The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016
Senior kicker Matthew Wyman connected on a 36-yard field goal near the end of regulation and then made a 25-yarder in overtime as Kansas stunned Texas 24-21 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan.
The victory snapped a 19-game Big 12 losing streak for the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7 Big 12) and a 23-game skid against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, prompting fans to storm the field.
Freshman quarterback Carter Stanley completed 21 of 42 passes for 220 yards. He engineered a game-tying drive in regulation after the Jayhawks took over at the Texas 29-yard line with 58 seconds remaining.
A targeting call on Texas freshman linebacker Jeff McCulloch put Wyman in better position for the tying field goal. In addition, the Longhorns (5-6, 3-5) committed six turnovers while slipping to 1-17 under third-year coach Charlie Strong in games they trailed at halftime.
The biggest takeaway came in overtime, an interception by freshman cornerback Mike Lee on an overthrown pass by Texas freshman quarterback Shane Buechele. The play was the second -- and last -- the Longhorns ran in OT.
Kansas responded by keeping it on the ground, using senior running back Ke'aun Kinner as a rusher on all of its overtime snaps. Kinner finished with 69 yards on 20 carries.
Junior running back D'Onta Foreman bulled for 250 yards and two touchdowns on a whopping 51 carries to lead the Longhorns, but he lost two fumbles.
With his 11th consecutive 100-yard performance, Foreman broke a Texas record set in 1977 by Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.
Coming in as the nation's top rusher with a 179.2-yard average, Foreman struggled in the first half and appeared shaken by an unforced fumble, which enabled Kansas to gain a 10-7 halftime lead.
Longhorns linebacker Edwin Freeman snagged an interception on the third snap of the second half, giving Texas the ball at the Kansas 38-yard line. The Longhorns scored in eight plays, seven on rushes by Freeman, to gain a 14-10 advantage with 11:27 left in the third quarter.
The Jayhawks got back in it by capping an 80-yard march with a 1-yard run by freshman running back Khalil Herbert with 7:48 remaining. Sophomore wide receiver Steven Sims tacked on a two-point conversion with a reverse to make it 21-18.
Buechele engineered a conservative attack for Texas. He added 165 passing yards for Texas, completing 17 of 26 attempts with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Texas scored on the first play from scrimmage, a 75-yard strike from Buechele to senior wide receiver Jacorey Warrick. After that touchdown, however, the Longhorns generated just 114 first-half yards and committed turnovers on four consecutive series.
The Jayhawks scored on a 55-yard interception return by senior cornerback Brandon Stewart to forge a 7-7 tie with 5:04 remaining in the second quarter. The last of the turnovers, a fumble recovery by sophomore defensive end Dorance Armstrong, was converted into a 36-yard field goal by Wyman for the 10-7 halftime lead.