Thursday, November 15, 2007
When prompted to recall past matchups against Iowa State, Joe Mortensen bypassed last year’s run-of-the-mill 41-10 trouncing and thought back two years to Nov. 26, 2005.
Marcus Henry, , strides down the field towards the endzone after a pass from Todd Reesing during last Saturday's game against Oklahoma State.
“A couple of years ago to get bowl-eligible we beat Iowa State right before the Big 12 Championship,” Mortensen said. “They were ranked and maybe already looking into it. We came out and beat them and didn’t have too much to lose.”
It’s only natural for the junior linebacker to cherish the 24-21 overtime victory: Not only did it vault the Jayhawks into the Fort Worth Bowl, but it also served as a breakout game for some of the team’s current stars, including tight end Derek Fine and wide receivers Marcus Henry and Dexton Fields.
Fine, a sophomore at the time, had established himself as Kansas’ starting tight end earlier in the 2005 season, but enjoyed one of his finest efforts in the season finale. He made three catches for 51 yards, including a season-long 25-yard grab that set up a late touchdown. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Fine secured a pass in the end zone that tied the game at 14-14.
Fast forward to 2007, and Fine is a team captain and one of the team’s most well-rounded players. Through 10 games, he has contributed strong blocking in the run game to go along with 38 receptions.
In 2005, Marcus Henry was a lanky receiver with plenty of potential, but not much to show for it. He made a pair of key catches in the final two minutes of the Iowa State game, helping the Jayhawks march down the field and force overtime with 1:05 remaining in regulation.
In 2007, Henry is one of the brightest stars on the Kansas offense. He’s still lanky, but he has outrun and out-leaped cornerbacks on the way to 46 catches and 19.2 yards per reception. Henry’s transformation from a one-star recruit to a nationally-recognized receiver did not happen overnight.
“Each and every year he’s gotten a little stronger and gotten a little faster,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “He understands things a little better. He’s a guy who has kept at it and got better each and every year.”
The Jayhawks’ No. 1 slot receiver, Dexton Fields, also stood out for the first time in the 2005 Iowa State contest. Fields was a freshman at the time who played in every game but rarely took snaps with the offense. When quarterback Brian Luke found Fields in the end zone for a 15-yard score to send the game into overtime, it was his first career reception. This season, Fields has added 37 catches to his career total.
Iowa State also had a pair of young receivers who made an impact in the 2005 matchup and have continued to contribute. Todd Blythe caught five passes in the Cyclones’ loss two seasons ago and R.J. Sumrall added a 10-yard reception. Blythe, a senior, and Sumrall, a junior, have become Iowa State’s most potent offensive weapons. Each has 50 catches this season and Blythe is averaging more than 15 yards per catch.
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
Dent: Receivers to make big impact this ...
After a standout performance by the KU receivers against Central Michigan, Mark ...
The season of records
Quarterback Todd Reesing has two more seasons of eligibility to build on ...
Team boasts depth at receiver
Junior Dexton Fields and senior Marcus Henry will lead the Jayhawks’ wide ...
One hundred and eight years in the ...
Talib secures lead, Henry scores three touchdowns in victory
Football Sider: November 19, 2007
KU versus Iowa State Football
11-0
Kansas sent Iowa State home with a 45-7 defeat. The Jayhawks will ...
Iowa State coach certain Cyclones will be ...
Iowa State may struggle under new coach
New head coach Gene Chizik shows promise after leading great defenses for ...
Briscoe expected to step up
Dezmon Briscoe, sophomore wide receiver, appears a go-to man for the 2008 ...
Big 12 Recap
A wrap-up of this weekend's games
Press Box: November 12, 2007
Oklahoma Vs. Kansas
Football Notes: November 19, 2007
Here's what's going on in college football
Jayhawks comeback after a scoreless first half
Iowa State loses to Kansas in the second half in a close ...
Game Day: Oct. 4, 2008
Get ready for the game against Iowa State.
Henry breaks out in senior campaign
For the first three years of his career, receiver Marcus Henry wasn’t ...
Four Jayhawks NFL-bound
Talib was the second cornerback taken in the NFL Draft.
Football Notes: November 5, 2007
Here's this weeks Football Notes on the KU vs. NU game.
Sunflower Showdown goes national
Kansas has a 7-33 record in the last 40 televised games.
Offensive pieces have fallen into place
The addition of offensive coordinator Ed Warinner has proven beneficial for Kansas, ...
Conference offers no clear favorites
Breaking down Jayhawk NFL Draft prospects
A closer look at the Kansas players up for the NFL Draft.
Kansas wins 35-33
The Jayhawks faced a 20-point halftime deficit, but Todd Reesing threw three ...
Second-half conference play promises thrills
Kansas’ Big 12 matches for next season promise to offer thrills, and ...
Refresh your team with these players
The Kansan’s Fantasy Football writer Kelly Breckunitch suggests some less-popular players that ...
Big 12 has another winning weekend
Conference holds its own and goes 5-2 in non-conference games as Oklahoma ...
Big 12 North football previews
Big 12 North football previews for Nebraska, Iowa State, Colorado, Missouri and ...
No big surprises here
This weekend proved to be a relatively routine weekend in Big 12 ...
OK-State Cowboys quietly coming back
Here are some games from around the country that warrant watching this ...
Five receivers to keep an eye on
The Jayhawks wide receiving core is full of unproven talents with great ...
Gameday: KU plays Colorado Oct. 11
Jayhawk football breakdown and predictions
Keefer: Sunny Delight
Kansas' 24-21 Orange Bowl victory was extra special after enduring a season ...
Wide receivers key to Saturday’s victory
Quarterback Reesing credits teammates with yard-gaining adjustment.
Kansas’ double threat makes big plays
Receivers turn in big numbers using different styles.
Football Notes: September 24, 2007
Notes and observations from Saturday’s game against Florida International.
Kansas easily topples Toledo 45-13
The Jayhawks avenged last season's double-overtime loss to the Toledo Rockets with ...
Iowa State Gameday
Take a glimpse at Iowa State football, Kansas' opponent this weekend.
All Big 12
The All Big 12 First Team
Breckunitch: Briscoe is new Superman
Next season, not even Kryptonite will be able to stop KU receiver ...
Teams continue nonconference play in ‘Hangover Saturday’
Some high-ranked football teams struggled this weekend against lesser-ranked teams. The tough ...
Talib’s leap sparks team’s takeoff
Kansas started a bit slowly during Saturday’s game against Toledo at Memorial ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID