University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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gl Dt L21 cl Senior running back Brandon McAnderson 1353 leaves Texas AGM players in the dust as he attempts to run in a touchdown. l1S3S at Jayhawks win ground battle against Texas ACQM or the Texas A8cM Ag- gies, few things are more simple than converting on fourth-and-short: put Iorvorskie Lane in the baclcfield, hand him the ball, and let the 274- pound wrecking ball of a running back do the rest. When Texas A8tM head coach Dennis Fran- chione put the tactic to use late in the second quarter, he failed to ac- -19 TAMU - ll October ZZ 2007 KU count for Kansas de- fensive tackle Iames McClinton. McClinton and the Kansas defense came up with a big stop on a crucial play on the way to a 19-11 victory With just more than three min- utes remaining in the ftrst half and the score tied at zero, Texas ASIM had frnally found some offensive rhythm. The Aggies sat entrenched at the Jayhawks' nine-yard line af- ter pushing 71 yards on nine effi- cient plays. Facing fourth-and-one, many teams might have elected to attempt a chip-shot field goal to take the lead, but Texas ASIM decided to hand the ball to Lane, their short-yardage weapon. The Kansas offense picked up yardage with ease for much of the Hrst half but repeatedly stuttered near the end zone. The Iayhawks entered the Aggies' 20-yard line twice in the first half, but senior kicker Scott Webb missed a field goal on both occasions, with the frrst try being blocked. The lay- hawk offense scored on all three of its third-quarter possessions while the defense brought the Ag- gie rushing attack to a halt. Kansas threw together an ef- fective mix of running plays and passing plays on its next drive. But McGee and his teammates did not leave Kyle Field without putting a bit of a scare into Kan- sas. With their patented run-first style out of the question because of time constraints and the domi- nant Iayhawk defense, the Aggies defied convention and turned to the passing game for points. They make a living on run- ning the ball and we knew we had to take that away, but McGee can throw the ball and l thought he did some good things throw- ing the footballf' Mangino said. GI wouldn't trade our guy for him, but 1 like him? Story by ASHER FUSCO Photo by1ON GOERING

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-19 CU -14 October 20, 2007 Kansas at Colorado Ugly game ends pretty against Colorado estled at the base of the Rocky Mountains and surrounded by tree-lined hills, Fol- som Field is one of the most pic- turesque venues in college foot- ball. None of that beauty found its way onto the field. Kansas came out on top against Colorado in a defensive struggle full of turnovers and big hits. For the better part of 60 ugly minutes for the offenses, the teams traded defensive punches until Kansas fi- nally secured a 19-14 victory with fewer than two minutes remaining. The dropped passes, costly pen- alties and mental mistakes that played a large role in the game allowed the rare moments of eye- pleasing foot- ball to stand out even further. The game's most awe- inspiring offen- sive play, which came late in the first quarter, gave Kansas the up- per hand early On third-and-four from his own 17-yard line, sophomore quarter- back Todd Reesing dropped back to pass. As was often the case against the solid Colorado sec- ondary, the quarterback could not locate an open receiver. Instead of forcing the ball to a covered teammate, Reesing doubled back toward the right sideline and took off running downfreld. The quick quarterback scam- pered past the Colorado defen- sive linemen and the first-down marker. lust when it appeared Re- esing might head for the safety of the sideline, senior wide receiver Marcus Henry and senior tight end Derek Pine each latched onto Sophomore quarterback and receiver Kerry Meier C101 tries to stay in bounds as he runs down the field? a Colorado defender and opened a wide path for their quarterback. Reesing didn't beat the last Buf- falo defender to the goal line, but he did advance the ball to the Col- orado 3O-yard line - just close enough for Kansas to take a 3-0 lead on a 48-yard field goal by se- nior kicker Scott Webb two. 'Tt was either throw the ball away or try to make a playf' Rees- ing said. 'Tm going to try to make a play in any situation. Luckily we got some blocks, and things worked outf' The Kansas defense went above and beyond the call of duty, push- ing Colorado back eight yards over the course of four plays. Hawkins could not connect with freshman wide receiver Iosh Smith on fourth-and-15, turning the ball and the game over to the Iayhawks. It was greatf' said junior cor- nerback Aqib Talib. The defense stepped up in the fourth quarter and showed the world what we can do. Story by ASHER FUSCO Photo by LAURA JACOBSENI KANSAS ATHLETICS f ' ,Hut

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November 3, 2007 Kansas vs. Nebraska Jayhawks turn tables against Huskers he Nebraska Cornhusk- ers visited the Kan- sas Iayhawks, and the game was an absolute blowout. There's nothing unusual about that statement. What was strange about the game was that the Iayhawks were the ones doing the dominating. For the better part of the last half-century, Nebraska pushed Kansas around, winning 37 of the teams, last 38 matchups. The Iayhawks played the role of Big 12 bully, turning the tables and rout- ing the Cornhuskers, 76-39. The Iayhawks' 76 points set a school record for the most scored in a conference game and eas- .. ily surpassed the team's previous NU - high of 40 points against Nebraska. Nebraska has a good tradition, and they always play hard, said senior wide re- ceiver Marcus Henry. MSO to look up and see that score on the score- board was pretty amazing. The Iayhawk offense looked impressive the entire game, but the defense suffered through several rough stretches early in the game. In the first half alone, Nebraska junior quarterback Ioe Ganz threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns, leading two solid scoring drives in the first 12 min- utes of play. By the opening minutes ofthe second quarter, it was clear that high-powered offense would be the theme of the game. The teams combined for 35 points in the first quarter, and neither showed any sign of slowing down early in the second quarter. Every time Kansas Senior wide receiver Marcus Henry i86I keeps his eye on the ball against Nebraska. looked primed to pull away and stretch its lead, Nebraska used its most potent weapon, senior wide receiver Maurice Purify, to crawl back into the game. Trailing 28-14 early in the sec- ond quarter, Ganz connected with Purify, who was streaking past Kansas junior cornerback Ken- drick Harper, for a 60-yard gain down the middle ofthe field. Despite Nebraska's status as one of the most disappointing teams in the nation, Kansas' decisive vic- tory was impressive because the team did exactly what it needed to do: stay undefeated and make a positive impression on pollsters and media around the nation. A decade ago, Nebraska was the team routinely scoring more than 50 points and rolling to 9-0 starts. ln 2007, Kansas is that team. Story by ASHER Fusco Photos by JEFF 1AcoBsENf KANSAS ATHLETICS I I I I I .6 4 I I I i I I I Y I I I I f I I I I I I I I I I I I I I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I