2003 Tangerine Bowl
N.C. State rolls past Jayhawks, 56-26
Playing its first bowl in eight seasons, Kansas got a rude welcome back into the postseason picture, as North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers shredded KU’s defense apart for 475 yards passing in a 56-26 Wolfpack victory.
Rivers completed 37 of 45 passes and threw five touchdowns. KU quarterback Bill Whittemore tried to keep up, but his 243 yards on 20-of-41 passing were dwarfed by Rivers’ phenomenal day.
In all, NC State had 653 yards of total offense, and finished the season 8-5. KU fell to 6-7.
1995 Aloha Bowl
KU beats UCLA in 51-30 romp, Mason stays
If it’s possible to overshadow a bowl victory such as the 51-30 pounding KU gave the UCLA Bruins in the 1995 Aloha bowl on Christmas Day in Honolulu, then head coach Glen Mason surely did it.
The day before departing for Hawaii, Mason announced he was leaving to take the head-coaching job at Georgia. Hours before the game, the coach told his players he’d reconsidered, inspiring not only a decisive victory but also several bowl records.
Leading 17-0 at the half was just the beginning. KU would eventually set a bowl record for most points.
1992 Aloha Bowl
KU trips Brigham Young, 23-10
It took KU 11 seasons to make it back to another bowl game when it met Brigham Young in the 1992 Aloha Bowl on Christmas day in Honolulu. The game got off to a less-than-stellar beginning when BYU’s Hema Heimuli ran back the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.
The rest of the game went much better for Kansas which went on to beat the Cougars 23-20. MVP Dana Stubblefield sacked BYU’s Tom Young three times, and KU’s defense finished with six.
1981 Hall of Fame Bowl
Jayhawks extend bowl winless streak
New Year’s Eve, 1981 marked the end of a six-year bowl game drought for the Kansas Jayhawks when they met the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the fifth annual Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.
Alas, the Jayhawks were humbled only 12 seconds into the game when return man Darren Green collided with a teammate, turning over the ball on the Kansas 17. On the first play from scrimmage, MSU quarterback John Bond rolled right on an option and took the ball into the end zone.
The Jayhawks never got up off the canvas after that. Said coach Don Fambrough, “That kickoff was the turning point. Our team was stunned and intimidated.”
1975 Sun Bowl
Pitt topples KU, 33-19
Jayhawk standout Laverne Smith’s 118-yard rushing game in the 1975 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, the day after Christmas, couldn’t offset the three 100-plus yard performances posted by the Pittsburgh Panthers’ Tony Dorsett, Elliott Walker and Robert Haygood.
Though Kansas scored first in the second half, it wasn’t enough to shift momentum following Pitt’s 19-0 first half showing. Kansas didn’t fold however, scoring last on a 38 yard completion from Scott McMichael to Skip Sharp with 2:02 remaining in the game.
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1973 Liberty Bowl
North Carolina State stuns Jayhawks
Going into the December 17, 1973 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., the Jayhawks were modest favorites over the North Carolina State Wolfpack. N.C. State’s 31-18 victory came despite the Jayhawks holding onto a 10-10 tie score in the third quarter.
On fourth-and-six, N.C. State punted from its own 44 yard-line. KU’s Bruce Adams was apparently tripped while calling for a fair catch, but no call was made. N.C. State recovered the ball and scored two plays later.
With momentum and emotion on their side, the Wolfpack scored twice more before Kansas regrouped for a fourth quarter scoring drive, but it was too late to turn the tide.
The game was All-American quarterback David Jaynes’ last appearance as a Jayhawk. He was named the game’s outstanding offensive player, completing 24 of 38 passes for 218 yards.
1969 Orange Bowl
Costly error leads to 15-14 loss to Penn State
January 1, 1969, saw the Jayhawks make their second appearance in the Orange Bowl in Miami, the team’s
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third bowl bid. Now known as the “12th man game,” the bitter 15-14 loss that was very nearly a victory.
In the final seconds of the game, KU had seemingly stopped Penn State’s come-from-behind, two-point conversion attempt to hang on to a 14-13 lead. Officials ruled that KU had 12 men on the field, giving the Nittany Lions a second attempt, which they did not squander.
It was the final game for two Kansas All-Americans, quarterback Bobby Douglass and defensive end John Zook.
1961 Bluebonnet Bowl
Jayhawks beat Rice, 33-7
Kansas University’s second bowl game was played on December 16, 1961 when the Jayhawks met Rice in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.
Under a steady rain, John Hadl’s fake punt with the team down 7-6 in the second quarter spurred the team passed the Owls and on to a 33-7 victory after dominating the second half.
Two Kansas players, Hadl and fullback Curtis McClinton, signed professional contracts on the field immediately after the conclusion of the game. Hadl inked a deal with the San Diego Chargers, and McClinton went to the Dallas Texans.
1948 Orange Bowl
Jayhawks fall, 20-14, to Georgia Tech
Kansas University’s first bowl appearance against Georgia Tech in the January 1, 1948, Orange Bowl was a heartbreaker.
Trailing 20-14, the Jayhawks advanced the ball to the one yard-line, but quarterback Lynne McNutt fumbled the ball on the two-foot line.
The game marked the end of two KU All-Americans, end Otto Schnellbacher and fullback Ray Evans.
Compiled by Ryan Wood
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Jolly old Jayhawks
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