KU runs over Rebels
Kansas rebounds from opening loss to upend UNLV
Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino handed out at least four game balls Saturday night.
There was plenty of credit to go around after the Jayhawks stomped Nevada-Las Vegas, 46-24, at Memorial Stadium.
The mood in the KU locker room was euphoric compared to a week earlier when the Jayhawks suffered a 28-20 loss to Northwestern in the season opener.
“We had a close game last week, and we let it slip away,” said sophomore Clark Green, who left the stadium with a game ball, as did red-shirt freshman Charles Gordon, sophomore linebacker Gabe Toomey and junior kicker Johnny Beck, among others. “This was big. It’s a big booster. We need to get another win next week and keep building on it.”
Kansas entered Saturday’s game as an 11-point underdog and struggled to keep up with the Rebels in the first half.
UNLV had a 17-16 lead at halftime, but KU edged ahead 19-17 when Beck capped the Jayhawks’ first drive of the second half with his fourth field goal.
The Rebels countered with a drive to the Kansas 39. On first down, quarterback Kurt Nantkes had an open receiver near the end zone, but the ball was underthrown, and senior cornerback Remuise Johnson made a leaping interception at the three-yard line.
With their backs to their own goal line, the Jayhawks marched 97 yards in 10 plays for a momentum-swinging touchdown.
“That’s what good football teams are supposed to do,” Mangino said. “I don’t want to be surprised by that. … Good football teams make drives when you have to, and they stop people when you have to.”
Kansas linebacker Gabe Toomey, who was credited with six total tackles and returned an interception 29 yards for a third-quarter touchdown, celebrates the Jayhawks' 46-24 victory over Nevada-Las Vegas. Kansas crushed the Rebels Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Saturday night, Kansas did both.
The Jayhawks looked nothing like the mistake-prone team that lost five turnovers and managed just one offensive touchdown in the season opener.
“Our kids are just starting to get a little bit of confidence,” Mangino said. “They’re starting to really believe that they can make those plays on offense. We had a lot of playmakers tonight.”
Let’s start with Green. The sophomore running back rushed for 117 yards and caught five passes for 70 yards.
Green sparked KU’s 97-yard drive with 19- and 24-yard carries before going to the sideline with what appeared to be cramps.
It didn’t matter. Backup John Randle came in an broke a 15-yard run that moved the ball to the UNLV 12.
That set things up for junior receiver Brandon Rideau, who caught a short pass from Bill Whittemore, eluded one defender and ran over another on his way to the end zone.
“I was determined,” said Rideau, who had six receptions for 61 yards and scored his second career touchdown. “I hadn’t gotten in the end zone very much in my career here. A couple of times I’ve been stopped short on the two-yard line. Coach told me not to get tackled on the two-yard line, so I felt like I had to do whatever I could to get in the end zone.”
Several of his teammates were about to join him there.
Kansas running back Clark Green, right, eludes a slew of UNLV Rebels. Green finished with 19 carries for 117 yards in the Jayhawks' 46-24 victory over UNLV Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Whittemore, who struggled in the rain last week against Northwestern, put KU ahead 32-17 on its next possession when he hit sophomore Mark Simmons in the end zone with a 39-yard bomb.
Twenty-two seconds later, Toomey intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for another TD.
“We can’t give up turnovers like we did when the other team is putting up points like they did tonight,” said Nantkes, who finished 17-of-30 for 177 yards. “When you are behind in a game, you can’t make mistakes like that. We killed ourselves.”
Whittemore did plenty of damage himself.
Kansas QB Bill Whittemore (4) scrambles away from a UNLV defender.
Hampered by the rain and a knee injury in last week’s loss, the senior quarterback completed 12 of 28 passes for 240 yards and rushed for only seven yards against Northwestern.
Against UNLV, Whittemore completed 22 of 31 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 65 yards and another TD. His one-yard score with 9:34 left put KU on top, 46-17.
“We were all looking forward to Bill being able to step up and rebound from last week,” Rideau said. “Last week was tough for all of us. We all struggled. I’m glad he came back and did what he can do.”
So did Beck. After struggling through his sophomore season, Beck missed his only field-goal attempt last week against the Wildcats. He was 4-for-4 Saturday on field-goal and extra-point attempts.
There were other special-teams highlights as well. Gordon had 106 yards in punt returns, and sophomore Greg Heaggans had 105 yards in kick returns. The underclassmen gave KU good field position most of the night.
“Kids are believing and starting to understand that special teams win games and lose game,” KU special teams coach Clint Bowen said.
Perhaps the most peculiar special-teams stat was the number of punts by KU senior Curtis Ansel — zero.
Kansas fans cheer KU's first-quarter touchdown against UNLV.
The Jayhawks didn’t need the Ray Guy Award candidate because the offense finished with 546 total yards and 32 first downs. KU had 202 yards and 12 first downs in the pivotal third quarter alone.
KU rushed for 276 yards — 207 more than it had in a 31-20 loss to UNLV last year. Then again, the Jayhawks have four new starters on the offensive line this season.
“They did a great job,” said Randle, who had 77 yards on nine carries. “They had holes wide open. All you had to do was run.”
KU’s defense allowed 421 yards, but the Jayhawks came up with turnovers and key stops when they had to.
When it was over, KU had its first victory in nine games dating back to last season and its first home victory against a Division One opponent since the last game of the 2001 season.
Kansas will try to make it two in a row Saturday at Wyoming.
“It better carry over to next week,” linebacker Banks Floodman said. “It has to.”