Jayhawks Breeze by Cyclones, 41-10
AMES, Iowa – Kansas (5-5, 2-4 Big 12) converted four Iowa State (3-7, 0-6 Big 12) turnovers into 20 points as the Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones, 41-10, Saturday Afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. Kansas held Iowa State to 33 rushing yards on 30 carries while the Jayhawk offense totaled 403 yards of total offense on 73 plays.
Senior running back Jon Cornish moved into 11th place on Kansas’ career rushing list with his 79 yards on 17 carries, giving him 1,908 for his career. He also moved into ninth place on KU’s single-season rushing list with his 1,120 rushing yards on the season. Senior fullback Brandon McAnderson added 42 yards and two rushing scores on seven carries, the first multiple-scoring game of his career.
Senior wide receiver Jonathan Lamb was KU’s leading receiver, hauling in five catches for 76 yards, both setting new career-highs. Junior tight end Derek Fine snagged four catches for 37 yards and two scores, the first two-touchdown performance of his career.
Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier went 17-of-22 for 199 yards and two touchdown passes on the game and also amassed 19 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Sophomore linebacker Mike Rivera led the charge for the defense, registering six tackles and one forced fumble. Sophomore linebacker Joe Mortensen added five tackles, two for a loss and also recorded two sacks.
Early in the first quarter, Mortensen recovered a muffed ISU punt return, his second fumble recovery of the season. Kansas quickly converted the turnover into points when Meier connected with senior wide receiver Brian Murph on 50-yard touchdown pass that made the score, 6-3 with 9:32 left in the first quarter. The pass was both a career-long pass and touchdown pass for Meier and represented the longest touchdown reception in Murph’s career.
Kansas continued to force turnovers in the first half as sophomore Aqib Talib picked off his fifth pass of the season with 3:29 remaining in the first quarter. On the subsequent drive, on a fourth-down play, freshman quarterback Todd Reesing found Fine for a 29-yard touchdown connection to make the score, 13-3.
Fine reached paydirt again when Meier connected with him on a three-yard pass at 5:23 of the second quarter. The scoring grab marked the first two-score game of Fine’s career and made the score 20-3.
After stopping the Cyclones on a fourth-down play inside KU territory late in the second quarter, McAnderson rumbled into the endzone on a four-yard rush to extend Kansas’ lead to 27-3 with 23 seconds remaining in the half. Lamb made the key play on the drive, hauling in a 40-yard reception, a career-long, to set up the score.
The defense continued to force ISU miscues as sophomore Mike Rivera forced a Cyclones’ fumble on their opening drive of the second half. Senior safety Jerome Kemp fell on the loose ball to give KU its third turnover of the game. It was Rivera’s first forced fumble and Kemp’s first fumble recovery of their respective careers.
Reesing scored on a one-yard plunge with 6:23 left in the third quarter after the Kansas special teams tackled the ISU punter at the Cyclones’ one-yard line. The rushing score was Reesing’s second of his career and lengthened the KU lead to 34-3.
After Reesing tossed an interception, the Kansas defense returned the favor on the next play, as Kemp forced an ISU fumble and freshman safety Darrell Stuckey recovered the loose ball. On the subsequent drive, McAnderson scored on a one-yard dive to make the score 41-3 with 11:11 remaining in the game.
Kansas returns to action Nov. 18 when its host Sunflower State rival, Kansas State, at Memorial Stadium.
