Jayhawks welcome Baylor for Salute to Service game

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Carter Stanley threw for 418 yards in his first start of 2017. 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football will host the Baylor Bears on Saturday, November 4 for the Jayhawks’ Salute to Service game inside Memorial Stadium. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 11 a.m., and the contest will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net.

SERIES HISTORY
vs. Baylor: 4-12
Current Streak: Lost 7
Longest Win Streak: 1
Longest Winless Streak: 7 (2010-2016)
Last 10 Games: 2-8
In Lawrence: 4-4
In Waco: 0-8
Neutral Sites: 0-0
Under David Beaty: 0-2
First Meeting: September 18, 1971 (W, 22-0)
Last Meeting: October 15, 2016 (L, 49-7)

BIG TURNAROUND
After posting a season-low 21 yards of total offense against No. 4 TCU, Kansas rebounded by recording 461 more yards in its next game. Putting up its second-most productive offensive performance of the season against in-state rival Kansas State, the Jayhawks totaled 482 yards of offense in the Sunflower Showdown (64 rushing, 418 passing), second to 564 yards of offense against West Virginia.

APPROACHING 2K
Kansas junior wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., is approaching territory reached by only four players in Kansas history. With 1,845 career receiving yards, Sims needs just 155 yards to become the fifth player in Kansas history to reach 2,000 yards receiving. Dezmon Briscoe (2007-09, 3,240) and Kerry Meier (2006-09, 2,309) were the most recent players to record 2,000 career receiving yards at Kansas.

STEPPING UP
Quarterback Carter Stanley made his first start of 2017 against Kansas State and stepped up in a major way. Stanley   connected in 23-of-48 passing attempts to notch 418 passing yards. His production was the fifth-most passing yards in Kansas single-game history, and marked the first 400-plus yard passing game for a Jayhawk since Todd Reesing threw for 498 yards vs. Missouri in 2009.

THE CENTER OF PRODUCTION
Kansas sophomore center Mesa Ribordy has proved to be a major factor in the success of the Jayhawk offense. Ribordy has started six games at center this season, missing two games due to injury. In the two games Ribordy missed, Kansas recorded its lowest offensive production totals of the season, averaging just 63.5 yards per game in the two contests. In the six games he has started, the Jayhawk offense is averaging 462 yards per game, a 398.5-yard improvement. Even more, Ribordy has been a member of the Jayhawk squad for 20 games, making 17 total starts, 11 at center and six at right guard. In games Ribordy has started at center, the Jayhawks have averaged 412.1 yards of offense. KU averaged 373.2 yards in his six starts at right guard, averaging to 398.4 yards per game in contests Ribordy has started. In three games Ribordy has missed (2017 – Iowa State, TCU; 2016 – Memphis), the Jayhawks have averaged just 147 yards of offense.

MAKING STOPS
With four games remaining in the 2017 season for Kansas, redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., is looking to crack the top-10 of the Kansas single-season tackle records. Through the first eight games, Dineen has recorded 99 tackles, averaging 12.4 stops per game. Should his production continue at a similar pace, Dineen would finish the season just shy of 150 tackles, which would rank him seventh all-time in Kansas single-season records.

RING OF HONOR
Kansas Athletics will be honoring one if its all-time greats as defensive lineman Gilbert Brown will be inducted into the KU Football Ring of Honor at the Jayhawks’ against Baylor. Gilbert will be the third player added to the Ring of Honor this season, as Anthony Collins and Aqib Talib were added earlier this season.

RING OF HONOR MEMBERS
Ray Evans (42)* (1941–42, 1946–47) DB/RB
Otto Schnellbacher (1942, 1946–47) End
Mike McCormack (1948–50) OL
George Mrkonic (1950–52) OL
Ollie Spencer (1950–52) OL
John Hadl (21)* (1959–61) QB/RB
Curtis McClinton (1959–61) RB
Gale Sayers (48)* (1962–64) RB
Bobby Douglass (1966–68) QB
John Zook (1966–68) DE
John Riggins (1968–70) RB
David Jaynes (1971–73) QB
Nolan Cromwell (1973–76) QB/S
Willie Pless (1982–85) LB
Gilbert Brown (1989-92) DL
Anthony Collins (2005-07) OL
Aqib Talib (2005-07) CB
*Denotes retired jersey number

KANSAS PROUD
Redshirt linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., comes from a long line of Jayhawks. His parents both graduated from KU. His mother was a volleyball player for the Jayhawks, his grandfather was a running back in the 60’s at KU and his great grandfather played basketball for legendary coach Phog Allen, so needless to say he has always bled Crimson & Blue.

His love for the school is displayed every time he takes the field with the passion he shows as a defensive leader. Dineen enters the game against Baylor ranked first in the nation in solo tackles, averaging 8.0 per game, and also ranks third in total tackles averaging 12.1 and sixth in tackles for loss per game with 1.8.

Dineen has recorded double-digit tackles in all but one game this season, including a 16-tackle performance against Iowa State to match a career-high set against West Virginia in 2015.

LONE STAR NATIVES
Many coaching staffs across the nation target Texas as a heavily recruited state, as it is known for being the mecca of college football. Head coach David Beaty and staff are no different, as 37 Kansas players hail from the Lone Star State, making Texas the most-represented state on the KU roster.

Not only is Texas well-represented on the KU roster, the Jayhawk coaching staff has many ties to the state as well. Five Jayhawk coaches spent time on the sidelines at high schools and/or colleges in Texas. Beaty was a successful high school coach in the state before making the jump to college, where he spent time at Rice and Texas A&M. Offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and co-defensive coordinator Kenny Perry each coached at TCU before coming to Kansas. Special teams coordinator Joe DeForest coached at Rice from 1990-94, and quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley played at both Texas Tech and Stephen F. Austin and also coached at Roosevelt High School in Lubbock, Texas.

SPREADING THE LOVE
Kansas has had 14 different players record a reception so far this year. KU had nine different players with a catch in each of its first four games, and had eight players with a reception in the game against Texas Tech and seven against Iowa State. Only four Kansas players caught a pass against TCU, but eight notched receptions against K-State, bringing the Jayhawks’ average to 7.9 receivers with a catch per game.

FINDING WAYS TO MAKE PLAYS
Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Dorance Armstrong Jr., has been a focal point for opposing teams this season, and rightfully so after the junior defensive end recorded 20.0 tackles for loss as a sophomore. While his TFL numbers haven’t quite matched up to last year, Armstrong is still finding ways to contribute to KU’s defensive efforts.

Armstrong is tied with sophomore safety Bryce Torneden as the Jayhawks’ third leading tackler, behind redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., and sophomore safety Mike Lee. Armstrong has totaled 44 stops on the season, including 7.0 TFLs and 1.0 sacks, but he has also notched three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and has broken up three passes, two of which came against Iowa State, and six quarterback hurries.

THE WISE MAN
Defensive tackle Daniel Wise posted an impressive 2016 season where he recorded 10.0 tackles for loss. Wise has already surpassed that total, just eight games into the 2017 campaign, notching 12.0 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks. Wise has been able to show his versatility as well, also recording a forced fumble and one pass breakup.

GROWING TRADITION
Linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., currently ranks first in FBS in solo tackles this season, averaging 8.0 per game and ranks in the top-10 in two other major defensive categories (tackles for loss: 4th, total tackles: 3rd).

With these numbers, Dineen is part of what seems to be a growing tradition of KU players near the top of these categories every year. Last season, Mike Lee finished fourth in the nation in solo tackles while Fish Smithson ranked 11th, and Dorance Armstrong Jr., finished in sixth for tackles for loss per game. In 2015, Smithson led the nation in solo tackles, averaging 7.9 per game. Going back even further, Ben Heeney ranked second in solo tackles and 12th in total tackles in 2014.

RED ZONE FOCUS
Of the 22 trips Kansas has been in the red zone in 2017, the Jayhawks have come away with points in 21 of them, which ranks fifth in FBS in red zone scoring percentage. The Jayhawks have scored eight rushing touchdowns, six passing and have made seven field goals.

The Jayhawks ended last season ranked 65th in the nation in red zone offense and was 89th among FBS teams through the first eight games.

RUI
Never seeing the field in a Division I game until this season, Kansas kicker Gabriel Rui has been a reliable source for the Jayhawks this year. Ozzn 11 field goal attempts, Rui has been successful in 10, missing only a 37-yard attempt against Central Michigan. Rui has knocked home a pair of field goals of 41 yards (vs. West Virginia and Texas Tech) as well as a career-long 42-yarder against K-State. He is also a perfect 18-18 on PAT attempts.

BACKFIELD CRUSADERS
Redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., junior defensive tackle Daniel Wise and junior defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., have all shown their ability to make stops in the backfield this season. The trio have combined for 34.5 tackles for loss this year, with Dineen’s 15.5 leading the way.

OL’ RELIABLE
Junior wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., is a key factor of the Jayhawk offense and has been since he first stepped on the field in the Crimson and Blue. In 31 career games, Sims has caught a pass in all but one. His lone game without a catch was week two this season, where he tried to battle through an injury but ultimately sat out the majority of the game. Sims was never targeted in the game, but by taking the field he unfortunately snapped a 24-game streak of catching a pass. Nevertheless, he bounced back in week three with six catches for 60 yards.

With his 24-game reception streak, Sims was just one of four players to do so since 2006 for Kansas. Kerry Meier, Dezmon Briscoe and Dexton Fields each had streaks of 20-plus games with a reception.

SAVING HIS BEST FOR LAST
In his final year in the Crimson and Blue, senior tight end Ben Johnson has been a major contributor for the Kansas offense thus far. Through eight games, Johnson has recorded 24 receptions for 302 yards and one touchdown, averaging 37.8 yards per game. His 24 receptions marks a new single-season career high for Johnson.

If Johnson’s production continues at a similar pace, he would give himself the chance to have one of the best seasons by a tight end in Kansas history. In 2014, Johnson’s redshirt freshman year, Jimmay Mundine recorded 564 receiving yards, the most ever by a tight end at Kansas.

PASSING THE KANSAS COMET
Sophomore running back Khalil Herbert recorded a career-high 137 rushing yards against Ohio, scoring two touchdowns along the way. If that wasn’t enough to be considered a breakout performance, Herbert made headlines by following his week three performance with 291 yards on the ground and two more touchdowns against West Virginia in week four.

Herbert’s 291 rushing yards was the most in FBS in 2017 at the time and surpassed the Kansas Comet Gale Sayers for the third-most rushing yards in a single game in Kansas history. Sayers held the third-place spot with a 283-yard rushing game against Oklahoma State in 1962.

CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP
Voted on by team members, the 2017 Kansas football captains are junior defensive tackle Daniel Wise, junior defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., senior running back Denzell Evans and junior wide receiver Jeremiah Booker.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will travel to Austin, Texas to face Texas on November 11. The game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. and will be aired on the Longhorn Network and the Jayhawk Television Network.
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