Jayhawks Hold 21-14 Edge Over Southern Miss at Halftime
Sept. 26, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
A 62-yard touchdown strike from senior quarterback to senior wide receiver Kerry Meier less than two minutes into the game helped give No. 19 Kansas a 21-14 lead against Southern Mississippi at the half.
Reesing complete 18-of-26 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns during the first half, passing former Texas quarterback Vince Young on the All-time Big 12 total offense list in the process. Meier hauled in six passes for 111 yards to lead the way for Kansas while freshman running back Toben Opurum carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards and added a receiving touchdown.
After allowing the Golden Eagles to put together two long touchdown drives, the Jayhawk defense tightened up toward the end of the half, forcing a fumble and a punt with less than eight minutes remaining the second quarter. Senior safety Darrell Stuckey led the way with three tackles and a forced fumble while junior defensive back Chris Harris recorded eight tackles.
Halftime Notes
-Kerry Meier’s 62-yard touchdown reception marks the Jayhawks longest touchdown of the season and longest since Todd Reesing’s opening-play touchdown strike to Dezmon Briscoe for 80 yards in the 2008 Insight Bowl.
-Meier’s 111 receiving yards in the opening half marks the second time this season he has registered 100-plus yards in a game receiving and the seventh time of his career.
-Junior linebacker Justin Springer made his first-career start.
-Briscoe’s 20-yard touchdown scamper marks the first rushing touchdown of his career.
-The Jayhawks 14 points in the first quarter are the most points they have scored in the first quarter this season.
-Todd Reesing’s 246 total yards of offense in the first half propels him past former Texas quarterback Vince Young for seventh on the all-time Big 12 total offense list.
-Freshman Toben Opurum’s 12-yard touchdown catch marked his first receiving touchdown of his Jayhawk career.
-Darrell Stuckey’s forced fumble in the second quarter gave him three career forced fumbles.
-Freshman Bradley McDougald hauled in six catches for 41 yards in the opening half. The freshman record for receptions in a game is nine, set twice by former Jayhawks Charles Gordon in 2003.
