September 01, 2012

Postgame Notes

Sept. 1, 2012

POSTGAME NOTES
KANSAS 31, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 17
SEPT. 1, 2012 – LAWRENCE, KAN.

SERIES INFORMATION

Kansas improved to 2-0 against South Dakota State all-time.

KANSAS CAPTAINS: Dayne Crist (QB), Tanner Hawkinson (OT), Toben Opurum (DE/LB)

DEBUTS AT KU: Offense – Dylan Admire (OL), Taylor Cox (HB), Dayne Crist (QB), Josh Ford (WR), Reilly Jeffers (OL), Aslam Sterling (RG), Gavin Howard (RT), Tre’ Parmalee (WR), Mike Ragone (TE), Taylor Cox (HB). Defense – Ben Goodman (DL), Jake Love (LB), Schyler Miles (LB), Koen Stowers (DL), Jordan Tavai (N), Josh Williams (END), Tyree Williams (CB)

FIRST TIME STARTERS AT KU: Offense -Dayne Crist (QB), Gavin Howard (RT), Mike Ragone (TE). Aslam Sterling (RG). Defense – Josh Williams (END), Jordan Tavai (N), Ben Heeney (MLB)

GENERAL NOTES

Kansas improved to 69-47-7 in season openers.
The Jayhawks have won 25 of its last 27 non-conference home games dating back to the start of the 2003 season.
KU is 24-11 in its last 35 home games and 25-5 in its last 30 games against non-Big 12 opponents.
Kansas improved to 573-569-58 all-time.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Senior Kale Pick’s 43-yard reception from senior Dayne Crist on the first drive of the game was the longest of his career, surpassing a 36-yard catch against Northern Illinois last season. For Crist, it was his longest pass completion since an 80 yarder against Western Michigan in 2010 while at Notre Dame.
Pick had a career-high 81 receiving yards in the game, surpassing his 55 against Northern Illinois last season (9/10/11).
Crist finished with 17 completions to mark the ninth time in his career he had 10 or more completions in a game. His 169 yards passing was the ninth time he threw for 169 or more yards in a game for his career.
Sophomore Tony Pierson’s three-yard touchdown in the first quarter was his fourth TD of his career and first since the Baylor game in 2011 (11/12/11). He added a fourth in the third quarter.
Pierson’s 47-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter matched his career long rush versus McNeese State last year. It was the first multi-TD game of his career.
Pierson’s 124 yards rushing marked his first 100-yard rushing game of his career.
Junior Taylor Cox had 121 rushing yards. The last time a KU player rushed for at least 100 yards in a debut was James Sims with 101 against Georgia Tech during the 2010 season (9/11/10).
With Pierson and Cox topping the century mark, it was the first time Kansas had two players with 100 or more yards rushing in a game since playing Central Michigan in 2007 (9/1/07) when Brandon McAnderson had 110 and Jake Sharp had 106.
Senior Toben Opurum was the lead blocker on Pierson’s three-yard touchdown run. It was Opurum’s first time on the offense side of the ball since the 2009 Texas game (11/21/09). KU’s communications staff believes it is the first time KU had a player play offense and defense since Bradley McDougald against Missouri in the 2009 season finale (11/28/09).
Senior Mike Ragone caught his first career touchdown from Crist in the third quarter. For Crist, it was his 17th career TD pass and first since the Notre Dame-Navy game in 2010.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Junior Huldon Tharp’s start was his first since the 2009 season. He appeared in 10 games last year with no starts.
Senior Bradley McDougald’s interception in the third quarter was the fifth of his career and added a sixth later. With his last pick against Missouri in the 2011 season finale, McDougald recorded interceptions in consecutive games. The last KU player to record interceptions in consecutive games was Justin Thornton during the 2007 season against Baylor (10/13/07) and at Colorado (10/20/07).
McDougald’s two interceptions marked the first time a Jayhawk had two picks in the same game since Darrell Stuckey had two picks against Missouri in 2008 (11/28/08).
Kansas had four interceptions against South Dakota State. The last time KU had four interceptions in a game was against Nebraska in 2007 (11/3/07).
Senior Greg Brown led Kansas with eight total tackles, which were two shy of his career high of 10 against Nebraska in 2010.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Senior Daymond Patterson’s 33-yard punt return in the first quarter was his longest since his sophomore season when he had a 49-yard return at UTEP (9/12/09).
Junior Chris Omigie’s blocked punt in the first quarter was the first for KU since Nick Sizemore blocked a punt at Oklahoma State last season (10/8/11).
Josh Ford blocked his first punt of his KU career.
The last time Kansas recorded multiple blocked kicks in the same game was at Oklahoma in 2004 (10/23/04).