This season:
5 games during 2003 and 19 of the last 28 games
overall...Finished with a game-high 13 stops (all solo) in the Fiesta Bowl vs.
Ohio State (1/2)... Had 10 total tackles vs. Oklahoma (12/6) in the Big 12
Championship game... Just missed double digits at Nebraska (11/15) with eight
stops... Credited with five total tackles vs. Missouri (11/22)... Saw his
streak of double-digit tackles end at 10 against Iowa State (11/8), receiving
credit for nine stops... With his 10-solo effort against Colorado (10/18), he
moved past Gary Spani (200; 1974-77) and Jarrod Cooper (197; 1997-2000) into
second in solo stops... Finished with 247 in his career, just four shy of
K-State's all-time leader Mark Simoneau (251; 1996-99)... Surpassed 100
assisted tackle barrier against Massachusetts (9/13) and has broke into the top
10 in the category vs. Oklahoma... Of his total tackles, 387 have come in the
last 39 games (9.9 per game), including 319 in last 27 contests (11.8 per
game)... Has 28 tackles-for-loss in his career for 76 yards, including 11 in
2003... Wrapped up 2003 ranked second in single-season unassisted tackles (96),
falling just one short of Barton Hundley's school record (97, 1984)... Led the
squad in tackles in 12 of 15 contests... Tied his career-high in tackles for
three straight weeks with 18 each against Marshall (9/20), Massachusetts (9/13)
and McNeese State (9/7)... Tabbed the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after
his 18-tackle performance against UMass... Paced the team in both solo and
assisted tackles against California (8/23), McNeese State, Massachusetts and
Baylor... Named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith's.
2002
(Junior):
First Team All-Big 12 Selection by the Dallas Morning News... Second
Team All-Big 12 choice by Associated Press, Austin American-Statesman
and Kansas City Star... Received third team All-Big 12 honors from the
coaches... Winner of Ken Ochs Courage Award... Started all 13 games at one
outside linebacker spot... Finished the year T11th on K-State's single-season
tackles list with 135 and second on the single-season unassisted tackles chart
with 77... Team leader in tackles, solo and assisted (58)... One of only four
Wildcats with a double-figure game in tackles... Led or tied for the team lead
in tackles in a game in eight of the Wildcats' 13 contests... Recorded
double-figure tackles in seven games... Led K-State with 17 tackles against
Colorado, the most by a Wildcat during 2002... The first Wildcat since Monty Beisel (102 in 2000) to reach the 100-tackle mark in a season... His 135 stops
were the most since Kirby Hocutt led the 'Cats with 135 in 1993... Had 10 or
more tackles against Western Kentucky (8/31), Eastern Illinois (9/14), Colorado
(10/5), Texas (10/19), Baylor (10/26) and Kansas (11/2)... Only Wildcat to
register a double-digit unassisted tackle game (at Colorado, 10, and Baylor,
13)... Credited with a career-high 13 solo stops and a career-high 4.5 tackles
for loss, including his lone sack of the year, in win at Baylor... Had five or
more assisted tackles in eight of 13 games... Fourth on the team (second among
linebackers) in tackles for loss with 10 (-36)... Had a pair of tackles for
loss (-2) against Texas (10/19)... Recovered a team-high three fumbles...
Picked up eight interception yards on a lateral in the Louisiana-Monroe game.
2001
(Sophomore):
Honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the coaches... Saw action in all 11
games with eight starts at linebacker... Tied for third on the team with 68
total tackles... Was also third with 53 solo stops... His tackle count was
second among LBs (trailing Ben Leber's 73)... Ranked third in the Big 12 and
tops on the defense with two fumble recoveries... Collected double-digit
tackles in two games with 13 at Nebraska (11/10) and 10 vs. Missouri (11/24)...
Twice led the team in tackles with eight at USC (9/8) and 10 vs. Missouri...
Three times was named the K-State coaches' Defensive Player of the Game
(Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri)... Credited with a game-high eight tackles in
first career start against USC... Posted his first fumble recovery against New Mexico State (9/22) to go with five tackles... Against Colorado (10/6) had
seven tackles, including five solo stops... Had seven solo tackles, including
one TFL against Kansas... Solid all-around performance at Iowa State (11/3),
picking up his first career sack to go with his second fumble recovery and one
PBU... Had a season-high 13 total tackles at Nebraska, including a career-best
11 solo stops... Tallied 10 tackles in the season finale against Missouri,
including nine solo tackles.
2000 (Reshirt
Freshman):
Appeared in 13 games... Finished season with 11 tackles as backup linebacker...
Had 8 unassisted stops... Best game of season was 0-3-3 outing against Ball State... Had two solo tackles vs. Louisiana Tech and Missouri... Credited with
one tackle for loss.
1999
(Freshman):
Redshirt season.
Mesquite North
HS:
Co-Defensive Player of the Year among District 10-5A players... Semifinalist
for the 5A Texas state defensive player of the year... USA Today
honorable mention All-USA pick... Lettered three times and was a two-year
starter... First team all-district and second team all-area as a junior...
First team all-district, first team all-area and all-city pick as a senior...
Superprep All-Southwest selection... Ranked as the No. 3 weakside
linebacker in the Big 12 region, and one of the top 10 weakside linebackers in
the nation by the National Recruiting Advisor... First team All-Big 12
Region pick by PrepStar ... Totaled 156 tackles, including three games
with at least 20 tackles, as a junior... Had 128 tackles as a senior... High
school coach was Buster Leaf... Lettered in track three times.
Personal:
Born May 4, 1981... Parents are Charles and Denise Upchurch... Cousin, Trone
Smith, played with the Denver Broncos... Joined North HS teammates Corey White
and Bryan Hickman in the K-State 1999 recruiting class.
Bowl
Performances:
Credited with one solo tackle in Wildcats' victory over Tennessee in the 2001
Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl... Started at outside linebacker in the 2001
Insight.com Bowl... Credited with nine tackles, including five solo stops vs.
Syracuse... Also recorded two tackles for loss and blocked a pair of extra
points vs. the Orangemen... Had 3-1-4 chart vs. Arizona State in 2002 Pacific
Life Holiday Bowl... Credited with a game-high 13 solo stops in the 2004
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State.
Buhl Career
Statistics - Defense
| Year |
G |
UA-AT-TT |
TFL-Yds |
Sack |
INT |
PD |
FF |
FR |
| 2000 |
12 |
8-3-11 |
1-1 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0-0 |
| 2001 |
11 |
53-15-68 |
4-20 |
1-16 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2-0 |
| 2002 |
13 |
77-58-135 |
10-36 |
1-10 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3-0 |
| 2003 |
15 |
109-75-184 |
12-20 |
1-0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2-0 |
| TOTAL |
51 |
247-151-398 |
27-77 |
3-26 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
7-0 |
Career-highs -
Tackles:
18, three times. last vs. Marshall (9/20/03); Solos: 13, three times.
last vs. Ohio State (1/2/04); TFL: 4.5 at Baylor (10/26/02); Sacks:
1, three times. last vs. Missouri (11/22/03).