Kansas Football To Open Season Hosting Florida International Saturday At 6 p.m.

Press Conference Quotes

Aug. 25, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

QUICKLY — #14 Associated Press/#13 Coaches Poll Kansas (0-0 overall, 0-0 Big 12) opens its 119th season of college football as the Jayhawks host Florida International (0-0 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt) in the season lid-lifter for both teams on Saturday, August 30 at 6 p.m. Central… KU will be playing at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium for the 88th straight year, making the stadium the seventh-oldest Division I facility in the nation… The Jayhawks are beginning the seventh-year of the Mark Mangino era… KU will be opening its season at home for the sixth straight season… KU has won four straight season openers… KU is 8-1 in home openers in the last nine years… KU has won nine straight home games overall… KU has won 14 straight home games against non-conference opponents… KU has won six straight games against non-Big 12 foes overall since falling at Toledo in two overtimes in 2006… KU has won 15 of its last 17 games overall.

HOME SWEET HOME — Kansas has won nine straight home games, as well as 18 of its last 20 at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium in the last three years. The Jayhawks were a perfect 7-0 at home last season. The lone losses in the last 20 home games were to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State during the 2006 campaign.

HOME WINNING STREAKS — Kansas enters the Florida International game on a nine-game home winning streak. KU also won nine straight in a span from 2005-06. Those streaks are tied for the second most in school history behind a 15-game home winning streak from 1908-1910.

IN THE POLLS – Kansas enters the 2008 season ranked in the preseason poll for the fifth time in school history. The ranking of 14th in the Associated Press is its highest preseason listing in that poll since entering the 1961 campaign listed eighth. KU’s all-time AP preseason poll listings include 1952 (17th), 1961 (eighth), 1976 (19th) and 1996 (25th). The Jayhawks are ranked 13th in the preseason USA Today/Coaches Poll.

MARKETING ACTIVITIES — Here is a look at KU Marketing activities for the FIU game:

Giveaway: Fans will receive a 2008 commemorative Kansas football T-shirt courtesy of Jack Ellena Honda and adidas (while supplies last).

Tickets Available: Tickets for the FIU game are still available for $40. Season tickets are still available for $300. Kansas Athletics has also released a $99 mini-pack, which includes the Louisiana Tech (Sept. 6), Sam Houston State (Sept. 20), and Colorado (Oct. 11) games. The family plan is sold out for the 2008 season.

Family Fun Zone: The Kansas Football Family Fun Zone is back. Located just south of the new Anderson Family Football Complex, the Fun Zone includes interactive inflatable games for kids, promotional materials, special appearances by Big and Baby Jay, and visits from KU student-athletes. Junior Jayhawks can also pickup their gifts at the Fun Zone. The Fun Zone opens two hours prior to kickoff.

Free Night for Junior Jayhawks: All Junior Jayhawks will be admitted free with their Jr. Jayhawks membership card. Family members can purchase additional tickets for just $30. Jr. Jayhawks can pickup their complimentary ticket at any Memorial Stadium ticket booth.

UP NEXT — Kansas will stay at home to host Louisiana Tech in a game that will be televised by FSN with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6. The series is tied at 1-1 with Louisiana Tech winning 16-11 in 1987 and Kansas posting a 34-14 victory in 2005. Louisiana Tech is opening up its season hosting Mississippi State this Saturday. Former Jayhawk great Mike McCormack will be inducted into the Kansas Football Ring of Honor at halftime of the Louisiana Tech game.

THE KU-FIU SERIES — Kansas and Florida International will be meeting for the second time in history and the second year in a row. Last season the Jayhawks posted a 55-3 win against FIU in the fourth game of the year. KU is 7-0 all time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference with a 3-0 mark against North Texas and 1-0 slates against Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International and Louisiana-Monroe. KU head coach Mark Mangino is 1-0 against FIU all-time.

KU-FIU LAST YEAR — QB Todd Reesing accounted for 415 yards of total offense and two scores while former Jayhawk CB Aqib Talib highlighted the night with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown as Kansas cruised to a 55-3 victory against Florida International at Lawrence, Kan. on Sept. 22, 2007. Reesing and backup QB Kerry Meier led the team to 615 yards of total offense, the most for the Jayhawks since recording 641 against Jacksonville State in 2003. Reesing threw for 368 yards, while rushing for 47 more. Former RB Brandon McAnderson rushed 13 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while former TE Derek Fine had seven catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Defensively LB Joe Mortensen recorded 13 tackles, while fellow LB Mike Rivera added nine stops and two fumble recoveries as the Jayhawks forced five turnovers on the night. KU limited FIU to just 255 yards of offense.

KU-FIU NOTABLE — Kansas has two players from the state of Florida in P Alonso Rojas (Miami/Killian HS) and WR Tertavian Ingram (Tampa/Jefferson HS)… KU OL coach John Reagan played for Miami in the Arena Football League in 1994… KU LB coach Steve Tovar was a defensive assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2006… Florida International is the first of two schools from the state of Florida which Kansas will play this season as the Jayhawks will travel to South Florida on Sept. 12… KU’s last game was in the state of Florida as the Jayhawks defeated Virginia Tech in the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl to cap off a 12-1 season in January… FIU OL coach Greg Laffere was born in Basehor, Kan… FIU basketball player Alex Galindo started his collegiate career at Kansas.