University of Houston
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Kansas (Fort Worth Bowl)
Cougars Fall to Kansas in Fort Worth Bowl
12/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 23, 2005
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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Jason Swanson threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, one more than he had in the regular season, and the Kansas Jayhawks beat Houston 42-13 Friday night in the Fort Worth Bowl for their first winning season and first bowl victory in 10 years.
Tailback Jon Cornish turned two shovel passes from Swanson into scores, and also rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries. Brian Murph, who hadn't returned a kick all season, turned a muffed punt into an 85-yard score in the first quarter that put the Jayhawks (7-5) ahead to stay. He also caught a 48-yard TD pass.
Houston (6-6) has lost six straight bowls since winning the 1980 Garden State Bowl.
Swanson started his fifth straight game, going 19-for-29 in his fourth victory and earning MVP honors. The senior was the third starting quarterback used by Kansas this year. He hurt his leg during the preseason, but took over in late October after Adam Barrman and Brian Luke struggled.
Cougars junior quarterback Kevin Kolb started his 36th straight game and already is the career total offense leader at the school where David Klingler and Andre Ware also threw passes. Kolb was 20-of-44 passing for 214 yards with three interceptions, all turned into scores by Kansas.
Kolb had a 1-yard sneak for Houston's only touchdown. The Cougars were held to a season-worst 244 total yards after leading Conference USA with 457 a game during the regular season. Kansas had 538 yards.
Charlton Keith got between Kolb and his intended receiver on a quick-out pass in the fourth quarter. He jumped up and grabbed the pass, then sprinted 14 yards and dived into the end zone.
Theo Barnes had two interceptions for the Jayhawks. The first set up Cornish's 30-yard TD catch in the third quarter, and the second led to Murph's TD catch with 9 minutes left for the final touchdown.
Five minutes into the game, Murph muffed a punt. The ball rolled several yards away from him before he picked it up, circled around several defenders and ran all the way to the left sideline. He then cut back across the field and slipped past a tackler into the open.
Swanson had completions of 31 and 19 yards on the first two plays, but the Jayhawks didn't get another first down on the opening drive. The Cougars then went three-and-out before Justin Laird's 57-yard punt that Murph muffed.
Cornish's first TD was a 13-yard play in the second quarter. Mark Simmons added a 32-yard score in the third when he caught Swanson's pass near the 20, then was free when he twisted inside and the defender slipped.
