Quick recap: KU football falls to Nicholls State in overtime

By Shane Jackson     Sep 1, 2018

Carter Gaskins
Kansas quarterback Peyton Bender (7) runs for the gain in the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018 at Memorial Stadium.

The University of Kansas football team lost its 12th-straight game Saturday at Memorial Stadium in the season opener.

Following a 41-yard field goal by Gabriel Rui on the first possession of overtime, Nicholls State scored the necessary touchdown to finish off a 26-23 upset. Junior quarterback Chase Fourcade delivered the game-winning score on a 4-yard rushing touchdown.

With the loss, the Jayhawks are now 3-34 under fourth-year head coach David Beaty. Kansas hasn’t won a game since the season opener in 2017, which is a streak of 12 straight defeats.

But, if that weren’t enough, the Jayhawks needed some late-game theatrics to even have an opportunity in overtime.

Nicholls State muffed a punt with 5:49 left in regulation, which was ultimately recovered by sophomore linebacker Kyron Johnson on the opposing 10-yard line. Shortly after, senior quarterback Peyton Bender hit senior receiver Kerr Johnson Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown.

Senior receiver Steven Sims Jr. provided insurance with a 2-point conversion pass to Mavin Saunders, which proved to be necessary in the end. Nicholls State kicker Lorran Fonseca nailed a 43-yard field goal with 47 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Prior to that, both teams struggled to move the ball.

Dontrell Taylor scored on a 15-yard touchdown run to give the Colonels an early 7-0 advantage in the first quarter on their first offensive drive. Bender then answered with a 2-yard touchdown connection with Sims, who now has 16 touchdowns in his career.

Rui and Fonseca traded a pair of field goals in the second quarter to take a 10-10 draw into the intermission. Kendall Bussey, who transferred from Texas A&M, gave Nicholls State its first lead on a 40-yard touchdown run. Early in the fourth quarter, Kansas recorded its first safety since 2016.

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

10:29 — Dontrel Taylor 15 run. Lorran Fonseca kick. Nine-play drive for 78 yards, in 3:13. (NSU 7, KU 0.)

3:34 — Steven Sims Jr. 2 pass from Peyton Bender. Gabriel Rui kick. Fifteen-play drive for 75 yards, in 6:55. (NSU 7, KU 7.)

SECOND QUARTER

13:00 — Gabriel Rui 54 field goal. Nine-play drive for 51 yards, in 3:42. (KU 10, NSU 7.)

4:06 — Lorran Fonseca 28 field goal. Eight-play drive for 69 yards, in 2:38. (KU 10, NSU 10.)

THIRD QUARTER

3:50 — Kendall Bussey 40 run. Fonseca kick. Six-play drive for 58 yards, in 2:41. (NSU 17, KU 10.)

FOURTH QUARTER

13:17 — Safety on errant punt snap out back of end zone. (NSU 17, KU 12.)

4:26 — Kerr Johnson 15 pass form Bender. Mavin Saunders 2-point conversion pass form Sims. Three-play drive for 10 yards, in 1:23. (KU 20, NSU 17.)

0:47 — Fonseca 43 field goal. Ten-play drive for 49 yards, in 3:39. (KU 20, NSU 20.)

OVERTIME

15:00 — Rui 41 field goal (KU 23, NSU 20)

15 — Chase Fourcade 4 run. (NSU 26, KU 23)

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