Kansas Football To Open Big 12 Play At Iowa State
Sept. 29, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Supplemental Notes
Football Press Conference Quotes
QUICKLY — #16 Associated Press/#16 Coaches/#17 Harris Polls Kansas (3-1 overall, 0-0 Big 12) will open Big 12 Conference play at Iowa State (2-2 overall, 0-0 Big 12) on Saturday, Oct. 4 in an 11:30 a.m. game which will be televised on VERSUS… KU has won 18 of its last 21 games overall… KU has won four of its last five road games, but lost its most recent, a 34-31 defeat at South Florida earlier this season… KU is only 2-8 in its last 10 conference openers, including a 30-24 win at then 24th-ranked Kansas State last season… KU is opening Big 12 play on the road for the fourth straight season… KU is coming off a bye week and is 3-3 in games following a bye week in the Mark Mangino era, including victories in each of the last three such occurrences.
THE POLLS — Kansas is listed in the Associated Press poll for the 16th consecutive week, a school record (previous mark was 14 straight polls between 1995 and 1996). The Jayhwaks’ current streak ranks as the ninth longest active streak in the nation. Here is a look:
1. Texas, 130
2. USC, 105
3. LSU, 87
4. Ohio State, 57
5. Florida, 54
6. Oklahoma, 39
7. Georgia, 23
8. Missouri, 19
9. Kansas, 16
1-2 NATIONALLY — Kansas has five different players ranking in the top two nationally in individual statistics. Here is a look:
QB/WR Kerry Meier – 1st in receptions per game (9.25)
PK Jacob Branstetter – t-2nd in field goals (2.00)
LB James Holt – 2nd in forced fumbles (0.75)
QB Todd Reesing – 2nd in completions (31.50)
S Justin Thornton – t-2nd in passes defended (2.00)
LAST TIME OUT — Kansas junior quarterback Todd Reesing threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 19 Jayhawk football team to a 38-14 victory against Sam Houston State. In a battle of quarterbacks, Reesing went 23-for-38 for 356 yards and two touchdowns to outshine SHSU’s Rhett Bomar, who went for 26-for-46 for 340 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. The three KU interceptions led to 21 of Kansas’ 38 points. For Reesing, it marked his third-straight game of 350-plus passing yards this season. Additionally, the junior from Austin, Texas, broke the school record for most 200-yard passing games with 14 for his career, including all four games in 2008. For the second straight week, one of Reesing’s favorite targets was junior Kerry Meier, who had eight catches for a career-high 136 yards, surpassing his career best of 120 receiving yards set at South Florida on September 12. Jayhawk sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe had his second 100-yard receiving game of the year with 124 yards on five catches. Both Meier and Briscoe were recipients of Reesing touchdown throws in the game. Kansas’ defense allowed a season-low 45 rushing yards on 16 attempts for the Bearkats as the Jayhawks outgained SHSU 528 to 385 in total offense.
UP NEXT — Kansas will return home to host Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 11. The Buffaloes are 3-1 and host Texas in their Big 12 opener this week.
DID YOU KNOW? — Five of KU’s opponents this season are ranked in the top 10 of this week’s Associated Press poll including #1 Oklahoma, #4 Missouri, #5 Texas, #7 Texas Tech and #10 South Florida.
THE KU-ISU SERIES — Kansas leads the all-time series by a 47-34-6 count, including a 21-18-3 advantage in games played in Ames. Kansas has won three straight against Iowa State, as well as four of the last five since the Cyclones won three straight from 2000-02. KU will be looking to win four straight against ISU for the first time since winning seven consecutive from 1991-97. KU head coach Mark Mangino is 4-2 against ISU since taking over the Jayhawk program.
KU-ISU LAST YEAR — Todd Reesing completed 21 of 26 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters of action to lead Kansas to a 45-7 win against Iowa State in the final home game of the year for the Jayhawks. Reesing, who hit 19 of his first 20 attempts, with the lone incompletion coming on a pass he was throwing away to avoid a sack, found Dexton Fields on two first-quarter touchdown passes. Fields tied a school record with 11 receptions and had a then career-best 109 yards. Marcus Henry pulled in four balls for 92 yards while Kerry Meier had three catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. Jake Sharp led the ground game with 83 yards on 15 carries, while Brandon McAnderson added 70 yards on nine attempts. KU ran up 566 yards of total offense while holding Iowa State to just 234, including 52 on the ground. ISU reached the KU side of the field just once on seven second half possessions, getting to the KU 48-yard line on its first drive of the half.
KU-ISU LAST TIME IN AMES — Kansas converted four Iowa State turnovers into 20 points as the Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones 41-10 in 2006. KU held Iowa State to 33 rushing yards on 30 carries while the Jayhawk offense totaled 403 yards on 73 plays. Kerry Meier was 17 of 22 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. ISU scored first on a 36-yard field goal less than three minutes into the game. KU then ran off 41 consecutive points before ISU scored a touchdown with five minutes left in the game. Todd Reesing, playing in his second collegiate game, was three of five passing for 35 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
KU-ISU NOTABLE — Kansas has one player from the state of Iowa in TE Ted McNulty (Iowa City/West HS)… Iowa State has three players from the state of Kansas including TE Joe Blaes (Cherryvale/Cherryvale HS/Coffeyville CC), LS Dakota Zimmerman (Wichita/Haysville Campus HS) and OL Burris Brayden (Wichita/Bishop Carroll HS)… ISU WR coach Jay Rodgers coached in the state of Kansas serving as the QB and WR coach at Dodge City CC in 2003… KU SS Darrell Stuckey’s sister Denae, is a member of the Iowa State women’s basketball team. They are from Kansas City, Kan.
KU-ISU NUMBERS GAME — Kerry Meier’s 199 passing yards at ISU in 2006 are the second-most of his career… Dexton Fields’ 109 receiving yards vs. ISU last year are the second-most of his career, while the 11 catches he had in that game tied a single-game school record… Chris Harris recorded 11 tackles vs. ISU last year for what was then a personal best (he had 12 tackles the next game against Missouri)… Jeff Wheeler had a career-high three tackles against ISU in 2006… The last time KU rushed for 200 yards in a game was against ISU last season (212 yards).
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVER — After Kansas’ victory against Iowa State last year, the Jayhawks were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. The cover showed Kerry Meier pulling in a touchdown pass. In that game, Meier not only caught a touchdown pass, but threw for one as well.
Weekly Supplemental Notes will be available Thursdays at www.kuathletics.com
