Lawrence, Kansas (Ticker) -- No. 9 Nebraska needed more time than expected to recover from last week's upset loss to Texas.

Former quarterback Bobby Newcombe came through with 200 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns as Nebraska scored all its points in the second half and defeated Kansas for the 31st consecutive time, 24-17, in the Big 12 Conference contest Saturday evening. .

Eric Crouch completed 11-of-20 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska (7-1, 4-1 Big 12 North), which improved to 82-31-2 all-time against Kansas in what is the longest continuously played series in Division I-A at 93 years.

"It was an exciting game," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "Both teams played extremely hard. Kansas was very well prepared and they really played aggressive football in the first half. I was uneasy coming into this game. We had to play a Kansas team that played very hard and was playing some of their best football football so I am very pleased."

Newcombe had an 86-yard punt return touchdown to give the Cornhuskers a 10-9 edge with 2:14 to go in the third quarter. He turned a short reception on fourth down into a 49-yard touchdown to snap a 17-17 tie with 3:24 left in the fourth.

"He had an outstanding individual performance this evening," Solich said about Newcombe. "It was a big, big game for him."

"We were a little down going into the locker room at halftime," Newcombe said. "We stuck to our game plan and made the big plays."

Correll Buckhalter ran for 116 yards on 22 carries for Nebraska, which is one game behind Kansas State for the lead in the North Divison. The Huskers host Texas A&M next Saturday before Kansas State comes to Lincoln on November 13.

Dylan Smith was 16-of-30 for 217 yards and two TDs for Kansas (3-6, 1-4), which has lost three of its last four. The Jayhawks were blanked in their last two meetings with the Cornhuskers, but took a 2-0 lead when freshman Matt Jordan blocked a punt in the end zone and Nebraska fell on it.

"We gave a great effort tonight," said Kansas coach Terry Allen. "We came to play and to win. The punt returns cost us the game in the second half. Other than that we did a good job."

Smith hooked up with tight end David Hurst for a 22-yard TD, giving the Jayhawks a 9-0 lead 5:48 into the second quarter.

Josh Brown kicked a 31-yard field goal for Nebraska's first points 4:37 into the second half.

Crouch had an eight-yard TD run 2:51 into the fourth to give Nebraska a 17-9 advantage. On the first play after the kickoff, Smith threw a 77-yard pass to Mike Chandler up the right sideline. Smith then found Chandler for the two-point conversion to tie the game, 17-17.

Nebraska Postgame Notes vs. Kansas (Oct. 30, 1999)
* The No. T8/9/7 (AP/Coaches/BCS) Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence 24-17. The Jayhawks held NU scoreless in the first half for the first time since 1996. The win marked NU