NDSU Postgame News and Notes

News and notes on North Dakota State’s 6-3 victory over Kansas at Memorial Stadium Saturday night while looking forward to KU’s showdown with No. 16 Georgia Tech next Saturday in Lawrence. Tech beat South Carolina State, 41-10, today as quarterback Joshua Nesbitt ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson was asked about scouting Kansas after the game.
   
“I know a little bit about them because the defensive coordinator (Carl Torbush) was at Mississippi State last year when we played them so we will have an idea how they are going to play,” Johnson said.

*A crowd of 48,417 attended the game. This marked the third-straight season that KU has drawn at least 48,000 to its season opener.

*KU sported some uniform changes in the season opener under first-year head coach Turner Gill. The Jayhawks wore white pants with the usual blue tops for the first time since 2003. KU wore gray pants in the past for home games. Kansas also wore white shoes for the first time since 1998 and took the red stripe off the middle of their helmets. And in a sign of team unity this season, there are no names on the back of KU’s jerseys for the first time since 1981.

*Senior cornerback Chris Harris made his 30th consecutive start, tops among active Jayhawks. Harris was one of four KU players who started against North Dakota State who also started all 12 games last season.

*The three points scored by Kansas marked the fewest points scored by a Jayhawk team since KU lost to Oklahoma, 19-3, on Oct. 15, 2005...The six points allowed were the fewest allowed in a loss by Kansas since it fell to TCU, 6-3, on Sept. 22, 1962.

*The home loss to a nonconference foe was KU’s first since it fell to Northwestern in the first game of the 2003 season.

*KU’s loss to NDSU snapped the Jayhawks’ 20-game home-winning streak in night games.

*The following Jayhawks made their first career starts: LG Duane Zlatnick, HB AJ Steward, QB Kale Pick, DE Kevin Young, LB Steven Johnson (career-high nine tackles) and SS Olatian Oguntodu...Pick became the first Jayhawk other than Todd Reesing to start at quarterback since Kerry Meier started the final game of the 2006 season at Missouri. He completed 13 of 22 passes for 138 yards and one interception.

*Unofficially, KU played 12 freshmen, including two true frosh: S KeestonTerry and K Ron Doherty. The nine redshirt freshmen to see action were: S Prinz Kande, WR Christian Matthews, CB Tyler Patmon, RB Deshaun Sands, FB Josh Puthoff, LB Steve Mestan, LS Justin Carnes, OL Riley Spencer, QB Jordan Webb and Young.

*Junior WR Daymond Patterson’s first career rush was a big one. He gained 51 yards on a reverse in the first quarter, helping set up a field goal by Jacob Branstetter. That marked KU’s longest rush since Pick ran for 55 yards on a play against UTEP on Sept. 12 last season.

*KU’s Alonzo Rojas had his punt blocked in the second quarter, marking the first time an opponent has blocked a punt against Kansas since Sept. 2, 2006 in a game against Northwestern State.

*With KU leading 3-0 in the second quarter, junior cornerback Isiah Barfield intercepted NDSU quarterback Joe Mohler in the end zone. That was Barfield’s second career interception. His first came against Sam Houston State in 2008.

*KU sophomore receiver D.J. Beshears returned kicks for the first time in his career. He recorded two returns for 84 yards, including a 49-yard run in the third quarter.