LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu Jr. ran for touchdowns and ninth-ranked Nebraska’s defense held Kansas to 87 total yards in a 20-3 victory on Saturday night.
Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez was limited by design after missing all but one play of last week’s game at Iowa State with a right ankle sprain. He clearly wasn’t at his best, but he showed glimpses of his dynamic running ability, gaining 71 yards on 11 carries. He was 14 of 26 for 167 yards passing, with one interception.
Helu had 85 yards and Burkhead 77 yards.
The Jayhawks (3-7, 1-5), who gained 453 yards and rallied from a 28-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Colorado last week, generated five first downs and had nine drives that lasted four plays or less.
Nebraska (9-1, 5-1) led 17-0 at half after Burkhead scored from 4 yards and Helu from 20.
Kansas’ only points came on Jacob Branstetter’s 42-yard field goal after Martinez fumbled.
The teams played for the 105th straight year. The nation’s longest continuous series ends with Nebraska heading to the Big Ten next year.
The game also marked the return of first-year Kansas coach Turner Gill, a revered figure in Nebraska football history for leading the Huskers to three Big Eight championships and a 28-2 record as starting quarterback from 1981-83.
Gill also was a Nebraska assistant for 14 years, all but one under Tom Osborne or Frank Solich. A video tribute 20 minutes before kickoff showed highlights from Gill’s playing days and included comments from Osborne, now the athletic director.
The Huskers, who face a difficult test at Texas A&M next Saturday, were careful with Martinez and his tender right ankle.
Martinez was kept under wraps until the third quarter. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson mostly had Martinez pass and hand off before that. Martinez kept on one zone-read option play for 2 yards and he scrambled twice for short gains in the first half. He ran six times in the third quarter before going back to handing off.
Martinez threw an interception and fumbled, with his second turnover leading to Branstetter’s field goal.
Nebraska went three-and-out on its first two possessions before Burkhead finished a 54-yard drive with a short touchdown run out of the wildcat formation. Helu gave the Huskers a 14-0 lead at half, finishing his 20-yard run off an inside handoff with a nifty stutter step to avoid KU cornerback Greg Brown.
Jayhawks freshman James Sims, who ran for a season-high 123 yards and a school record-tying four touchdowns against Colorado last week, was held to 24 yards on nine carries.
Quinn Mecham completed 3 of 13 for 15 yards. He was sacked six times.