College Station, Texas ? In his first collegiate game Saturday, Kansas University’s Adam Barmann set a school record for passing as a freshman and showed good poise against Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
Unfortunately for Barmann and the Jayhawks, one bad play early in the second half doomed KU in a 45-33 loss to the Aggies.
With the scored tied 14-all, KU had the ball at their own 15-yard line at the beginning of the first half. Barmann handed off to Derek Mills, who last played Sept. 20 against Jacksonville State, on an end around to the left. Mills fumbled once, recovered the ball, reversed to the right and Byron Jones forced another fumble.
“I came off my man because I saw him fumble the ball,” Jones said, “and I saw him come back my way and I beat my man. I just got my hat on the ball and he just fumbled it.”
Jaxon Appel recovered the ball for Texas A&M (4-5 overall, 2-3 Big 12 Conference) at the five-yard line and ran it into the end zone, giving the Aggies a 21-14 lead and deflating the Jayhawks.
“I was going to congratulate somebody on knocking the ball out, and it was sitting right down at my feet, so I just picked it up and ran,” Appel said.
Texas A&M scored on its next two drives and stopped KU on its next two possessions, taking an insurmountable 31-14 lead.
“Whenever the defense has a trurnover or scores, it helps us,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Alan Reuber said. “I think it was a huge part of the game.”
Barmann brought KU back to within at least 12 points three times in the second half, but Jones forced a fumble on a late fourth-quarter drive by the Jayhawks, ending KU’s threat.
“I think what Adam Barmann did today — I don’t know a whole lot about the history of KU football, I’m studying it — I can’t think of a more gutty performance by a player in recent history here,” KU head coach Mark Mangino said. “He not only played well, he managed the huddle, he checked at the line of scrimmage as often as Bill (Whittemore) does, and was correct in just about every audible that he made today. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
“He stepped up to the plate and he hit a home run.”
Barmann also led the Jayhawks (5-4 overall, 2-3 Big 12 Conference) on two first-half touchdown drives and finished 25-of-37 passing for 294 yards, four touchdowns and a late, meaningless interception. His 294 yards passed Mario Kinsey’s record of 242 yards against Missouri in 2001, and his 25 completions were a season high for the Jayhawks.
“He played really well,” Appel said. “I was thinking he was going to come in and be pretty rattled. He composed himself very well and he ran his offense the way it was supposed to be.”
Barmann started the game 14-of-16 passing, with both incompletions being passes dropped by receivers. He also rushed 15 times for 45 yards and a touchdown, often smartly running the ball when his receivers were covered.
“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really nervous,” Barmann said of his first game. “I felt all I had to do would be to be efficient and get the ball to our playmakers. Our wide receivers will make plays, our running backs will make plays and our line has blocked well all year. I knew if I could just do my job we’d be all right.
“When you get out there, it’s just playing football. I’ve done that my whole life.”
The Aggies took a 7-0 lead after their first possession, as McNeal passed for 30 yards on the game’s first two plays, ran 20 yards and pitched to Keith Joseph on the option for an eight-yard scoring run that capped the drive.
On the ensuing drive, Barmann started for the Jayhawks and ran for four yards on his first play. He then hit Charles Gordon for a 20-yard completion before passing to Clark Green for a 48-yard touchdown and a 7-all tie.
Green caught the pass just a few yards past the line of scrimmage, slipped out of an attempted tackle, and then dodged and outran the Aggies’ defenders. The reception was the longest of Green’s career and his first career touchdown catch.
McNeal had the Aggies moving again on the next drive, but Kevin Kane, who replaced Gabe Toomey after Toomey was shaken up late in the drive, stopped McNeal on third down deep in Jayhawks territory and then blocked Todd Pegram’s attempted field goal.
The Jayhawks were stymied on their next drive, and forced to punt, but Jonathan Lamb made his first career interception three plays later.
KU moved downfield on the drive, thanks to a three-yard run by Jon Cornish on fourth-and-one, but Johnny Beck’s 42-yard field goal attempt was wide right.
McNeal led the Aggies to another touchdown on the next drive, scoring from four yards out, but Barmann countered with his own touchdown run, a one-yard plunge with just less than three minutes left in the first half.
“He played with a lot of poise for being a freshman,” Jones said of Barmann. “He came out, made a lot of plays and did pretty good.”
After Appel’s return, the Aggies took control with a 22-yard field goal by Pegram and a 25-yard run by Courtney Lewis.
Barmann kept bring the Jayhawks close, though, finding Brandon Rideau for two touchdowns and John Randle for another in the second half, but the Aggies countered with a touchdown run by Derek Farmer and a scoring pass from McNeal to Tim Van Zant.
“I take my hat off to No. 7 (Barmann),” Texas A&M linebacker Archie McDaniel said. “He played a great game today, if you ask me, for someone who didn’t have any experience.”
Green finished with 12 carries for 64 yards and two catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Randle rushed five times for 51 yards and had career-highs of five receptions and 64 yards.
Charles Gordon led the Jayhawks with nine receptions and 89 yards. Rideau had five catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns, Lyonel Anderson caught three passes for 42 yards, and Mark Simmons had two catches for 47 yards.
Nick Reid had 13 tackles for the Jayhawks, and Lamb and Tony Stubbs each had nine tackles. David McMillan and Brandon Perkins each had two tackles for losses.
McNeal was 11-of-18 passing with 259 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 12 times for 71 yards and a score.
Lewis rushed for 120 yards on 26 carries, and Farmer had 34 yards on 10 rushes. Van Zant caught five passes for 102 yards, and Terrence Murphy caught three passes for 72 yards.
NOTES
¢ Chuck Jones and Monroe Weekley were not suited for the Jayhawks, who played linebacker Brandon Perkins on the defensive line and defensive end John McCoy at defensive tackle.
