THE RIVALRY
27
2008 GAME (CONTINUED FROM 26)
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing celebrates with fans after Kansas defeated Missouri at last year's Border Showdown. A play between Reesing and senior wide reciever Kerry Meier in the last 27 seconds of the game gave Kansas the victory.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
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HANSAN
our offense that they would do it. They had been doing a lot of great things all day."
Former wide receiver Dexton Fields, who was on the field during the play, had a slightly different experience.
"When I saw Todd looking for him," Fields said, "I knew Kerry would probably be wide open. And then I was just like, 'Please catch it! Please catch它!'"
As time expired, though, Missouri drove the ball down the field to set up a potential game-tying 54-yard field goal. Adding to the game's drama, safety Phillip Strozier knocked the ball down, sealing Kansas' victory.
"It's the guisiest performance I've ever been associated with as a coach," coach
Mark Mangino said after the game.
In knocking off the Tigers, the Jayhawks may have saved their season.
Kansas entered last year's Border Showdown Nov.29 with an admittedly disappointing 6-5 record for a team attempting to build off its 2007 Orange Bowl victory.
The Jayhawks had lost two consecutive games
and were a group of walking
"It was one of the loudest games I've played in."
and were a group of wailing wounded: Key position players were ailing with various injuries. Missouri was the 13th ranked team in the country at the time and had already sealed up the Big 12 North title.
MIKE RIVERA
Former linebacker
"We had guys banged up on offense defense, everything."Riverasaid."Everybody had to dig down deep and put out every little last effort they had to pull off that game."
Added former receiver Dexton Fields: "It's the rivalry against Missouri. That's a must-win against in itself."
in silence.
With 79,123 fans jammed into Arrowhead Stadium, each play resulted in one side cheering, while the other sat
And the part Fields most remembered from the game was the ever-increasing snowfall that dampened the field and dotted the sky with white.
"It doesn't get much better than that really," Rivera said. "It was a huge rivalry and all the fans were going crazy. It was one of the loudest games I've played in."
After the game, Kansas' players celebrated on the field before running to high-five the fans remaining in the stands.
Still, even now, much of the attention is cast onto the play between Reesing and Meier.
"It was just such a relief and it was just such an amazing play," Rivera said. "You forgot about all the bad things, all the injuries and all that kind of stuff."
Edited by Abby Olcese
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
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