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Kansas looks to build on success of last year

Aug 30, 2008 - 10:14 AM Florida Intl at No. 13 Kansas, 7:00 pm EDT

LAWRENCE, Kansas (Ticker) -- Kansas won 12 times times on the field last season, then won in the offseason with a new $31 million facility that includes a locker room, weight room and training room.

Now the 13th-ranked Jayhawks went to prove that year's 12-1 record - the best in the program's history - was no fluke.

Kansas opens that quest Saturday with a contest against Florida International, which snapped a 23-game losing streak - the longest active drought in the country - with a 38-19 victory over North Texas in last season's finale.

The Jayhawks lost Brandon McAnderson, the Big 12 Conference's third-leading rusher last season. But optimism is running high in Lawrence because of the return of quarterback Todd Reesing, who passed for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns in his first year as a starter.

Also, Jake Sharp, a former track star in high school, is seen as a capable replacement for McAnderson after running for 821 yards as a sophomore last year.

Kansas capped last season by beating Virginia Tech, 24-21, in the Orange Bowl, its first appearance in a major bowl since 1969. The potent Jayhawks finished second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring, averaging 42.8 points per game.

Still, Kansas will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season's 12-1 mark due to a much more difficult schedule. The Jayhawks face Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, in addition to a non-conference game at South Florida and a neutral site contest against Missouri. All four of the conference opponents begin the season ranked in the top 15.

The Jayhawks should be able to use Saturday's game as a glorified scrimmage. Last season, Kansas drubbed Florida International, 55-3, as Reesing passed for 368 yards.