November 26, 2011

Postgame Notes

Nov. 26, 2011

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes |

MISSOURI 24, KANSAS 10
November 26, 2011
Postgame Notes

SERIES INFORMATION

CAPTAINS: Tim Biere (TE), Jeremiah Hatch (OT), Steven Johnson (LB), Toben Opurum (DE)

FIRST TIME STARTERS: Tony Pierson (RB)

GENERAL NOTES

KU wore their blue home uniforms at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since the 2007 game with Missouri.
The Jayhawks won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. KU kicked off to open the game for just the second time this season (also at Texas).

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Sophomore WR/QB Christian Matthews completed a 12-yard pass to Kale Pick in the third quarter. It marked Matthews’ first career completion.
Matthews 31 yards rushing in the game were a career high.
Freshman RB Tony Pierson recorded a 16-yard reception in the fourth quarter, which was his longest of the season.
Pierson’s two receptions for 31 yards were a career high.
Senior RB Rell Lewis collected two catches in the game, which were a career high.
Sophomore RB James Sims finished the season with 727 yards rushing. He has led Kansas in rushing each of the last two seasons. The last Jayhawk to lead KU in rushing for two straight seasons was Jon Cornish in 2005 and 2006.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Sophomore CB Tyler Patmon made his third career interception in the first quarter, which was his first since the Nebraska game last season.
Patmon returned his interception 42 yards, which is the longest by a Kansas player since Maxwell Onyegbule returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown against Duke in 2009.
Junior CB Greg Brown recorded an interception in the first half, marking his second of the season and KU’s second of the game.
It was the first time the Jayhawks recorded multiple interceptions in a game since the Missouri game last season.
KU’s defense held Missouri scoreless in the first quarter. It was just the third time this season that KU held an opponent scoreless in the opening period.
Junior S Bradley McDougald recorded his second interception of the season in the second quarter and KU’s third of the game.
It marked the first time KU returned an interception for a touchdown since the 2009 game against Duke.
McDougald’s interception was KU’s third of the game, the most by a KU defense since it picked off three passes against Kansas State in 2008.
Junior LB Toben Opurum recorded his team-best fourth sack of the season late in the first half.
Senior LB Steven Johnson finished the game with 10 tackles to end the year with 124 stops. His 124 tackles this season is the most by a Jayhawk since Nick Reid finished with 133 stops in 2003.
Johnson’s 10 tackles also gave him eight games this season with double-digit stops.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Sophomore K Ron Doherty hit a 33-yard field goal in the first half, which was his third of the season and second of at least 30 yards.
Junior KR D.J. Beshears collected 1,014 yards in kick returns this season, which broke the Kansas single-season record.
Beshears also added to his single-season record for kickoff returns with 49 on the year, beating his mark of 36 he set last season.