October 22, 2011

Postgame Notes

Oct. 22, 2011

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes |

KANSAS STATE 59, KANSAS 21
October 22, 2011
Postgame Notes

SERIES INFORMATION

CAPTAINS: Jeremiah Hatch (C), Steven Johnson (LB), Tim Biere (TE), Toben Opurum (DE)

FIRST TIME STARTERS: Darrian Miller (RB)

DEBUTS: Chase Knighton (WR)

GENERAL NOTES

For the first time in program history, Kansas faced its seventh-straight undefeated opponent in Kansas State (research confirmed through 1980). Additionally, it also marked the third-consecutive game the Jayhawks were matched against a team ranked in No. 12 or higher.
The Jayhawks were charged with three penalties on one play in the third quarter, en route to their highest-penalized game of the season (9-105). It marks only the second time in the Turner Gill era that Kansas was charged with 100+ penalty yards.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Sophomore QB Jordan Webb went 21-for-28 from the line of scrimmage, his third game of the season with more than 20 completions.
Ten different receivers caught passes for Kansas, the first time the Jayhawk quarterbacks have hit double-digit receivers since the season opener against McNeese State on Sept. 3.
Junior WR Kale Pick caught a career-high six passes, resuming his streak of recording a reception in each game of the season that was snapped against Oklahoma last Saturday. He finished with 51 receiving yards, four shy of his career high.
Sophomore RB James Sims’ two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was his team-high seventh rushing touchdown of the season. He has now recorded at least one touchdown on the ground in every game but one this season.
Junior WR D.J. Beshears caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, his third of the season and fourth of his career. The score was his first touchdown reception since snagging two against McNeese State in the season opener on Sept. 3.
Sophomore WR Christian Matthews grabbed his first two receptions on the season by the third quarter, the longest of which was a season-high 15 yards.
Senior quarterback Quinn Mecham entered the game in the fourth quarter, his third game appearance this season and the first time since playing one series at Oklahoma State on Oct. 8.

Meecham’s 21-yard pass to redshirt freshman TE Jimmay Mundine checks in as the longest completion of the season for the senior quarterback and the second-longest reception of the year for Mundine. Mundine’s 41 yards – all in the fourth quarter – is a career high.
Mecham and Mundine connected again with a second left to play in the game for a two-yard touchdown completion. The reception marked Mundine’s first career touchdown was the second for Mecham in 2011 – the sixth of his career.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Senior LB Steven Johnson recorded 12 tackles against the Wildcats, the fifth-time this season the senior has reached double-digit stops.
Kansas forced a punt in Kansas State’s first offensive possession – the second time in three games the defense started the game with a three-and-out stop.
Junior SLB Tunde Bakare recorded his first-career tackle for loss in the first quarter.
Junior DE Toben Opurum recorded his third QBH of the season in the second quarter, his first since hurrying the quarterback twice against McNeese State in the season opener.
Opurum shot a hand out later in the second quarter for his first pass break up of the year, fourth of his career.
Until Colin Klein’s four rushing touchdowns, Kansas had not given up four rushing touchdowns to one player since the 2009 season at Texas Tech (Baron Batch).
Sophomore DT Randall Dent collected a tackle for a loss in the third quarter, the first of his career.
Junior CB Greg Brown racked up two tackles and a broke up a pass for the second-straight game.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Redshirt freshman KR Brandon Bourbon tied a career high with four kickoff returns. His 36-yard return was a career long as were his 79 kickoff return yards for the game.
Freshman Marquis Jackson returned the first kickoffs off his career and took off for a 21-yard return in the fourth quarter, the second-longest of the game for the Jayhawks.
The 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown surrendered to KSU’s Tyler Lockett marked the first the Kansas defense has allowed in four years (Baylor, 2007).