Stories for September 2, 2017

Lead stories

Night

Happy debut: Peyton Bender starts fast in opening win over SEMO

The path that first took him through Pullman, Wash., then Fulton, Miss., eventually led quarterback Peyton Bender to Lawrence, Kansas. And although the junior transfer’s highly-anticipated debut didn’t venture into the realm of flawless, Bender proved worthy of his place atop the depth chart on a 364-yard, four-touchdown Saturday night and piloted KU’s Air Raid offense to a 38-16 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the Jayhawks’ season-opener. By Benton Smith

Matt Tait: Harrell's acrobatic catch showcases KU's potential

Let’s say you spend the next four months watching nothing but college football on Saturdays. In all of that time, after thousands of plays, you may not find a better catch by anyone, anywhere, than the one Kansas sophomore Chase Harrell hauled in during the Jayhawks’ 38-16 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. By Matt Tait

Bender throws 4 TDs, Jayhawks roll in opener

On a night to celebrate the 2008 Orange Bowl champions team, the current version of the Kansas football team put on its own show Saturday at Memorial Stadium. By Bobby Nightengale

Evening

Mark Mangino: 'Hard-working, grinding' approach to thank for Orange Bowl legacy

David Beaty only spent two seasons as an assistant on Mark Mangino’s Kansas football staff. But when he looks back on it now, Beaty appreciates the groundwork he saw Mangino put in more than ever. Before Mangino and the entire 2007 Orange Bowl team is enshrined in the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Jayhawks’ season-opener versus Southeast Missouri State (6 p.m., Memorial Stadium), Beaty said his former boss found a way to make an impact on the program during his eight-year run (50-48 record from 2002-09) that remains even today. By Benton Smith

Stories

Notebook: Tyriek Starks enters after Bender; several players make first starts

No quarterback other than junior transfer Peyton Bender, officially the Kansas football team’s new starter, threw a pass in the Jayhawks’ season-opening, 38-16 victory over Southeast Missouri State Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. By Benton Smith

KU honors, learns from 2008 Orange Bowl team in first game

A day before being inducted into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame, Mark Mangino sat at a table in the Chancellor’s Lounge of the Anderson Football Complex, some 40 feet away from the windows overlooking Memorial Stadium. He had one piece of advice for the current team, though it wasn't something that could be spoken. By Scott Chasen

News