Tigers Bite Jayhawks to Win First Big 12 North Title

Missouri will face Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship next Saturday.

Photo courtesy: KU Athletics

KANSAS CITY - Despite 349 yards passing from sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), No. 4 Missouri upended second-ranked Kansas, 36-28, in the annual Border Showdown game played Saturday evening at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

KU and MU tied for the Big 12 North title with the Tigers advancing to the Big 12 Championship game. Kansas finished the regular season 11-1 and 7-1 in the Big 12, while the Jayhawks complete their best regular season in program history at 11-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play. Missouri improved to 11-1 and 7-1 in league play.

Trailing 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter, Reesing led the Jayhawks on three consecutive scoring drives to cut the lead to 34-28 with 2:05 remaining.

However, KU could not recover the ensuing onside kick and Missouri ran the clock down to 17 seconds.

Missouri's Loren Williams killed any hope for a Jayhawk comeback when he sacked Reesing in the end zone on KU's first offensive play following a short punt pinned the Jayhawks inside the 10.

The loss ended KU's 11-game winning streak, the longest in school history.

Reesing finished the game 28-for-49 for 349 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, his first interceptions since Oct. 6. The sophomore quarterback also ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Junior Dexton Fields was the second-year signal caller's favorite target, grabbing eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Dezmon Briscoe also had a big game with 94 yards on seven catches.

Senior fullback Brandon McAnderson led KU's ground attack with 41 yards on 14 carries and a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

After Missouri built a 21-0 lead in the third quarter, the Jayhawks took flight.

The Jayhawks answered MU's first touchdown drive of the second half as McAnderson slammed into the end zone on a one-yard run around the left end with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter. The scoring drive was set up by a 34-yard completion from Reesing to freshman Dezmon Briscoe and a 15-yard facemask penalty on the same play.

After Chase Daniel's third touchdown pass of the evening, KU cut the deficit again to 14 on Todd Reesing's five-yard touchdown run, a bootleg around the right end. It was the sophomore's second touchdown run of the season.

The drive was set up by a pair of fourth down conversions. The first, an 11-yard completion from Reesing to senior Marcus Henry on a fourth-and-three from the MU 35, while Reesing's scoring play was also a fourth down conversion.

Missouri stretched the lead to 31-14 on a 43-yard field goal by Jeff Wolfert, however the Jayhawks responded again.

This time, Reesing crafted a seven-play, 57-yard drive, which took just a minute and 32 seconds off the clock. The sophomore quarterback hit Fields for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 31-21 with 8:28 remaining.

After another Wolfert field goal, Reesing again led the Jayhawks down the field to cut the lead to 34-28 with 2:05 remaining.

Missouri ended any hopes of a Jayhawk comeback when Lorenzo Williams sacked Reesing in the end zone with 12 seconds remaining and gave the Tigers the eight-point margin of victory.

The Jayhawks will await their bowl bid, which will be announced on Dec. 2.

Source: KU Athletics

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