Kansas snapped a 36-game losing streak against Nebraska after defeating the Cornhuskers 40-15 on Nov. 5, a week after claiming a 13-3 victory against Missouri on Oct. 29. 

“They are a pretty hot football team, winning three of their last four,” Briles said. “They have done some things this year that are extremely big for their program, like beating Nebraska for the first time in 36 years, beating Missouri three years in a row, having the No. 19 defense in the nation, No. 3 against the rush offense nationally.” 

All year long, Houston players have craved an opportunity to make a name for themselves. Though it is not the Rose Bowl, the Forth Worth Bowl is a step in the right direction. 

"A bowl game is a reward,” Briles said. “A couple of years ago, when we went to Hawaii, that's the way that we looked at it. Now, we look at it as an opportunity. It's an opportunity for us to show what style of football we play, the type of team that we have and the type of university and city that we represent. From that standpoint, it's a big deal for us as far as representing a lot of people.” 

Though the Jayhawks have one of the top rushing defenses in the country, that doesn't mean their coaches and coordinators are not losing sleep over the high-scoring Cougar offense. 

Senior halfback Ryan Gilbert leads all Houston rushers with 1,030 yards, followed by junior Jackie Battle with 400. Junior quarterback Kevin Kolb had another 3,000-yard season, while junior wide receiver Vincent Marshall averaged 84 yards per game. 

Defensively, sophomore Rocky Schwartz leads the team in tackles with 106, while Brendan Pahulu is second with 90. 

“We have a good team. We have a team that feels good about each other and that cares about each other,” Briles said. “They are going to play hard. We are going to make a really good stand for our university and our football team. 

“We have battled. We expected to be in a bowl game. We actually expected a little more, but sometimes you don't always get what you want. We got some of it; now we need to take advantage of it.”

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