2009 Kansas Jayhawks football team
Encyclopedia
The 2009 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 2009-2010
which was the school's 120th season. After beginning the season with five victories, the team lost their next seven games to finish the season with a 5–7 overall record (1–7 in the Big 12 Conference
). It was the worst overall record since 2004 (when the Jayhawks won just four games) and the worst conference record since their winless 2002 season (in which they could only win two non-conference games).
The poor finish to the season marked the end of an era as head coach Mark Mangino
, in his eighth year, resigned under pressure from both an internal investigation into his treatment of players and discontent from the season's results. It was Ed Warinner's third season as offensive coordinator (and fifth year overall). Turner Gill
was announced as the new head coach on December 13, 2009.
The Jayhawks played their home games on Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas
.
Bill Miller resigned and joined the Jayhawks as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, replacing previous linebackers coach Steve Tovar
.
Tom Sims replaced Joe Bob Clements, who left for Kansas State
, as defensive line coach. Sims spent the last four seasons with Illinois
. A few weeks earlier, Kerry Locklin
of Fresno State
accepted the defensive line coaching job, but subsequently accepted a job with the NFL's New York Jets
and Sims was hired instead.
Dezmon Briscoe:
Darrell Stuckey:
Jake Sharp:
Kerry Meier:
Jake Laptad:
in Olathe. Wide receiver Xavier Rambo is listed as a transfer at Delta State University
. Running back Jocques Crawford's transfer to an unnamed school was announced July 24. KU announced Ben Lueken's departure August 6.
Senior Quarterback Todd Reesing directed the Kansas offense to success from the start of the game. He threw for 208 yards on 13 attempts and 2 touchdowns. Furthermore, he also ran for 79 yards and scored 2 rushing touchdowns. This was Reesing's most successful game in terms of rushing since the 2007 season. Reesing found numerous opportunities to run as Northern Colorado was preoccupied with slowing Kansas' passing attack. Kansas' passing attack was also hurt by the 1 game suspension of leading wide-receiver Desmond Briscoe. Senior running-back Jake Sharp led Kansas in rushing with 123 yards on 21 caries and 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 receiving). Senior wide-receiver Kerry Meier led the team with 5 receptions for 115 yards.
Freshman running-back Toben Opurum had a notable first game in a Kansas uniform. He ran for 79 yards on 8 caries and scored 2 touchdowns. Backup red-shirt Freshman Quarterback Kale Pick also played his first minutes in a Kansas uniform in the 4th Quarter.
In the first half alone, Onyegbule had two sacks and four total tackles for loss to lead a defense that finished the half with five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, an interception and a pair of quarterback hurries. UTEP was forced to punt on six of its seven possessions of the half and mustered just three first downs. For the game, the defense held UTEP to just 208 yards and seven first downs. Seven players recorded tackles for losses led by Onyegbule with five. Add to that line six quarterback hurries, three passes broken up and an interception, and it was a good night for the defense in El Paso.
Reesing finished 25-of-41 for 260 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Kansas racked up 576 total yards and outdid the Miners 23-7 on first downs.
The win also improved Mark Mangino's overall record to 47-41 at Kansas which tied him with Glen Mason as the second-winningest coach in school history. A.R. Kennedy owns KU's best coaching record at 52-9-4 from 1904-10.
Reesing completed 28-of-41 passes against the Blue Devils, including touchdowns to three different receivers. His 338 yards in the air marked his seventh-straight game with 200 or more passing yards and his 14th career 300-yard passing game. Briscoe finished the game with 117 yards receiving, his sixth-straight 100-yard receiving game. He now has nine 100-yard receiving games in his career, the most in KU history.
Senior safety Darrell Stuckey led the Jayhawk defense with a season-high 10 tackles. Freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp recorded a career-high 10 tackles, while junior linebacker Drew Dudley finished with a career-best eight tackles. Sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson also had eight stops. Senior nickelback Justin Thornton and junior cornerback Chris Harris each added six tackles. KU finished with five sacks on the afternoon, giving the Jayhawks 14 sacks on the season.
Reesing completed 30-of-41 passes against the Golden Eagles, including touchdowns to two different receivers. His 331 yards in the air marked his eighth-straight game with 200 or more passing yards and his 15th career 300-yard passing game.
The game was a back-and-forth battle that was tied late in the game when Kansas received ideal field position for the second-straight drive after Darrell Stuckey posted a 50-yard kick return to place the ball at the Southern Miss 40-yard line just before the end of the third quarter. This time the Jayhawks took advantage of the kick return, and Reesing found Meier uncovered for a 12-yard touchdown, his second of the game, to make the score 35-28.
Both teams traded possessions before Kansas' defense forced Southern Mississippi to punt with three minutes remaining. But the Jayhawks couldn't muster a first down, giving the Golden Eagles an opportunity to tie the game. The Jayhawk defense then stepped up to the challenge as junior defensive end Jake Laptad sacked Davis on third down and sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson batted down two passes to force a turnover on downs and seal the victory.
Reesing's main two targets for the afternoon were Meier, with his record-setting 16 receptions and junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who had 12 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Meier and Briscoe ended the day as KU's career receptions leaders with Meier first at 167 and Briscoe at 165. For Reesing, it was his second 400-yard passing day.
Despite the offensive fire power displayed by the Jayhawks, the team needed a fourth-down stop at its own 31-yard line to solidify the win. Trailing by five with 2:36 remaining in the game, ISU regained possession on its own 34-yard line and marched to the KU 31 before the Jayhawks' defense held fast to produce a turnover on downs. KU defensive back Chris Harris made a huge tackle of Iowa State receiver Jake Williams on second-and-10 and then broke up the third-down pass, resulting in a fourth-and-nine attempt for the Cyclones. On fourth down, pressure forced ISU quarterback Austen Arnuad's pass to sail incomplete.
KU led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter only to see Colorado score 24 unanswered points. KU closed the gap to 24-10 before the first half ended, but Colorado opened the second half with a 39-yard field goal to extend their lead back to 17 points. Kansas then rallied, dominating on both sides of the ball into the early fourth quarter, scoring 20 straight points to take a 30-27 lead with 12:57 remaining in the game. Not to be outdone, the Buffaloes put together a 10-play, 76-yard touchdown drive to re-take the lead. Kansas had two more chances to score before the game ended, first on a 10-play, 74-yard drive that included a Reesing-to-Meier touchdown pass that would have given the Jayhawks the lead, only it was nullified due to an offensive pass interference call. Ultimately the Jayhawks turned the ball over on downs. They managed to force a Colorado punt and take one final possession with 24 seconds left in the game, but a heavily-covered Dezmon Briscoe could not hold on to a Reesing pass in the end zone as time expired. As the game went final, the Colorado fans stormed the field.
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing threw for 224 yards, but his three first-half interceptions put the Jayhawks behind 14-0 early, one of OU's touchdowns coming on an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dominique Franks as Kansas was driving deep into Oklahoma territory. Kansas answered with a pair of field goals by junior kicker Jacob Branstetter, including a career-long 57-yarder just before the end of the half, but despite cutting the deficit to a single possession, the Jayhawks could not contain the Oklahoma offense in the third quarter. The Sooners opened the second half with a nine play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Landry Jones to senior wide receiver Adron Tennell to give the Sooners a 21-6 advantage. OU extended its lead to 28-6 on its next possession, as Chris Brown hauled in an eight-yard TD pass from Jones. After another Brown touchdown made it 35-6, the Jayhawks scored their only touchdown of the game late in fourth quarter on a run by Reesing.
The first half of the game was an unexpected defensive struggle. At halftime, the teams entered the locker room tied at 14, with Texas Tech outgaining Kansas 127 yards to 106 in the half. Kansas' two first half touchdowns each came after forced fumbles, while Texas Tech was also able to capitalize off of a Kansas turnover deep in KU territory.
KU took the lead 21-14 in the closing seconds of the third quarter after orchestrating an impressive 10-play, 81-yard drive. Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing connected with Dezmon Briscoe three times on the drive including a touchdown pass from six yards out. On the play, Reesing twisted around to avoid a sack before finding Briscoe wide open in the endzone. The hookup from Reesing to Briscoe was the 26th time the pair found each other for a touchdown in their careers. No other active tandem in college football has as many touchdowns.
Texas Tech responded immediately, tying the game on 80-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Baron Batch. Kansas could not respond, fumbling they ball three times in their next four possessions, each inside their own 30-yard line. Texas Tech capitalized each time, returning one of the fumbles for a touchdown and scoring two other touchdowns on short drives to result in the 42-21 final score.
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing racked up 266 yards, including 241 through the air, but committed three costly turnovers. The 10 points scored by the Kansas offense was a season low. Reesing completed 27-of-41 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, while Meier led the receiving corps with eight catches for 92 yards. Senior running back Jake Sharp gained 35 yards on 11 carries, while Reesing ran eight times for 25 yards. Kansas freshmen Huldon Tharp and Lubbock Smith led the defense with nine tackles a piece, while Darrell Stuckey and Drew Dudley chipped in six.
Kansas senior quarterback Todd Reesing found junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe wide open in the middle of the field and Briscoe ran it in for the score from 21 yards out to give Kansas its first lead of the day at 17-16 with 7:34 left to play. The Jayhawks' scoring drive amassed 89 yards on 10 plays capped by KU's first passing touchdown of the day.
Nebraska did not trail for long though. After a 44-yard kick-off return by Niles Paul, Nebraska quickly responded as Helu punched it in from 20 yards out just over a minute later. Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee then found Paul for the two-point conversion to push the `Huskers back into the lead at 24-17 with just over six minutes remaining. After a KU punt, Nebraska took possession with 5:20 remaining on the game clock and burned nearly all of that with a 10-play, 74-yard drive capped by another Helu touchdown run that gave the Cornhuskers a two-touchdown lead with only 23 seconds left in the game.
Reesing finished the game 19-of-41 passing for 236 yards and one touchdown. He also turned in 42 yards rushing and a second touchdown. Kerry Meier led the Jayhawks in receiving with 10 catches for 127 yards, while Briscoe had four catches for 77 yards and a TD. Freshman running back Toben Opurum recorded 43 yards on the ground on 15 carries.
For the game, Texas rolled up 532 yards total offense, while Kansas had 303 yards. Playing in his hometown of Austin, Texas, KU quarterback Todd Reesing ended the game 25 for 39 for 256 yards. Briscoe had five catches for 101 yards, while senior Kerry Meier had a team-high nine receptions 46 yards. Briscoe returned three kickoffs 144 yards, including a 98-yarder for a touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 44-20.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns’ offensive charge by completing 32 passes on 41 attempts for 396 yards and four touchdowns. UT wide receiver James Kirkendoll had eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Jordan Shipley had 10 receptions for 108 yards and one score.
in Kansas City
. Reesing set a school record for passing yards in a single game with 498 and tied his own school record for completions in a game with 37. Kansas concluded its 2009 season at 5-7 overall and 1-7 in the Big 12, while Missouri improved to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in league play.
The 118th edition of the Border War was a hard-fought battle, with the winner determined in the final seconds as MU kicker Grant Ressel hit a 27 yard field goal as time expired.
Maxwell Onyegbule
Todd Reesing
Alonso Rojas
Darrell Stuckey
Dezmon Briscoe
Kerry Meier
Tanner Hawkinson
Jake Laptad
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 2009-2010
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
which was the school's 120th season. After beginning the season with five victories, the team lost their next seven games to finish the season with a 5–7 overall record (1–7 in the Big 12 Conference
2009 Big 12 Conference football season
The 2009 Big 12 Conference football season is the 14th season for the Big 12, as part of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season.-Coaching changes:-Media Poll:Ranked by total points, first place votes shown in parenthesis.-Rankings:...
). It was the worst overall record since 2004 (when the Jayhawks won just four games) and the worst conference record since their winless 2002 season (in which they could only win two non-conference games).
The poor finish to the season marked the end of an era as head coach 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 eighth year, resigned under pressure from both an internal investigation into his treatment of players and discontent from the season's results. It was Ed Warinner's third season as offensive coordinator (and fifth year overall). Turner Gill
Turner Gill
Turner Hillery Gill is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach at Kansas from 2010-2011, and was one of 11 African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision at the time of his hiring.-College:Gill graduated from Arlington Heights High...
was announced as the new head coach on December 13, 2009.
The Jayhawks 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 changes
Less than a month after being promoted to defensive coordinator at LouisvilleLouisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
Bill Miller resigned and joined the Jayhawks as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, replacing previous linebackers coach Steve Tovar
Steve Tovar
Steven Eric Tovar is a former college and professional American football linebacker and a former football coach at the University of Kansas.-College career:...
.
Tom Sims replaced Joe Bob Clements, who left for Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, as defensive line coach. Sims spent the last four seasons with Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
. A few weeks earlier, Kerry Locklin
Kerry Locklin
Kerry Barth Locklin is an American football coach, most recently the defensive line coach for the New York Jets in the National Football League....
of Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...
accepted the defensive line coaching job, but subsequently accepted a job with the NFL's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Sims was hired instead.
Recruiting
Following the 2009 signing day, the Jayhawks recruiting class was ranked 31st by Rivals and 50 by Scout. Expand the list below to see the full class.Watch lists & Pre-season team awards
Todd Reesing:- Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
Watch list - Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
Watch list - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Watch list - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
Finalist - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
Watch list - William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist
Dezmon Briscoe:
- 2009 Media Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team
- Fred Biletnikoff AwardFred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
Watch list - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Watch list
Darrell Stuckey:
- 2009 Media Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team
- Jim Thorpe AwardJim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
Watchlist, - Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee
- Lott TrophyLott TrophyThe Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
Watch list - Chuck Bednarik AwardChuck Bednarik AwardThe Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
Watch list - Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
Watch list - Lowe's Senior CLASS AwardLowe's Senior CLASS AwardThe Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is an annual college athletic award in the NCAA Division I. Qualified competitors must be seniors who have remained within their NCAA Division I college for a four-year commitment and achieved excellence in one of nine sports.....
candidate
Jake Sharp:
- Doak Walker AwardDoak Walker AwardThe Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
Candidate
Kerry Meier:
- Fred Biletnikoff Award Watch list
Jake Laptad:
- Ted Hendricks AwardTed Hendricks AwardThe Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
Watch list
Schedule
Roster
In February, reserve quarterback Tyler Lawrence left the team to graduate early. Running back Sean Ransburg was listed as a transfer at MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityMidAmerica Nazarene University
MidAmerica Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college in Olathe, Kansas. It was established in 1966 by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:Mid-America Nazarene College was founded in 1966...
in Olathe. Wide receiver Xavier Rambo is listed as a transfer at Delta State University
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
. Running back Jocques Crawford's transfer to an unnamed school was announced July 24. KU announced Ben Lueken's departure August 6.
| 2009 roster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (starters in bold) | ||||
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
|
Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties
Punters
Kickers
|
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Game notes
Northern Colorado
Kansas won its first ever match-up against Northern Colorado in convincing fashion as the 25th ranked team in the nation. This was the sixth straight home-opener win for Kansas. It was also a new attendance record with 52,530 fans in attendance.Senior Quarterback Todd Reesing directed the Kansas offense to success from the start of the game. He threw for 208 yards on 13 attempts and 2 touchdowns. Furthermore, he also ran for 79 yards and scored 2 rushing touchdowns. This was Reesing's most successful game in terms of rushing since the 2007 season. Reesing found numerous opportunities to run as Northern Colorado was preoccupied with slowing Kansas' passing attack. Kansas' passing attack was also hurt by the 1 game suspension of leading wide-receiver Desmond Briscoe. Senior running-back Jake Sharp led Kansas in rushing with 123 yards on 21 caries and 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 receiving). Senior wide-receiver Kerry Meier led the team with 5 receptions for 115 yards.
Freshman running-back Toben Opurum had a notable first game in a Kansas uniform. He ran for 79 yards on 8 caries and scored 2 touchdowns. Backup red-shirt Freshman Quarterback Kale Pick also played his first minutes in a Kansas uniform in the 4th Quarter.
UTEP
Senior DE Maxwell Onyegbule and the Jayhawk defense set the tone early as the University of Kansas football team rolled past UTEP 34-7 in front of 31,885 fans in the Sun Bowl. Senior QB Todd Reesing guided the offense to over 575 yards of total offense as KU improved to 2-0 for the sixth straight season, while the Miners fell to 0-2.In the first half alone, Onyegbule had two sacks and four total tackles for loss to lead a defense that finished the half with five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, an interception and a pair of quarterback hurries. UTEP was forced to punt on six of its seven possessions of the half and mustered just three first downs. For the game, the defense held UTEP to just 208 yards and seven first downs. Seven players recorded tackles for losses led by Onyegbule with five. Add to that line six quarterback hurries, three passes broken up and an interception, and it was a good night for the defense in El Paso.
Reesing finished 25-of-41 for 260 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Kansas racked up 576 total yards and outdid the Miners 23-7 on first downs.
The win also improved Mark Mangino's overall record to 47-41 at Kansas which tied him with Glen Mason as the second-winningest coach in school history. A.R. Kennedy owns KU's best coaching record at 52-9-4 from 1904-10.
Duke
Kansas senior quarterback Todd Reesing threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns and also collected 51 yards on the ground to lead Kansas to a 44-16 win over Duke on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The win improved Kansas to 3-0 on the season, marking the second time in the last three seasons the Jayhawks opened the season with three-consecutive wins. The loss dropped the Blue Devils to 1-2.Reesing completed 28-of-41 passes against the Blue Devils, including touchdowns to three different receivers. His 338 yards in the air marked his seventh-straight game with 200 or more passing yards and his 14th career 300-yard passing game. Briscoe finished the game with 117 yards receiving, his sixth-straight 100-yard receiving game. He now has nine 100-yard receiving games in his career, the most in KU history.
Senior safety Darrell Stuckey led the Jayhawk defense with a season-high 10 tackles. Freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp recorded a career-high 10 tackles, while junior linebacker Drew Dudley finished with a career-best eight tackles. Sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson also had eight stops. Senior nickelback Justin Thornton and junior cornerback Chris Harris each added six tackles. KU finished with five sacks on the afternoon, giving the Jayhawks 14 sacks on the season.
Southern Miss
Senior wide receiver Kerry Meier hauled in 10 passes for a career-high 141 yards and two touchdowns and senior quarterback Todd Reesing passed former Texas quarterback Vince Young for seventh on the All-time Big 12 total yards list as No. 19 Kansas defeated Southern Mississippi 35-28 at Memorial Stadium. The victory improved Kansas to 4-0 on the season, marking the second time in the last three seasons the Jayhawks opened the season with four-consecutive wins. The defeat dropped Southern Mississippi to 3-1 ending the nation's second longest winning streak at eight games.Reesing completed 30-of-41 passes against the Golden Eagles, including touchdowns to two different receivers. His 331 yards in the air marked his eighth-straight game with 200 or more passing yards and his 15th career 300-yard passing game.
The game was a back-and-forth battle that was tied late in the game when Kansas received ideal field position for the second-straight drive after Darrell Stuckey posted a 50-yard kick return to place the ball at the Southern Miss 40-yard line just before the end of the third quarter. This time the Jayhawks took advantage of the kick return, and Reesing found Meier uncovered for a 12-yard touchdown, his second of the game, to make the score 35-28.
Both teams traded possessions before Kansas' defense forced Southern Mississippi to punt with three minutes remaining. But the Jayhawks couldn't muster a first down, giving the Golden Eagles an opportunity to tie the game. The Jayhawk defense then stepped up to the challenge as junior defensive end Jake Laptad sacked Davis on third down and sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson batted down two passes to force a turnover on downs and seal the victory.
Iowa State
Kansas senior wide receiver Kerry Meier set a school record with 16 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while senior quarterback Todd Reesing tied a school record with 37 completions for a career-high 442 yards and four touchdowns as No. 16 Kansas outlasted Iowa State 41-36. Before a crowd of 48,203 at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium, Kansas improves to 5-0 for the second time in three years, and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play. Iowa State drops to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.Reesing's main two targets for the afternoon were Meier, with his record-setting 16 receptions and junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who had 12 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Meier and Briscoe ended the day as KU's career receptions leaders with Meier first at 167 and Briscoe at 165. For Reesing, it was his second 400-yard passing day.
Despite the offensive fire power displayed by the Jayhawks, the team needed a fourth-down stop at its own 31-yard line to solidify the win. Trailing by five with 2:36 remaining in the game, ISU regained possession on its own 34-yard line and marched to the KU 31 before the Jayhawks' defense held fast to produce a turnover on downs. KU defensive back Chris Harris made a huge tackle of Iowa State receiver Jake Williams on second-and-10 and then broke up the third-down pass, resulting in a fourth-and-nine attempt for the Cyclones. On fourth down, pressure forced ISU quarterback Austen Arnuad's pass to sail incomplete.
Colorado
Despite erasing a 21-point deficit, the University of Kansas football team could not pull off the win as Colorado escaped with a 34-30 victory over the Jayhawks in front of 51,146 fans in Boulder. KU dropped to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12, while Colorado improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the league. The lead changed hands twice in the fourth quarter and Kansas had the chance to win on the final play of the game. In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for KU.KU led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter only to see Colorado score 24 unanswered points. KU closed the gap to 24-10 before the first half ended, but Colorado opened the second half with a 39-yard field goal to extend their lead back to 17 points. Kansas then rallied, dominating on both sides of the ball into the early fourth quarter, scoring 20 straight points to take a 30-27 lead with 12:57 remaining in the game. Not to be outdone, the Buffaloes put together a 10-play, 76-yard touchdown drive to re-take the lead. Kansas had two more chances to score before the game ended, first on a 10-play, 74-yard drive that included a Reesing-to-Meier touchdown pass that would have given the Jayhawks the lead, only it was nullified due to an offensive pass interference call. Ultimately the Jayhawks turned the ball over on downs. They managed to force a Colorado punt and take one final possession with 24 seconds left in the game, but a heavily-covered Dezmon Briscoe could not hold on to a Reesing pass in the end zone as time expired. As the game went final, the Colorado fans stormed the field.
Oklahoma
Despite holding Oklahoma to just 337 yards of total offense - nearly 100 yards below the Sooners' season average - the Jayhawks suffered a 35-13 loss to OU at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks dropped to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12, while the Sooners improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in league play.Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing threw for 224 yards, but his three first-half interceptions put the Jayhawks behind 14-0 early, one of OU's touchdowns coming on an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dominique Franks as Kansas was driving deep into Oklahoma territory. Kansas answered with a pair of field goals by junior kicker Jacob Branstetter, including a career-long 57-yarder just before the end of the half, but despite cutting the deficit to a single possession, the Jayhawks could not contain the Oklahoma offense in the third quarter. The Sooners opened the second half with a nine play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Landry Jones to senior wide receiver Adron Tennell to give the Sooners a 21-6 advantage. OU extended its lead to 28-6 on its next possession, as Chris Brown hauled in an eight-yard TD pass from Jones. After another Brown touchdown made it 35-6, the Jayhawks scored their only touchdown of the game late in fourth quarter on a run by Reesing.
Texas Tech
Four turnovers resulting in 28 Texas Tech points spoiled any chance of the University of Kansas football team picking up its sixth win as the Jayhawks fell to the Red Raiders 42-21 in front of 47,291 fans in Jones AT&T Stadium. Kansas fell to 5-3 overall while Texas Tech improved to 6-3 (3-2 Big 12). With four league games still left, KU dropped to 1-3 in the Big 12.The first half of the game was an unexpected defensive struggle. At halftime, the teams entered the locker room tied at 14, with Texas Tech outgaining Kansas 127 yards to 106 in the half. Kansas' two first half touchdowns each came after forced fumbles, while Texas Tech was also able to capitalize off of a Kansas turnover deep in KU territory.
KU took the lead 21-14 in the closing seconds of the third quarter after orchestrating an impressive 10-play, 81-yard drive. Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing connected with Dezmon Briscoe three times on the drive including a touchdown pass from six yards out. On the play, Reesing twisted around to avoid a sack before finding Briscoe wide open in the endzone. The hookup from Reesing to Briscoe was the 26th time the pair found each other for a touchdown in their careers. No other active tandem in college football has as many touchdowns.
Texas Tech responded immediately, tying the game on 80-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Baron Batch. Kansas could not respond, fumbling they ball three times in their next four possessions, each inside their own 30-yard line. Texas Tech capitalized each time, returning one of the fumbles for a touchdown and scoring two other touchdowns on short drives to result in the 42-21 final score.
Kansas State
Despite a combined 168 yards receiving for KU senior Kerry Meier and junior Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas fell to Sunflower Showdown rival Kansas State, 17-10, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. After starting the season with five consecutive wins, the Jayhawks dropped to 5-4 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12. K-State improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing racked up 266 yards, including 241 through the air, but committed three costly turnovers. The 10 points scored by the Kansas offense was a season low. Reesing completed 27-of-41 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, while Meier led the receiving corps with eight catches for 92 yards. Senior running back Jake Sharp gained 35 yards on 11 carries, while Reesing ran eight times for 25 yards. Kansas freshmen Huldon Tharp and Lubbock Smith led the defense with nine tackles a piece, while Darrell Stuckey and Drew Dudley chipped in six.
Nebraska
After a low scoring three quarters, a fourth-quarter scoring flurry led to a 31-17 Nebraska victory against Kansas on Senior Day at Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium. The loss dropped KU to 5-5 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 Conference action.Kansas senior quarterback Todd Reesing found junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe wide open in the middle of the field and Briscoe ran it in for the score from 21 yards out to give Kansas its first lead of the day at 17-16 with 7:34 left to play. The Jayhawks' scoring drive amassed 89 yards on 10 plays capped by KU's first passing touchdown of the day.
Nebraska did not trail for long though. After a 44-yard kick-off return by Niles Paul, Nebraska quickly responded as Helu punched it in from 20 yards out just over a minute later. Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee then found Paul for the two-point conversion to push the `Huskers back into the lead at 24-17 with just over six minutes remaining. After a KU punt, Nebraska took possession with 5:20 remaining on the game clock and burned nearly all of that with a 10-play, 74-yard drive capped by another Helu touchdown run that gave the Cornhuskers a two-touchdown lead with only 23 seconds left in the game.
Reesing finished the game 19-of-41 passing for 236 yards and one touchdown. He also turned in 42 yards rushing and a second touchdown. Kerry Meier led the Jayhawks in receiving with 10 catches for 127 yards, while Briscoe had four catches for 77 yards and a TD. Freshman running back Toben Opurum recorded 43 yards on the ground on 15 carries.
Texas
Despite 245 all-purpose yards from junior Dezmon Briscoe, the Kansas football team could not keep up with the high-powered Texas offense as the No. 3 Longhorns defeated the Jayhawks 51-20 before a sellout crowd of 101,357 at Texas Memorial Stadium. Kansas dropped to 5-6 on the season, including 1-6 in Big 12 play. Texas improved to 11-0 on the season and 7-0 in conference play. The Longhorns’ win secured them the Big 12 South title.For the game, Texas rolled up 532 yards total offense, while Kansas had 303 yards. Playing in his hometown of Austin, Texas, KU quarterback Todd Reesing ended the game 25 for 39 for 256 yards. Briscoe had five catches for 101 yards, while senior Kerry Meier had a team-high nine receptions 46 yards. Briscoe returned three kickoffs 144 yards, including a 98-yarder for a touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 44-20.
Colt McCoy led the Longhorns’ offensive charge by completing 32 passes on 41 attempts for 396 yards and four touchdowns. UT wide receiver James Kirkendoll had eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Jordan Shipley had 10 receptions for 108 yards and one score.
Missouri
Despite a record-breaking day for senior quarterback Todd Reesing, Kansas fell to Missouri 41-39 after Reesing was sacked in the final seconds of the annual Border War game at Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City
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...
. Reesing set a school record for passing yards in a single game with 498 and tied his own school record for completions in a game with 37. Kansas concluded its 2009 season at 5-7 overall and 1-7 in the Big 12, while Missouri improved to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in league play.
The 118th edition of the Border War was a hard-fought battle, with the winner determined in the final seconds as MU kicker Grant Ressel hit a 27 yard field goal as time expired.
Rankings
| 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 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 24 | RV | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coaches | RV | 25 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 21 | RV | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Harris | Not released | 16 | 16 | 16 | 21 | RV | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||
| BCS | Not released | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
Awards and honors
Drew Dudley- Big 12 Conference Chick-Fil-A Fall Community of Champions honoree
- ESPN The Magazine Academic First Team All-District 7
Maxwell Onyegbule
- Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Week 2)
Todd Reesing
- ESPN The Magazine Academic First Team All-District 7
- National Football FoundationNational Football FoundationThe National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
National Scholar-Athlete - All Big 12 Honorable Mention
- Cambell Trophy Finalist
Alonso Rojas
- Ray Guy AwardRay Guy AwardThe Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
Candidate - All Big 12 Honorable Mention
Darrell Stuckey
- Allstate AFCAAmerican Football Coaches AssociationThe American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
Good Works Team - Jim Thorpe Award Finalist
- All Big 12 Honorable Mention
Dezmon Briscoe
- All Big 12 First Team
Kerry Meier
- All Big 12 Second Team
Tanner Hawkinson
- All Big 12 Honorable Mention
Jake Laptad
- All Big 12 Honorable Mention
Team
EWLINE
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EWLINE
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Scores by quarter
Rushing
| Name | GP | Att | Gain | Loss | Net | Avg | TD | Long | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toben Opurum | 10 | 131 | 564 | 23 | 541 | 4.1 | 9 | 26 | 54.1 |
| Jake Sharp | 8 | 86 | 382 | 4 | 378 | 4.4 | 3 | 30 | 47.2 |
| Kale Pick | 7 | 14 | 182 | 15 | 167 | 11.9 | 0 | 55 | 23.9 |
| Todd Reesing | 10 | 87 | 379 | 245 | 134 | 1.5 | 5 | 22 | 13.4 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 9 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 9.5 | 1 | 20 | 2.1 |
| Rell Lewis | 3 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 3.4 | 0 | 8 | 5.7 |
| Kerry Meier | 10 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0.8 |
| TEAM | 6 | 8 | 0 | 13 | |||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 10 | 334 | 1550 | 301 | 1249 | 3.7 | 18 | 55 | 124.9 |
| Opponents | 10 | 338 | 1581 | 308 | 1273 | 3.8 | 18 | 44 | 127.3 |
Passing
| Name | GP | Effic | Att-Cmp-Int | Pct | Yds | TD | Lng | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todd Reesing | 10 | 133.0 | 402-251-8 | 62.4 | 2862 | 18 | 71 | 286.2 |
| Kale Pick | 7 | 117.0 | 5-4-0 | 80.0 | 22 | 0 | 6 | 4.4 |
| Kerry Meier | 10 | 262.7 | 3-2-0 | 66.7 | 70 | 0 | 56 | 8.8 |
| Alonso Rojas | 10 | 234.4 | 1-1-0 | 100.0 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 2.0 |
| TEAM | 6 | 0.0 | 1-0-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 10 | 133.7 | 412-258-8 | 62.6 | 2970 | 18 | 71 | 297.0 |
| Opponents | 10 | 123.2 | 340-205-7 | 60.3 | 2241 | 12 | 75 | 224.1 |
Receiving
| Name | GP | No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | Avg/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Meier | 10 | 83 | 885 | 10.7 | 6 | 71 | 88.5 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 9 | 65 | 994 | 15.3 | 7 | 56 | 110.4 |
| Johnathan Wilson | 10 | 32 | 385 | 12.0 | 0 | 33 | 38.5 |
| Bradley McDougald | 10 | 28 | 263 | 9.4 | 0 | 42 | 26.3 |
| Jake Sharp | 8 | 24 | 182 | 7.6 | 3 | 56 | 22.8 |
| Toben Opurum | 10 | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 1 | 30 | 10.5 |
| Tim Biere | 9 | 9 | 117 | 13.0 | 0 | 19 | 13.0 |
| Tertavian Ingram | 7 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 1 | 16 | 5.4 |
| Todd Reesing | 10 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 1.8 |
| Rell Lewis | 3 | 1 | |||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 10 | 258 | 2970 | 11.5 | 18 | 71 | 297.0 |
| Opponents | 10 | 205 | 2241 | 10.9 | 12 | 75 | 224.1 |
Defense
| Name | GP | Tackles | Sacks | Pass Defense | Interceptions | Fumbles | Blkd Kick |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Total | TFL-Yds | No-Yds | BrUp | QBH | No.-Yds | Avg | TD | Long | Rcv-Yds | FF | |||
| Total | 10 | 413 | 291 | 704 | 67-296 | 26-205 | 34 | 37 | 7-90 | 12.9 | 1 | 48 | 8-8 | 9 | 0 |
Special teams
| Name | Punting | Kickoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Yds | Avg | Long | TB | FC | I20 | Blkd | No. | Yds | Avg | TB | OB | |
| Alonso Rojas | 45 | 1869 | 41.5 | 72 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Branstetter | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 3535 | 63.1 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 46 | 1898 | 41.3 | 72 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 56 | 3535 | 63.1 | 8 | 0 |
| Name | Punt Returns | Kick Returns | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | |
| Daymond Patterson | 19 | 132 | 6.9 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley McDougald | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 384 | 19.2 | 0 | 47 |
| Dezmon Briscoe | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 239 | 18.4 | 0 | 33 |
| Darrell Stuckey | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 192 | 32.0 | 0 | 67 |
| Johnathan Wilson | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 22 | 134 | 6.1 | 0 | 49 | 39 | 816 | 20.9 | 0 | 67 |
See also
- 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankingsThree human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2009 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...
- 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season2009 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
- 2009 Big 12 Conference football season2009 Big 12 Conference football seasonThe 2009 Big 12 Conference football season is the 14th season for the Big 12, as part of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season.-Coaching changes:-Media Poll:Ranked by total points, first place votes shown in parenthesis.-Rankings:...
- University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe 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...