Jayhawks Upend No. 24 Kansas State, 30-24

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Dexton Fields hauled in the game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown for the University of Kansas, as the Jayhawks survived a wild football game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday afternoon, defeating Kansas State, 30-24.

In its Big 12 Conference opener, Kansas remained undefeated at 5-0 and moved to 1-0 in the league play. Kansas State dropped its second game of the season and fell to 3-2, 1-1 in the conference.

Fields’ 30-yard touchdown reception with 6:27 remaining put the Jayhawks up 27-24 just over a minute after Kansas State had taken a 24-21 lead. Fields made the reception around the Wildcats’ 20-yard line and outraced the defenders to the end zone.

Moments earlier Kansas State had taken a 24-21 lead when they capitalized off of sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing’s third interception of the game. His pass had caromed sky high off Fields’ shoulder pads giving the Wildcats a short field.

Kansas got off to a shaky start in their first road game as Reesing was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage. Reesing settled down, finishing with 267 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Senior Brandon McAnderson rushed for 81 yards on 12 carries for an average of 6.8 yards per carry. Jake Sharp added 77 more yards as the Jayhawks ran for 170 yards as a team.

Fields and freshman Dezmon Briscoe each had touchdown receptions in the second half for Kansas. Fields finished with six catches for 78 yards and Briscoe ended the day with four receptions for 67 yards.

In a game of lead changes, the Wildcats struck first when Josh Freeman connected with Jordy Nelson for a 68-yard touchdown reception just over six minutes into the first quarter.

The Jayhawks went three-and-out on their ensuing possession and Kansas State drove to the Kansas 26-yard line, before attempting a Brooks Rossman 43-yard field goal that jumped off the left upright.

After a pair of punts from each team, Kansas took over at its own 14 and proceeded to push their way 86 yards to the end zone. The 10-play drive lasted 4:13 and was capped off by a 20-yard Jake Sharp touchdown run. Sharp, with his head down, ran into a pack of players near the line of scrimmage, only to emerge on his feet and in the clear, sprinting down the left sideline for the equalizer.

Kansas State immediately responded as Leon Patton ran into the end zone from seven yards out with 3:52 left in the second quarter to break a 7-7 tie.

The Jayhawks responded when junior Aqib Talib received a Todd Reesing pass in the left front corner of the end zone for his fourth touchdown reception of the year. The game-tying score for Kansas came with just 11 seconds remaining in the first half.

Kansas took a 21-14 lead when Briscoe received a Reesing pass and sprinted 28-yards for the touchdown with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

Kansas State added a field goal to cut the lead to 21-17 before capitalizing on the deflected interception off of Fields.

Following a Kendrick Harper interception, KU senior Scott Webb tacked on Kansas’ final three points with a 24-yard field with 2:21 left in the regulation. Talib sealed the game with an interception on Kansas State’s final possession.

Kansas returns home to face Baylor on Oct. 13, at 11:30 a.m. The game will be a part of K-Day Weekend and former KU great and NFL Hall of Famer John Riggins will be added to the KU Ring of Honor at halftime.

Kansas Postgame Notes
Kansas’ win at Kansas State…
…Gives Kansas a five-game winning streak for the longest such streak since seven straight in 1995.
…Makes KU 5-0 for the first time since 1995 and just the second time in the last 39 seasons.
…Makes Kansas 1-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2003.
…Gives KU three wins against Kansas State in the last four meetings.
…Gives Kansas consecutive wins against KSU for the first time since 1988-90.
…Ends an eight-game losing streak for Kansas in games played in Manhattan as the last win prior was in 1989.
…Improves Mark Mangino to 30-35 as a head coach, all at KU.
…Makes Kansas 547-537-58 all time.

Notes
–Kansas’ last win against a ranked team was 24-21 against No. 25 Iowa State in 2005.
–KU’s last win against a ranked team on the road was 38-17 at No. 15 in 1995.
–Kansas’ 437 yards were the most yards of total offense against a Big 12 foe since gaining 574 yards at Nebraska last season.
–KU improved to 3-3 after bye weeks in the Mark Mangino era.
–Kansas has had six different players with an interception this season.
–Kansas’ 86-yard and 80-yard scoring drives were its sixth and seventh 80-plus yard scoring drives of the season.
–Kansas State’s first-quarter touchdown marked the first time this season Kansas has trailed.
–K-State’s seven points in the first quarter were more than the previous four KU opponents combined to score in the first quarter – three.
–QB Todd Reesing has set the KU sophomore record for touchdown passes thrown with 14. He broke the 12 by Adam Barmann set in 2004. Reesing’s 14 TD passes tie for fourth most in a single-season at KU.
–Reesing has thrown for 200 yards or more in five consecutive games, second most in KU history (Mike Norseth, 1984-85, with six). His five 200-yard games tie for fifth on the KU single season list.
–Sophomore Jake Sharp’s 20-yard touchdown run was his fifth of the season and career. It was his fourth rushing TD and the longest TD run of the year.
–Sharp’s TD was the first Kansas touchdown at Manhattan since 1999 – Moran Norris (2 yard run in the second quarter, a span of 15 quarters).
–Sharp rushed a career-high 17 times.
–Junior Aqib Talib has scored a touchdown in six straight games dating back to last season – one interception and five receiving. Talib has seven receptions so far this season, with four going for touchdowns.
–Talib’s fourth-quarter interception was his third of the season and 11th of his career. He has an INT in each of his last three games, which he also did last season. His 11 interceptions tie for third on the KU career interceptions list with Milt Garner (1984-87).
–Senior WR Marcus Henry had two catches for 24 yards. Henry moved over the 1,000 yards receiving for his career, currently with 1,002.
–In his first action of the season, junior DB Kendrick Harper intercepted his first pass of the season and KU career.
–Junior Joe Mortensen has recorded double figure tackles in each of his last two games (13 vs. Florida International and 11 at Kansas State.)
–Freshman DB Chris Harris’ six tackles were his second most of the season and most since his nine stops in the season opener against Central Michigan.
–Junior WR Dexton Field’s fourth-quarter TD reception was his third TD catch of the season and ninth of his career.
–Fields’ nine career TD receptions tied for 10th most at KU with three others.
–Fields’ six receptions were a season high and tied for third most in his career.
–Fields continued his consecutive games with at least two receptions to 16 games.
–Freshman Dezmon Briscoe’s touchdown in the third quarter was his third of the season.
–After catching just one pass in the first two games of the season, Briscoe has had multiple receptions in each of his last three games. His four catches at Kansas State tied his season high and his 67 yards marked a personal best.
–Senior PK Scott Webb has made a field goal in seven straight games (11 of 12 in that span).
–Webb moved into fourth on the KU career points list with 228. He passed Joe Garcia who had 223 from 1997-2000.
–Senior TE Derek Fine has 11 catches in his last two games, including four at Kansas State.
–Junior Russell Brorsen’s interception in the second quarter was his first career INT. It marked the second DL interception for Kansas this season – John Larson against Toledo.
–Sophomore Kerry Meier’s 35-yard punt was the first of his career.
–Meier started at wide receiver. It was his first start of the season and his ninth start of his career. The other eight starts were at QB.
–Senior OL Cesar Rodriguez started a team best 33rd game (19th straight). James McClintonstarted a team-best 24th consecutive game (27th overall).