Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 42

1 Lincoln Journal Star HUSKER EXTRA Sunday, November 1 1, 2007 A quarter-by-quarter look at Nebraska's 1 73-31 victory against KSU on Saturday. Statistic NU First downs 4 RushingPassing yards 2354 Total plays 11 Time of possession 4:58 NU 12 75173 21 9:25 KSU Statistic NU KSU Statistic NU 6 First downs 11 5 First downs 8 4354 'RushingPassing yards 22203 6499 RushingPassing yards 6389 14 Total plays 26 12 Total plays 22 5:34 Time of possession 9:26 4:51 Time of possession 10:09 KSU Statistic 4 First downs 4071 RushingPassing yards 23 Total plays 5:35 Time of possession r-- r- v' i 4 li i 1 ''V rt 1 i i 1 MICHAEL McNAMAKAUncoln Journal Sta' Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh (93) pressures KSU quarterback Josh Freeman in the first quarter. Freeman was sacked four times and hurried seven other times. TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star NU's Andre Jones (25) takes off on a 43-yard punt return that set up a Husker touchdown in the second period. ERIC GREGORYLincoln Journal Star Senior receiver Frantz Hardy breaks away for a third-quarter touchdown Saturday.

He caught three passes for 83 yards and all went for scores. WILLIAM LAUERLincoln Journal Star Marlon Lucky leaves the Kansas State defense in his dust on a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter. Key moment Key moment Key moment Key moment There's a long list from Any thoughts of "Here 40: KSU's rushing total in the period. what was probably the Huskers' best quarter of the 2: Long third downs that KSU converted (15 and 14 yards). we go again" by fans were erased when Cortney Grixby returns a kickoff 94 yards for With the game out of reach and Bill Callahan showing no signs of easing up, Ganz makes Husker history with his seventh touchdown pass of the day an 11-yard strike to Todd Peterson.

81.6: Nebraska's average yardage on three scoring drives in the third quarter. The third drive spilled into the fourth Yeah, NU is already up big, but the first drive of the half that results in another Husker touchdown prevents any chance of Kansas State pulling off a big comeback. Nebraska puts together a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive, 702: Nebraska's total yardage. If you're curious, the team record is 883 (1982 vs. New Mexico State).

season. Andre Jones has a 43-yard punt return that sets up a one-play drive JoeGanz's 36-yard pass to Frantz Hardy. The Huskers put together a Sinriinute drive that results in three points. The Blackshirts end a KSU drive that got across midfield with less than two minutes remaining. And thanks to a questionable Ron Prince call, NU scores another touchdown for a 38-10 halftime lead.

a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. It's the first kickoff return for a TD by a Husker since the 1998 season opener against Louisiana Tech when Joe Walker did it. Grixby runs straight up the gut barely touched and Kansas State kicker Brooks Rossman has no chance at a tackle near mid-field. It's another short drive for the Huskers (four plays, 62 yards, and all four plays are passes. capped off by Ganz finding a wide-open Hardy coming across the field for 8 yards.

Of the 10 plays, nine are passes. Team statistics How they scored 10 0 14 24 14 'fit KSU Statistic 24 First downs 28-108 Rushes-yds. 320 Passing yds. 2644-0 Passing 428 Total offense Plays-avg. 642.0 Punts-avg.

00 Punt returns-avg. Kickoff retums-avg. 3-15 Sacks by-yds. lost 3rO Fumbles-lost 0 Total turnovers 6-14 Third-down conv. 0-1 Fourth-down conv.

740 Penatties-yds. 25:49 Time of poss. Husker individuals FIRST QUARTER 8:55 KANSAS ST. 7. NEBRASKA 0 Jordy Nelson 21 pass from Josh freeman (Brooks Ross-man kick).

(10 plays, 72 yards). 8:42 NEBRASKA 7. KANSAS ST. 0 Cortney Grixby 94 kickoff return (Alex Henery kick). 4:34 KANSAS ST.

10. NEBRASKA 7 Rossman 31 field goal. (1062). 00:32 NEBRASKA 14. KANSAS ST 10 Marlon Lucky 26 pass from Joe Ganz (Henery kick).

(8-76). SECOND QUARTER 13:09 NEBRASKA 21. KANSAS ST. 10 Frantz Hardy 36 pass from Ganz (Henery kick). (1-36).

6:39 NEBRASKA 24. KANSAS ST. 10 Henery 27 field goal. (1080). 2:05 NEBRASKA 31.

KANSAS ST. 10 Lucky 5 run (Henery kick). (8-73). 00:08 NEBRASKA 38. KANSAS ST 10 Todd Peterson 23 pass from Ganz (Henery kick).

(3-54) THIRD QUARTER 12:00 NEBRASKA 45. KANSAS ST. 10 Hardy 8 pass from Ganz (Henery kick). (1080). 6:16 NEBRASKA 52.

KANSAS ST. 10 Hardy 39 pass from Ganz (Henery kick). (9-91). 2:48 NEBRASKA 52. KANSAS ST.

17 Josh Freeman 4 run (Rossman kick). FOURTH QUARTER 14:17 NEBRASKA 59. KANSAS ST 17 Terrence Nunn 7 pass from Ganz (Henery kick). (12-74). 10:58 NEBRASKA 66, KANSAS ST.

17 Peterson 11 pass from Ganz (Henery kick) (AST). 10:02 NEBRASKA 66. KANSAS ST. 24 Brett Alstatt 1 pass from Freeman (Rossman kick). (40A 4:04 NEBRASKA 73.

KANSAS ST. 24 Lucky 3 run (Henery kick). (1-74). 2:19 NEBRASKA 73. KANSAS ST 31 James Johnson 53 run (Rossman kick).

Wildcat individuals TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star True freshman Anthony Blue (14), making his first career start for NU, tries to fight off a block by KSU's Deon Murphy during Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium. Blue finished with five tackles and a pass breakup. Grixbs kickoff return forTD was just spark NU needed 9J El'JSa irairnc; Fi Passing Yds. TD Int. Sck Joe Ganz 3040 510 7 0 3 Beau Davis 1-1 9 0 0 0 Marlon Lucky 0-1 0 0 0 0 Team 0-1 0 0 0 0 Rushing Att.

Yds. TD Marlon Lucky 16 103 2 Quentin Castille 11 50 0 Joe Ganz 6 18 0 Maurice Purify 1 7 0 Roy Helu 2 6 0. Tram 1 -1 0 Receiving Rec. Yds. TD Maurice Purify 6 108 0 Marlon Lucky 6 78 1 Terrence Nunn 5 56 1 Todd Peterson 4 85 2 Frantz Hardy 3 83 3 Dan Erickson 3 25 0 Nate Swift 2 38 0 Menelik Holt 1 35 Quentin Castille 1 11 0 Defense UT AT Tot.

Sk-yds PB Steve Octavien 4 5 9 lVi.5 1 Larry Asante 5 16 Armando Murillo 2 4 6 6-2 Anthony Blue 3 2 5 i CoryMcKeon 14 5 Tierre Green 3 14 1-14 Bo Ruud 0 4 4 1 Ben Eisenhart 2 1 3 Ty Steinkuhler ,21 3 Barry Turner 12 3 1-19 Cortney Grixby 2 0 2 Latravis Washington 112 Dan Erickson 11 2 Rickey Thenarse 112 Prince Amukamara 112 Ndamukong Suh 0 2 2 Eric Hagg 0 2 2 Kevin Dixon 1 0 1 Thomas Rice 10 1 Blake Lawrence 1 0 1 Wes Cammack 1 0 1 Bryan Wilson Oil Nick Covey 1 1 Tylar Wortman 011 Pierre Allen 011 Major Culbert Oil Niles Paul 1 1 Clayton Sievers 0 1 1 Returns KR-vds. PR-yds. INfyds" Andre Jones 2-39 348 Niles Paul 1-8 Cortney Grixby 2-107 No. Yds. Avg.

BIk Dan Titchener 1 36 36 0 Placo4lcklng XP-Att. FG-Att. Long" Alex Henery lO-io 1-1 27 downs. Four of his 14 catches this year have covered 24 yards or more and two of them have been for more than 50. Hardy passed all the credit to junior quarterback Joe Ganz, even using the word "amazing" to describe him.

"I didn't really have to do anything," Hardy said. "Joe just threw the ball and it was right on the money." Passing Yds. TD Int. Sck Josh Freeman 2644 320 2 0 4 Rushing Att. Yds.

TD James Johnson 16 129 1 Leon Patton 3 15 0 Deon Murphy 2 9 0 Team 1 -15 0 Josh Freeman 6 -25 1 Receiving Rec. Yds. TD Jordy Nelson 9 125 1 Deon Murphy 5 106 0 James Johnson 3 38 0 Jeron Mastrud 3 13 0 Daniel Gonzalez 2 25 0 Tony Purvis 1 6 0 Cedric Wilson 150 Brett Alstatt ill Leon Patton 1 10 Defense UT AT Tot. Sk-yds PB Chris Carney 6 7 13 Justin McKinney 4 3 7 1 Marcus Watts 4 3 7 Reggie Walker 3 4 7 John Houlik 4 2 6 1-3 Marcus Perry 4 2 6 Ray Cheatham 4 2 6 1-2 1 Justin Roland 3 3 6 Brandon Balkcom 2 2 4 Eric Childs 044 Bryan Baldwin 3 0 3 Ian Campbell 2 13 1-1Q Moses Manu 12 3 1 Gary Chandler 2 0 2 Lamark Brown 112 Gabriel Crews 1 0 1 Michael Abana 1 0 1 Otis Johnson Oil Courtney Herndon Oil Rob Jackson Oil Kevin Rohleder 0 1 1 Returns KR-yds. PR-yds.

INT-vds Justin McKenny 6-110 John McCardle 0-14 Team l-(-32) Purrts No. Yds. Avg. BIk Tim Reyer 6 252 42.0 0 Place-kicking XP-Att. FO-Att.

Long Brooks Rossman 3-3 1-1 31 Feeling Blue BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON Lincoln Journal Star He was about 50 yards from home, or maybe it was 40, when Cortney Grixby looked up to watch some TV That's when the Husker senior thought it was worth a glance at Memorial Stadium's big screen. "I wanted to see if anyone could catch me," Grixby said. No one could. Grixby high-stepped the final couple yards, his 94-yard kick-off return complete.a It was a spark Nebraska needed Saturday, tying the game at 7 in the first quarter. The Huskers rolled from there to a 73-31 win against Kansas State.

"I lost my breath going off the field. The celebrating and jumping on me about killed me," Grixby said, smiling. "I told them, 'I'm only about 170 pounds. Leave me (In the huddle) we always say, 'Take it to the We wanted to get one. We've been close.

It was due for the whole team." Nebraska hadn't had a kickoff return for a touchdown since Joe Walker took one back 99 yards in the 1998 season opener against Louisiana Tech. "We've been waiting a few years for one of those," Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud said. "That just gets a team so fired up. You just use that momentum. We got it after that play and we never looked back after that." A I lardy day Senior receiver Frantz Hardy was another Husker who celebrated Senior Day in style.

Hardy caught three passes 39, 36 and 8 yards and all were for touch- with several school records. Probably most impressive were his 528 yards of total offense, which shattered the previous record of 433 quarterback Zac Taylor had against Iowa State in 2005. Ganz's seven touchdown passes also set a school record. "I more proud of not turning the ball over really than (breaking) those records," Ganz said. Only four times has a Husker quarterback thrown for more than 400 yards.

Ganz has two of those performances, accomplished in his first two starts. Hehad 12passplaysof morethan20 yards Saturday. At one point in the third quarter, 14 of his 15 completions had gone for 10 yards or more. Quick hits Nebraska's 73 points are the most it's scored against Kansas State, bettering the 62 put up in 1984. Marlon Lucky now has 976 receiving yards in his career, just 24 from becoming the first player in school history to get more than 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in a career.

Andre Jones' 47-yard punt return in the second quarter was the longest punt return for Nebraska this season. Todd Peterson's 85 receiving yards are a career high. Maurice Purify caught sue passes for 108 yards. He now has 678 receiving yards, putting him fourth in school history for most receivingyards in a season. Nate Swift had two catches to give him 101 for his career.

He and Lucky are the third and fourth Huskers to have more than 100 career receptions. Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristophersonjournalstar.com. Husker freshman Anthony Blue got his first start at cornerback, even breaking up a pass on K-State's first offensive series. The Huskers also started senior Ben Eisenhart at safety. It was Eisenhart's first career start.

The last home game for the Culbert-son native couldn't have gone much better. "It was the most amazing thing, I don't know if I can even explain it," Eisenhart said. The last five weeks haven't been very good to us, so to get this done, especially on the last home game, is a great feeling and is definitely something I'll remember for the rest of my life for sure." Ganz shines Ganz walked away from the game Joe Ganz 1 Zi fK Frantz Hardy Nebraska wide receiver What a way for senior receiver Frantz Hardy to finish his home career. He caught three passes Saturday. All of them were touchdowns 39.

36 and 8 yards. That's what you call getting the most out of every catch. Brian Christopherson CaHlahan NU head coach The Huskers' season has been brutally difficult. However, Callahan somehow has kept the team from falling apart. The offense actually continues to improve.

He never lost this team. He should receive a tip of your cap for that. Steven M. Sipple Thomas Rice NU defensive end What a great moment for the senior walk-on from Lincoln East who'd never played a down before Saturday. Not only did he play, he entered in the second quarter with the game In doubt, and he made a sound tackle after a 1-yard gain.

Isnt this what walk-on stones are about? Brian Rosenthal Nebraska quarterback Sure, the guy had school-record passing numbers of 510 yards and seven touchdowns. But did you see his 23-yard scramble on that fourth-and-20 play in the third quarter? It spoke volumes about the attitude the Huskers exhibited all afternoon in Memorial Stadium. Curt McKaever.