- Kansas Jayhawks football seasons
=Mangino era=
On December 4, 2001,
University of Oklahoma offensive coordinatorMark Mangino —whose experience includes work as recruiting coordinator, running-game coordinator, and assistant head coach atKansas State University —was hired by Athletics Director Al Bohl to rebuild a successful football program. [http://www.kuconnection.org/archive/2002/02/news_mangino.asp] In six years, the Jayhawks have achieved increasing success as they were bowl eligible four times and in 2005 won their first bowl since 1995. However, in his first five seasons, they failed to finish any higher than fourth place in their division or to win more than three conference games in any season; they were 11-29 in conference play and only 1-14 versus Big 12 South opponents.2003 season
In the 2003 season the Jayhawks made their first postseason appearance since 1995, though the much improved Jayhawks were unable to secure a victory in the
Mazda Tangerine Bowl .Safety Rodney Fowler was named co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after making two interceptions and returning one for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Jayhawks' win over Iowa State, and junior center Joe Vaughn was named Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
2005 season
The Jayhawks finished the 2005 season with their second bowl invitation in three years and first bowl victory since winning the 1995 Aloha Bowl. The victory at the
Fort Worth Bowl was also their seventh win of the season—the most since the 1995 Jayhawks finished 10-2. The Jayhawks were the only bowl-eligible team in the Big 12 conference to face all seven bowl-eligible teams from the league, and no other Big 12 team played more games against bowl-eligible teams than the Jayhawks (eight). [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121605aaa.html] It was also the only team to ever finish 6-0 in Memorial Stadium. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120405aaa.html] The Jayhawks' secured their bowl eligibility in the final game of the season versus Iowa State after a late fourth quarter drive for a touchdown and sophomore Scott Webb's 34-yard field goal in overtime for the victory. Webb's performance earned him the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112805aaa.html] It was only the fourth overtime in KU history and the first at Memorial Stadium. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/112605aab.html]The Jayhawks' rush defense ranked third nationally, allowing less than 100 rushing yards in nine games and setting a new record of 83.3 rushing yards per game. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121605aaa.html] [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/122405aaa.html] The previous record of 109.2 was set in 1948. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/112605aaa.html] Senior linebacker
Nick Reid , who led the conference with an average of 9.6 tackles per game, became the first player for the Jayhawks to be named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Also, Reid was named All-Big 12 First-Team along with junior kick/punt returner Charles Gordon and senior defensive endCharlton Keith . [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112905aaa.html] Additional Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors went to senior linebacker Brandon Perkins following his five-sack performance against Louisiana Tech and Charlton Keith after the win against Nebraska. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112805aaa.html]2007 season
The Jayhawks finished the 2007 regular season with a record of 11-1 and their third bowl invitation in five years. During the season the underrated Jayhawks [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071907aaa.html] surprised many by winning their first nine games for the first time in 99 years, and their last 10-win season was in 1995. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/111007aab.html] The team was ranked as high as second in the national polls and
Bowl Championship Series rankings following their win over Iowa State, but they ended the season at #8 after their loss to Missouri. The Jayhawks hadn't appeared in the national polls since 1996, and it was their highest ranking since 1968. [Cite news| title=Kansas Football Moves To Second In Major Polls| url=http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111807aab.html| publisher=KUAthletics.com| date=November 18, 2007| accessdate=2007-11-18|]With the departure of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Quartaro at the end of the prior season, Ed Warinner—returning after a two-season stint as Illinois's run-game coordinator and offensive line coach—brought in a new, more aggressive, faster-paced, no-huddle offense with sophomore
Todd Reesing at the quarterback position. [http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/04/24/new-offensive-coordinator-hopes-to-play-to-ku-s-strengths/] [http://www2.kusports.com/news/2007/sep/03/keegan_kansas_offense_different/]Mangino was named The Home Depot Coach of the Year, and the team received the Stanley Tools Breakthrough of the Year Award. [http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120607aaa.html]
Future seasons
"Source: Big 12 football schedules [http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/future-schedules.html] "
References
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