6A
NU 39 - KU 32 OT
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006
NU quarterback earns redemption
Nebraska 39 Kansas 32 OT September 30, 2006
Nebraska senior Zac Taylor makes up for loss against Kansas last year in Memorial Stadium
BY SHAWN SHROYER
LINCOLN, Neb. — Zac Taylor didn't play his ideal game on Saturday, but he performed better than he did against Kansas last season.
Despite his low completion percentage, Taylor accumulated 395 passing yards, three four touchdowns and had no interceptions.
Taylor, Nebraska's quarterback, may have completed just 45 percent of his passes, but he completed the passes that mattered most and avoided making a big mistake.
"It wasn't my best game," Taylor said. "There were a lot of inconsistencies in my throwing. I missed some throws I shouldn't have."
To put those numbers in a better context, they only need to be compared to his numbers against Kansas
last season. Last year in Lawrence, Taylor completed 14 of 26 passes for 117 yards, and had one touchdown and one interception.
Taylor said he wasn't looking at this game as payback to make up for last season, but it was important to him not to repeat the performance.
On the second play of Saturday's game, Taylor took out some of his frustrations from last season, hitting receiver Terrence Nunn down the Kansas sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. It was the first of three touchdown passes he threw for 75 yards or more.
"It was big," Taylor said. "We try not to think too much about that game last year, but there's a lot of images you can't really get out of your head from last year's loss."
weren't enough to satisfy Taylor, but his plays in the clutch were the difference between winning and losing for Nebraska.
Nebraska converted just three of 12 third downs, but two came via Taylor's arm and the last one put Nebraska in position to tie the game with just more than four minutes left in the game.
The touchdown pass was another one of the 75-yard variety, but this one was to receiver Frantz Hardy.
Kansas junior cornerback Blake Bueltel was covering Hardy on the play, so Taylor and Hardy used their inside knowledge of Bueltel to beat him deep. All three players played together at Butler County Community College.
"Frantz had one-on-one, and it was the play we wanted," Taylor said. "I just threw
it up and let Frantz make the play."
Taylor also came through for the Cornhuskers while standing in the shadows of his own goal post. Nebraska started drives inside its own five-yard line twice in the first half.
Rather than run the ball to make extra room between the line of scrimmage and the end zone, Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell called passing plays. Taylor came through, completing passes for 18 and 36 yards.
As hard as Taylor was on himself for his performance
"We have a lot of confidence in Zac and we have a lot of confidence in our ability to throw the ball," Norvell said. "Some games we'll lean on the pass and we made enough big plays in the passing game tonight to get us over the edge."
Saturday, his completion in overtime put Nebraska in position to win the game.
On the second play of overtime, Taylor hit receiver Nate Swift for a 21-yard pass to advance the ball to the half-yard line. Running back Cody Glenn scored the deciding touchdown on the next play.
Fullback Dane Todd gave Taylor the credit he deserved for leading the Cornhuskers to victory.
"Zac is always on a pretty even keel," Todd said. "He's a great leader for us. He did a great job of keeping us up for this game."
Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@ kansan.com.
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 12A)
Edited by Kate Shipley
That streak-busting victory will have to wait for at least two more years.
Kansas, though, finally showed signs that it was able to hold its own in Lincoln, despite losing its 19th straight game at the Cornhuskers' home.
Turnovers by Kansas offense dug the team into a hole and it was the defense that helped it crawl out.
The Jayhawks' defense forced turnovers — wumps by quarterback Zac Taylor and running back Cody Glenn — on the Cornhuskers' first two drives on the second half.
"That was huge," sophomore linebacker Joe Mortensen said. "We just tried to give our offense
chances."
After the first turnover, a fumble by Taylor, Kansas turned it into a touchdown on its first play. Barmann pitched the ball to senior running back Jon Cornish at the 'Huskers' eight yard line. Cornish took the ball, made a cut around the right side of the offensive line and strolled into the end zone for the eight-yard score.
Kansas scored again two possessions later, on the back of Cornish, who touched the ball on nearly half the plays of the drive that gave Kansas a one point lead.
From there Kansas and Nebraska each scored again to send the game
into overtime. It was the second straight overtime game this season where Kansas has failed to score.
The Jayhawks entered the game as nearly 25 point underdogs, yet had a chance to win on the final play.
"I'm looking at the big picture." Mangino said. "There were times when KU came up here and the Nebraska players were tailgating by halftime. It's disappointing, but we're improving."
FOOTBALL NOTES:
Meier update
Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier didn't play for the second straight game after suffering an injury
to his right arm two weeks ago against Toledo.
Meier came out and warmed up with the team, but did not play. Mangino said that Meier was not available to play.
"It's a matter of our medical staff deciding when they'll be able to clear him," Mangino said Sunday. "He's got to be able to prove he can do everything asked of him with a full range of motion on the practice field."
Kansan senior sportswriter Ryan Schneider can be contacted at rschneider@kansan.com.
— Edited by Kristen Jarboe
PHILLIPS (CONTINUED FROM 12A)
Not just tough, but smart, too.
Most other running backs would have stayed in the game. They would have either had to leave during overtime, at a critical juncture, or risk even greater injury than cramping by staying in.
The decision to take a breather is exactly what
Mangino described him as a "workhorse," and that's accurate. But he's also like any other football player, and 31 carries in a football game is simply too much
youth expect from a guy who hits the books as hard as his opponents. Cornish was on Student Senate during his first years at the University of Kansas.
to handle.
It's a tough position for the Jayhawk play callers to be in. Getting Cornish the ball often opens up the passing game, but those late-game carries were obviously wearing down his body.
Expect Kerry Meier's return to alleviate some of the pressure, but for the
rest of the season Cornish will have to continue to look out for himself if he is going to lead the Jayhawks to a bowl game.
Phillips is a Wichita senior in journalism. He is the Kansan sports editor.
Edited by Kate Shiplev
Jared Gale/KANSAN Nebraska's Brandon Jackson recover a fumble for his offense during the fourth quarter of Saturday's game in Lincoln, Neb. The 'Huskers were only able to save this one of their four fumbles during the game.
Nebraska 39, Kansas 32 OT
KANSAS 0 10 9 13 0 — 32
NEBRAKSA 17 7 0 8 7 — 39
Scoring Summary
NU — Terrence Nunn 75 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Jordan Congdon kick)
NO — told Peterson 0 yo pass from NAU.
Jordan Gondron 21 yd field goal.
NU — Frantz Hardy 78 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Jordan Congdon kick)
Brian Murph, senior wide receiver, is brought down by Nebraska's Corney Grixy after catching a pass from senior quarterback Adam Barmann. Murph caught it.
NU — Todd Peterson 6 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Jordan Congdon kick)
KU — Scott Webb 31 yd field goal
NU — Todd Peterson 6 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Jordan Congdon kick)
KU — Brandon McAnderson 1 yd run (Scott Webb kick)
KU --- Derek Fine 1 yd pass from Adam Barmann (Adam Barmann pass failed)
KU --- Jon Cornish B yd run (Team kick failed)
KU — Scott Webb 35 yd field goal
KU — Scott Webb 31 yd goal
Jon Cornish 8 yd run (Team)
Individual Statistics
NUJ — Cody Glenn 1 yd run (Jordan Congdon kick)
PASSING — KU: Barmann 27-54-405.
NU — Frantz Hardy 75 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Saint Swift pass from Jase Murphy) 26 yd pass from Adam Barnano (Scott Webb kick)
NU — Frantz Hardy 75 yd pass from Zac Taylor (Nate Swift pass from Zac Taylor
NU:Taylor 15-33-395.
PUSHING — KU; Cornish 31-145, McAnderson 5-19, Barmann 4-5.
RUSHING —
NU: Marlon Lucky 13-40, Kenny Wilson 4-33, Glenn 7-33, Brando Jackson 4-28, Hardy 1-(-2),
Team 1-(-4) Taylor 2-12.
RECEIVING — KU. Murp H-129, Dcxton Fields B-108; Fine 5-84, Marcus Henry 3-B, Jonzean Lamb 1-40
Cornell I-1, McAnderson I-8.
NU: Maurice Purify 4-91, Hardy 3-159, Nunn 3-98, Swift 2-25, Lucky 2-16, Peterson 1-6
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