Blue-Gray Game : Kansas Quarterback Finds Much to Like in Burtnett’s Offense

Kansas quarterback Mike Norseth, who says he has always liked watching the pass-happy attack of Purdue, got a chance to try a version of it in the 48th Annual Blue-Gray football game Wednesday.

Norseth, directing the Blue offense that was coached by Purdue’s Leon Burtnett, passed for 228 yards and the winning touchdown in a 27-20 victory over the Gray.

“We came out throwing and that’s the kind of offense I like,” Norseth said. “I knew Coach Burtnett liked to pass the ball. He told us at practice that that was exactly what we were going to do.”

Both offenses erupted early, with the Gray taking a 20-19 halftime lead. But Norseth put the Blue on top for good midway through the third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Purdue wide receiver Steve Griffin followed by a two-point conversion pass to Greg Baty.

“We started out throwing a lot to the backs, but after the Gray adjusted Michael did a great job of hitting the wideouts,” Burtnett said. “It’s awful hard to adopt to an offense you’ve never seen in just a few days, but Michael did amazingly well.”

Norseth, who shared time at quarterback with Indiana’s Steve Bradley, was named the game’s most valuable player. Running back Allen Pinkett of Notre Dame, who scored two touchdowns for the Blue in the first half, was named the Blue’s outstanding offensive player in the game, played before 18,500 spectators at Cramton Bowl.

Syracuse placekicker Don McAulay kicked two field goals in the first half for the other Blue points. Quarterback Ken Karcher of Tulane gave the Gray the early lead with a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter. Florida running back Neal Anderson scored the other Gray touchdown in the second quarter.

The Gray drove deep into Blue territory twice in the fourth quarter, but the defense held both times.

Willie Pless of Kansas, who recovered a fumble to kill one of the threats, was named the outstanding defensive player. Napoleon McCallum of Navy was the Gray’s outstanding offensive player and Mississippi State’s Aaron Pearson its top defensive star.

The Blue scored first on McAulay’s 41-yard field goal set up by a 56-yard drive in which Norseth completed four passes for 44 yards.

After Louisiana Tech’s Douglas Landry intercepted a Norseth pass to kill another Blue threat, the Gray drove 62 yards with Karcher hitting Kent Hagood of South Carolina with a 19-yard touchdown pass. Rice’s James Hamrick kicked the extra point for a 7-3 Gray lead.

The Blue’s Erroll Tucker fumbled the next kickoff and Pearson recovered at the Blue 15-yard line. Karcher connected with Anderson on a 15-yard touchdown pass and Hamrick added the extra point.

McAulay had a 25-yard field goal to cut the gap to 14-6.

The Blue cut the lead again when Pinkett capped a 66-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Blue went ahead when Bradley directed a 60-yard scoring drive that ended with Pinkett taking it in from the one. McAulay’s extra point gave the Blue a 19-14 lead.

The Gray regained the lead on Anderson’s one-yard run with 3:50 left in the half.