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          Nebraska takes 20th straight win over Kansas in Lincoln

          Nov 8, 2008
          • Associated Press

          LINCOLN, Neb. -- Joe Ganz passed for 324 yards and three touchdowns, Roy Helu Jr. ran for 115 yards and two scores, and Nebraska bounced back from a humiliating defeat at Oklahoma to beat Kansas 45-35 on Saturday.

          The Huskers (6-4, 3-3 Big 12), coming off a 62-28 loss to the Sooners, became bowl eligible with their 20th straight win over the Jayhawks in Lincoln. Kansas (6-4, 3-3), which throttled the Huskers 76-39 in Lawrence last year, hasn't won on the road against Nebraska since 1968.

          Ndamukong Suh, the Huskers' 300-pound nose tackle, added to a career-best 12-tackle game by lining up at fullback and catching a 2-yard touchdown pass from Ganz for a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

          Kansas's Todd Reesing threw three touchdown passes and became Kansas' career passing leader, but he was sacked five times. He finished 15-of-30 for 304 yards.

          Ganz, who completed 28-of-37 passes, went over 300 yards passing for the fourth time in five games and eighth time in 12 career starts.

          Helu, who had a career-high 157 yards rushing against Oklahoma, split carries with Marlon Lucky and Quentin Castille in the first half. But the Huskers called on Helu almost exclusively after they fell behind 21-17.

          Helu dived for the pylon to finish a 10-yard run and put Nebraska ahead to stay late in the third quarter. After Kansas went three plays and out, he took an inside handoff and ran off right tackle for a 52-yard touchdown and a 31-21 lead.

          After the Jayhawks got back to 31-28 on Jake Sharp's 7-yard run, Helu went back to work. He hurdled cornerback Anthony Davis on his way to a 23-yard gain before Suh, occasionally used as a blocking back, lumbered into the end zone wide open to catch a short TD pass. It was the second career touchdown for Suh, who ran back an interception 49 yards against San Jose State.

          Zach Potter intercepted Reesing on Kansas' next possession, and after place-kicker Alex Henry ran 9 yards for a first down on a fake field goal, Ganz hit Nate Swift for a 14-yard touchdown.

          Reesing's 14-yard run pulled his team within 10 points with 2:15 left, and the Jayhawks' Darrell Stuckey recovered the onside kick. But Kansas turned the ball over on downs, and the Huskers ran out the clock.

          The teams matched touchdowns in the first half. Lucky took a direct snap, ran three steps and flipped a jump pass over the line to tight end Mike McNeill for a 4-yard touchdown. Ganz later hit Chris Brooks with a 25-yard pass for Brooks' first career touchdown.

          Reesing stayed on his feet after taking a direct hit from cornerback Eric Hagg, then unloaded a short sideline pass to Kerry Meier, who ran the rest of the way for a 28-yard TD. Reesing broke Frank Seurer's career passing yardage record on the play and now has 6,632 in three seasons, the past two as the starter.

          Reesing's second touchdown pass, a 53-yarder to Dezmon Briscoe, put the Jayhawks up 14-7. Briscoe became Kansas' all-time leader in TD receptions with 18.

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