David Beaty era opens with 41-38 loss to South Dakota St.

By J-W Staff Reports     Sep 5, 2015

Nick Krug
Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart (2) runs against South Dakota State defensive back Trey Carr (12) during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 at Memorial Stadium.

The first game of the David Beaty era got off to a slow start Saturday at Memorial Stadium, and despite the Kansas football team’s second-half showing giving the Jayhawks some hope, South Dakota State marred the first-year coach’s debut with a 41-38 road win.

The Football Championship Subdivision Jackrabbits got a little help on what proved to be the game’s final play, as junior quarterback Montell Cozart tripped up while trying to spike the ball after a first-down completion to Derrick Neal. Seven seconds remained after KU moved to the SDSU 34-yard line, but KU’s failure to stop the clock meant the Jayhawks didn’t get to take one last shot or a attempt a long field goal as time expired.

Down 17 points at halftime, the Jayhawks scored touchdowns on each of their first two possessions to open the third quarter.

Junior running back Ke’aun Kinner rushed for a three-yard score to give KU a little life. Just more than there minutes later, Kinner broke a 26-yard run to get the Jayhawks within three points of the visiting Jackrabbits.

But with SDSU quarterback Zach Lujan making plays throughout and running back Isaac Wallace coming up with crucial first downs in the fourth quarter, the Jackrabbits beat a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time since moving to the Division I level.

Cozart often looked much improved in his junior debut, and completed 25 of 38 passes for 291 yards, with a TD and an interception. He even added 94 rushing yards. But the late mishap and a few untimely miscues were just a few factors in the setback.

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HOW THEY SCORED

First Quarter

12:44 — Jay Carlson 28 field goal. A 60-yard pitch and catch from Zach Lujan to Jake Wienek, which was helped by two missed tackles by the KU defense in the open field, set up the Jacks’ first score of the game on a drive that stalled in the red zone. Six plays, 64 yards, 2:16. (SDSU 3, KU 0).

8:09 — Brady Mengarelli 25 run. Carlson kick. An interception by SDSU linebacker Dallas Brown, who stepped right in front of a Montell Cozart pass to the left hash, set up Mengarelli’s rumbling, stumbling touchdown plunge. Brown returned the pick 53 yards to set up the score. (SDSU 10, KU 0).

7:57 — Ryan Schadler 91 kickoff return. Nick Bartolotta kick. After digging themselves a 10-0 hole, the Jayhawks got a huge lift from walk-on and former track star from Wichita State, who took the ball on the left side, raced around the right wall and outran the kicker to the end zone. (SDSU 10, KU 7).

4:33 — Jake Wieneke 29 pass from Zach Lujan. Anderson kick. The Jackrabbits answered KU’s momentum play with a slow and methodical eight-play, 75-yard drive that spanned 3:24 and featured the big Wieneke getting behind the KU defense on a first-and-10 play after a crucial third-down conversion by Isaac Wallace. (SDSU 17, KU 7).

Second Quarter

13:39 — Wieneke 16 pass from Lujan. Carlson kick. On the third play of the second quarter, the 6-foot-5 Wieneke went up in the back right corner of the north end zone and plucked a well thrown ball out of the air with Brandon Stewart in tight coverage. Wieneke got one foot down and put the Jacks up three scores. (SDSU 24, KU 7).

12:38 — Mengarelli 29 pass from Lujan. Carlson kick. A Montell Cozart fumble gave the Jackrabbits possession deep in KU territory and two plays later a harmless looking swing pass to the flat wound up in the end zone. (SDSU 31, KU 7).

7:14 — Tre’ Parmalee 19 run. Bartolotta kick. After falling behind by 24 points early in the second, the Jayhawks responded with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:24 and featured a reverse from Parmalee to cross the goal line. Ryan Willis took a couple of snaps on the drive for Cozart, who was banged up at the end of the previous drive. (SDSU 31, KU 14).

Third Quarter

12:31 — Ke’aun Kinner 3 run. Bartolotta kick. Kansas broke out of the locker room with a strong drive to start the second half. Cozart completed six of seven passes, including the first two of the day thrown toward Virginia Tech transfer Joshua Stanford, and found Darious Crawley for a 28-yard gain to set up Kinner’s run. (SDSU 31, KU 21).

9:12 — Ke’aun Kinner 26 run. Bartolotta kick. After another stop by the Kansas defense near midfield, Cozart marched the Jayhawks 85 yards in six plays and 1:15 to pull KU within a field goal. Cozart hit Darious Crawley with a 39-yard pass and also ran for a 20-yard gain to set up Kinner’s score, which he started up the middle and bounced to the right on his way to the end zone. (SDSU 31, KU 28).

1:04 — Carlson 24 field goal. A key fourth-down conversion from its own 40 yard line, allowed South Dakota State to deliver by far the longest scoring drive of the day. The drive covered 15 plays, 53 yards and 6:20 and also featured a monster hit from KU sophomore Joe Dineen, who rocked SDSU QB Zach Lujan so hard that his helmet when flying off after an incomplete pass. (SDSU 34, KU 28).

Fourth Quarter

11:18 — Bartolotta 23 field goal. The Jayhawks answered SDSU’s lengthy drive with one of their own to pull back within a field goal. Cozart and Kinner helped march Kansas inside the SDSU 5 yard line, where they had three cracks at scoring the go-ahead touchdown, but the Jackrabbits held and forced KU to settle for three. (SDSU 34, KU 31).

6:18 — Isaac Wallace 3 run. Carlson kick. Thanks to a huge fourth-down conversion on a pass from Lujan to Dallas Goedert, the Jackrabbits were able to reclaim a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter. Wallace touched the ball on five consecutive plays to start the drive and then finished it after Godert’s big catch. (SDSU 41, KU 31).

2:18 — Kent Taylor 10 pass from Montell Cozart. Bartolotta kick. With the offense needing to deliver a drive to keep Kansas’ hopes alive, Cozart came through with a strong showing. His deep pass to Tre’ Parmalee for 35 yards jump-started the drive and a few plays later, Cozart found Taylor open in the left corner of the north end zone with a smooth and easy fade pass. The drive covered 74 yards in 10 plays and 3:56. (SDSU 41, KU 38).


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