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Kathy Driskoll/KANSAN
Two teammates celebrate with Running Back Eric Galbreath following a good play during the Jayhawks recent 52-24 win in Oklahoma.
By Dan Gelston Kansan sportswriter
When it comes to football Homecoming games, Kansas coach Glen Mason's memory is about as bad as the Jayhawks overall homecoming record.
"I've been through so many homecoming games, I don't remember them all," Mason, who's entering his ninth homecoming game, said. "It's just another game on the schedule as far as I'm concerned."
Mason though, is in the minority.
When Kansas plays Colorado Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, more than 84 years of homecoming history and memories will be rehashed and new memories will be made.
The Jayhawks homecoming record is 34-44-5, but they have won six straight Homecoming games entering Saturday's game with Colorado. While Mason may be right that it is hard to remember every game, just mentioning the word Homecoming means pleasant remembrances and high expectations for most.
Bob Davis is in his 13th year calling the playby-play for Kansas football for the Jayhawk radio football network.
His two most vivid homecoming memories involve the 1984 and 1992 games against Oklahoma.
"That was quite a memorable game," Davis said of the 1984 game. "Anschutz was brand new at time, and the team was practicing there until right before game time. They showed up just before the game started. It was raining prior to the game, but it cleared up and it turned out to be a pretty good game for the Jayhawks."
Kansas did defeat nationally-ranked Oklahoma 28-11 that day, despite the college debut of a young Sooner quarterback Troy Aikman.
"That was Aikman's first game and when you look at all the success he's had since then, it makes that game stand out even more," he said. "Right years later found Kansas in a similar situation. The Jayhawks defeated the Sooners again in 1992, this time 27-10.
Davis said that game was perhaps the biggest win in a season that saw Kansas go to its first bowl game in 11 years.
"That might have been the greatest 13-yard run in college football history," Davis said. "When they scored, you knew they were going to win and probably go to a bowl. Sure enough, they did. I think that was certainly one of the more memorable Homecoming games."
That was the last time Kansas played Oklahoma in a Homecoming game in Lawrence. The Jayhawks sport a 2-2 lifetime mark against Oklahoma in Homecoming games.
Four games isn't much for an 84-year tradition — a tradition that started in 1912 when Kansas defeated Missouri 12-3 at McCook Field.
Kansas was one of the first schools to have a Homecoming game. The idea started in 1911 at the University of Illinois when a special effort was made to get the alumni back to
attend a football game. The purpose was to increase school spirit and boost ticket sales. It was such a success that the idea quickly spread.
The Jayhawks played Nebraska but lost 9-0 in 1913. But Homecoming went on hiatus after that. War put school spirit on hold but brought national patriotism to the forefront. However, the football team still designated one game as a "Homecoming" game during that span. It ran uninterrupted until 1918 when the game was
1899
Jayhawk homecoming history
12
The Jayhawk's first undefeated season. Under head coach Fielding H. Yost, who left at the end of the season, Kansas defeats Nebraska 36-20, Missouri 34-6, and Drake 29-5.
Kansas finishes its first unde season in the Missouri Vall Conference. Kansas' head at the time, A.R. Kennedy, fir his coaching career 53-9-4 most by any Kansas coach. Mason has tallied 46 wins in his career.
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Homecoming
The Hill October 17,1996