By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Kansas head coach Jeff Savage and Victoria defensive back Jordan Ottley were pleased with the Kansas Eight-Man All-Star team's play on Saturday night at Fort Hays State University's Lewis Field Stadium.

"It was just an unbelievable performance by our kids," Savage said.

"Overall, we played really good," Ottley, the Kansas Defensive MVP, added. "I knew our defense played outstanding all game."

Kansas forced six fumbles and outgained Nebraska 276-205. However, hurt by several special teams problems and an unlucky bounce, Kansas fell to Nebraska in the second annual Kansas vs. Nebraska Eight-Man All-Star game, 20-12. Kansas had a chance to tie the game, but Rozel-Pawnee Heights quarterback Mason Salmans fumbled at the Nebraska 28-yard line with 1:18 left. The teams moved to 1-1 in the series after Kansas won the inaugural game at Doane College last summer.

"We struggled in two areas in the game," Savage said. "That was in our punt game early in the game. We had a couple punts that were kind of shanked and didn't travel as far, and put them on a really short field. It happened several times."

The game was scoreless before Kansas set up a short field on a 26-yard punt midway through the second quarter.

"Because of our punting game, we were used to a really short field," Savage said. "The offense struggled and because of that, we played a lot of defense tonight. Our defense really only gave up three plays tonight."

Cedar Bluffs' Brendon Jorgenson completed an eight-play, 55-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run. Nebraska led 8-0 at the 6:46 mark of the first half when Giltner's Kyle Spotts caught Ewing's Brett Kaczor's 2-point conversion pass. Kaczor earned Nebraska Offensive MVP honors after he rushed for 55 yards and passed for 124. Anselmo-Merna's Tyler Bartak picked up Defensive honors with 31âÑ2 tackles for loss.

"Their quarterback was an amazing athlete," Savage said. "The play would break down and he would scramble and keep it alive simply because he was an athlete. You put a normal kid back there at quarterback who doesn't have that kind of feet, and they don't score today. It's that simple."

Nebraska scored again late in the first half after a 41-yard punt return by St. Mary's Cody Eiler gave Nebraska the ball at the Kansas 24-yard line. On third-and-18, Kaczor completed a 31-yard lob pass down the left side to Elgin's Andrew Bauer. Then, Kaczor ran it in from a yard out for a 14-0 lead with 3:25 remaining in the first half.

"They had a lot of spread," Ottley said. "They spread us out and they caught us off-guard a couple times with long passes."

Kansas scored just before the first half ended on a 31-yard pass from Salmans to Tescott's Kory Lonberger. Salmans earned Kansas Offensive MVP honors after completing 12-of-28 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown.

Nebraska took a 20-6 lead with 10:17 left in the game after another short field.

"They could not move the ball," Savage said.

Eiler returned a punt 35 yards to the Kansas 10-yard line. Two plays later, Bauer ran around right end and fumbled the ball. The ball bounced right back to Bauer, who ran in for the score from 8 yards out.

"That's a break," Savage said. "That easily could have gone into our hands. You have to have some breaks in football. Unfortunately, those types of things didn't go our way."

Ottley, who had a game-high 11 tackles, two pass breakups, forced and recovered a fumble at the Kansas 36-yard line. Then, Kansas ran a double pass and Goessel running back Craig Banman completed a 51-yard pass to Baileyville-B&B's Matt Rottinghaus. Kansas, scored with 2:06 left in the game when Haviland's Lane Kendall fumbled in the end zone and Clifton-Clyde offensive lineman Zach Cyphers recovered.

Kansas then recovered an onside kick when kicker John Bruna recovered the ball at the Nebraska 48.

"The plan was that me and the kicker were supposed to take out the onside guy," Sharon Springs linebacker Tyler O'Connor said. "I ended up taking out the onside guy and the ball popped right back up to him, so it worked out perfect."

Salmans ran for a first down on 4th-and-3 before losing a fumble inside the Nebraska 40.

"Our offense, it was a little slow to get going, but they never quit," Ottley said. "I am ecstatic about their performance. They just got caught off-guard a couple times and we couldn't get there and got over the top."

"Our offense could have rolled over and died, but they kept fighting to the last minute, so I am proud of them," O'Connor said.

"Our defense, I couldn't have been more proud of them."