Helu runs for 156 yards and 3 TDs, Nebraska beats Kansas 31-17 for tie atop Big 12 North

By JOHN MARSHALL , Associated Press

Last update: November 14, 2009 - 6:09 PM

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Roy Helu Jr. ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns, helping Nebraska move into a tie atop the Big 12 North with a 31-17 victory over Kansas on Saturday.

Niles Paul had 226 total yards, including 154 on four catches, and Alex Henry kicked three field goals to set up next week's Big 12 North showdown between Nebraska (7-3, 4-2) and Kansas State. Helu recovered a fumble in the end zone in the first quarter and had TD runs of 20 and 14 yards in the fourth quarter to give the Cornhuskers their third straight win.

Kansas (5-5, 1-5 Big 12) overcame a miserable first quarter to take a 17-16 lead midway through the fourth, only to give up Helu's second touchdown 64 seconds later. The Jayhawks' five-game losing streak is their longest in seven years.

Todd Reesing threw for 236 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, but was off-target early and hurt by dropped passes late to finish 19 for 41 in his final home game. Fellow senior Kerry Meier added 10 catches for 127 yards.

For a team that's been struggling offensively — 12.2 points the past four games — the Cornhuskers sure got off to a fast start against Kansas.

Tim Marlowe returned the opening kickoff 40 yards, Zac Lee hit Paul on a 35-yard pass the first play, then Helu recovered Lee's fumble in the end zone. Three minutes, 7-0.

The Huskers put together a couple more big plays — Lee's 32-yard run, his 37-yard pass to Paul — early in the second quarter, setting up Henry's 25-yard field goal that made it 10-0.

Henry also hit from 34 and 38 yards in the second half to put Nebraska up 16-10.

Kansas, after managing 10 total yards and no first downs in the first quarter, scored its first touchdown when Reesing took a quarterback draw up the middle for a 5-yard score in the second. The Jayhawks went up 17-16 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the game, when Reesing hit Dezmon Briscoe on a 21-yard touchdown pass over the middle.

The lead didn't last long.

Paul returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to the Kansas 31, a third-down facemask penalty by Justin Thornton kept the drive alive and Helu scampered up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown. Lee hit Paul on a 2-point conversion to cap the four-play drive, putting the Cornhuskers up 24-17 with just over 6 minutes left.

After Nebraska held Kansas to a three and out, Helu sealed the victory with a 14-yard run in the closing seconds.

Lee had 196 yards on 13 of 21 passing.

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