Final: KU 62-0
KU outgained Southeastern Louisiana in total yardage 494-75 when it was all said and done, completing one of the more lopsided games in recent KU history.
Todd Reesing was solid again, going 13-of-23 for 257 yards and two scores through the air, seeing more pressure than he did a week ago in a 52-7 win over Central Michigan. Marcus Henry was his favorite target, grabbing five passes for 119 yards, putting him over the century mark for two straight weeks.
KU will look to go 3-0 in seven days, when the Jayhawks welcome Toledo, who defeated KU in overtime in Ohio a year ago, next Saturday at 6 p.m.
Reesing: 13-23, 257, 2TD
Henry: 5 119
5:23, fourth quarter, KU leads 62-0
KU took over after a squibbed punt by Southeastern Louisiana at the Lions’ 32-yard line. From there, it was Carmon Boyd-Anderson basically shouldering the entire load. He capped it with a two-yard touchdown run at the 5:23 mark, the first of his young career. He had eight carries for 27 yards on the drive.
12:41, fourth quarter, KU leads 55-0
Kerry Meier proved his worth as a ballcarrier with a 40-yard dash down the heart of the SE La. defense as the fourth quarter was in its infant stages. It set KU up at the Lions’ seven-yard line.
The drive was capitalized by Jake Sharp finding the end zone for the second time this half, this time on a three-yard run up the right side.
3:51, third quarter, KU leads 48-0
Kerry Meier took over for Todd Reesing at quarterback after Marcus Herford nearly busted his second kickoff return for a touchdown in this game. Instead, the ball got near the Southeastern Louisiana 30-yard line, where Jake Sharp began toting the ball for the Jayhawks.
From there, an old favorite – the shovel pass – came back, as Meier dumped one underneath to Sharp. He scooted 24 yards straight down the middle for a touchdown, putting KU up 48-0 after an extra point kick.
5:28, third quarter, KU leads 41-0
Maxwell Onyegbule recorded his first collegiate sack on SE La.’s next possession, and it went for KU’s second safety of the game, putting the Jayhawks up 41-0 and making up for a failed two-point conversion earlier in the contest.
7:11, third quarter, KU leads 39-0
KU’s defense forced another scoreless SE La. possession, this time with freshman Chris Harris nearly coming up with the Jayhawks’ first interception of the young season. Instead, KU took the ball back via punt.
Todd Reesing went for a homerun ball to Marcus Henry, but Henry lost the ball near the goal line while getting physical with the defensive back hunting him from behind. But he found Henry over the middle a play later for a big gain to the SE La. 31, giving Henry 104 yards on four catches.
He then hauled in an 11-yard gainer a play later to give him 115 yards on the night.
Reesing then operated with four receivers, three set to his right, rolled right and found Dexton Fields underneath, who snuck into the front corner of the end zone for a 25-yard score.
Reesing is now 13-of-23 for 257 yards and 2 TDs.
Third quarter, KU leads 32-0
Todd Reesing swung a quick pass to Dexton Fields to start the second half following a nice Marcus Herford kick return. The 20-yard gainer set KU up at the SE La. 46-yard-line.
Then, on third-and-10, Reesing struck Marcus Henry over the middle for his third grab of the game and 17 yards. Reesing used his feet two snaps later on a scramble into the red zone, setting the Jayhawks up at the SE La. 17-yard line.
The drive ended with a 33-yard Scott Webb field goal attempt following a trio of incompletions. One thing KU has failed to do tonight is protect Reesing as well as it did a week ago. But Webb was given enough time to nail the 33-yard kick, putting KU up 32-0.
Halftime, KU leads 29-0
Todd Reesing was an economical 7-of-12 in the first half, racking up 168 yards through the air and a touchdown, which came on a lob to Aqib Talib.
Brandon McAnderson has been KU’s offensive star so far, with 58 yards on 10 carries and a pair of short scoring runs.
In total, KU outgained SELa. 236-40 on offense. The Lions have -27 rushing yards, as KU’s young front line has looked impressive.
1:10, second quarter, KU leads 29-0
Courtney Smith hauled in a 12-yard pass from Brian Babin early in the Lions’ next drive to earn a first down, but the pressure applied by KU’s defense never slowed. On the next snap, Todd Haselhorst forced Babin into an ugly throw-away, and did the same a snap later.
After the drive went stale, Raimond Pendleton put on a show with his punt return, taking it from his own 24 to the SELa. 36.
Reesing took a tough sack on first down, but on second-and-19, he scrambled to hit Derek Fine, moving just past the original line of scrimmage. He nearly found Fine down the seam for a 34-yard touchdown on third-and-eight, but it was deflected away at the last second.
KU went for it on fourth-and-eight, but Reesing, under a collapsing pocket, overshot a wide open Dezmon Briscoe in the end zone, giving the ball back to SELa. with 1:10 to go.
4:07, second quarter, KU leads 29-0
KU was awarded the ball again at the Southeastern Louisiana 22-yard line after the defense pinned SELa. back deep into its own territory on a three-and-out. The Jayhawks’ pressure up front continues to be impressive.
The Jayhawk offense efficiently chipped away, with Brandon McAnderson carrying the ball eight yards on first-and-10 from the 11 to put the Jayhawks just feet behind the goal line. McAnderson finished the job two snaps later with a two-yard touchdown plunge at the 4:07 mark. At this point, KU has outgained SELa. on offense, 234-27.
8:29, second quarter, KU leads 22-0
Southeastern Louisiana had another drive stall out after a promising long play, this time with a dump pass to Jay Lucas, which moved the Lions near KU territory. But thanks to some more backfield pressure, KU forced another SELa. punt.
After KU was again pinned deep in its own territory, Brandon McAnderson moved the Jayhawks out of danger quickly, with a nice 24-yard run thanks to a couple of nifty cuts.
The offense kept moving with big chunks, this time with Derek Fine hauling in a 32-yard pass from Reesing. On the next snap, Reesing went over the top, finding Aqib Talib on a touchdown strike for the second straight week. Talib outleapt Travis Williams for the ball in the end zone on the 36-yard score.
14:35, second quarter, KU leads 16-0
KU started the second quarter with a bang, when Reesing rolled out and launched a pass deep for Marcus Henry, who had to stop and wait for the ball’s arrival. When it hit his hands, he turned and scurried to the SELa. four-yard line. One play later, McAnderson went up the middle for a four-yard touchdown, with an extra point putting KU up 16-0.
End of first quarter, KU leads 9-0
SELa. finally sniffed KU territory for the first time, thanks to a long cross route extended for extra yardage by Byron Ross on third down. Then, KU’s Jeff Wheeler let Babin slip from his grip and pass for two more yards on first down. It was followed by an encroachment call on James McClinton, putting the Lions into KU territory.
The Lions picked up their second first down of the drive on a three-yard Jay Lucas plunge on third-and-short, but it was followed by a two-yard loss thanks to a James McClinton sack. The offense then moved three yards even further back when freshman Jake Laptad sniffed out a short dump pass to Jay Lucas. The drive fizzled at the KU 48-yard line.
KU continued to move via the run, this time with Brandon McAnderson set behind Todd Reesing. He gained eight yards on two carries to start the drive, and then drove further ahead on third down for a KU first down, bringing the first quarter to an end. McAnderson has five carries for 19 yards so far.
6:07, first quarter, KU leads 9-0
KU got itself onto the board first thanks to a Southeastern Louisiana blunder. On fourth-and-seven, a punt snap flew over the head of Lions punter Cody Samples. Smelling the pressure behind him from Tang Bacheyie, he slid into the ball in the end zone, forcing it out of bounds and awarding KU a deuce on the safety.
On the ensuing free kick, Marcus Herford soared to the outside with a sharp corner turn and flew 69 yards for a touchdown, escaping SELa. kicker Danny Hrapmann at about the 15-yard line to scoot into the end zone along the sideline.
8:33, first quarter, game tied 0-0
KU again came hard after Brian Babin on the next SELa. possession, as the offense could only move three yards in three snaps before giving the ball back to Kansas.
KU, though, was just as unproductive. After picking up a first down on the ground, the Jayhawks again had to punt back to SELa. Despite a nice backwards effort by Micah Brown to save the punt at the goal line, the result was a touchback.
11:40, first quarter, game tied 0-0
KU won the coin toss and elected to defer choice into the second half, giving the ball to Southeastern Louisiana to get things rolling.
The Jayhawk defense brought heavy pressure up front right from go. James McClinton forced Brian Babin into a short incompletion on first down, then after an unproductive shovel pass, Mike Rivera recorded his first sack of the season to make it a quick three-and-out for the Lions.
KU went straight to the air with Todd Reesing, swinging a pass to Dexton Fields on first down for a 12-yard gain into SELa. territory.
The drive stalled when Marcus Henry couldn’t haul in a quick slant on third-and-three, giving the Lions the ball on their own 20.
Pregame
Southeastern Louisiana is certainly not Appalachian State, the I-AA opponent who stunned No. 5 Michigan on the road a week ago, sending quakes throughout the college football world.
But even though the Lions aren’t as dangerous, the Jayhawks have made it clear throughout the week that Southeastern Louisiana is not to be taken lightly. Besides, the Jayhawks have a reputation to uphold following last Saturday’s 52-7 thumping of Central Michigan in front of a loud Memorial Stadium crowd.
The Jayhawks kick off tonight at 6 p.m. against the Lions in the second of four straight non-conference contests to open the 2007 season.
All eyes will be on KU quarterback Todd Reesing, who in his first collegiate start a week ago threw for 261 yards on four touchdowns and, to most, looked flawless in doing so. He was also aided by a pair of 100-yard rushers in Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp.
The Lions are coming off of a 35-14 loss in Las Cruces, N.M., to the New Mexico State Aggies. The Lions picked off three passes from the arm of the Aggies’ talented gunslinger Chase Holbrook, but also allowed him to torch them for four scores through the air. The Lions’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Brian Babin, who struggled to produce first downs a week ago.