Monday, November 5, 2007
To say Kansas made a statement with its 76-39 victory against Nebraska would be an understatement.
According to ABC’s broadcast team during the Texas-Oklahoma State game, Cowboys fans gasped when the Kansas score appeared on the JumboTron in Boone Pickens Stadium. Teams just aren’t supposed to touch the 70’s in November.
Nothing short of a 37-point beatdown would have lived up to the hype of homecoming, complete with a pregame fly-over, sky divers and a hippie dancing in the front row of the west bleachers. In the end, Nebraska’s 36-year dominance over Kansas was a distant memory.
But, make no mistake, Saturday’s blowout came against a deeply flawed Nebraska team, which lost five consecutive games.
The Cornhuskers are still under the direction of lame duck coach Bill Callahan, who is incapable of inspiring greatness out of his team. I don’t think there’s a single player on his roster willing to lay it all on the line for him at this point in the season.
Nebraska’s offense was led by quarterback Joe Ganz, who made his first collegiate start. By the second quarter, it was apparent that Callahan had abandoned his running game and Ganz’s inexperience came to the forefront with four ensuing interceptions.
Nebraska’s defense (formerly known as the Blackshirts) again proved to be softer than a Tempur-Pedic mattress. Ranked dead last in the NCAA in rushing defense, Nebraska actually improved its season average by “holding” Kansas to 218 yards on the ground. By the end of the third quarter, with Kansas leading 69-31, Nebraska interim athletic director and three-time National Champion coach Tom Osborne had already placed an order for a custom-made casket to rest in when his time came.
Nevertheless, Kansas’ dominance was downright scary. Offensively, the Jayhawks took the fight out of the Cornhuskers. After a three-and-out on its first drive, Kansas had only three other drives that failed to net points. Two were a result of Kansas running out the clock at the end of each half, and the third ended with a missed 51-yard field goal attempt.
Although Anthony Webb continued to be a non-factor returning punts, the Kansas offense didn’t need him, stringing together five drives of at least 60 yards for touchdowns. For the second straight game, Brandon McAnderson couldn’t be stopped. And Todd Reesing went Tom Brady on the Pinkshirts, throwing a school-record six touchdown passes compared with just 11 incompletions.
Kansas’ 76 points were the most ever surrendered by a Nebraska team (although that record could fall again as long as Callahan is coach) and the list of offensive records went on from there for Kansas.
Defensively, it looked initially that Kansas’ secondary had been exposed. Ganz threw for 266 yards and burned All-American Aqib Talib twice for touchdowns in the first half. But the front four turned up the heat on Ganz, and the secondary tightened up, allowing only 139 yards in the second half, when Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was in the backfield mostly for show. Kudos to defensive coordinator Bill Young for making the necessary adjustments.
In fact, kudos to the entire Kansas football team. When you’re down to your final three games of the season and your biggest concerns are your punt return and punting game, things couldn’t be much better.
The Jayhawks are starting to make a believer out of me — and that’s saying something.
— Edited by Kaitlyn Syring
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