Notebook
- Kickoff temperature was 80 degrees under sunny skies with a negligible 4 mph wind out of the south — a stark contrast to the middle-60s temperatures and pouring rain of last Saturday’s opener. …
- Sid Bachmann opened for the ailing Chuck Jones at defensive tackle. Jones, a first-year juco transfer, had signed with UNLV out of high school in suburban Los Angeles. Jones did play on one goal-line series. Reggie Curry made his first career start at defensive end, replacing juco transfer Monroe Weekley. …
- Red-shirt freshman Charles Gordon’s 82-yard punt return early in the first quarter — from the KU nine-yard line to the UNLV nine — was the longest non-scoring punt return in school history. The previous long was 78 yards by Dick Blowey in 1954. The longest punt return in school history was 94 yards by Isaac Byrd in 1996. …
- Late in the first quarter, KU linebacker Banks Floodman whacked UNLV quarterback Kurt Nantkes’ passing arm, causing an apparent fumble, but referee Terry Leyden ruled Nantkes’ right arm was in motion. A scoreboard replay clearly showed, however, that Nantkes had fumbled, eliciting a chorus of boos from the crowd. All seven officials, including Leyden, were assigned by the Mountain West Conference. …
- KU fullback Austine Nwabuisi’s first carry of the season wasn’t memorable. Nwabuisi fumbled at the UNLV 18-yard line, blunting a drive early in the second quarter. …
- The Rebels’ Larry Croom scored on a three-yard run 75 seconds before halftime, even though KU had 12 defenders on the field. UNLV declined the penalty, of course. …
- KU coach Mark Mangino admitted he goofed when he ordered Bill Whittemore to spike the ball on third down with :19 showing just before halftime and the Jayhawks in the red zone. KU had to settle for a short field goal. “I made a critical error,” Mangino said. “It was inexcusable.” …
- The Jayhawks hadn’t had a punt-less game since 1998 against I-AA Illinois State. …
- Senior cornerback Remuise Johnson, who didn’t play in last week’s opener because of unspecified injuries, picked up his seventh career interception early in the third quarter. Johnson led the Jayhawks last season with six pass thefts. …
- Middle linebacker Gabe Toomey missed a series in the first quarter after suffering an apparent shoulder stinger and had to have stitches placed on his nose after the game. Toomey wasn’t on the field when UNLV’s Larry Croom broke a 60-yard TD run. …
- The 46 points were the most scored by a KU team since 1999, when the Jayhawks pummeled Cal State Northridge, 71-14. …
- UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick worked as an assistant AD at Kansas from 1982-84. Hamrick was one of the finalists for the Kansas AD vacancy that eventually went to Al Bohl.
