The 1983 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

in the

Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associatio ...

during the

1983 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami, led by Bernie Kosar, winning their first national championship over perennial power and top ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes' 31–30 win over Nebras ...

. In their first season under head coach

Mike Gottfried Mike Gottfried (born December 17, 1944) is a sportscaster and former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Murray State University (1978–1980), the University of Cincinnati (1981–1982), the University of ...

, the Jayhawks compiled a 4–6–1 record (2–5 against conference opponents), finished in seventh place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 320 to 296. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in

Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...

. The Jayhawks upset 10th ranked

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

in Los Angeles 26–20 in what remains their only game against USC in school history. The team's statistical leaders included

Frank Seurer Frank Anthony Seurer (born August 16, 1962) is a former professional American football quarterback. He played collegiate football at the University of Kansas. He played for the Los Angeles Express (USFL) in 1984 and 1985 seasons. He was selected ...

with 2,789 passing yards, Kerwin Bell with 498 rushing yards, and Bob Johnson with 1,154 receiving yards. Seurer, Mike Arbanas, Paul Fairchild,

E. J. Jones Earnest Christopher "E. J." Jones (born February 1, 1962) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of ...

, and Eddie Simmons were the team captains.2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 186.

Schedule

References

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Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

Kansas Jayhawks football seasons

Kansas Jayhawks football The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas. The program is classified in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and the team competes ...