Game No. 8 - Kansas Travels To Texas Tech
Oct. 26, 2009
Kansas Game Notes in PDF Format 
Texas Tech Notes in PDF Format
Press Conference Quotes
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
(5-2, 1-2 Big 12)
GAME NO. 8 – AT TEXAS TECH
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, 2:30 p.m. (Central)
Jones AT&T Stadium (52,882)
Lubbock, Texas
Radio: Jayhawk Network
(Bob Davis, David Lawrence, Nate Bukaty, Bob Newton [producer])
www.kuathletics.com
TV: ABC
(Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham)
Live Stats: www.kuathletics.com
QUICKLY — Kansas (5-2, 1-2 Big 12) will make its second straight appearance on ABC when the Jayhawks travel to Texas Tech (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) on Saturday, Oct. 31 for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
– After losing consecutive games, Kansas is not ranked for the first time this season. The Jayhawks had been ranked in 27 of the previous 33 Associated Press polls. Both teams were ranked last week before losing Saturday and falling out of the polls.
– KU will be looking to stop a two-game losing streak and has not lost three straight since actually dropping four straight in the middle of the 2006 season.
– KU is 28-9 in its last 37 games overall since that four-game losing streak.
– KU is 6-4 on the road in the last three seasons with the three losses by a combined 7.75 points, including a three-point loss at South Florida in 2008 and a four-point loss at Colorado this year (other losses were by 14 at Oklahoma and 10 points at Nebraska last season). KU has won at Kansas State, Colorado, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and UTEP in the last three years.
– KU is making its second of three regular season trips to the state of Texas this season as the Jayhawks won at UTEP on Sept. 12 and will play at Texas on Nov. 21.
– KU is making its second straight ABC appearance and played three straight games on the network in November of the 2007 season (Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Missouri).
– KU is 19-18 against Big 12 North teams in the Mark Mangino era, but 4-18 against South teams.
– KU is looking for its sixth win of the season, which would give the Jayhawks at least six victories for the fifth consecutive season, a streak which has only been accomplished twice in school history (1895-99 and 1902-06).
BEHIND THE NUMBERS — Here is a look at some behind the numbers stuff:
– KU gained 337 total yards on Oklahoma, 79 yards more than the Sooners were allowing per game. OU is now allowing 264 total yards per game, sixth in the NCAA.
– KU’s six previous FBS opponents are currently a combined 23-21, while the next five Jayhawk opponents are currently a combined 25-12.
– QB Todd Reesing is one of four quarterbacks in the country to rank in the top five nationally in both passing yards and total offense.
– Reesing is one of five quarterbacks in the country to have thrown for 2,000 yards and rushed for 200 yards gross (does not include sacks).
– PK Jacob Branstetter’s 57-yard field goal against Oklahoma last Saturday was a career-long, tied for the fourth-longest in KU history, tied for the sixth-longest in Big 12 history and tied for the second-longest in the NCAA this year.
– Among freshmen RB Toben Opurum ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring and seventh in rushing.
– WR Kerry Meier (second) and WR Dezmon Briscoe (T-seventh) are the only teammates to rank in the top 10 of the same offensive statistical category in the NCAA as they are both in receptions per game.
KU-TT SERIES — Texas Tech leads the all-time series 10-1, including a 4-1 advantage in games played at Lubbock. The Red Raiders have won three straight in the series, including last season’s 63-21 victory at Lawrence. KU’s lone win the series was a 34-31 double-overtime victory at Lubbock in 2001. The teams played four times (1965, 66, 69 and 70) before the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996.
KU-TT LAST YEAR — No. 6 Texas Tech’s offensive firepower was too much for No. 19 Kansas as the visiting Red Raiders posted a 63-21 victory at Lawrence on Oct. 25. Texas Tech scored touchdowns on nine of its first 11 possessions, while stopping KU’s 13-game home field winning streak. The teams were tied at 14 after the first quarter. However, the Red Raiders scored 49 unanswered points before KU scored a touchdown with 3:52 remaining in the game. Texas Tech ran up 556 total yards, while KU managed just 315, its fewest in the previous 27 games. KU turned the ball over five times on the day, including on three straight possessions to start the third quarter.
KU-TT LAST TIME AT LUBBOCK — Texas Tech built up a 20-0 halftime lead en route to a 30-17 victory on Oct. 1, 2005 in the last meeting at Lubbock. The Red Raiders had 380 yards of total offense, while KU managed just 271. Jon Cornish ran for 111 yards for the Jayhawks, while Brian Luke threw for 109 yards and Adam Barmann threw for 45 more. KU fumbled six times, but only lost one in the game.
KU’S ONLY WIN IN THE SERIES WAS A THRILLER — As mentioned earlier, KU’s only win in the series was a 34-31 double-overtime victory at Lubbock on Oct. 6, 2001. The teams traded rushing touchdowns in the first overtime before KU’s Johnny Beck nailed a 37-yard field goal on the first possession of the second overtime. KU LB Marcus Rogers intercepted B.J. Symons in the second overtime to seal the victory for the Jayhawks. KU trailed 24-13 before Beck hit a 44-yard field goal with 4:11 left in the game. KU forced a Red Raider punt and then drove 63 yards for a touchdown pass from Mario Kinsey to Termain Fulton with :21 left. The two-point conversion (a Reggie Duncan rush) sent the game into overtime. Duncan rushed for 227 yards for KU, which put up 310 rushing yards and 404 total. Texas Tech had 358 yards.
KU-TT CONNECTIONS — KU Head Coach Mark Mangino and TT Head Coach Mike Leach were on the offensive staff at Oklahoma in 1999… Kansas boasts 35 players on its roster from the state of Texas… KU RB and Special Teams Coach Louie Matsakis was a special teams intern at Texas Tech from 2000-02… Texas Tech DE Daniel Howard is from Wichita, Kan. and played at Butler CC.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR AGAINST TEXAS TECH
– WR Kerry Meier (1,958) needs just 42 receiving yards to become the fourth Jayhawk in school history to record 2,000 career receiving yards.
– Meier (16) needs one more touchdown catch to tie for second on the KU career touchdown receptions list.
– Meier has caught at least four passes in 10 straight games, at least two in 28 straight and at least one in 29 consecutive games.
– QB Todd Reesing (10,387) needs 36 total yards to pass Bret Meyer of Iowa State for sixth on the Big 12 career total yards list.
– Reesing (9,782) needs 218 passing yards to become the fifth player in Big 12 history to record 10,000 career passing yards.
– Reesing (804) needs 32 completions to pass Brad Smith of Missouri for fifth on the Big 12 career completions list.
– WR Dezmon Briscoe (2,634) needs 189 receiving yards to break into the Big 12 top 10 for career receiving yards (Jordy Nelson of Kansas State had 2,822).
– Briscoe has caught at least four passes in 10 consecutive games and at least two in 25 straight games.
– Since missing his last two field goal attempts at UTEP, PK Jacob Branstetter has made six consecutive field goals.
– DB Ryan Murphy has been in on a turnover in two straight games and in three of the last four (two interceptions and a fumble recovery).
DID YOU KNOW? — PK Jacob Branstetter’s five longest field goals of his career have come in his last five attempts. Against Colorado he made a 37-yarder to establish a career long. That did not last long as later in that game he made 43 and 42-yarders. Last week against Oklahoma, he drilled a 39-yarder and then booted a 57-yarder. His previous long was a 34-yarder vs. Missouri in 2008.
DID YOU KNOW? — LB Justin Springer made a career-high nine tackles against Oklahoma, while three freshmen – D.J. Beshears, Lubbock Smith and Huldon Tharp – were the next leading tacklers for KU with seven each.
