Kansas Postgame Notes vs. Minnesota
Dec. 31, 2008
Kansas‘ Win Over Minnesota…
…Gave KU at least eight wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1908 (9-0-0) and 1909 (8-1-0). KU was 12-1 a year ago.
…Marked KU’s 23rd win in the last 30 games dating back to October of 2006.
…Made Kansas 23-7 against non-Big 12 opponents in the Mark Mangino era, including a 16-2 mark in the last 18 non-league games.
…Improved KU to 17-25 all-time against Big Ten opponents including a 4-3 record against Minnesota.
…Gave the Jayhawks an all-time bowl record of 6-6 including a 3-1 mark under Mangino.
…Gave head coach Mark Mangino a 45-40 record at KU, making him third on the KU coaches victory list behind only A.R. Kennedy (52-9-4 from 1904-10) and Glen Mason (47-54-1 from 1988-96).
…Was KU’s third straight bowl win (in the last four years) as well as fifth in its last six bowl games.
Notes
– Senior LB James Holt and sophomore WR Dezmon Briscoe were named defensive and offensive Players of the Game respectively.
– Junior QB Todd Reesing established new KU career records for pass attempts (965) and total offensive plays (1,196). He now holds at least 15 school records for a career.
– Reesing broke the school record for consecutive completions with 14. The previous record was 12, done by Mark Williams (1995) and Mike Norseth (1985).
– Sophomore WR Dezmon Briscoe finished with 14 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Ten of his catches came in the first half marking the fifth time a KU player tallied double digit receptions in the 2008 season (Briscoe twice, Meier twice, Wilson once). Briscoe’s 14 catches broke the Insight Bowl record. Meier also finished with 10 catches for a total of six occasions a Jayhawk caught 10 or more passes this season.
– Briscoe’s 14 catches leapfrogged him from sixth to second on the KU all-time receptions list with 135 after just his second season. The record is held by Mark Simmons with 155 career grabs.
– Briscoe’s 14 receptions tied a single-game school record with Kerry Meier, who had 14 against Missouri in the last regular season game.
– Briscoe posted his fourth straight game with over 100 yards receiving to set a KU record for consecutive 100-yard games.
– Junior WR Kerry Meier became the fifth player (and second this season along with Briscoe) in KU history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He finished the year with 97 catches for 1,045 yards.
– Meier completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Briscoe in the third quarter. It marked the second time in Meier’s career he both caught and threw a touchdown pass in the same game. He also pulled off the feat against Iowa State in the 2007 season. For the season, Meier went 3-for-3 passing.
– Meier moved up to fifth on the KU career receptions list with 124.
– Meier (97) and Briscoe (92) each finished the season with at least 90 catches which represents the top two marks in school history. The next closest receiver is Richard Estell who had 70 grabs in 1985.
– Holt sacked the quarterback for the sixth straight game and finished with three sacks and a total of four tackles for loss. His three sacks were the most by a KU player since David McMillan had three at Missouri in 2004.
– Senior linebackers Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen each tied their career-highs with 14 and 13 tackles, respectively.
– Kansas scored on its first offensive play of the game on a 60-yard pass from Reesing to Briscoe with 14:49 showing on the clock. It was Kansas’ fastest score to open a game in 2008. It was the longest KU scoring play since a 69-yard Briscoe TD catch at Oklahoma.
– Kansas’ opening score was the fastest score since 2002 when Greg Heaggans returned the opening kick-off for a touchdown against Southwest Missouri State. However, the Heaggans return consumed 18 seconds off the clock, while the Reesing-to-Briscoe touchdown against the Gophers came just 11 seconds into the contest.
– Minnesota completed a 75-yard pass on its first play from scrimmage which was the longest pass play by a KU opponent of the season.
– Sophomore WR Johnathan Wilson grabbed a four-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was his third career TD after recording to touchdown catches at South Florida.
– Sophomore LB Drew Dudley blocked his first career punt to end the first half.
– Sophomore P Alonso Rojas averaged 47.5 yards on four punts which was a season best. He landed two punts inside the 20 including one on the one yard line.
