1979 Kansas Jayhawks football team

1979 Kansas Jayhawks football
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Record3–8 (2–5 Big 8)
Head coach
CaptainBrian Bethke, Mike Gay, Monty Carbonell
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1978
1980 →
1979 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
No. 9 Nebraska 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
Oklahoma State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Missouri 3 – 4 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Colorado 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Kansas 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Kansas State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Eight Conference during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. After a four year absence, Don Fambrough returned as the team's head coach, and the Jayhawks compiled a 3–8 record (2–5 against conference opponents), tied for fifth place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 346 to 172.[1][2] They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

The team's statistical leaders included Brian Bethke with 874 passing yards, Harry Sydney with 541 rushing yards, and David Verser with 463 receiving yards.[3] Brian Bethke, Mike Gay, and Monty Carbonell were the team captains.[2]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15at No. 16 Pittsburgh*
L 0–2441,545[4]
September 22at No. 11 Michigan*
L 7–28103,698[5][6]
September 29North Texas State*
W 37–1839,460[7]
October 6Syracuse*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
L 27–4536,720[8]
October 13at No. 5 Nebraska
L 0–4276,011[9]
October 20at Iowa State
W 24–747,064–48,100[10]
October 27Oklahoma Statedagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
L 17–3029,671[11]
November 3Kansas State
W 36–2848,627[12]
November 10at No. 6 Oklahoma
L 0–3871,822[13]
November 17Colorado
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
L 17–3125,572–31,125[14]
November 24Missouri
L 7–5534,599[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

1979 Kansas Jayhawks football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 20 Wayne Capers Fr
RB 44 Larry Kemp Jr
WR 3 Lester Mickens Jr
RB 24 Harry Sydney Jr
WR 89 David Verser Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB 88 Kirby Criswell Sr
DT 95 Jeff Fox Jr
CB 47 LeRoy Irvin Sr
LB 81 Kyle McNorton So
DT 77 Greg Smith So
CB 41 Joe Tumpich Jr
DB 5 Dan Wagoner So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 18 Mike Hubach Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References

  1. ^ "1979 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 186.
  3. ^ "1979 Kansas Jayhawks Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  4. ^ "Panthers 'still' Jayhawks, 24–0". The Pittsburgh Press. September 16, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Mick McCabe (September 23, 1979). "Defense does it for U-M, 28–7: Erratic offense bothers Bo -- it 'has a long way to go'". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 5E – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Geoff Larcom (September 23, 1979). "Sputtering Blue clips Jayhawks' wings, 28–7". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  7. ^ "Mack runs, Hubach boots lift Kansas to win, 37–18". The Lincoln Star. September 30, 1979. p. 1B. Retrieved October 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Syracuse's Orange crush KU by 45–27". The Sioux City Journal. October 7, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "'Huskers awesome in 42–0 rout". Star-Herald. October 14, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Kansas beats Iowa State: first Big 8 win since '77". The Lincoln Star. October 21, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Third-quarter burst powers Oklahoma State". The Des Moines Register. October 28, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "3 scores by Higgins power Kansas win". Omaha World-Herald. November 4, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Oklahoma too much for Kansas". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 11, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Solomon lifts Colorado". The Grand Island Independent. November 18, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "KU turnovers give Tigers easy victory". The Salina Journal. November 25, 1979. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.