KU football season in review

By Staff     Dec 22, 2005

Game 1

Sept. 3

KU 30, Florida Atlantic 19

Kansas compiled 201 rushing yards in moving past Florida Atlantic in the season-opener for both teams.

Clark Green rushed for 107 yards on 20 carries, while Jon Cornish had 45 yards on four rushes, including an impressive 29-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Kansas jumped to a 9-0 lead on a safety and a six-yard run by Adam Barmann, but the Jayhawks were unable to find any offensive groove and led just 9-7 at halftime against a team thought to be one of the weakest in NCAA Division I-A.

FAU, in fact, took a 13-12 lead late in the third quarter when quarter Danny Embick found DiIvory Edgecomb on a 66-yard strike, the second 66-yard touchdown of the night by Embick.

KU’s heralded defense struggled in its debut, allowing 299 passing yards. However, three straight scores after FAU took the third-quarter lead put the Jayhawks up, 30-13 — a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

KU allowed just 70 rushing yards on 37 carries, a sign of things to come for the rest of run defense’s season.

Florida Atlantic scored a meaningless touchdown as time expired to cut the deficit to 11, but Kansas still escaped with a 1-0 mark to start the season.

KU started Barmann at quarterback, but the junior received the hook after throwing for 56 yards and an interception on 5-for-11 passing. Brian Luke completed 11 of 24 passes for 121 yards in a relief role.

Game 2

Sept. 10

KU 36, Appalachian State 8

The Jayhawks had little trouble disposing of Appalachian State, a Division I-AA power, on a warm night at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas again eclipsed 200 yards rushing, this time led by Jon Cornish’s 10-carry, 104-yard effort that included a 58-yard fourth-quarter run. Brian Luke looked sharp in his first start of the season at quarterback, completing 17 of 26 passes for 212 yards.

Kansas had five rushing touchdowns against the Mountaineers, three by Cornish. Kansas built a 26-0 lead after three quarters before the Mountaineers finally scored on a touchdown pass by Richie Williams on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Kansas answered immediately on a five-yard run by Cornish and a 34-yard field goal by Scott Webb.

Williams, one of the top quarterbacks in I-AA, threw for 159 yards and rushed for 34. KU’s pass defense shored up some of its problems from the first week, allowing just 178 yards in the air.

The game also featured a new twist in KU’s offense. Freshman Marcus Herford came in at quarterback in the second half, scrambling to 42 yards rushing and completing two passes for 16 yards. The stark contrast to Luke’s style gave Appalachian State’s defense fits. Herford also played receiver later in the game after his quarterback stint.

Kansas started 2-0 for the second straight season

Game 3

Sept. 17

KU 34, Louisiana Tech 14

Kansas struggled putting points up early as its running game was stopped in its tracks, but the Jayhawks managed a fourth-quarter surge to pull away for a 20-point victory at home.

Up 14-7 heading into the final frame, the Jayhawks outscored the Bulldogs, 20-7, in the fourth to notch the victory and complete an undefeated nonconference season.

With the ground game limited to 42 yards on 31 carries (31 yards by Jon Cornish), Brian Luke’s arm was the key to KU’s offense, as the senior completed 19 of 31 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Luke’s favorite target was senior Mark Simmons, who caught six balls for 106 yards.

The story, though, was KU’s defense, which successfully sacked Louisiana Tech quarterbacks seven times. The main culprit was special-package linebacker Brandon Perkins, who set a KU school record with five sacks totaling 38 yards for a loss. Charlton Keith, Nick Reid and Theo Baines also chipped in sacks.

Reid had 14 tackles, including four for a loss, as the Jayhawks were in the Bulldog backfield all night. Tech totaled 38 yards rushing on 30 carries.

Luke threw touchdown passes to three different receivers — Charles Gordon, Derek Fine and Brian Murph. Scott Webb nailed two fourth-quarter field goals from 47 and 24 yards.

KU moved to 3-0 for the first time since former head coach Terry Allen’s first season in 1997.

Game 4

Oct. 1

Texas Tech 30, Kansas 17

A sluggish start created a deep hole that KU could not escape in its first road game of the season.

Nationally ranked Texas Tech had a 20-0 lead at halftime, thanks in part to a KU fumble that was recovered by the Red Raiders in the end zone for six points. Before that, Tech sustained a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was completed with a Jarrett Hicks touchdown pass, easily the most successful drive Texas Tech would have all night.

KU didn’t get on the board until early in the second half when Charlton Keith returned a fumble to the Tech 11-yard line. Kansas scored on a Jon Cornish run on the next play.

After a Tech touchdown, Brian Luke completed a 73-yard drive by finding Mark Simmons in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Scott Webb then added a field goal to make the score 27-17, but KU would get no closer.

Kansas, though, continued its strong defense against the run, surrendering just 47 yards on 26 carries. Meanwhile, Cornish racked up his second triple-digit rushing game of the year, carrying the ball 17 times for 111 yards.

The Jayhawks used three quarterbacks for the second time this season, starting Luke and putting Adam Barmann and Marcus Herford in at select times. Luke was 13-for-27 passing for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a costly interception with KU down just 10 in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges threw for 333 yards on 34-of-52 passing, but was sacked five times and intercepted by Rodney Fowler.

Game 5

Oct. 8

Kansas State 12, Kansas 3

A quarterback controversy brewed all week and even the game didn’t solve it, as Kansas again used three quarterbacks in an offensive-challenged loss to its in-state rival.

Adam Barmann picked up the start but Brian Luke recorded plenty of snaps. Neither looked sharp, combing to complete just 33 percent of their passes for 103 yards.

Kansas did take a 3-0 lead into the locker room at halftime on a 28-yard field goal by Scott Webb. Kansas State answered in the third quarter with a 38-yard Jeff Snodgrass field goal, and the fourth quarter started with a low-scoring stalemate.

Kansas State scored on a Jordy Nelson touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, then a punt downed at the one-yard line gave KU a 99-yard field to work with in an attempt to tie it. Instead, Luke was sacked in the end zone, and K-State had a two-score lead that seemed huge and remarkably safe.

Jon Cornish rushed for 66 yards on 17 carries, while KU’s run defense held the Wildcats to 0.8 yards per rush. Overall, the Jayhawk defense was solid, holding K-State to 182 yards of total offense, sacking K-State’s quarterbacks twice and getting an interception by linebacker Nick Reid.

Kansas fell to 0-2 in Big 12 Conference play, as it continued a 42-day vacation from playing at Memorial Stadium.

Game 6

Oct. 15

Oklahoma 19, Kansas 3

KU’s offensive futility hit rock bottom against the Sooners, who brought an aggressive pass rush that clearly rattled the Jayhawks.

Criticized for not sticking with one quarterback, KU coach Mark Mangino did so against OU, leaving Brian Luke in for a whole game that turned painful to watch.

Luke was 11 of 30 for 86 yards, throwing three interceptions. Luke’s first pick was on the first drive of the game, and Oklahoma’s D.J. Wolfe returned it 65 yards across the field for a touchdown. KU’s second drive resulted in an interception, too, which OU promptly turned into a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

It turned out to be enough for Oklahoma. Kansas tacked on a first-quarter field goal, and the scoring ceased until the fourth quarter.

The Jayhawks churned out 97 yards of total offense the entire game, including 18 yards rushing. KU’s only legitimate chance at the end zone was set up by a Charles Gordon interception, but a Luke pass to Derek Fine was stripped away by OU’s Rufus Alexander at the OU one-yard line for another interception.

Gordon intercepted two passes in what would be his final game spending significant time on defense. Kansas’ exhausted defense allowed 96 yards rushing on 49 carries and no offensive touchdowns until the fourth quarter. A 25-yard touchdown reception by Malcolm Kelly in the fourth quarter put Oklahoma up comfortably.

Afterward, KU linebacker Nick Reid lashed out against teammates, contemplating getting in a “fist fight” with members of the offense to light a fire under them.

Game 7

Oct. 22

Colorado 44, Kansas 13

A 31-point loss actually gave KU faithful a sense of hope, as quarterback Jason Swanson made his season debut and gave the Jayhawks a sorely needed offensive spark.

Brian Luke started but was replaced by Swanson in the first quarter. Swanson’s second pass attempt was a 40-yard bomb caught by Charles Gordon. It set up a Scott Webb field goal to make it 9-3 Buffaloes.

Eventually, Kansas cut it to 16-13 before halftime thanks to a Swanson touchdown pass that broke a 10-quarter drought without a touchdown.

KU’s defense wasn’t as sharp as usual, though, and special teams contributed directly to 16 points (a first-quarter safety, a blocked punt return and a punt return). The Buffaloes outscored the Jayhawks 28-0 in the second half to roll to the conference victory.

Swanson finished with 291 yards on 26-of-50 passing with one touchdown and three interceptions. His favorite target was Gordon, who caught eight balls for 85 yards.

Colorado had 104 yards rushing, the first time a team has hit triple-digits on the ground against Kansas since the Appalachian State game. KU, though, could force no turnovers in the entire game, and Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt threw for 193 yards and four touchdowns — three to CU tight ends.

The Jayhawks dropped their fourth straight game — all Big 12 Conference contests. It was the last of a brutal four-week stretch of games played away from Memorial Stadium.

Game 8

Oct. 29, 2005

Kansas 13, Missouri 3

Kansas scored 13 unanswered points and benefited from possibly the best defensive effort of the season in stopping its Border War rivals for the third straight year.

The goalposts came crumbling down after KU ran out the clock. Clark Green had the most productive rushing effort on the year by a KU back, gaining 125 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown. Jon Cornish added 54 yards and a touchdown, as the Jayhawks mounted 208 yards on the Tigers.

Defensively, the Jayhawks contained Brad Smith like they always have, holding him to 141 yards passing and 38 yards rushing one week after the dual-threat quarterback compiled 480 yards of total offense against Nebraska.

Missouri drew first blood on a 39-yard Adam Crossett field goal in the first quarter, but KU took the lead in the second on a one-yard run by Green.

From there, it was a back-and-forth defensive battle. The turning point came at the end of the third quarter, when an errant Smith pitch on an option was stolen by KU’s Aqib Talib, giving the Jayhawks the ball with great field position.

Kansas capitalized and scored on the ensuing drive, when Cornish rumbled in from 10 yards out. A Theo Baines interception in the fourth-quarter locked up the KU victory.

Jason Swanson made his first start of the season at quarterback, completing 12 of 19 passes for just 90 yards and rushing for 32 more yards.

His production wasn’t critical, though, as Green, Cornish and the KU defense carried the Jayhawks to victory. It snapped a four-game losing streak and re-opened the talk of bowl possibilities. Kansas improved to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 Conference play.

Game 9

Nov. 5, 2005

Kansas 40, Nebraska 15

The Jayhawks’ most celebrated victory of the season came with authority — a 25-point win over Nebraska, a team that had beaten KU 36 consecutive times between 1968 and 2004.

A Memorial Stadium record 51,750 fans witnessed KU take a quick 7-0 lead when Jason Swanson found Mark Simmons open over the top for a 40-yard touchdown. KU eventually expanded the score to 17-2 thanks to a Darren Rus blocked punt return and a Scott Webb field goal.

The Huskers brought it back to 17-15 by the third quarter with two consecutive touchdowns, but the two-point conversion following the second score failed. Kansas then scored 23 straight points — started by a 72-yard run by Jon Cornish — to ignite a celebration that will remain unforgettable in the minds of many who saw it.

The exclamation point on the festive day came when Kevin Kane intercepted a screen pass by Zac Taylor, was helped by a bone-crushing block from Brandon Perkins and returned the pick 40 yards for a touchdown with 5:23 remaining.

Kansas had a record-setting day statistically, having two 100-yard rushers (Cornish’s 101 and Clark Green’s 100) and a 100-yard receiver (Simmons). In all, Kansas had 428 yards of total offense, compared to 138 by Nebraska.

Swanson improved to 2-0 as KU’s starter, completing 16 of 27 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. The victory put KU within one game of bowl-eligibility with two left to play.

Game 10

Nov. 12, 2005

Texas 66, Kansas 14

Yikes. Kansas ran into one of college football’s best teams and was steamrolled from every direction, down 52-0 at halftime and eventually accepting the lopsided loss by the same margin.

Texas scored four touchdowns in the first 13:30 and didn’t let up until the third quarter, scoring on the ground, in the air and on special teams. Vince Young played the first half and one series in the second, compiling 281 yards passing and four touchdowns.

Kansas was the first team ever to keep Young in negative yardage rushing, but the beatdown KU endured made it a forgettable sidenote.

The Jayhawks were the nation’s top team against the run heading into the Texas toasting, but UT managed 336 yards on 53 carries, knocking Kansas down the NCAA Division I-A list. Ramonce Taylor, Henry Melton and Jamaal Charles all racked up at least 70 yards rushing.

Kansas didn’t score until early in the third quarter, when Jon Cornish scooted in from 59 yards to spoil UT’s shutout. Kansas scored again near the end of the third quarter on a 15-yard run by Brandon McAnderson.

It was the Longhorns’ day, though. Texas had 617 yards of total offense compared to KU’s 267, 29 first downs to KU’s nine and averaged 6.3 yards per carry despite predictably running the ball nearly every play in the second half.

Texas improved to 10-0 and continued its quest for a national championship. Kansas dropped to 5-5, setting up a high-stakes season finale against Iowa State with bowl eligibility on the line.

Game 11

Nov. 26, 2005

Kansas 24, Iowa State 21, OT

A dramatic conclusion to a roller-coaster season gave Kansas an overtime victory and the necessary sixth victory to be considered for bowl selection.

KU trailed 14-3 at halftime, but started a slow comeback with a Scott Webb field goal and defensive stops when ISU tried to put the game away.

Jason Swanson was injured early in the fourth quarter, and the reins were handed to Brian Luke to try and prolong the season. Luke sneaked in for a one-yard touchdown to complete the drive Swanson started, then completed the two-point conversion to Derek Fine to tie the game at 14.

Iowa State answered immediately to make it 21-14, then Luke orchestrated a lengthy, quick drive with under two minutes to play to tie the game with 1:05 left on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dexton Fields.

Kansas then held ISU without a first down and overtime and watched as Bret Culbertson missed a field goal. KU answered by running the ball three times and connecting on a 32-yard field goal by Scott Webb to win it.

Luke and Swanson combined for 254 yards passing, while Jon Cornish had 70 yards rushing on 14 carries. As was the case all year, KU’s run defense was smothering, limiting the Cyclones to 56 yards on 36 carries. Bret Meyer did throw for 257 yards, but had a costly throw intercepted by Aqib Talib late in the game.

Kansas finished the regular season winning three of four games, and the victory over Iowa State assured the Jayhawks would finish with a non-losing season for the first time since 1995.

— Ryan Wood

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