Waco, Texas ? It’d be amazing if it weren’t so ordinary.
Kansas University’s football team painted another masterpiece of futility Saturday, blowing an 18-point, fourth-quarter lead and falling, 36-35, to Baylor at Floyd Casey Stadium.
It’s almost comical now. When Baylor gained possession with 2:43 remaining needing six points for the victory, it was pretty clear what was about to happen.
And, by golly, if it didn’t unfold exactly by the book – the way Jayhawk football is played this season. A 10-yard touchdown pass from Shawn Bell to Dominique Zeigler with 1:08 left gave Baylor the one-point lead.
It was the Bears’ third touchdown in the last 9:22 of the fourth quarter. Needing 18 points to catch Kansas and its 35-17 lead, the Bears got 19. It’d be amazing if it weren’t exactly what KU fans have seen for a month now.
That’s four games in Big 12 Conference play. Four second-half leads. Four meltdowns. And four losses in four tries.
Oh, yeah, and quarterback Kerry Meier left the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter because of a shoulder injury. If that isn’t Kansas football, what is?
Saturday’s loss could be considered epic, considering how quickly Kansas was thoroughly conquered with just enough time left. But so could the last two setbacks – losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State when victory was right there for the Jayhawks to take.
So let’s just call it ordinary.
“I really felt like we sort of lost our edge going into the second half,” running back Jon Cornish said. “We weren’t really coming out to win, we were trying to keep our lead. There’s a lot of key mistakes in the second half that just wouldn’t happen if we had been mentally ready to play in that situation.”
It’s the first time any of the Jayhawks said what has been theorized the last four weeks – that Kansas doesn’t win because it doesn’t play to win late, instead playing not to lose once a lead is established.
Kansas (3-5 overall, 0-4 Big 12) looked terrific in the first half, scoring 35 points behind a running game that Baylor couldn’t stop. Kerry Meier had a 12-yard touchdown scamper. Jon Cornish had two touchdown runs and hit the 100-yard mark in the second quarter.
In addition, the Jayhawks forced two big turnovers that led to points. Arist Wright returned an interception 28 yards for KU’s second touchdown, and a Justin Thornton forced fumble recovered by Jake Schermer set up the Jayhawks’ third score.
Kansas led 35-17 at halftime, showing frustrated fans a glimpse of how KU football can be played if only the heads are on straight.
It was just a tease. The second half came, and the Jayhawks crumbled under the late-game pressure once again.
“If I had an explanation,” KU coach Mark Mangino said, “we would’ve corrected it awhile back, wouldn’t we?”
Kansas appeared to play keepaway after halftime, holding onto the football for 10 of the 15 minutes in the third quarter and almost nine of the 15 minutes in the fourth.
Despite all the time of possession, KU never ventured into the red zone in the second half and really only had two good chances to score – a Marcus Herford pass on a trick play was overthrown, and an Adam Barmann pass to an open Herford was dropped. A field-goal attempt after Herford’s incomplete pass missed wide after an imperfect snap.
Baylor woke up in the fourth quarter – or was it Kansas just falling asleep? – scoring on Shawn Bell touchdown passes with 9:22, 4:42 and 1:08 remaining. A 35-17 Kansas lead vanished like they so often do.
Meier’s injury was nothing more than kicking a dying dog while it’s down. On the last play of the third quarter, Meier scrambled right and was tackled by Baylor cornerback James Todd after an eight-yard gain. After a minute lying on the sideline, Meier went to the bench and was seen shaking his right arm, staring down at his feet in obvious frustration. He missed three games earlier this season due to a shoulder injury suffered against Toledo.
“I don’t know if it’s a re-injury,” Mangino said. “It’s the same kind of injury. Same place.”
That seems to parallel KU’s struggles anymore. Same kind of loss. Same way.
The Jayhawks will play Colorado next week in yet another attempt to salvage a season swirling down the drain. Just a month ago, it was believed that Kansas had an excellent chance to go to a bowl game for the second straight season, a feat the program never has accomplished before.
But four losses by a combined 21 points somehow bring with them the feeling that Kansas might be toast in 2006. Bowl-eligibility? They need to just win another game first.
“How many times is this going to happen?” Cornish said. “Going into the fourth quarter with the lead, and we blew it.”
It’s beyond amazing. It’s really just the way things are anymore.
8:14
Elapsed time it took Baylor to run off 19 unanswered, fourth-quarter points
54
Fourth-quarter points allowed by KU in the past three games
13-134
Jon Cornish’s carries-net yards rushing in the first half
11-62
Jon Cornish’s carries-net yards rushing in the second half
7.4, 3.8
KU’s average yards per offensive play in the first, second halves
5.6, 7.6
Baylor’s average yards per offensive play in the first, second halves
394
Baylor’s yards passing
98
Kansas’ yards passing
