1968 Kansas Jayhawks football team

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1968 Kansas Jayhawks football
Big Eight co-champion
Orange Bowl, L 14–15 vs. Penn State
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 6
APNo. 7
1968 record9–2 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach
  • Pepper Rodgers (2nd season)
CaptainJohn Zook
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1967
1969 →
1968 Big Eight Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Kansas + 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Oklahoma + 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
No. 9 Missouri 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
Nebraska 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Colorado 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Kansas State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Iowa State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1968 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Eight Conference during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Pepper Rodgers, the Jayhawks compiled a 9–2 record (6–1 against conference opponents), tied with Oklahoma for the Big Eight Conference championship, lost to Penn State in the 1969 Orange Bowl, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 394 to 190.[1][2] They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

The team's statistical leaders included Bobby Douglass with 1,316 passing yards, John Riggins with 866 rushing yards and George McGowan with 592 receiving yards.[3] John Zook was the team captain.[2]

Quarterback Bobby Douglass finished 7th in Heisman Trophy voting receiving 9 1st place votes.

The Jayhawks wouldn’t beat Nebraska again until 2005, and it remains the last time they won in Lincoln.

The Jayhawks were Big 8 co-champions. It remains, as of the 2020 season, the last conference championship Kansas has won.

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteResult
September 21at Illinois*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 47–7
September 28No. 13 Indiana*No. 12
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
W 38–20
October 5New Mexico*No. 8
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
W 68–7
October 12at No. 9 NebraskaNo. 6
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
W 23–13
October 19Oklahoma StateNo. 4
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
W 49–14
October 26at Iowa StateNo. 3
  • Clyde Williams Field
  • Ames, IA
W 46–25
November 2ColoradoNo. 3
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
W 27–14
November 9OklahomaNo. 3
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
L 23–27
November 16at Kansas StateNo. 7
W 38–29
November 23at No. 13 MissouriNo. 7
W 21–19
January 1vs. No. 3 Penn State*No. 6
L 14–15
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster[]

1968 Kansas Jayhawks football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
T 70 Larry Brown So
T 76 Keith Christensen Sr
QB 10 Bobby Douglass Sr
WR -- Ron Jessie So
RB 32 John Riggins So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DT 71 Jim Bailey Jr
T 73 Steve Lawson So
DE 81 John Zook Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 12 Bill Bell Jr
Head coach
  • Pepper Rodgers
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Rankings[]

Main article: 1968 NCAA University Division football rankings

Game summaries[]

at Nebraska[]

See also: 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team


Oklahoma[]

See also: 1968 Oklahoma Sooners football team


vs. Penn State (Orange Bowl)[]

Main article: 1969 Orange Bowl
See also: 1968 Penn State Nittany Lions football team


References[]

  1. ^ "1968 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 185.
  3. ^ "1968 Kansas Jayhawks Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
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