2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team (variously "Kansas", "KU", or the "Jayhawks") represented the University of Kansas
for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football
season of 2007-2008
. Looking to improve on the previous season
's 6-6 overall record (3-5 in the Big 12 Conference
), the team finished the 2007 season with a 12-1 overall record (7-1 in their conference) and one of the best seasons in the school's 118 years of intercollegiate football. The twelve victories set a new record, and the defeat of the Virginia Tech Hokies
in the FedEx Orange Bowl
was the school's first Orange Bowl victory. Their only loss was versus a North Division rival, the Missouri Tigers
, in their final regular season game which denied them sole possession of the division title and a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. For their achievements the team was awarded the Stanley Tools Breakthrough of the Year Award.
Mark Mangino
, in his sixth season as the team's head coach
, received several coaching awards. The team's new offensive coordinator was Ed Warinner (3rd year overall), and their defensive coordinators were Bill Young (6th year) and Clint Bowen (7th year). The team captains were senior running back
Brandon McAnderson, senior tight end
Derek Fine
, senior defensive lineman James McClinton, and junior cornerback
Aqib Talib
. The starting quarterback
position was held by sophomore Todd Reesing
with sophomore Kerry Meier
as a backup and wide receiver
.
They played their home games on Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas
.
in his sixth season as head coach
. The team's twelve wins raised his overall coaching record to 37-36 (.507) and gave him his second bowl game
win. At the end of the season Mangino was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year by the Big 12 coaches and Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
. Other awards received include The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
, Walter Camp Coach of the Year
, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
, Paul "Bear" Bryant Award, and the Woody Hayes
National Coach of the Year.
With the departure of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Quartaro at the end of the prior season, Ed Warinner returned from a two-season stint as University of Illinois
's run-game coordinator and offensive line coach. He brought in a new, more aggressive, faster-paced, no-huddle offense. This was Warinner's third season with the Jayhawks since he had previously coached the offensive line and served as run-game coordinator in 2003–2004.http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/04/24/new-offensive-coordinator-hopes-to-play-to-ku-s-strengths/http://www2.kusports.com/news/2007/sep/03/keegan_kansas_offense_different/
Bill Young (6th year) and Clint Bowen (7th year) were defensive coordinators. Tim Beck (3rd year) was the wide receivers coach
and passing game coordinator.
!colspan=8| Regular season
|-
!colspan=8| Postseason
champion in the teams' first meeting. Central Michigan was led by Butch Jones
in his first year as a head coach. Entering the game the Jayhawks had a 5-5 record against opponents from the MAC with the most recent result being the double-overtime loss to the Toledo Rockets
in the third week of the 2006 season
. The Jayhawks dominated the Chippewas in a 52-7 win to extend their streak of season-opening victories to four.
. With the Lions led by first-year head coach Mike Lucas
, it was the teams' first meeting and only the second for the Jayhawks versus a Southland opponent; the first was a win at home versus the to begin the previous season.
in his seventh season, the Mid-American Conference
team had defeated the Jayhawks the previous year in Toledo
in a double-overtime loss. This 45-13 win gave the Jayhawks a 3-1 record versus the Rockets and a 7-5 record versus opponents from the MAC.
of the Sun Belt Conference
in the teams' first meeting. FIU was led by first-year head coach Mario Cristobal
.
The Jayhawks got their first touchdown on Kansas State's home field since 1999 when Jake Sharp, apparently stopped for a short gain, burst out of a gang of tacklers and sped 20 yards to make it 7-7 with 9:11 left in the first half. Sharp had picked up 14 yards the previous play.
The victory was KU's third in the last four Governor's Cup games against KSU, and increased their all-time lead in the Sunflower Showdown
to 64-36-5.
Reesing passed for 186 yards as the Jayhawks were 6-0 for the first time since 1995.
This was the Jayhawks' 9th meeting with the Texas A&M Aggies
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–1, and had only lost the first meeting in Lawrence
in 1974. Kansas was the only Big 12 team that A&M was undefeated against, ever since the Big 12 formed in 1996. Kansas was the first top 10 team, excluding Oklahoma
and Texas
, to play at Kyle Field
since 2002. A&M had compiled a 6–3 record for games played against top 10 teams (other than OU and Texas) at Kyle Field. In their previous meeting in 2006, A&M outscored Kansas 21–18. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
casinos
favored Kansas to win by three points.
Kansas entered the game with a 16th-ranked rushing offense, 25th-ranked passing offense, and a 3rd-ranked scoring offense. Kansas' rushing defense ranked 4th, pass defense ranked 10th, and overall defense ranked 5th. Kansas also had ranked 9th in the weekly BCS standings. A&M came into the game with a 5th-ranked rushing offense, and a 111th ranked passing offense. The pass defense ranked 100th, scoring defense ranked 42nd, and overall defense ranked 73rd.
In the game, KU running back
Brandon McAnderson rushed for a career-high of 183 yards, and quarterback Todd Reesing completed 21 of 33 passes for 180 yards. Through the first three quarters, the Jayhawks shutout
the Aggies' 5th-ranked rushing offense and held them to only 56 yards. A&M running back Jorvorskie Lane
had only rushed for 24 yards the entire game. KU gained a 13–0 lead in the third quarter, after kicker Scott Webb kicked two field goals and Reesing led his team to a 54-yard touchdown drive on 6 plays. In the fourth quarter, Reesing led his team to a 43-yard touchdown drive on 4 plays.
For the first time since 1909
, the Jayhawks improved to a 8–0 season record. This was also the first time that KU won in Texas since 2001 (not including bowl games).
Fox Sports
reported, "It was only the second victory for Kansas in the last 39 games against Nebraska, which appears to be coming to pieces in the fourth season of embattled coach Bill Callahan."
. In the 2006 matchup between the two, Bowman had 13 catches for 300 yards. However Bowman left the game with an injury after the first half. In the first half, he was held to 22 yards on 4 cathces with no touchdowns. The game was broadcast to 63 percent of the nation on ABC as the top primetime college football game of the week.
The Jayhawks went to 10-0 for the first time since 1899.
the following week.
at Arrowhead Stadium
, in Kansas City, Missouri
, in the final regular season game of the year. Known as the Border Showdown, this year's annual contest was the most significant in recent years as the winner would claim the Big 12 North Division title, advance to the Dr Pepper
Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas
, and possibly claim the top spot in the BCS
rankings and national polls. The game received considerable media attention, and the ESPN
College Gameday crew were at the game. It drew 80,537, the second-highest attendance in the 35-year history of Arrowhead Stadium. The Jayhawks entered the contest with an eleven game winning streak since losing the final game of the 2006 season
against their cross-border rivals in Columbia, Missouri
, by a score of 42-17. But they would leave with their second straight loss versus the Tigers and a 6-6 series record since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.
Following their victory over Iowa State, the Jayhawks reached their highest ranking
in school history when they were ranked second in the nation in all four major polls (Bowl Championship Series
, Associated Press
, USA Today
and Harris Interactive
). Previously, the 1968 team was ranked third by the Associated Press for three weeks.
Entering November, the University of Kansas was the only school with its football team and men's basketball team
both ranked in the top ten.
class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap;">
KU Opp
Punts-Yards
46-1699
Avg per Punt
36.9
Time of Possession/Game
30:08
29:52
3rd Down Conversions
74/170 (43.5%)
61/194 (31.4%)
4th Down Conversions
10/17 (58.8%)
11/28 (39.3%)
Touchdowns Scored
69
24
Field Goals-Attempts
17-24
PAT-Attempts
63-64
Total Attendance (Games)
327,491 (7)
Avg per Game
46,784
Neutral Site
80,537 (1)
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 2007-2008
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
. Looking to improve on the previous season
2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season.-Schedule:...
's 6-6 overall record (3-5 in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
), the team finished the 2007 season with a 12-1 overall record (7-1 in their conference) and one of the best seasons in the school's 118 years of intercollegiate football. The twelve victories set a new record, and the defeat of the Virginia Tech Hokies
2007 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2007 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
in the FedEx Orange Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphins Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and...
was the school's first Orange Bowl victory. Their only loss was versus a North Division rival, the Missouri Tigers
2007 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2007 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2007 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium....
, in their final regular season game which denied them sole possession of the division title and a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. For their achievements the team was awarded the Stanley Tools Breakthrough of the Year Award.
Mark Mangino
Mark Mangino
Mark Thomas Mangino is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks college football team from 2002 to 2009. In 2007, Mangino received several National Coach of the Year honors after leading the Jayhawks to their first 12-win season in school history...
, in his sixth season as the team's head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, received several coaching awards. The team's new offensive coordinator was Ed Warinner (3rd year overall), and their defensive coordinators were Bill Young (6th year) and Clint Bowen (7th year). The team captains were senior running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Brandon McAnderson, senior tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Derek Fine
Derek Fine
Derek Fine is an American football tight end who is currently a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas.Fine has also been a member of the St...
, senior defensive lineman James McClinton, and junior cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
. The starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
position was held by sophomore Todd Reesing
Todd Reesing
Todd Reesing is a former starting quarterback for the Kansas Jayhawks.- High school career:Reesing attended Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas and was a good student and a letterman in football and baseball. In football, Reesing was named the Texas 4A Player of the Year as a junior...
with sophomore Kerry Meier
Kerry Meier
Kerry Meier is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas...
as a backup and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
.
They played their home games on Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
.
Coaching staff
The team was led by Mark ManginoMark Mangino
Mark Thomas Mangino is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks college football team from 2002 to 2009. In 2007, Mangino received several National Coach of the Year honors after leading the Jayhawks to their first 12-win season in school history...
in his sixth season as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. The team's twelve wins raised his overall coaching record to 37-36 (.507) and gave him his second bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
win. At the end of the season Mangino was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year by the Big 12 coaches and Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. Other awards received include The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award is given annually to college football's top head coach. The award for the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is selected by ESPN and ABC college football analysts. No coach has ever won the award twice.-Winners:...
, Walter Camp Coach of the Year
Walter Camp Coach of the Year
The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football...
, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the Football Writers Association of America. The award honors Eddie Robinson, former coach at Grambling State who holds the second best record for most Division I wins with 408 behind only Joe...
, Paul "Bear" Bryant Award, and the Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
National Coach of the Year.
With the departure of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Quartaro at the end of the prior season, Ed Warinner returned from a two-season stint as University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
's run-game coordinator and offensive line coach. He brought in a new, more aggressive, faster-paced, no-huddle offense. This was Warinner's third season with the Jayhawks since he had previously coached the offensive line and served as run-game coordinator in 2003–2004.http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/04/24/new-offensive-coordinator-hopes-to-play-to-ku-s-strengths/http://www2.kusports.com/news/2007/sep/03/keegan_kansas_offense_different/
Bill Young (6th year) and Clint Bowen (7th year) were defensive coordinators. Tim Beck (3rd year) was the wide receivers coach
Wide receivers coach
A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator....
and passing game coordinator.
Schedule
|-!colspan=8| Regular season
|-
!colspan=8| Postseason
Game notes
Central Michigan
For their season-opening game on September 1, the Jayhawks hosted the defending Mid-American ConferenceMid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
champion in the teams' first meeting. Central Michigan was led by Butch Jones
Butch Jones
-External links:*...
in his first year as a head coach. Entering the game the Jayhawks had a 5-5 record against opponents from the MAC with the most recent result being the double-overtime loss to the Toledo Rockets
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
in the third week of the 2006 season
2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season.-Schedule:...
. The Jayhawks dominated the Chippewas in a 52-7 win to extend their streak of season-opening victories to four.
Southeastern Louisiana
On September 8, the Jayhawks hosted the from the Southland ConferenceSouthland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
. With the Lions led by first-year head coach Mike Lucas
Mike Lucas
-External links:*...
, it was the teams' first meeting and only the second for the Jayhawks versus a Southland opponent; the first was a win at home versus the to begin the previous season.
Toledo
On September 15, the Jayhawks hosted the for their third game in four seasons and fourth overall. Led by head coach Tom AmstutzTom Amstutz
Tom Amstutz was the head football coach at the University of Toledo. He is one of Toledo's most popular figures, known as 'Toledo Tom.' Amstutz was Toledo's head football coach from 2001 to 2008, and posted a 58-41 record, including a 39-24 record in conference play...
in his seventh season, the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
team had defeated the Jayhawks the previous year in Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
in a double-overtime loss. This 45-13 win gave the Jayhawks a 3-1 record versus the Rockets and a 7-5 record versus opponents from the MAC.
Florida International
For their fourth and final non-conference game on September 22, the Jayhawks hosted the FIU Golden Panthers2007 FIU Golden Panthers football team
The 2007 FIU Golden Panthers football team represented Florida International University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Panthers were led by first-year head coach Mario Cristobal and played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl while FIU Stadium, their normal home...
of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
in the teams' first meeting. FIU was led by first-year head coach Mario Cristobal
Mario Cristobal
-External links:*...
.
Kansas State
Todd Reesing led the Jayhawks to victory in Manhattan for the first time in eighteen years. Aqib Talib sealed the game by picking off Josh Freeman's pass with less than two minutes left in the game.The Jayhawks got their first touchdown on Kansas State's home field since 1999 when Jake Sharp, apparently stopped for a short gain, burst out of a gang of tacklers and sped 20 yards to make it 7-7 with 9:11 left in the first half. Sharp had picked up 14 yards the previous play.
The victory was KU's third in the last four Governor's Cup games against KSU, and increased their all-time lead in the Sunflower Showdown
Sunflower Showdown
The Sunflower Showdown is the series of athletic contests between Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, most notably football and men's basketball. The name is derived from the official nickname for the state of Kansas: the Sunflower State....
to 64-36-5.
Baylor
Lightning delayed the start of the game 2 hours.Reesing passed for 186 yards as the Jayhawks were 6-0 for the first time since 1995.
Colorado
Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–1, and had only lost the first meeting in Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1974. Kansas was the only Big 12 team that A&M was undefeated against, ever since the Big 12 formed in 1996. Kansas was the first top 10 team, excluding Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, to play at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
since 2002. A&M had compiled a 6–3 record for games played against top 10 teams (other than OU and Texas) at Kyle Field. In their previous meeting in 2006, A&M outscored Kansas 21–18. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casinos
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
favored Kansas to win by three points.
Kansas entered the game with a 16th-ranked rushing offense, 25th-ranked passing offense, and a 3rd-ranked scoring offense. Kansas' rushing defense ranked 4th, pass defense ranked 10th, and overall defense ranked 5th. Kansas also had ranked 9th in the weekly BCS standings. A&M came into the game with a 5th-ranked rushing offense, and a 111th ranked passing offense. The pass defense ranked 100th, scoring defense ranked 42nd, and overall defense ranked 73rd.
In the game, KU running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Brandon McAnderson rushed for a career-high of 183 yards, and quarterback Todd Reesing completed 21 of 33 passes for 180 yards. Through the first three quarters, the Jayhawks shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
the Aggies' 5th-ranked rushing offense and held them to only 56 yards. A&M running back Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
had only rushed for 24 yards the entire game. KU gained a 13–0 lead in the third quarter, after kicker Scott Webb kicked two field goals and Reesing led his team to a 54-yard touchdown drive on 6 plays. In the fourth quarter, Reesing led his team to a 43-yard touchdown drive on 4 plays.
For the first time since 1909
1909 in sports
1909 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale Bulldogs-Association football:England...
, the Jayhawks improved to a 8–0 season record. This was also the first time that KU won in Texas since 2001 (not including bowl games).
Nebraska
The Nebraska-Kansas series is the longest uninterrupted series in college football at 102 years. In the 2007 meeting, Kansas beat Nebraska 76-39. The Jayhawks set an all-time record for most touchdowns and most points scored by a Nebraska opponent. Their 48 points in the first half was the most ever scored against Nebraska in the first half; and it came one point short of tying the record for most points scored on Nebraska in a half. With the win, Kansas took their record to 9–0 for the first time since 1908.Fox Sports
Fox College Sports
Fox College Sports is a group of three United States digital cable networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific owned by News Corporation, that specialize primarily in showing collegiate programming, live events, coaches shows & various DI, DII, & DIII content surrounding college athletics...
reported, "It was only the second victory for Kansas in the last 39 games against Nebraska, which appears to be coming to pieces in the fourth season of embattled coach Bill Callahan."
Oklahoma State
The Kansas Jayhawks game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys attracted a great deal of attention. This was due to the match up between both potent offenses. The crucial match up was that between cornerback Aqib Talib and star Cowboy wideout Adarius BowmanAdarius Bowman
Adarius Bowman is an Canadian football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Bowman was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on April 1, 2009...
. In the 2006 matchup between the two, Bowman had 13 catches for 300 yards. However Bowman left the game with an injury after the first half. In the first half, he was held to 22 yards on 4 cathces with no touchdowns. The game was broadcast to 63 percent of the nation on ABC as the top primetime college football game of the week.
The Jayhawks went to 10-0 for the first time since 1899.
Iowa State
The victory over Iowa State brought KU's record to 11-0, the first time in school history that the football team won 11 games in a season. As a result, the Jayhawks were featured on the cover of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
the following week.
Missouri
On November 24 the Jayhawks met the Missouri Tigers2007 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2007 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2007 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium....
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in the final regular season game of the year. Known as the Border Showdown, this year's annual contest was the most significant in recent years as the winner would claim the Big 12 North Division title, advance to the Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and possibly claim the top spot in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
rankings and national polls. The game received considerable media attention, and the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
College Gameday crew were at the game. It drew 80,537, the second-highest attendance in the 35-year history of Arrowhead Stadium. The Jayhawks entered the contest with an eleven game winning streak since losing the final game of the 2006 season
2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2006 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season.-Schedule:...
against their cross-border rivals in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, by a score of 42-17. But they would leave with their second straight loss versus the Tigers and a 6-6 series record since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.
Virginia Tech
Rankings
According to the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll, the Jayhawks were projected to finish fourth in the Big 12 North Division.Following their victory over Iowa State, the Jayhawks reached their highest ranking
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Three polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or more...
in school history when they were ranked second in the nation in all four major polls (Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, Associated Press
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, USA Today
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
and Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive College Football Poll
The Harris Interactive College Football Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams. The rankings are compiled by Harris Interactive, a market research company that specializes in Internet research....
). Previously, the 1968 team was ranked third by the Associated Press for three weeks.
Entering November, the University of Kansas was the only school with its football team and men's basketball team
2007-08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball season of 2007–2008. The team was led by Bill Self in his fifth season as head coach. The team played its home games in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence,...
both ranked in the top ten.
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | #20 | #15(t) | #12 | #8 | #5 | #4 | #2 | #7 | #8 | #7 | ||||||
| Coaches | #20 | #15 | #10 | #8 | #5 | #4 | #2 | #5(t) | #8 | #7 | ||||||
| BCS | Not released | #13 | #9 | #8 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #5 | #8 | |||||||
Team
| class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap;"> | KU | Opp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring | 532 | 192 | |
| Points per Game | 44.3 | 16.0 | |
| First Downs | 307 | 196 | |
| Rushing | 129 | 70 | |
| Passing | 157 | 114 | |
| Penalty | 21 | 12 | |
| Total Offense | 5893 | 3819 | |
| Avg per Play | 6.4 | 4.5 | |
| Avg per Game | 491.1 | 318.3 | |
| Fumbles-Lost | -7 | -12 | |
| Penalties-Yards | 48-438 | 77-726 | |
| Avg per Game | 4.0-36.5 | 6.4-60.5 |