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Kansas ousts rival Kansas State, improves to 5-0

Oct 6, 2007 - 10:04 PM MANHATTAN, Kansas (Ticker) -- Kansas continued its fast start with a thrilling win over its bitter rival.

Todd Reesing passed for three touchdowns Saturday as the Jayhawks rallied for a 30-24 triumph over 24th-ranked Kansas State in a Big 12 Conference clash.

It was the first victory over a ranked opponent in nearly two years for Kansas (5-0, 1-0 Big 12 North), which is off to its best start since winning its first seven games in 1995.

"I told our players that this was the day, the time was right," said Kansas coach Mark Mangino, who guided the Jayhawks to their first win here since 1989. "Our program, our players are confident. They feel good about themselves and feel like they can win anywhere."

The Jayhawks had not beaten a ranked foe since an overtime victory over Iowa State on November 26, 2005.

"This might be one of the highlights of my career," said Kansas junior Aqib Talib, who made contributions on both sides of the ball Saturday. "This win at K-State is the first time since 1989.

"It doesn't get any better than that. It's just one of those games that proves to everybody in college football that (Kansas) is one of those teams to beat."

Reesing completed 22-of-35 passes for 267 yards and was intercepted three times. The sophomore also benefited from a strong running game which piled up a total of 170 yards on the ground.

"I thought by the time we got into the second quarter, (Reesing) had that look in his eyes like he knew what they were doing and he had a good bead on it," Mangino said. "Our coaches were telling him what was happening and he could see it. He could feel it and he knew how to react to it."

"I was impressed with Todd Reesing," Kansas State defensive end Ian Campbell said. "He's not a very tall or big guy, but knowing myself personally, you can't judge a book by its cover. I was impressed with how he handled himself."

Brandon McAnderson rushed for 81 yards on just 12 carries while Jake Sharp chipped in 77 yards and a TD for the Jayhawks, who won the Governor's Cup for the second straight season and improved to 64-36-5 all-time in the annual Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas snapped a 14-14 tie eight minutes into the third quarter when Reesing found freshman Dezmon Briscoe for a 28-yard TD, giving the Jayhawks their first lead of the contest.

After clawing within 21-17 on Brooks Rossman's 32-yard field goal late in the third quarter, the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 North) took their first lead of the second half when running back Leon Patton threw a five-yard TD pass to Deon Murphy to make it 24-21 with 7:32 remaining.

But the Jayhawks answered quickly, reeling off a four-play, 62-yard drive capped by Reesing's 30-yard scoring strike to Dexton Fields with 6:27 left. However, Kansas botched the snap on the ensuing extra-point attempt, keeping its lead at 27-24.

"We haven't won since 1989 in Manhattan, so this is a big win for us," Fields said. "You only get two chances to win in Manhattan for your career. It's just another victory though. We are 5-0."

The Jayhawks nearly put away the contest when cornerback Kendrick Harper intercepted Josh Freeman with 5:10 remaining, giving Kansas the ball at the Kansas State 26.

But the Wildcats dodged a bullet when tight end Derek Fine dropped a would-be touchdown pass, forcing Kansas to settle for Scott Webb's 24-yard field goal and a 30-24 advantage.

Kansas State could not capitalize on the mistakes, however, as Freeman lofted an interception to Talib - who was playing cornerback - on 4th-and-8, sealing Kansas' victory with 1:19 left.

"You had to call the perfect call against the coverage that was there," Wildcats coach Ron Prince said. "I think a couple times we forced the ball into places that we didn't need to. Protection was an issue there at the end on the last play."

Freeman went 31-for-48 for 305 yards, one TD and three interceptions for the Wildcats, who suffered a major letdown following last week's 41-21 thrashing of then-No. 7 Texas in Austin.

Kansas State, which was playing its first game as a ranked team since September 2004, managed just 53 rushing yards and converted only 4-of-16 attempts on third down.

"They were better on both lines today, there's no question about that," Prince said. "They were better on both fronts. Their offensive front was terrific, put us in a situation where we were trying to make a lot of arm tackles."

The Wildcats appeared primed for another high-scoring effort when Freeman found Jordy Nelson for a 68-yard TD just to open the scoring just over six minutes into the contest.

Kansas forged a 7-7 tie six minutes into the second quarter on Sharp's 20-yard TD run, but Kansas State reclaimed the lead 5 1/2 minutes later when Patton scored on a seven-yard run to make it 14-7.

Kansas again climbed into a tie 11 seconds before the break when Reesing hooked up with Talib - the Jayhawks' two-way star - for a five-yard TD pass.

The 6-2 Talib has scored five touchdowns this season - four as a receiver and one off a 100-yard interception return. He has seven receptions for 174 yards over Kansas' first five games and also has recorded 23 tackles and three interceptions.

The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Nelson was one of the few bright spots for Kansas State. The 6-3 senior finished with 10 receptions for 137 yards.

"We have to put it behind us," Nelson said. "There is no time to mourn. A week from today, we have another game."