It has been quite a week for Kansas University junior Jon Cornish – some of it good, some not so good.

While his teammates prepared for Saturday’s game against Nebraska, which KU won, 40-15, Cornish was in Canada attending his grandfather’s funeral. He missed Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices.

You wouldn’t have known it by Saturday’s outburst, when Cornish rushed for 101 yards on 10 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown run that put KU comfortably ahead to stay.

Oh yeah, and Saturday was Cornish’s 21st birthday. And of course, that darn 36-game losing streak to the Huskers was smashed without much question.

“You guys missed quite a celebration (in the locker room),” Cornish said. “Mardi Gras, Kansas-style.”

It erupted thanks to Cornish’s legs. A one-yard run by Cory Ross put Nebraska within two at 17-15, but Cornish answered with an eight-yard run on the next play, followed by the long scoring rumble right up the gut. Only one guy touched Cornish during the sprint, and he didn’t get much of anything besides dust.

“We had a draw called, and the blocking was great, so I got through the line just fine,” Cornish said. “I just tried to go as fast as possible. I correctly timed my strong-arm, and it connected perfectly. After that, there was nobody else. Just me and the end zone.”

Cornish admits missing practice – and flying so much this week – made him dehydrated late Saturday. His last three carries totaled negative yardage.

Clark Green (22 carries, 100 yards) also hit the century mark in rushing, and Mark Simmons had 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

“I can’t come up with the correct words to describe how I feel about the O-line,” Cornish said. “Clark and I, we had big games, right? But it’s because of them. For that, I can’t thank them enough.”