NCAA Game Summary - West Virginia at Kansas

Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - James Sims piled up 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns, as the Kansas Jayhawks snapped a 27-game Big 12 Conference losing streak with a 31-19 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers at Memorial Stadium.

The win was the first for the Jayhawks (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) against a conference opponent since Nov. 6, 2010 against Colorado. Sims' rushing total was the most by a KU player since 2001. Freshman quarterback Montell Cozart threw for only 61 yards on 5-of-12 passing, but he added a spark to the ground game with 60 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

For the Mountaineers (4-7, 2-6), the loss means they are eliminated from bowl contention for the first time in 12 years. Paul Millard threw for 242 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Charles Sims finished with 99 rushing yards and a score.

West Virginia struck first, as Millard tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Sims to polish off the game's opening drive.

However, the Mountaineers offense was largely bottled up the rest of the way. Kansas got on the scoreboard with a 25-yard field goal by Ron Doherty midway through the first quarter, then took the lead on James Sims' three-yard touchdown scamper midway through the second.

KU's Sims scored again on a 68-yard run in the final minute of the half, as the Jayhawks went into the locker room with a 17-7 halftime lead.

On WVU's opening possession of the second half, Millard was intercepted at the Kansas 32-yard line by Ben Goodman, who returned it 54 yards to the Mountaineers' 14. Sims capitalized with his third touchdown run of the day, this time from two yards out, to give KU a 24-7 advantage.

The Jayhawks stretched their lead to 31-7 on Brandon Bourbon's one-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter. That score was set up by Ben Heeney's interception at the WVU 29, which he returned all the way down to the one-yard line.

The Mountaineers added a pair of late scores, but the damage had already been done. Kevin White scored on a three-yard pass from Millard with just under five minutes to play, and Sims found the end zone on a six-yard run in the final minute of regulation.

WVU had a 386-376 edge in total offense for the game, but turnovers proved costly.