THE UNIVERSITY JAIRY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2007
KU 30-KSU 24
6
5B
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Russel Brorsen, junior defensive end, celebrates leaving the field after he intercepts a pass in the second quarter. Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing and Kansas State's Josh Freeman both threw three interceptions during the game.
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Dezmon Briscoe, freshman wide receiver, scores a touchdown off of a 28-yard pass from Reesing in the third quarter. Briscoe received for almost 70 yards in Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.
Anna Faltermeier/KANSAN
Junior linebacker Mike Rivera makes a tackle during the game against Kansas State Saturday in Manhattan. Rivera had five tackles
View from press row
It was over when... Aqib Talib intercepted a Josh Freeman pass with 1:12 remaining in the game. After struggling to contain the Wildcats' star receiver Jordy Nelson for much of the game, Talib redeemed himself by picking off Freeman's pass. Kansas State, trailing by six points and standing just 49 yards from the end zone, had a chance to win until Talib's takeaway.
Game to remember... Jordy Nelson. The Kansas State wide receiver entered the game with his name plastered all over the Big 12 Conference receiving leaderboards, and left the game in similar fashion. The senior gained 137 receiving yards on 10 catches and scored a phenomenal 68-yard touchdown while matched up one-on-one against All-Big 12 cornerback Talib. Nelson, a former walkon, has caught 10 or more passes in three consecutive games.
Game to forget... Raimond Pendleton. Kansas' sophomore punt returner, did not impress on Saturday. Pendleton did not officially record a return, but played several punts and came dangerously close to turning the ball over deep in Kansas territory. By the second half, freshman wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe had taken over as the Jayhawks' punt returner.
See Kansan.com for more photos from the game
Football notes
Stat of the game... 2.5. Kansas State averaged just 2.5 yards per rushing attempt against a relentless Kansas defense. Junior linebackers Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera displayed their willingness to play with reckless abandon, combining for 16 tackles, and senior defensive tackle James McClinton dominated the line of scrimmage in every way imaginable. The Wildcat offensive linemen stood no chance against McClinton, who recorded six tackles and two tackles-for-loss.
Asher Fusco
MAKING HISTORY
Kansas made history in a few ways on Saturday.
— The Jayhawks' five-game winning streak is their longest since they won seven straight in 1995.
— Kansas had not won its Big 12 Conference season-opener since 2003.
- Saturday marked Kansas' first win in Manhattan since 1989 - a span that included eight games and three Jawhawk head coaches.
— Coach Mark Mangino's road record still doesn't look good (5-21, 3-18 Big 12), but it's better than it would have been with another loss.
— Kansas had not defeated a team ranked in the Top 25 on the road since 1995.
— The Jayhawks' 30-point performance was the team's lowest score this season but the most the Wildcats had allowed since Dec. 28, 2006 against Rutgers.
IN-STATE PLAYERS
IN-STATE PLAYERS Fittingly, Kansas-born players made impacts for both teams. Kar
McAnderson
sas' in-state contributions came mainly from the backfield: Lawrence native Brandon McAnderson rushed for 81 yards on 12 carries and Salina-bred Jake
Sharp gained 77 rushing yards and a touchdown. Kansas State, which sets its sights closer to home on the recruiting trail, enjoyed contributions from quite a few local products. Jordy Nelson, of Riley, caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown, Cimarron native lan Campbell made three tackles for loss and one sack and Wichita-born John Houlik made five tackles.
RETURN FROM INJURY
Kendrick Harper enjoyed quite a debut. The junior cornerback did not play in the first four games of the season after suffering an arm injury in the preseason, but he made a crucial interception in his first game as a Jayhawk. The junior college transfer played sparingly across from fellow junior Aqib Talib at cornerback to give freshman Chris Harris some rest. With 5:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, Harper came through with an interception that killed Kansas State's momentum and led to a Kansas field goal. Harper, who still wears a large cast on his injured arm, said the cast did not interfere with his playmaking ability.
The game got off to a noisy start: Saturday was "Harley Day" at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Minutes before kickoff, hundreds of bikers drove their Harley-Davidson motorcycles around the perimeter of the field. It marked the ninth year Kansas State had celebrated Harley Day.
MOTORCYCLE CLUB
DEPTH CHART
VERSATILITY
Kansas did not shift its starting lineup at all during the off week, but made some subtle changes to the roster. Sophomore running back Angus Quigley suited up for the first time this season but did not see any playing time. After sitting out all of last season with a leg injury, Quigley rocketed up the depth chart in the preseason only to fall out of the rotation in the first few weeks of the season. Sophomore cornerback Anthony Webb did not dress for the second consecutive game. Webb started nine games last season and played a significant role on special teams and defense in the first three games this season before missing the last two games for undisclosed reasons.
Sophomore quarterback Kerry Meier continued to add to his resume Saturday afternoon. Meier lined up as a wide receiver on two of the Jayhawks' drives and caught one pass for 16 yards. In the first quarter, Meier lined up as a running back, shifted to quarterback before the snap and finished the play as the punter by booting the ball 35 yards. On the season, Meier has thrown 13 passes, rushed eight times, caught three passes and punted once.
Wildcat fans turned out in droves to take in the Sunflower Showdown. The announced attendance of 50,924 was the largest at Bill Snyder Family Stadium so far this season and the 15th largest crowd in the history of the venue. The stadium's official capacity is listed at 50,000, but fans packed the stands - including temporary seating areas - to the gills.
ATTENDENCE
Dropped passes continued to plague the Jayhawk receivers. After struggling to hold onto the ball in the previous two games, Kansas receivers dropped seven catchable passes against Kansas State. Freshman wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe was the most frequent culprit, botching three would-be receptions. Junior wide receiver Dexton Fields and senior tight end Derek Fine also had difficulty with passes on several occasions. But the news was not all bad for the receiving corps: Briscoe and Fields each caught a crucial touchdown pass and Fine recorded four receptions.
DROPPING THE BALL
The 2007 match-up was the 105th installment of the Sunflower Showdown, making the series the 13th-most played rivalry in NCAA football.
Asher Fusco
12 POWER RANKINGS
Each week, Sports Editor Travis Robinett, football writer Asher Fusco and Big 12 football writer Case Keefer will vote on the Big 12 power rankings.
1. Missouri
2. Kansas
3. Oklahoma
4. Colorado
5. Texas A&M
6. Kansas State
7. Texas
8. Nebraska
9. Oklahoma State
11. Baylor
12. Iowa State