Oct 18, 2003

Final Stats

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Bill Whittemore hit Mark Simmons for the go-ahead touchdown as Kansas fought from behind to beat Baylor 28-21 Saturday and avoid becoming the first Big 12 team to lose to the Bears at home.

Baylor, which has lost 30 straight conference road games since the Big 12 began play in 1996, held a 14-7 lead in the first quarter and went into the third period tied 14-all. It was the first time they had not trailed at halftime in a conference game since Oct. 6, 2001, at Texas A&M.

After John Randall's 12-yard TD run put Kansas (5-2, 2-1 Big 12) on top 28-14 with 8:47 to go, the Bears marched 80 yards in eight plays, capped by Aaron Karas' touchdown pass to Marques Roberts on third-and-goal from the 15.

Baylor (3-4, 1-2) had one last shot but Banks Floodman intercepted Karas' pass deep in Bears territory with less than 2 minutes to play.

Whittemore was 19-of-30 for 252 yards and two touchdowns and tied the school record with 15 scoring passes in a season.

The Jayhawks took the lead with 12:33 left on Whittemore's 40-yard pass play to Simmons, who caught the ball on the 28, sidestepped two defenders and scored.

The Jayhawks had scored 35 or more points in a school-record five straight games, but managed only one touchdown the entire first half until Whittemore connected with Charles Gordon on an 18-yard scoring pass with 1:12 to go.

Mistakes kept wiping out big gains for the Jayhawks, such as a holding call that negated a 54-yard pass to Gordon.

A holding penalty nullified Whittemore's 35-yard run on the Jayhawks' final possession of the first half. But on third-and-5 from the Kansas 14, Whittemore hit Brandon Rideau for 49 yards, then a moment later Gordon caught the game-tying TD pass.

Kansas moved 61 yards on nine plays with its first possession, with Clark Green scoring on a 17-yard run. The Bears tied it 7-all when Michael Boyd blocked Curtis Ansel's punt and James Todd fell on the ball in the end zone.

The Bears took advantage of a confused Kansas defense to score its go-ahead TD in the second quarter. Karas dropped back into the shotgun at the last minute and tossed a soft screen pass to Rashad Armstrong, who scored from 23 yards out.