Kansas Leads McNeese State At Half, 21-3
Sept. 3, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas football rushed for 191 yards in the first half, highlighted by a 47-yard run by freshman Tony Pierson and a 30-yard rush by sophomore James Sims, to take a 21-3 lead over the McNeese State Cowboys into halftime.
Pierson and Sims had one rushing touchdown apiece, while a 25-yard pass from Jordan Webb to Daymond Patterson accounted for the other Jayhawk score. Pierson finished the half with a team-high 60 rushing yards on two carries, and Sims added 53 yards on 10 rushing attempts.
Sims’ career-long 30-yard rush highlighted an eight-play, 84-yard drive for the Jayhawks’ first touchdown of the season. The drive was capped off by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Webb to Patterson with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter. Webb finished the half 3-for-5 for 34 yards. The 84-yard scoring drive was the longest for the Jayhawks since a 17-play, 99-yard scoring drive against New Mexico State on Sept. 25, 2010.
McNeese State responded with a 17-play, 68-yard drive that lasted 8:31. Kansas was able to stop the Cowboys inside the 10 yard line and force a 26-yard field goal for the only McNeese State points of the half. Senior captain linebacker Steven Johnson led KU’s defense with 11 tackles, including seven solo tackles and one for a loss.
In the second quarter, KU scored on each of its first two possessions. The first scoring drive went for eight plays and 73 yards and was finished by a one-yard run by Sims. The second drive lasted 12 plays and covered 67 yards. Pierson completed the drive with a 13-yard rush into the end zone. Freshman Darrian Miller contributed 46 yards on nine carries to the Jayhawks’ rushing attack, good for an average of 5.1 yards per carry.
FIRST HALF NOTES
* Kansas rushed for 191 yards in the first half Saturday. Last season, the Jayhawks’ highest single-game rushing total was 237 yards.
* Sophomore RB James Sims broke off a 30-yard run in the first quarter, which marked the longest of his career. His previous career-long was a 28-yard touchdown against Colorado last season.
* Sophomore QB Jordan Webb threw a first quarter touchdown pass to WR Daymond Patterson. It was Webb’s first touchdown throw since the Texas A&M game last season and Patterson’s first TD reception since the Baylor game last year.
* Freshman RB Tony Pierson gained 47 yards on a rush in the second quarter. Last season, KU’s longest rush of the season was 51 yards by Daymond Patterson in the season-opener against North Dakota State.
* Senior LB Steven Johnson made 11 tackles in the first half. His career high was 13 last season against Missouri.
