Kansas Leads No. 12 Missouri 19-10 in Football at Halftime in K.C.
Nov. 29, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ball control and solid defense has propelled Kansas to a 19-10 halftime lead over No. 12 Missouri on a sleeting, snowy Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Through 30 minutes of play, Kansas has held the ball 21:34 to Missouri’s 8:26. KU has forced two Missouri turnovers, while KU junior quarterback Todd Reesing is 21-for-24 with two touchdowns to lead the KU charge.
On the game’s first drive, Kansas junior defensive back Darrell Stuckey intercepted MU quarterback Chase Daniel and returned the ball 19 yards to the MU 20-yard line. The interception was Stuckey’s fourth of the season. Four plays later KU sophomore place kicker Jacob Branstetter made a career-long 34-yard field goal to make the score 3-0 in favor of the Jayhawks.
After its field goal, KU held MU to a three-and-out and drove down to the Missouri 13-yard line before MU’s Kenji Jackson intercepted a Reesing pass in the end zone.
Three plays later, Daniel scrambled 54 yards on a third and 10 before being stripped of the ball by Stuckey, who recovered his second fumbled of the season. Kansas once again marched down the field and culminated a nine-play, 63-yard drive with a Reesing to sophomore Dezmon Briscoe nine-yard scoring pass. Briscoe, who scored his team-high 12th touchdown of the season, went the final eight yards behind a wall of blocking to make the score 10-0 in favor of the Jayhawks.
After the first quarter, KU led MU in time of possession 12:49 to 2:11 and the Jayhawks had nine first downs before Missouri had its first.
With the score KU 10-0, Missouri scored its first points by going 62 yards in eight plays capped by a Daniel to Chase Coffman five-yard touchdown pass.
On the next possession, KU’s drive stalled at the MU 34 yard-line and KU’s Alonso Rojas punted the ball to the MU two-yard line. Two plays later KU sophomore Jake Laptad recorded his second safety of the season by sacking Daniel in the end zone forcing an intentional grounding. The safety gave Kansas a 12-7 lead with 6:16 before the half.
Following the free kick via the safety, Kansas went up 19-7 by going 56 yards in 10 plays with Reesing hitting Dexton Fields on a 25-yard over-the-top touchdown pass. It was Fields’ third touchdown reception of the season.
Missouri then went 30 yards in nine plays to make the score 19-10 on a 48 yard field goal to end the half.
Kansas is looking to reach a bowl game for the second consecutive season. KU, which played in the FedEx Orange Bowl last season, has never played in bowl games in consecutive year. Bowl announcements for the 2008 season will be Dec. 7.
