Matt Tait’s football notebook: Center Jeremiah Hatch solid in return; penalties pile up for KU

Kansas State quarterback Sammuel Lamur falls into the endzone for a touchdown during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 at Kivisto Field.

KU vs. Kansas State

• Sunflower downer: Two-minute stretch seals KU’s fate in 59-21 loss to Kansas State

• KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger on football program: ‘We will get this thing fixed’

• Keegan: Sheahon Zenger’s challenge: Find money to make coaching change

• Kansas State coach, players gracious following blowout

• Jayhawks: Blown coverage at end of half ‘unacceptable’

• Box Score

One week after being carted off the field with a scary neck injury that left him temporarily unable to move his arms and legs, senior center Jeremiah Hatch started Saturday’s loss to K-State at his regular position.

“We went right up to gametime wondering if he was going to be ready,” offensive coordinator Chuck Long. “They cleared him and he did a nice job today. He really did.”

Penalties a killer

While tackling, scoring points and keeping up continued to be problems, the Jayhawks also contributed to their own demise Saturday.

KU finished with nine penalties for 105 yards. K-State, meanwhile, was penalized just twice for 25 yards.

It marked just the second time in Gill’s two seasons at KU that the Jayhawks had been penalized for more than 100 yards in a game.

This and that …

After losing the opening coin toss in each of the last two games, the Jayhawks won Saturday’s toss and elected to receive. … Junior wide receiver Kale Pick snagged a career-high six receptions for 51 yards. … Senior linebacker Steven Johnson recorded double-digit tackles (12) for the fifth time this season. … Sophomore defensive tackle Randall Dent recorded the first tackle-for-loss of his career. … Temperature at kickoff was 59 degrees, under partly cloudy skies with calm winds.