Candidates for Game balls
• DE Maxwell Onyegbule constantly pressured the Tech quarterbacks and was credited with a sack and fumble recovery on his way to a touchdown.
• DE Jake Laptad forced a fumble that led to a touchdown and had six tackles, two for losses.
Candidates for Gassers
• Red-shirt freshman LT Tanner Hawkinson had a rough time trying to protect Todd Reesing’s blind side.
• Third-year sophomore RT Jeff Spikes struggled again.
• Freshman CB D.J. Beshears again was flagged for pass interference, giving him three in two weeks.
KU defense turns grimace to grin
Sure enough, Meier’s WR pass works
Candidates for game balls
• Dezmon Briscoe had 10 first-half receptions on the way to an Insight Bowl-record 14 catches for 201 yards and an Insight-record three touchdowns.
• Todd Reesing set a school record with 14 consecutive completions in the first half and for the game completed 27 of 35 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns.
• Kerry Meier caught a touchdown pass and threw a 32-yard TD pass and became the fifth receiver in KU history to reach 1,000 yards in a season, joining Briscoe.
• James Holt had three sacks, leading a strong effort by all three senior linebackers.
Candidates for gassers
• Justin Thornton for missing the game for disciplinary reasons.
• Kendrick Harper for repeatedly getting burned early in the game. He partially redeemed himself in the second half by making a big play on the Jayhawks’ goal-line stand.
