.5 | 1 | 16 |
Kansas Receiving
| Player | REC | Yards | Avg | TD | Lg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Kerry Meier | 10 | 141 | 14.1 | 2 | 62 |
| Bradley McDougald | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 0 | 13 |
| Jonathan Wilson | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 0 | 18 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 4 | 60 | 15 | 0 | 26 |
| Toben Opurum | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 1 | 12 |
| Tim Biere | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Rell Lewis | 1 | -2 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| Totals | 28 | 331 | 12.1 | 3 | 62 |
Southern Miss Receiving
| Team | REC | Yards | Avg | TD | Lg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 28 | 331 | 11.8 | 3 | 49 |
Kansas Kick Returns
| Player | No. | Yards | Avg | TD |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Bradley McDougald | 2 | 64 | 32 | 0 |
| Darrell Stuckey | 1 | 50 | 50 | 0 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 0 |
| Team | 5 | 155 | 31 | 0 |
Southern Miss Kick Returns
| Team | NO | Yards | Avg | Lg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 5 | 137 | 27.4 | 36 |
Kansas Punt Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Daymond Patterson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Southern Miss Punt Returns
| Team | NO | Yards | Avg | Lg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 50 |
Kansas Kicking
| Player | FG | PCT | Long | XP | Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Jacob Branstetter | 0/0 | 0.0 | 5/5 | 5 | 5 |
| Team | 0/0 | 0.0 | 5/5 | 5 | 5 |
Southern Miss Kicking
| Player | FG | PCT | Long | XP | Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Team | 0/0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4/4 | 4 |
Kansas Punting
| Player | TOT | YDS | TB | -20 | LG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Alonso Rojas | 5 | 199 | 0 | 2 | 52 |
| Team | 5 | 199 | 0 | 2 | 52 |
Southern Miss Punting
| Tot | Yards | TB | -20 | LG |
KANSAS FOOT
Opurum turns in solid performance
BY CLARK GOBLE
On third down inside the Southern Miss redzone, senior quarterback Todd Reesing handed to freshman running back Toben Opurum, who bowled ahead for seven yards and a first down.
cgoble@kansan.com
The next play, Opurum fell forward for two yards.
On second down,
he was stopped for no gain. Finally,
after three consecutive carries between the tackles, he cashed in with a two-yard touchdown.
The drive was
also scored on his aforementioned touchdown plunge and a 12-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
"People mistake that about offense, that we get hit all the time. You got to deliver a blow too."
Despite starting at running back for three years at Plano East High School in Texas, Opurum said he thought he had never had as many carries as he did in Kansas' 35-28 victory against Southern Miss.
TOBEN OPURUM Freshman running back
Opurum's day in Kansas' victory against Southern Miss Saturday. He carried 28 times for 109 yards despite a long rush of just 11 yards. He
"It was pretty ridiculous," he said.
After 28 carries, two receptions and a few bone-crushing hits, Opurum admitted he would be a little sore in the morning, but said that he appreciated the fact that the coaches were confident in him.
Follow Kansan writer Clark Gobie at twittercom/cgoble89.
"It shows that they
it shows that they believe in the abilities I have, and I'm going to show up for them like they show up for me every day," Opurum said.
He also showed up a couple of Southern Miss defenders with jarring hits not often seen from a running back.
"People mistake that about offense,
that we get hit all the time." Opurum said.
"You got to deliver a blow too."
The opportunity for Opurum to bruise a few more bodies came only with senior running back Jake Sharp relegated to the bench with an injury. Coach Mark Mangino said the trainer told him that he could use Sharp if needed, but there was "risk" involved.
So Mangino looked to Opurum early and often. He said he thought Opurum did a "marvelous job" despite increased pressure to run well. However, he said that Sharp was the "No. 1 tailback" and there would be no competition at the position.
Reeing said that nothing really changed with only Opurum available in the backfield, but admitted that he and Sharp offered different skill sets: Opurum can bruise in short-yardage situations, but Sharp brings speed on the outside.
"I don't want to do that to jake here in his senior year," Mangino said. "He's meant too much to this program."
"We have two solid backs," Reesing said. "Get the thunder and lightning back again, which we're going to like."
With Jake Sharp set to return for Kansas' game against Iowa State, Reeing said he thought Opurum's experience would only help the team down the road.
Ryan Waggoner/KMSAN Junior cornerback Chris Harris stretches to make a tackle. Harris recorded 15 tackles against Southern Mississippi, a career-high.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Game Notes
KANSAS MOVES UP IN THE POLLS
After its 35-28 victory against Southern Miss., Kansas moved up in the national polls that were released on Sunday.
The Jayhawks moved from 19th to 16th in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and from 20th to 18 in the Associated Press listings. The Jayhawks were also ranked 16th in the first Harris Interactive College Football Poll, which along with the USA Today poll, is part of the BCS formula.
WITH SHARP OUT,
OPURUM STEPS UP
"It was not in Jake's best interest to play today," coach Mark Mangino said. "The trainer told me that if we needed him, we could play him. But he told me there was risk involved. I don't want to do that to Jake in his senior year."
Senior running back Jake Sharp carried the ball just five times last week after suffering an undisclosed injury during practice. With the same injury still bothering him, Sharp dressed but did not play against Southern Miss. on Saturday.
Opurum rushed for 109 yards on 28 carries. He had two total touchdowns. Mangino said Opurum's only slipup occurred in the fourth quarter when he fumbled the ball, but Mangino said it didn't overshadow the freshman's performance.
Freshman running back Toben Opurum, who played as Sharp's backup in the first two games, stepped into Sharp's place.
"A lot of pressure on Toben
today," Mangino said. "We down- played it with him all week. He had to go in there and start as a true freshman. It's difficult duty, and he did a marvelous job."
INCIDENTS NOT A DISTRACTION
After his team's 35-28 victory, Mangino and his players said Kansas wasn't distracted by the incidents between members of the football and basketball teams that dominated headlines in the week leading up to the game.
"They work 12 months a year for just 12 games," Mangino said. "Those 12 games on the schedule are just so precious for those guys. And although there are certainly
"You can't go out and get over 400 yards of offense and 35 points and play stellar defense in the fourth quarter if you're not into it."
REESING IMPRESSED BY SOUTHERN MISS.
things we aren't pleased about, it did not affect us in any way.
The Jayhawks didn't appear to change that thought after the game.
Before the game, senior defensive back Justin Thornton said that coaches told players that Southern Miss, would be a top-three team in the Big 12 North.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they were contending for their conference championship," senior
quarterback Todd Reesing said
Against Southern Miss., Kansas' offense was consistently aided by the play of its special teams, especially the kickoff return unit.
FIELD POSITION BATTLE
Freshman wide receiver Bradley McDougald returned a kickoff 49 yards, and senior safety Darrell Stuckey had a 50-yard return.
"Getting out of your backyard, you don't have as much pressure." McDougald said. "When your offense has such a short field, your offense gets encouraged and people have a little bounce in their step."
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