Kansas Football To Travel To Oklahoma State For Nationally Televised Game
Nov. 5, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
QUICKLY — For the third time in four weeks, as well as for the fourth time in the last six games, fourth-ranked by the BCS Kansas (9-0 overall, 5-0 Big 12) will play a road game as the Jayhawks travel to Oklahoma State (5-4, 3-2) for a nationally-televised game on ABC on Saturday at 7 p.m. Central… KU will be playing on national television for the fifth time in the last six weeks… KU is 6-17 all-time on ABC and most recently appeared on the network in last year’s game at <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Missouri (lost 42-17)… KU is 3-0 on the road this season and has won four of its last five away from Lawrence… KU is 9-0 for the first time since 1908 and has won nine straight games for its longest winning streak since winning nine in 1951-52… KU has won 12 of its last 13 games… KU’s current nine-game winning streak is tied for the second longest in the country behind Ohio State (10) and tied with Hawai’i (nine)… KU’s national ranking of fourth is its highest since being ranked third by the Associated Press in 1968… KU is 8-1 in its last nine games as a ranked team.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
IN THE POLLS — Kansas enters the week ranked fourth in the Bowl Championship Series poll and fifth in the AP, USA Today and Harris Interactive polls. KU’s highest ranking in history is third for three weeks in the AP poll in 1968. (KU’s weekly ranking this season can be found on page 24 of this release, while KU’s all-time AP rankings can be found on page eight).
LAST TIME OUT — Todd Reesing threw a school-record six touchdown passes and had 354 yards through the air, while Brandon McAnderson ran for 119 yards and a school-record tying four touchdowns as eighth-ranked Kansas beat Nebraska, 76-39 in its annual homecoming game at Memorial Stadium Saturday. After a three-and-out on their opening drive, the Jayhawks scored on 10 of their next 11 possessions (exception was a one-play kneel down to end the first half). KU’s 76 points were the third most in team history as well as the most allowed by Nebraska in its school history. The Jayhawks produced a school-record tying 34 first downs and ran 90 plays on the day en route to 572 yards of total offense. Reesing set school records for touchdown passes in a game (six) and in a single-season (23). Four of his touchdown passes came in the first half to four different receivers. Freshman Dezmon Briscoe caught three of Reesing’s scoring strikes on the afternoon (one off the school record) and finished with five catches for 52 yards. Senior Marcus Henry led all receivers with six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Nebraska scored on its first possession of the game, and later led 14-7 in the first quarter. However, KU scored 21 points in the opening quarter and 27 in the second period in its record-setting day. KU also forced four straight Nebraska turnovers in the second half en route to getting five turnovers on the day.
NATION’S UNDEFEATED TEAMS — Only three teams in the Football Bowl Series (FBS) remain undefeated heading into this week.
School W/L BCS Rank This Week
Ohio State 10-0 1st ILLINOIS
Kansas 9-0 4th at OklahomaState
Hawai’i 8-0 16th FRESNOSTATE
DID YOU KNOW? — A win against OklahomaState will give Kansas head coach Mark Mangino a career .500 record at the school (enters the week at 34-35). If that happens, he will become the first KU coach with a .500 record since Jack Mitchell was 44-42-5 from 1958-66 (eight coaches in between).
DID YOU KNOW? — While KU has set a school record for season points (416) and recorded 49 offensive touchdowns, the Jayhawks have also scored five touchdowns and two safeties on defense and special teams combined this season.
THE SERIES — The all-time series is knotted at 28-28-3 with OklahomaState holding a narrow 13-12-2 advantage in games played in Stillwater. The series, which dates back to 1923, has been filled with runs by each team. Kansas won seven straight from 1946-52 and seven straight from 1959-65. OSU claimed six straight from 1974-79 and seven straight from 1983-89. KU then won six straight from 1990-95 before the Cowboys won the last five meetings. KU head coach Mark Mangino is 0-3 against OklahomaState since taking over the KU program.
KU-OSU LAST YEAR — Kansas built up a 17-0 lead at the 10:46 mark of the third quarter before Oklahoma State scored 42 points in the final 23:19 to post a 42-32 victory against the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Oct. 14, 2006. OSU scored 28 straight points before Brandon McAnderson scored to cut the OSU lead to 28-25 with 7:46 left in the game. However, OSU scored two more touchdowns to push its margin to 42-25 before the Jayhawks scored a late touchdown. OklahomaState ran up 603 yards of total offense, including 411 passing, while Kansas had 365 yards. Kerry Meier threw for 187 yards and rushed for a team-best 70 for KU. Defensively, Jerome Kemp had 11 tackles, while James McClinton and Mike Rivera each had 10. Joe Mortensen added eight and Aqib Talib had seven stops and an interception.
KU-OSU LAST TIME IN STILLWATER — Kansas trailed Oklahoma State 16-13 early in the third quarter before the Cowboys scored 28 straight points to put the Jayhawks away en route to a 44-21 win in Stillwater on Nov. 15, 2003. Kansas recorded 395 total yards, but OklahomaState accumulated 485. KU was led by Brian Luke, who threw for 193 yards. Charles Gordon had nine catches for 72 yards and Clark Green rushed for 77 yards in the loss. KU controlled the ball for 38:23 while OSU had the pigskin for just 21:37 in the contest. KU had three turnovers and OSU two.
KU-OSU CONNECTIONS — Kansas lists 13 players on its roster from the state of Oklahoma in LS Kayl Anderson (Tulsa/Bishop Kelley), DE Russell Brorsen (Stillwater), CB Anthony Davis (Tulsa/East Central), TE Derek Fine (Sallisaw), CB Chris Harris (Bixby), WR Marcus Henry (Lawton/Eisenhower), CB Maurice Henry (Lawton/Eisenhower), PK Stephen Hoge (Oklahoma City/Putnam City North), LB James Holt (Altus), DE Jake Laptad (Tulsa/Jenks), LB Dakota Lewis (Sulphur), WR Rell Lewis (Muskogee), and PK Scott Webb (Tulsa/Union)… KU head coach Mark Mangino was an assistant coach at Oklahoma from 1999-2001… KU defensive coordinator Bill Young attended Grant HS in Oklahoma City and played at OklahomaState from 1965-68… Young also coached at OklahomaState from 1968-69 and 1976-78 as well as at Oklahoma from 1995-96… KU tight ends coach Brandon Blaney coached at Oklahoma from 1999-2000… KU offensive line coach John Reagan coached at OklahomaState in 1996… KU strength coach Chris Dawson played at Oklahoma from 1992-94 and was a strength coach at OU from 1995-2000… KU football trainer Murphy Grant was the OSU basketball trainer for five years as well as an assistant strength coach there for two years… KU football SID Mike Strauss worked as an associate SID at OSU from 1988-96, including when OSU head coach Mike Gundy was a Cowboy quarterback… KU assistant athletic director for media relations Chris Theisen is an OklahomaState graduate and worked in the OSU SID office as a student assistant… KU on-campus recruiting coordinator Rajeeb Hosain is from Norman, Okla… OSU defensive line coach Nelson Barnes coached the 1993 season at KansasState when KU head coach Mark Mangino was also with the Wildcats… OSU video coordinator Jeff Naple and KU head coach Mark Mangino were childhood acquaintances… OSU WR Seth Newton is from Girard, Kan.