Candidates for Game Balls and Gassers following Kansas’ 27-17 loss to TCU …
• Converted receiver JaCorey Shepherd turned the first interception of his career into six points and on TCU’s next possession forced a fumble recovered by Victor Simmons.
• With the holes closing in a blink, James Sims needed to make something out of nothing and he did, rushing for 81 yards on 23 carries. He was better than his average yards per carry of 3.5.
• The coaches responsible for KU having 12 men on the field twice, the first such penalty turning a 49-yard field-goal attempt into a 44-yard one.
• Jake Heaps didn’t have the feet to avoid the steady heat he faced from the TCU defensive line and had a long day. Heaps completed 13 of 26 passes for 152 yards and one interception. He was sacked four times for 34 yards in losses.
• DE Toben Opurum consistently applied the heat, was in on six tackles and received credit for a forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass breakup and quarterback hurry.
• Safety Bradley McDougald was in on 12 tackles, nine solo, had a 12-yard sack and forced two fumbles.
• Long snapper Justin Carnes, who served the third game of his suspension and therefore was not available to make a good snap on the 45-yard field-goal attempt Ron Doherty missed.
• Dayne Crist made better throws than in the first two weeks and threw for 303 yards, but fumbled the ball away near the goal line to keep Kansas from drawing within a touchdown late.
