Nov. 29, 2008

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas junior quarterback Todd Reesing hit fellow junior Kerry Meier on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds remaining as KU upset No. 12 Missouri 40-37 in a thrilling Border Showdown football game on a sleeting, snowy Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

A weather-braving Border Showdown crowd of 79,123 saw Kansas improve to 7-5 on the season and 4-4 in Big 12 play. With the victory, Kansas posted its second consecutive seven-win season for first time since 1960-61, while Missouri fell to 9-3 on the year and 5-3 in conference play.

MU senior Jeff Wolfert, who had made a 48-yard field goal earlier in the game, had his 54-yard game-tying field goal attempt blocked by KU sophomore Philip Stozier to end the game.

In a game that saw four lead changes in the final seven minutes, Reesing engineered two fourth quarter touchdowns drives with Meier catching both go ahead scores.

Reesing was 37-for-51 for 375 yards with four touchdowns on the day. He broke his own school record for receptions in a season with 302 and passing yards in a season, currently at 3,575 yards. Additionally, he broke his own KU school record for total offense with 3,761 yards.

Meier had a school-record 14 receptions for 106 yards and two fourth-quarter scores. Five of his 14 grabs came in the game-winning drive.

Defensively, KU junior safety Darrell Stuckey forced three Missouri turnovers for the game.  He intercepted two of Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel’s passes, Stuckey’s fourth and fifth of the 2008 season.  He also caused a fumble on a Daniel scramble, which Stuckey recovered himself.

With KU leading 26-10 early in the third quarter, Missouri scored 20 unanswered points to take a 30-26 lead with 6:52 remaining. Following a 40-yard kickoff return by sophomore Dezmon Briscoe, Reesing and company went to work, going 49 yards in five plays for the score to make it KU 33-30 with 4:26 to play.

Returning kicks for the first time while at KU, Briscoe gave Kansas great field position on the day by returning seven kicks for 195 yards, which tied for second most in KU history.

Missouri answered quickly when sophomore tailback Derrick Washington scored on a six-yard run capping a seven-play, 73-yard drive to make the score 37-33 in favor of the Tigers with 1:50 to play.

Reesing then engineered the game-winning drive for the Jayhawks, going 67 yards in nine plays, five of which were Reesing-Meier connections. With fourth and seven on the MU 26-yard line, Reesing scrambled and found Meier over the top to make the score KU 40-MU 37 with 27 seconds left in the game.

Kansas will learn its bowl fate on Dec. 7, when bowl announcements are made.  The Jayhawks are looking to reach a bowl game for the second consecutive season.  KU, which played in the FedEx Orange Bowl last season, has never played in consecutive bowl games.