Jayhawks Trail No. 25 Oklahoma, 14-6 at Intermission
Oct. 24, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Junior kicker Jacob Branstetter has hit two field goals, including a career-long 57-yarder, however the Jayhawks trail Oklahoma 14-6 at the half.
Just before the end of the first half, sophomore nickel back Ryan Murphy tallied his second interception of the season, giving KU the ball on the OU 40-yard line. Branstetter lined up for the 57-yard boot and gave Kansas its second score of the game as the ball narrowly cleared the uprights. It was the fourth-longest field goal in Jayhawk history.
KU leads the Sooners in total offense with 171 yards, but the Jayhawks threw three interceptions in the first half, two of which resulted in touchdowns for Oklahoma.
OU drove 45 yards on its first possession, giving it a first-and-goal on the one-yard line. The Jayhawks held the Sooners on three consecutive downs, but Oklahoma managed to score on a one-yard rush by senior Chris Brown on fourth-and-goal.
Senior Jake Sharp leads the offense, with 76 total yards, which includes a season-long 56 yard reception. Reesing went 11-for-21 for 121 yards, while Kerry Meier hauled in five of those passes for 27 yards.
Lubbock Smith, appearing in his second game of the season, leads the defense with six tackles, followed by junior Chris Harris, who has five tackles and one PBU.
First Half Game Notes
– QB Todd Reesing threw interceptions on consecutive possessions to start the game for Kansas and added another early in the second quarter. Reesing had not thrown more than one interception in a game so far this season and his three picks nearly matched his season total entering the game (4). Oklahoma CB Dominque Franks returned Reesing’s third interception 85 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-0.
– Oklahoma scored two touchdowns off Kansas turnovers in the first half, marking the fourth and fifth time a KU opponent has scored off a KU turnover this season. All five instances have resulted in touchdowns. Colorado did it twice, and Southern Miss did it once.
– Before failing to score in the first quarter, Kansas had scored points in 21 consecutive quarters (and in 23 of 24 overall). The Jayhawks avoided being shut out in consecutive quarters for the first time this season when K Jacob Branstetter kicked a 39-yard field goal with 2:03 left in the half.
– Kansas trailed by more than two scores for the second time this season when it trailed 14-0 during the second quarter. The previous instance was last week against Colorado.
– K Jacob Branstetter kicked a 57-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the first half, the longest field goal of his career and tied for the fourth longest in KU history. The longest was a 61-yarder by Dan Eichloff against Ball State in 1992. Branstetter’s previous long was a 43-yarder last week against Colorado.
– Branstetter also recorded his first punt of the season in the second quarter. Kansas lined up for a 49-yard field goal attempt and snapped the ball directly to Branstetter whose pooch punt was downed at the three-yard line.
– RB Jake Sharp’s 56-yard reception on a shuttle pass from Reesing near the end of the first quarter was Sharp’s longest play from scrimmage this season. His previous long was a 30-yard rush against UTEP.
– WR Kerry Meier has caught at least four passes in 10 straight games and at least two in 28 consecutive games. Meier finished the first half with five receptions for 27 yards.
– DB Ryan Murphy recorded his second interception of the season when he picked of a Landry Jones pass late in the first half. His other interception came against Southern Miss.
