HONOLULU Dehydration is always a concern in the tropics, and Dan Eichloff took precautions Friday during the Aloha Bowl.
But a gallon of prevention made for a couple of minutes of discomfort for Kansas’ punter and place kicker near the end of the Jayhawks’ 23-20 win over Brigham Young.
“The thing I’ll remember about this game, besides winning, is that, when we set up the winning field goal, I took a look at number 31, Dan Eichloff,” KU coach Glen Mason said. “Before I could even look in his eyes, he said, ‘Coach, do I have time to run in and go to the bathroom? I’ve really gotta go.’ I said, ‘Do it in your pants. You’ve gotta go out there and kick it.'”
And Eichloff didkick the field goal, not soil his pants.
“All of a sudden it hit me at the end of the third quarter that I had to go,” said an embarrassed Eichloff. “Water and Gatoradeit goes right through you.”
Both of Eichloff’s field goal attempts Fridayfrom 42 and 48 yardswent right through the uprights. His 48-yarder gave Kansas its first bowl win since a 33-7 victory over Rice in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl.
“It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to win a game for us,” Eichloff said. “It was a big kick for me.”
Matt Gay threw his third pass of the year Friday, hitting Rodney Harris for 74 yards and a touchdown.
The completion made Gay 3-for-3 with three touchdowns as a passer.
Friday’s officials were from the Southwest Conference, and all hailed from Texas.
Two of the game’s first three plays were Aloha Bowl records. Hema Heimuli’s 94-yard kickoff return to open the game broke a record that had stood since 1988, and Gay’s 74-yard touchdown pass to Harris broke a 10-year-old mark.
The Gay-to-Harris pass was KU’s longest offensive play of the season.
Aloha Bowl officials announced that 42,933 tickets were distributed. The crowed was unofficially estimated at about 25,000.
