Newness played a big role in the Kansas University football team’s 34-28 season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
New offense. New quarterback. New top receiver. New look.
And like a shiny new toy that emerges from a mixture of colorful wrapping paper, bright ribbons and shiny bows on Christmas morning, the new-look Kansas offense led by coordinator John Reagan produced plenty of joy in this one, particularly in the first quarter when KU raced out to a 24-0 lead before having to hold on at the end.
“I couldn’t ask for much more in the first quarter,” KU coach Charlie Weis said after the victory witnessed by a crowd of 36,574.
The 24-point outburst, which was the result of scores on four consecutive possessions, was the most points a KU offense had scored in a quarter since the Quinn Mecham-led Jayhawks scored 35 points in the fourth quarter of an improbable victory over Colorado in 2010. The 34-point total marked just the fifth time in the Weis era that KU had scored more than 30 points in a game.
Of course, having a huge lead, playing from in front and watching the KU offense rack up points at will was a new experience for most of these guys, as well, and Weis said that might have had a direct impact on why things went south after that, as the Jayhawks were outscored 28-10 over the final three quarters.
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