01-03-08 Joshua B Huber

Miami, Fl. - The Kansas Jayhawks have won their first Orange Bowl ever and first bowl game in years by defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-21 in a well played game by both defenses. Kansas came into the game averaging 44 points per game through the season, while the Hokies defense came into the game as the second rated defense in the land.

The Kansas defense provided the turnovers that led to 17 Jayhawk points. In the first quarter all-conference athlete Aqib Talib picked off an errant Sean Glennon pass and took it 60 yards to the house to make it a 7-0 Jayhawk lead. After a 32 yard Scott Webb fieldgoal, the Kansas offense struck again on a 13 yard touchdown from Todd Reesing to Marcus Henry, making it 17-0 in the 2nd quarter. The Virgina Tech offense answred that call going on a 13 play 68 yard methodical drive that ended with Brandon Ore in the endzone and the Hokies trailing only 17-7 at the half. Almost imediately after the ZZ Top halftime show, the Hokie defense came through and forced Kansas to punt after a short 6 play 11 yard drive. Beemerball took over at that moment when Hokie returner J Harper took the punt 84 yards to the Kansas endzone for the quick score, and more importantly pulling the Hokies to within 17-14 in the 3rd. After trading turnovers and punts for the next 16 minutes of game time, Kansas intercepted a Glennon pass inside the redzone of VT, and took it to the 2 yard line. The very next play Todd Reesing punched it in from 2 yards out putting Kansas ahead 24-14, with 10 minutes left in the game.

Harper would strike again with 3 minutes left in the game by catching a 20 yard touchdown pass from Glennon, to pull the VT Hokies to within 3 at 24-21, but that's where the the score would stay. Kansas would just pick up a few more first downs and run the rest of the clock out on the Hokie season.

Brandon McAnderson rushed the ball 15 times for 75 yards while Ore from VT rushed the ball 23 times for 116 yards and a score. Todd Reesing was 21-38 passing for 227 yards and a touchdown both passing and rushing, and his receiver Dexton Field caught 7 passes for 101 yards.

The MVP of the Orange Bowl was voted on and given to Aqib Talib, the all-around athlete on the Kansas field that plays all three sides of the ball. Cornerback, receiver and return specialist. It is uncertain whether he will declare for the NFL Draft in this next few months. Mark Mangino was very happy to have this underdog monkey off of his back even though he self admitted that the Jayhawks play much better as the silent assassin.

At any rate the Kansas Jayhawks finish their best season ever with a 12-1 record (which could turn out to be the nation's best after the BCS Game) and as Orange Bowl Champions for 2008.