Kansas Football To Host Kansas State In Intra-State Meeting

Oct. 26, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Press Conference Quotes

QUICKLY — Kansas (5-3 overall, 2-2 Big 12) will host Kansas State (4-4, 1-3) in the 106th meeting between the two schools on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m. (FSN-TV)… The winner of the game receives the Governor’s Cup… KU is playing its fourth pre-noon start this year and fourth in the last five weeks… KU is playing consecutive home games for the first time since the first two weeks of the season… KU had its 13-game home winning streak stopped last week against Texas Tech… KU has won 22 of its last 25 home games… KU has won six of its last seven Big 12 home games… Despite losing in each of the last two weeks, the Jayhawks have won 17 of their last 21 games and 20 of their last 25 contests… KU is playing its eighth straight televised game.

OUT OF THE POLLS — Kansas dropped out of the national polls this week after a school record 19 straight weeks in the Associated Press listings (streak started Oct. 7 last year after the Jayhawks defeated then 24th-ranked Kansas State and moved into the polls at 20th). That streak was the ninth-longest active streak in the nation and the longest all-time for KU which had previously appeared in 14 straight polls between 1995 and 1996. The Jayhawks entered this year 14th in the AP listings, reaching 13th before falling at South Florida and dropping to 19th. KU was 16th for three straight weeks before dropping to 19th after a loss at Oklahoma and out of the polls after a loss to Texas Tech last Saturday.

SUNFLOWER STATE SHOWDOWN — While there is plenty of information about the series between Kansas and Kansas State on page four of this release, here is a look at the last four games between the two schools:

2004 – Kansas 31, Kansas State 28… KU’s victory at Lawrence stopped an 11-game winning streak in the series by the Wildcats. Trailing 24-21 early in the fourth quarter, KU scored 10 straight points to lead 31-21 with 3:16 left.

2005 – Kansas State 12, Kansas 3… The lowest scoring game in the series since a 3-3 tie in 1966. KU led 3-0 at halftime before KSU scored three points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth quarter to get the win.

2006 – Kansas 39, Kansas State 20… KU’s most points in the series since defeating the Wildcats 39-13 in 1971. KU out scored the Wildcats 19-7 in the fourth quarter.

2007 – Kansas 30, Kansas State 24… Kansas posted a road win to open the Big 12 season at then 24th-ranked Kansas State. The game vaulted KU into the polls where it remained for the next 19 listings until this week.

THE KU-KSU SERIES — Kansas leads the all-time series by a 64-36-5 count, including a 36-15-2 advantage in games played in Lawrence. KU has won two straight and three of the last four in the series after Kansas State ran off 11 consecutive wins from 1993-2003. KU will be looking to win three straight in the series for the first time since 1988-90.

KU-KSU LAST TIME — Kansas opened Big 12 play last season with a 30-24 win at then 24th-ranked Kansas State on Oct. 6. The win accomplished a lot of things including: KU started Big 12 play with a win for the first time since 2003, defeated a ranked team on the road for the first time since 1995, stopped an eight-game losing streak in Manhattan, and gave KU consecutive wins against KSU for the first time since 1988-89-90. KU gained just 38 yards on 16 plays in the first quarter before finishing with 437 yards. KSU managed 363 yards on the day, including 310 passing. KU QB Todd Reesing threw for 267 yards and had three interceptions (only had seven interceptions on the season). However, he connected with Dezmon Briscoe and Dexton Fields on second-half touchdown passes to lead KU to the win. The teams were tied at 14 at halftime before Briscoe’s 28-yard touchdown receptions put KU up. KSU scored the next 10 points to take a 24-21 lead with 7:32 left in the game. Reesing then hit Fields on a 30-yard score with 6:27 left and Scott Webb added a 24-yard field goal to cap the scoring. Former KU CB Aqib Talib recorded an interception on KSU’s final series to seal the victory.

KU-KSU LAST TIME IN LAWRENCE — Jon Cornish rushed for a career-high 201 yards and two touchdowns and the KU defense forced a season-high six turnovers as the Jayhawks downed Kansas State 39-20 in front of a then-Memorial Stadium attendance record of 51,821. KSU scored first on a field goal, but KU ran off the next 13 points in the game on two field goals and a touchdown. Kansas led 20-13 heading into the fourth quarter and out scored the visitors 19-7 in the final period to get the 19-point win. KU QB Kerry Meier threw for 108 yards, while WR Dexton Fields had seven catches for 72 yards. DE Russell Brorsen led KU with 10 tackles and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.

ONE OF NATION’S OLDEST RIVALRIES – The Kansas vs. Kansas State rivalry is the 15th most-played rivalry in the nation, as well as the fourth-longest uninterrupted series in the country. While the Jayhawks and Wildcats have met 105 previous times, KSU is not Kansas’ most played rival as the Jayhawks have played Missouri 116 times and Nebraska 114 times for the second and third most played rivalries respectively in college football. However, the 97 consecutive games in the series is the fourth-longest streak in the nation, ranking only behind Kansas-Nebraska (102 straight), Minnesota-Wisconsin (101) and Clemson-South Carolina (99).

KU-KSU CONNECTIONS — KU head coach Mark Mangino was an assistant coach at Kansas State from 1991-98 and helped the Wildcats to six straight bowl games from 1993-98… KU DE coach Job Bob Clements played defensive end at KSU from 1995-98 and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection as a senior. Clements was on the KSU coaching staff from 1999-2005 as a student assistant, graduate assistant, defensive ends coach and recruiting coordinator… KU starting OG Adrian Mayes is from Manhattan.

Weekly Supplemental Notes will be available Thursdays at www.kuathletics.com