Texas Tech Logo

Curves
A-Z Index

Red Raider Calendar

Fan Zone
Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey |
Pro | College: NCAA Division I-A | NCAA Division I-AA |

Nebraska Cornhuskers lose to Kansas Jayhawks 39-76
Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007
Preview | Boxscore

*No. 8 Kansas batters reeling Nebraska*

LAWRENCE, Kansas (Ticker) -- Kansas took out years of frustration on Nebraska.

Todd Reesing threw a school-record six touchdown passes as the eighth-ranked Jayhawks dismantled the Cornhuskers, 76-39, in a Big 12 Conference mismatch Saturday.

Losers of 37 of the previous 38 meetings to Nebraska, Kansas (9-0, 5-0 Big 12 North) scored touchdowns on 10 consecutive possessions to remain the only undefeated team in the conference.

"This is one of those games that you're never going to forget," Reesing said. "Anytime you can score over 70 points against a team like Nebraska, it's unbelievable."

Brandon McAnderson rushed for 119 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries as the Jayhawks erased an early 14-7 deficit and scored the most points ever allowed by the Cornhuskers.

"It was pretty big stuff, but a win is a win," McAnderson said. "We scored 19 in a couple of games and won, and today we scored 76, but it wasn't like we were celebrating the 76 points we scored. We were just celebrating the victory."

Reesing carved up Nebraska (4-6, 1-5), which suffered its fifth consecutive defeat for the first time since 1958 and remained winless since a 35-17 victory over Iowa State on September 29.

The sophomore quarterback completed 30-of-41 passes for 354 yards and zero interceptions as the Jayhawks matched the 1908 team for the best start in school history. Reesing now has 23 scoring passes on the season, also a Kansas record.

"He has a chance to maybe be the best that I have coached. He can handle praise and he deserves it," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "I didn't think we were going to score 76 points today but the kids really played well. They played smart, sharp football."

McAnderson rushed for three first-half touchdowns to help Kansas take a 48-24 lead at the break - the most points ever allowed by the Cornhuskers in one half.

Only a missed extra point spared Nebraska the ignominy of allowing 70 points through three quarters.

"It (stinks)," Cornhuskers Linebacker Tyler Wortman said. "It snowballed on us bad. It's difficult when it goes bad on the road. You just have to build momentum on the good things that happen to your team."

Nebraska, with quarterback Joe Ganz making his first start of the season in place of an injured Sam Keller, tried to keep pace with the Jayhawks, pulling within 48-31 on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Purify on the opening drive of the second half.

Undaunted, Kansas continued the onslaught by responding with three touchdowns in a span of 6:01 to take a 69-31 lead heading into the final quarter.

"They really outplayed us in all phases of the game. We wanted to come out in the second half and get a score and we did that," Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. "Then they got a very good kickoff return after that. Their special teams played very well all day. We had too many turnovers that led to the huge separation that was created in the third quarter."

Reesing connected on scoring passes of 14 and 7 yards to Dezmon Briscoe to surpass Ralph Miller (1930) for the most touchdowns by a Kansas quarterback in a game, and Jake Sharp capped off the binge with an 11-yard TD run.

Ganz had a solid opening half but unraveled afterward, throwing three second-half interceptions. He finished 25-of-50 for 408 yards with four touchdowns and four picks.

"I thought he did a pretty good job," said Callahan of Ganz. "In the first half he sparked us and then again in the second half on the first drive he sparked us again. ... When you get behind by that margin, you really press to try to make a play and close up the game up a bit."

Purify hauled in seven catches for 158 yards and three TDs.