We’ve reached the point in the season when bowl bids are starting to be secured, and that means that bowl reps are making more frequent visits to programs across the country.
On Saturday night, a husband-and-wife duo from the Pop Tarts Bowl made the trip to Kansas to watch the Jayhawks take down Oklahoma State, 38-21, to move within one win of bowl eligibility.
There’s still a long way to go before the Jayhawks (5-4 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 play) secure that all-important sixth win and can start making bowl plans of any kind.
But Pop-Tarts Bowl reps Melissa and Doug Bentley were in Lawrence on Saturday to check out the Jayhawks up-close-and-personal to get a feel for all aspects of the program and this team.
That included a postgame chat with KU running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., who racked up 65 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns during Saturday’s victory.
When Hishaw got wind that they were with the Pop-Tarts Bowl, his eyes lit up and he told the Bentleys, with genuine enthusiasm, that playing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl would be an incredible outcome for him personally.
The reason?
Half of his family — on his dad’s side — resides in the Florida, Louisiana region and, according to Hishaw, “They would all be there.”
His initial estimate while talking to the Bentleys was that he has around 30,000 family members down in Florida. Clearly, he was exaggerating a little, but Hishaw clarified the number and backed it up by saying simply, “It’s a lot.”
The Bentleys seemed to enjoy what they saw from the Jayhawks on Saturday and also enjoyed the interaction with Hishaw.
It’s important to note that which teams travel to what bowl games is not just their call, of course. There exists a pecking order in the Big 12 — along with most other conferences — for which bowls get to make their selections first.
So, depending on how the final three games go for KU, the Jayhawks either could be available for selection, already taken or not eligible at all.
That was the part of things that Hishaw was most worried about while talking with the Mr. and Mrs. Bentley.
“Let us just keep winning and then we’ll talk about it,” he told Melissa.
Just in case it is Kansas that winds up in Orlando for the Dec. 27 bowl game at Camping World Stadium, Melissa wanted to make sure to get Hishaw’s favorite flavor of Pop-Tarts.
“S’Mores,” he said, as if he expected the question to be asked from the moment he woke up on Saturday morning. “Brown sugar’s cool, too, though. That’s my second favorite.”
At this point, even if they saddled him with a lifetime’s supply of Frosted Wild Berry or Snickerdoodle or Boston Crème Donut, Hishaw would likely take ’em all if it meant he and his team finished the season in Orlando at the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Before leaving the media room after Saturday’s win, Doug and Melissa asked if they could grab a quick picture with Hishaw, who was asked to hold up a Pop-Tarts Bowl pin.
“Say Pop-Tarts,” they said before the picture was snapped.
Saturday’s game marked the fifth consecutive game featuring Kansas — and the third straight in Lawrence — that someone from the Pop-Tarts Bowl has been in attendance.
— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com
