s missed kicks costly for Kansas

? Baylor made all its extra-point and field-goal attempts Saturday.

Kansas did not, and BU’s fans celebrated a 35-32 Big 12 Conference victory over the Jayhawks by tearing down the south goal post at Floyd Casey Stadium.

Senior Daniel Andino kicked a 33-yard field goal with half a second remaining, helping Baylor snap a 29-game conference losing streak.

“It was such a great feeling,” said Andino, who also booted a career-best 46-yarder in the third quarter. “And as a kicker, this is as good as it gets.”

For Kansas kicker Johnny Beck, things can’t get much worse.

The sophomore’s slump continued on Saturday. Beck  who was a preseason candidate for the Groza Award after making 14 of 20 field goals and 16 of 17 extra points as a freshman last season  missed three field goals last Saturday at Tulsa, but KU managed to pull out a 43-33 victory.

Not this time.

Beck missed a 34-yard field attempt in the first quarter and later missed an extra point as KU fell to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in league play.

“We just have to keep encouraging him,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “He’s capable. We just have to help him through this.”

Baylor, which hadn’t won a league game since beating KU, 31-24 on Oct. 10, 1998, in Waco, ended its streak in dramatic fashion. Trailing 32-24, the Bears scored a touchdown and Andino’s field goal in the final 78 seconds.

KU tied the game when quarterback Bill Whittemore scored on a 34-yard run on the final play of the third quarter.

Backup Chris Tyrrell had practiced kicking field goals at halftime, but Mangino stuck with Beck in the second half. Beck made the extra point for a 25-24 lead.

Whittemore completed 23 of 43 passes for 246 yards with two TDs and one interception and also ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns. The junior padded KU’s lead with a two-yard TD run with 2:51 left, and Beck’s extra point made it 32-24.

Baylor, however, quickly tied it. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Karas, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 359 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, completed four of five passes for 78 yards on a six-play, 80-yard drive that took only 1:33.

Robert Quiroga’s only catch of the day was a big one. The junior receiver beat freshman cornerback Ronnie Amadi and hauled in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Karas with 1:18 remaining.

Running back Chedrick Ricks then won a footrace with freshman cornerback Donnie Amadi to the end zone on a game-tying, two-point conversion run.

KU, which took over at its own 35, was not content to run out the clock and take its chances in overtime.

“Our main goal was to put points on the board,” Whittmore said. “We had good field position. We wanted to make sure we got six.”

Kansas moved the ball only two yards and gave the ball back with 35 seconds left. Whittemore threw two incompletions, and KU also stopped the clock after a sack by using a timeout.

“We didn’t produce in our two-minute offense, and that gave them the ball back,” Whittemore said.

Starting from his own 35, Karas again quickly guided BU downfield, completing three of four passes for 41 yards. He also picked up a vital first down with an eight-yard run on fourth-and-one from the KU 36 with 10 seconds left.

Andino’s field goal made it 35-32.

“Eleven points in three minutes  that’s hard to do,” BU coach Kevin Steele said. “Aaron just competes.”

KU’s only hope was to run back the kickoff with less than a second remaining. The only goal line the Jayhawks came close to was their own as Byron Gasaway, Greg Heaggans and Remuise Johnson combined to lose 20 yards on a frantic, last-play scramble.

“I’m really proud of the effort our kids gave,” Mangino said. “They fought hard for four quarters. No, they fought harder than that. The clock ran out, and our kids were still fighting. That should tell you about the heart and soul of our team.”

For the second week in a row, Kansas had to rally from a two-touchdown deficit on the road.

Karas completed a 25-yard pass to Bobby Darnell for BU’s first score. On Baylor’s next possession, Karas caught a 20-yard TD pass from running back Jonathan Evans.

Baylor finished with 479 yards total offense.

The Jayhawks scored on a nine-yard pass from Whittemore to Mark Simmons midway through the second quarter, but Beck missed the extra point.

KU went for two-point conversions following its next two TDs  a 13-yard run by Reggie Duncan and an 18-yard reception by Derick Mills. Both passes failed.

Mangino passed on a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter. Facing fourth-and-five from the 16, Beck faked the kick and was stopped short of the first down.

The sophomore was not available to reporters Saturday.

“We just have to keep his confidence up,” Whittemore said. “We know he can do it.”