8B
MU 42-KU 17
THE UNIVERSITY BABY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006
Ivan McGeeney/KANSAN
Iron Cornish, senior running back, concludes through a hole in the Tiners' defense during Saturday's name at Missouri. With 126 nicking yards in the season end, Cornish became the lashawks' all-time circle-season rushing leader.
Cornish unknowingly sets rushing record calls loss 'most bitter moment' of his life
BY JONATHAN KEALING
COLUMBIA, Mo. — It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
Jon Cornish was supposed to rush his way into the record books in front of a Kansas team headed to back-to-back bowl games and victorious against Missouri for the fourth-straight season.
But instead of that fairy tale ending, Cornish entered the Kansas record book as more of a nightmarish footnote to his team's worst loss of the season. There was no silver lining for Cornish after the game, not even a bittersweet taste of limited success, he said.
No, it was "one of the most bitter moments in my life." Cornish said. So bitter he said he didn't even notice he broken the record during the game. But after the game he guessed the record-breaking moment was during the third quarter.
He was right. The record-breaking run was somewhat anti-climatic, but it did come in the third quarter.
details
1.457
Single-season rushing record, set by Jon Cornish on Saturday
126
Cornish's total rushing yards on Saturday
15
Number of carries Cornish had Saturday, well below his season average
1,442 Previous record, set by Tony Sands in 1991 Jonathan Keellan
Taking a hand-off at the 12- yard line from freshman quarterback Kerry Meier, Cornish slipped sideways and scampered down the hash marks for nine yards and the
record. Cornish got the ball on the next possession, in the closing minutes of the third quarter, but never rushed the ball again during the rest of the game.
"i guess they liked the pass more than the run" in the fourth quarter, a "very frustrated" Cornish said. "Statistics show our rush is effective."
And while being careful to avoid saying anything that would be blatantly outrageous to coach Mark Mangino, Cornish, who essentially disappeared from the 'game plan in the fourth quarter, left the clear impression that he had expected to get the ball more, especially late in the game.
Did he make that point to Mangino? "I can't comment on that," he said.
"The game plan was to dominate with the run and we were doing that for three quarters," Cornish said. Cornish and Meier said the Jayhawks veered from the game plan by practically taking Cornish out of it.
Mangino, who said he didn't even know Cornish had broken the record until alerted by members of the media, said his team couldn't run the ball in the fourth quarter because it had to play catch-up.
There really wasn't a whole lot of catching up to do when the quarter started. The Jayhawks trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter.
Cornish, who carried the ball fifteen times through the first three quarters, had no rushes in the game's final period. He ended the day with 126 yards and a touchdown and has 1,457 yards on the season. That total pushed him past Tony Sands' 1,442 yards, a record set in 1991.
Cornish's best run of the game was a 42-yard touchdown trot in the first quarter. He took an option flip from Meer down the left sideline, dodging a couple Missouri defender to give Kansas its first and only score of the first half.
"He's benefited from playing behind a very solid, veteran offensive line." Mangino said. Cornish said the "offensive line was outstanding."
Both Cornish and Mangino were quick to spread the credit for the successful running attack Kansas had Saturday and all season long.
Senior center David Ochoa, however, declined to take any credit for Cornish's record-setting moment.
"Not right now. Maybe after it's all said and done we'll look back with some pride, but not right now," he said.
For now, Cornish can only wait to find out if there will be an opportunity to add to his record and perhaps do so in leading his teammates to a victory. While they are bowel-eligible, all signs now point to the Jayhawks staying home this December.
If that's the case, Cornish will end his senior season as the single-season record holder, but on a team that went 6-6 and missed the post-season.
Kansan senior staff writer Jonathan Kealing can be contacted at jkealing@kansan.com.
— Edited by Kate Shipley
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
The way the Jayhawks played Saturday, it's easy to see why they won't get a bowl bid.
Kansas' offense was anemic all afternoon. Many of the biggest plays for Kansas happened when Jon Cornish had the ball. On the day, Cornish finished with 126 yards on 15 carries. Those 15 carries were the third lowest number of the season. All came in the first three quarters.
It certainly wasn't hard to run the ball against the Tigers. But curiously enough, Kansas refused to do that in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by only 10 points in the fourth quarter, Mangino decided to put a comeback on the arm of Meter Cornish didn't rush the ball a single time in the fourth quarter.
"I'm healthy." Meier said after the game. "I am 100 percent."
Instead, the pressure was put on freshman quarterback Kerry Meter, who had another less-than-stellar performance. He underthrew numerous receivers and was seen grabbing his right shoulder after several throws. It was the same shoulder Meier has hurt twice this season.
Another curious move was the decision to replace freshman cornerback Anthony Webb. He was listed as the starter, but didn't even finish the first drive of the game. He was replaced by converted wide receiver Dominic Roux, who played the remainder of the game.
After the game, Mangino was tight-lipped about the decision.
"Anthony just had some struggles early on and you could see that Roux made some really fine plays," he said.
Roux did make plays to keep the ball out of the hands of Missouri tight end Chase Coffman. But too often, Coffman was able to escape and make plays. He lost Roux twice in the red zone for two touchdowns.
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel had a career-day against the jayhawks. The sophomore finished a career-best 26-for-38 passing for 356 yards with four touchdowns.
The lone bright spot for Kansas came in the third quarter when Cornish became the single-season rushing record holder. Cornish finished with 1,457 for his career.
The loss, compounded with blown fourth-quarter leads in threestraight conference games, certainly didn't help. But it's that conference schedule that Mangino hopes will put his team in postseason play.
"I'm hopeful like our players are," Mangino said. "I think playing in the Big 12 conference and having played some really tough games this year, this was the only game we were not able to close the gap or fight through the fourth quarter."
Kansan senior sportswriter Ryan Schneider can be contacted at rschneider@kansan.com.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAM
Justin Thornton, freshman defensive back, lunges for the Tigers' Tony Temple during the first half of Saturday's season ender at Missouri. Missouri defeated Kansas 42-17.
from the press box...
IT WAS OVER WHEN...
Edited by Kate Shipley
IT WAS OVER WHEN...
Missouri running back Tony Temple rushed for his first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter Kansas had scored on the previous possession to cut Missouri lead to just three points.
The Tigers regained the momentum with the scoring drive that was aided by an offside penalty against the Jayhawks on fourth down.
STAT OF THE GAME...
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel finished the game with a career-high 356 passing yards. Daniel and his receivers had their way with Kansas' secondary all afternoon. He completed passes to nine different receivers. Daniel also threw four touchdowns. Those passing yards were the fourth most Kansas has given up this season.
GAME TO FORGET...
You have to wonder how healthy quarter Kerry Meier's right shoulder really is. Meier struggled with his accuracy and missed numerous receivers. He finished 8-for-15 passing for just 99 yards, with a touchdown and a fumble. Meier was pulled after that fourth quarter fumble for backup Todd Reesing.
GAME TO FORGET..
GAME BALL GOES TO.
GAME BALL GOES TO...
In what was likely his final game as a Jayhawk, running back Jon Cornish became Kansas' all-time single season rusher. Cornish finished the game with 126 yards on 15 carries.
He averaged 6.4 yards a carry yet didn't carry the ball in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Schneider
football notebook
According to Kansas records, the loss makes the series record 54-52-9. However, Missouri shows the series at 53-53-9. A '1600 game where Kansas used an illegible player is the game in dispute.
Sophomore cornerback Agib Tallb recorded his first career * pass reception, which went for a 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Missouri's victory gave the Tigers three points and an 8.5-to-4.0 lead in the Border Showdown Series.
Missouri had a third quarter touchdown called back after offsetting personal fouls against both teams. The confusion began when referee Drew George called a personal foul penalty on Kansas, not Missouri. That led to
George signaling a touchdown that happened on that play as good. Replay official John Laurie buzzed George and told him that the foal occurred before the Missouri player crossed the goal line meaning that the down must be replayed.
The Jayhawks wore their traditional white uniforms with gray pants. However, the team wore red socks, instead of blue.
As the winner, Missouri was awarded the Marching Band Drum after the game. Tiger players were seen kicking the Jayhawk logo on the drum during a postgame celebration on the field.
Representatives from the Houston and Insight bowls were at the stadium.
Ryan Schneider
Ryan McGeeney/KAISAN
Kerry Meier, freshman quarterback, evades Missouri's Vixie Jackson in the third quarter of Saturday's game against the Tigers. Meier drove the KU offense for most of the season ender.