The Aloha Bowl
1992
Kansas 23
BYU 20
Playing in its first bowl game in 11 years, Kansas lost the coin toss
to begin the game and, subsequently, surrendered a kickoff return
touchdown to Brigham Young’s Hema Heimuli on the first play of the game.
This auspicious start was much like the Jayhawks’ last bowl appearance, 11 years earlier, when a Kansas turnover on the kickoff enabled Mississippi State to score a touchdown 12 seconds into a 10-0 win in the 1981 Hall of Fame Bowl. The rest of the game, however, unfolded quite nicely for Jayhawk fans.
Just two plays from scrimmage later, Kansas receiver Matt Gay caught
a lateral from quarterback Chip Hilleary and then hit a wide-open Rodney
Harris for a 74-yard touchdown pass. After just 1:01, each team had
scored a touchdown.
The Jayhawks continued to score in the first quarter. With BYU pinned
deep in its own territory, junior lineman Chris Maumalanga burst through
the Cougars’ line to sack running back Jamal Willis in his own endzone
for a safety and a 9-7 lead. Maumalanga was one of the many highlights
for the Kansas defensive line, which sacked BYU quarterback Tom Young
six times. Senior Dana Stubblefield led the Jayhawks with three sacks,
three hurries and one tackle for loss. For his efforts, Stubblefield was
named the game’s most valuable player.
But Willis later gained revenge with a 29-yard touchdown romp with
10:16 left to play in the half. Following his score, BYU led, 14-9, and
seemed to have halted the Jayhawks’ momentum.
On the ensuing kickoff, another Kansas senior, running back Maurice Douglas, broke free for a 54-yard return that put the Jayhawks on the BYU 43. Kicker Dan Eichloff hammered a 41-yard field goal that capped the first-half scoring at 14-12.
Brigham Young owned the third quarter, racking up 187 yards total
offense and holding the ball for 9:50. Kansas,
on the other hand, managed just 33 yards total offense but did limit the
Cougars to six points as BYU carried a 20-12 lead into the final
quarter. To start the final quarter, Hilleary engineered a six-play,
75-yard drive that resulted in his one-yard run and was capped by his
two-point conversion that tied the game at 20. That drive was sustained
by Hilleary’s 48-yard completion to Harris, who finished with 142 yards
on four catches.
On the following drive, the Jayhawk defense stopped the Cougars on
three straight plays and BYU was forced to punt. Kansas regained the
ball on its own 21 yard line with just over 10 minutes to play. Hilleary
then embarked the Jayhawks on a drive that would last nearly seven
minutes and result in Dan Eichloff’s 48-yard field goal that provided
Kansas with the program’s first bowl win in 31 years and just the second
in school history, 23-20.
BYU then mounted a drive late in the game, advancing as far as the KU
34-yard line. But senior safety Charley Bowen secured the Jayhawks’
first bowl win in 31 years by picking off Young’s pass at the Kansas
29-yard line with 2:11 to play. It was the only turnover of the game for
either team.
As the host team from the Western Athletic Conference, BYU had
hoped to get the backing of the Hawaii fans, something it surely doesn't
get when playing the Rainbow Warriors. The Cougars didn't, with Kansas'
plays being cheered and some of BYU's booed. They didn't get a win they
might have, either, and as such, ended their season with an 8-5 record.
Kansas, which finished the season with a three-game losing streak, ended
up 8-4.
A Christmas crowd of 42,933 paid to see the Jayhawks’ win, and the game ranked among the top-watched bowl games on television in 1992-93.
BYU dumps Maurice Douglas.
The Kansas defense corrals BYU back.
KU's Chip Hilleary.
Eichloff kicked the game winner.
Attendance- 42,933
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
BYU- Heimuli 94 kickoff return (Lauder kick).
KU- Harris 74 pass from Gay (Eichloff kick).
KU- Safety, Willis tackled in the end zone.
Second Quarter
BYU- Willis 29 run (Lauder kick).
KU- FG Eichloff 42.
Third Quarter
BYU- Sterling 10 pass from Young (conversion failed).
Fourth Quarter
KU- Hilleary 1 run (Hilleary run).
KU- FG Eichloff 48.
Individual Statistics
Rushing
KU- Douglas 18-68, White 8-37, Levine 6-26, Hilleary 14-23
BYU- Hall 6-62, Willis 11-57
Passing
KU- Hilleary 11-23-126
BYU- 15-31-262
KU- Harris 4-142, Licursi 3-17
