LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)—Todd Reesing threw three touchdown passes to Dezmon Briscoe and No. 14 Kansas, coming off the greatest season in its history, opened with a 40-10 victory Saturday over Florida International before a record-breaking home crowd.
Reesing, who rewrote the Kansas record book last year during a 12-1 season that vaulted the long-woeful Jayhawks into national contention, was 37-for-52 for 256 yards. Briscoe, a sophomore and Reesing’s third-leading receiver in 2007, had touchdown catches of 3, 4 and 3 yards against a Sun Belt Conference team the Jayhawks smacked 55-3 a year ago.
Briscoe’s third TD, on fourth-and-goal from the 3, was a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone after Reesing appeared to have overthrown his wide-open target.
The game was played before a school-record crowd of 52,112, breaking the mark of 51,910 which watched the resurgent Jayhawks beat longtime nemesis Nebraska 76-39 last year. It also broke by 4,000 the Memorial Stadium record for a nonconference game.
Kansas took a commanding lead with a 23-point second quarter that made it 30-10 at the half.
Reesing also threw an interception which Jeremiah Weatherspoon returned 20 yards to the Kansas 27 in the fourth quarter. A year ago, he had only seven interceptions. But a few minutes after the interception, Phillip Strozier made his second interception for the Jayhawks. His first was returned 30 yards and set up Briscoe’s third touchdown.
The Golden Panthers, 1-11 last season, were playing the highest-ranked team they have seen since becoming a major college program in 2006. They got their only touchdown in two games against Kansas when T.Y. Hilton took a punt and sped 74 yards into the end zone in the second quarter. Dustin Rivest had a 43-yard field goal for Florida International at the end of the half.
The Jayhawks, who did not commit a turnover until the third game last season, lost a fumble on their first possession. But Jake Laptad sacked Florida International’s Paul McCall for a 5-yard loss on fourth down midway through the first quarter and Jocques Crawford, last season’s junior college offensive player of the year, scored on a 7-yard run for Kansas.
Briscoe capped a 56-yard scoring drive with his first TD catch on the first play of the second quarter. A few minutes later, Daymond Patterson, a freshman, broke loose for a 75-yard punt return, jumping over one would-be tackler near the 20 who had been blocked to the ground.
Alonso Rojas, replacing departed Scott Webb, kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 17-0 lead and added a 37-yarder in the third as the Jayhawks won for the 16th time in their last 18 games overall.
McCall was 10-for-28 for 73 yards, with two interceptions.
