SB Nation - Darius Parish

Looking Ahead to Kansas Football in 2011

Owen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:15:14 -0000

During the lackluster first season of the Turner Gill era Kansas Jayhawk fans seemed to view the hard times in a variety of ways. There were supporters and detractors of Gill and his staff and both had their own arguments in doing so.

Those in support of Gill will point to this season as a transition year, a new coach, a new system, youth and maybe even placing some of the blame on the last man in charge having left the cupboard bare.

Detractors point to the fact that on paper the Jayhawks actually appear to have more talent than they ever have. As imperfect as recruit rankings are, Kansas has improved over recent years yet the staff seems to have failed miserably in maximizing or working with the pieces left behind.

Year one makes it easy for both sides to stick by their guns, but year two begins to put those excuses to rest and place more on the shoulders of Turner Gill and his staff.

Looking ahead to the offseason and even further into 2011 it may not go as far as placing a win value on the team or the staff, but from recruiting, to organization to competitiveness on the field, it's time to put the excuses to bed.

At this point I do believe I'm of the opinion that Kansas is at least another season away from being in position to make a bowl. The way 2010 ended just doesn't leave a tremendous amount of upside in the win/loss column, but then again major jumps can occur and with just a 6-6 record needed to qualify, it's certainly possible. What that doesn't mean however is that the Kansas program can have another year like what was experienced in 2010.

For the supporters, next year isn't a transition year. Next year the youth is going to be another year in, next year the system isn't new and next year Mark Mangino cannot exist as a scapegoat.

For those detractors, next year has to be framed in reference to where we finished THIS year. It cannot be judged based on a 2007 Orange Bowl or a 2008 Insight Bowl, at 3-9 you are what you are and that means we are not very good football team. Whatever recruiting rankings said in the past don't matter, the results on the field say that we need to develop more depth, more speed and better talent top to bottom. That's not a knock on those players that are getting minutes and showing they can play the part, it speaks more to the fact that Kansas was paper thin this year at several positions and injuries decimated the Jayhawks at others.

Remove the belief that Kansas should have been better in 2010 and view the season as the starting point for Gill. With that as the backdrop we can begin to accurately judge where the program is going under Gill from this point forward. It starts over the next two months as he wraps up recruiting, it continues through spring ball and into next fall.

Fact is, there were plenty pointing to last years spring game as a horrible sign of what was to come this year. Turner Gill and his entire staff weren't dwelling on the negative, but if we would have taken off the crimson and blue glasses that tend to be prevalent in August we might have noticed that there were plenty of hints and coach speak saying that this wasn't a ready made product. So what questions need to be answered?

Offense

Can JB Grimes mold a healthy group of lineman into a unit that understands a zone blocking scheme and can hold their own up front? Let's be honest, Tanner Hawkinson was over-hyped, Jeremiah Hatch out of shape, Brad Thorson played injured, Duane Zlatnik was still learning and Sal Capra is a solid glue guy forced in to being the anchor.

Is Chuck Long able to find a quarterback or develop one that will allow him to use what we all hope will be improved protection to expand the offense? Run, run, take a sack is the recipe for a three an out. Unfortunately the options weren't exactly expansive for Long and one way or the other, that will have to change.

Can a young receiving corp develop into a weapon with the depth we all anticipated? Chris Omigie and Erick McGriff looked good in limited play. Daymond Patterson and DJ Beshears are playmakers that just didn't have much help. There are more names on that list and for Kansas it's about having the right players on the field. Those receivers willing to work toward being the complete package. Solid route running, good hands and willing to make the downfield block, see Marcus Henry.

At running back, James Sims is in place and Kansas will add Brandon Bourbon to the other pieces already in place. Rell Lewis returns and the Jayhawks add two other freshman in Dreamius Smith and Darrian Miller who could be ready to go. If this season is any indication, the staff may opt for a redshirt unless absolutely necessary because a redshirt senior is often quite a bit more valuable than a true freshman. Either way the success of this position likely rests more with the offensive line, but can the Jayhawks develop QUALITY depth at this position going forward?

Defense

On the defensive front can Kansas continue to improve in a gap control defense while finding a way to increase the pressure on the quarterback. If there is one spot that Kansas was extremely inexperienced and playing a bit undermanned it was the defensive line. Toben Opurum has found a home, but can anyone wake up Darius Parish? If not, where does the depth at defensive tackle come from? Are there the makings of a serviceable end rotation elsewhere? Kevin Young, Keba Agostinho, Tyrone Sellers and others make up a very young crew, how do they develop?

At linebacker the common belief is that an upgrade is on the way. Can Huldon Tharp stay healthy? Is Darius Willis legit? Steven Johnson certainly proved to be a bright spot at the position in 2010 and he returns so finding the pieces to put around him will be big in terms of improvement, but even beyond the starters this position needs depth.

The defensive backfield is beginning to find a few playmakers. Greg Brown, Tyler Patmon and Bradley McDougald all show potential. Isiah Barfield is an athlete and should benefit from a full year at one position. Keeston Terry and Lubbock Smith will compete for a spot at safety and let's not forget Prinze Kande was fairly well thought of coming in. Add in the fact that the Jayhawks will add two good sized redshirt freshman in Dexter McDonald and Ray Mitchell and the pieces are there. But you can't cover in space forever and you can't cover when spotting a 15 yard cushion. This is a spot, like running back, that can improve greatly with a better front seven.

* * *

Again, it's not about the W's and L's. Obviously the goal would be to win a few more next year, but of the players listed and mentioned above only Daymond Patterson, Isiah Barfield and Jeremiah Hatch will be seniors. This is still a young team, but it's also a group that needs to progress significantly in year two under Gill.

55-7, 59-7 are not scores that can easily be pushed to the side. Games like Nebraska, Iowa State, Colorado and even perhaps the second half of Missouri are the types of contests Kansas fans need to see. Continue the improvement on defense, bring along the offense and take the "Believe" mantra and turn it into something everyone can see.

During the Gridiron episodes, specifically Georgia Tech and Colorado, you saw a team doing the Rock Chalk Chant. They looked proud to be Jayhawks and I think that's what everyone is looking for in year two. A sense of pride on Saturday's. What that looks like in the win/loss column can be debated, but what it looks like in terms of competitive football should be easy to see.

Breaking Down Turner

Owen — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:00:41 -0000

Kansas Head Coach Turner Gill

Opening statements:

"I'm going to start off with some of the positive things. First off, we're fifth in the country in pass defense, which I think is an excellent positive after four football games. Second off, we're sixth in the country in kickoff returns, which is excellent by our special teams. Along with that, we're all aware that D.J. Beshears is the Big 12 Player of the Week in special teams, which I think is outstanding. In four weeks we've had two guys, one on the defensive side with Justin Springer and now being Big 12 Player of the Week, and also having D.J. Beshears. In the first four weeks, to have two guys represented in the Big 12 is obviously showing that we do have some talent here, at the University of Kansas."

"The other thing in this past ball game, I thought that our defense played fast. I thought that was a very good sign to see them play fast. Also, I thought that offensively we had an excellent tempo. That's one of the things that were making sure we improved on, going into that ballgame."

Pretty clear that this will be par for the course to open the presser, positivity. Certainly this is a strength of Gill, he's an optimist and that's not a bad thing. I definitely like the kick return stat, but I'll take that pass defense with a grain of salt at this point considering the competition and the offense of Georgia Tech. The Big 12 Conference schedule will be the true representation as to how improved this pass defense is. That said, Chris Harris, Isiah Barfield and Calvin Rubles have all made plays at corner that we haven't seen in recent years.

"Baylor is a very good football team. The first thing that jumps out at you is their offensive side of the ball. They have a very good running back; they have an outstanding quarterback who is able to throw and run. Already at this point, Robert Griffin III almost has thrown for 1,000 yards. So the quarterback is not just a runner, he also can make some things happen with his arm."

Every one sees Griffin as a runner, but Coach Gill is exactly right in that he can hurt you with the pass sometimes even more. Somehow Kansas has to create pressure but also avoid getting pushed to far up field to where it creates running lanes for the QB.

"On their defensive side of the ball, the stat that is hitting me is, in their wins this season, they have only allowed one touchdown and they've had five field goals. That tells me something about some things they are doing defensively, so we're going to definitely have to be very, very efficient on our offensive side of the ball."

We can be balanced. This teams secondary has been hit by injury and they've shown some weakness against the run. But it sure won't be easy and the offensive line will be critical.

"Some updates on some injuries: (cornerback Calvin) Rubles is probable. I know he came out of the last game with an ankle injury but I don't forsee it at something that sets him back in practice. (Defensive end Tyrone) Sellers is questionable. He's going to practice today and through the rest of the week. I anticipate him playing, but we'll see how it goes. It all depends on how he performs this week."

Getting Sellers back is big this week and hopefully he'll be able to go. End needs some depth support in a big way.

On how he plans to contain Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin:

"You have to have a lot of people around the ball. They're going to try and get him in a situation where he is one-on-one with somebody, and I'd say that more times than not, he's going to win that battle on-on-one. We have to try and prevent him from having that opportunity. We have to have at least, two, three or four guys around the ball and make tackles. When we have an opportunity to make that tackle, we need to make that tackle."

We need to make sure we contain (the quarterback) in a way that doesn't let him exploit our defense. But we have to mix it up."

So we need to contain him in the way that we didn't contain Austin Davis of Southern Miss basically is what we're saying here.

On the defensive keys to the game:

"They're going to throw deep balls, every team does that, but I think it comes down to tackling not only Robert Griffin, but their whole football team. They have good speed on both sides of the ball. I think our tackling has been up and down (this year). I think there have been games where we've had tackling woes and there have been games where we've been a little average. I think that this team here has some good, skilled people. I think this game is going to give our guys a good opportunity to make some good open field tackles."

Deep balls, they do it and they've been effective at it. Big test for Barfield, Harris and the safeties.

Offensive Coordinator Chuck Long

On Quinn Mecham's preparation:

He's going to go into each game with a certain package; he gives me the plays that he is comfortable with. But this week is different deal because he's going to get the repetitions. Quinn is a very smart, very intelligent guy, he's one of those guys that we don't think needs a lot of reps to be able to finish a game. He's been so good about paying attention, and studying the game that he getting the mental part right.

We have to keep Webb healthy. I'm just not buying it and I see us getting crazy conservative if we get in this spot.

On using D.J. Beshears in the backfield:

He's a very aggressive runner. He practices hard and he loves to play hard, so we felt that right now, D.J. is better with the ball in his hand than trying to get him open on pass routes. He really has that aggressive running ability when he has that ball in his hands."

I liked it against NMSU, I'm interested to see this strategy at work against better competition.

Defensive Coordinator Carl Torbush

On Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin:

"I hope we can go out there and limit the big plays he has and keep the ball in the ball park. They are not just a one-man game. They have very good skilled receivers and they have running backs that have quickness, athletic ability. They have the same type of people that Southern Mississippi had in the skill positions and that is something we need to make sure everybody understands. I thought Southern Mississippi had excellent people in the skill positions. Baylor's offensive line is a very physical, nasty bunch and they will get after you. I have known Coach Riles and his offense for a long time and they will spread you out and move you around and try to keep you off-kilter with a multitude of things. But we need to go back and stop good football players from making big plays."

Same type as Southern Miss eh? Let's hope we see the second half of our defensive effort at Southern Miss for four quarters in Waco. I've actually enjoyed watching our defense work this year and Overall I think Tobush has done better with the group than expected. I hope he can keep them moving up the curve quickly.

On neutralizing Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright:

"The main thing that we have to do is realize they are not a one man game. If you gang up on him, they have Griffin and receivers and the running backs. We have to make sure that we are able to match up with all their players because they will put four wide receivers out there and two running backs and you may think it's going to be twenty personnel and then all of a sudden it ends up in empty. They do a lot of things with different personnel groupings and they do it at a fast pace. The main thing we have to do is make sure we get aligned in assignments and make plays when we have opportunities to make them and go right back to what we have talked about the last several weeks. We are still not causing enough turnovers and we need to put more pressure on the quarterback."

On the game plan:

"Schematically, you need to understand if you make a miss on Griffin, instead of being a ten yard gain it is going to be a touchdown or a long play. You can not just sit there and worry about him. If you put three or four guys on him they have wide receivers that can take it to the house in one on one situations. We have to make sure that we do what we have been doing and hopefully be able to create more takeaways. Also we need to get more pressure on the quarterback than we have been able to do game in and game out."

Takeaways...yes please!

Sophomore safety Lubbock Smith

On Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin:

"It is not really like getting thrown into the fire because we look at every quarterback as a good quarterback. He has a lot of talent and we just look forward to coming out there and to dominate and take over the game. Griffin gives a lot challenges. He is very fast and athletic. He can do a lot with his feet and with his arm. We are just looking forward to going out there and play like we do every week. We are going to have a great game plan and just go out there and try to excel and do great."

I get the feeling from this quote that the defense is going to have that same chip on the shoulder attitude when facing Griffin that they did when facing Nesbitt. Now let's hope they can limit Grifin in the same way.

Junior linebacker Steven Johnson

On making his presence felt versus New Mexico State:

"I have to give all the credit to the defensive line for keeping the (New Mexico State) offensive line off of me. It is a team effort. I am not out there doing it by myself. I have other players like the safeties, other linebackers and (defensive)-line out there and together we are getting it done. "

Bingo...keep the o-line occupied and let the linebackers work. Darius Parish made an appearance last week and he has the chance to improve this area even further for Kansas. He's coming in at a disadvantage being 3 weeks behind everyone else, but the guy is huge and he created some piles in a hurry last week. Plus he's got a mean streak. On one play after piling up three NMSU o-lineman he got up to pursue the play and re-shoved a NMSU lineman to the ground as he tried to regroup. We need some nastiness...in a smart way of course.

On how the linebackers improving as a group:

"In practice, we have one of the hardest individual groups out there. The first 25 minutes of practice we are just going at it rep after rep after rep. We keep pushing each other. We get tired, but we have a goal we want to get to and we just keep reminding each other of our goal. We go out and give it all we have. If we keep giving our best effort we are going to win games."

You have to admit, the linebackers have looked a little better than you expected.

Senior safety Olaitan Oguntodu

Talk about how having had success versus Josh Nesbit (Georgia Tech) will help prepare you to face Robert Griffin (Baylor QB):

"The success that we had against (Josh) Nesbitt was because everyone did their job. We are a defense that believes that if everyone does their job, we will be ok. That is how defenses work. They are supposed to dictate to the offense what they should take. As a group, if each of us takes care of our responsibility, we will be okay."

Cue the pregame speech!! We dictate today!

Freshman quarterback Jordan Webb

On the offensive tempo against New Mexico State:

"Our communication was really good. We had the plays called fast and I got to the line fast. In practice, Coach (Turner) Gill is behind me counting, making sure I get the ball out on time. It's something we've been working on a lot and I think we're going to get better at it. It's going to wear teams out hopefully."

Yes, much better...now do it again.

On the offensive line performance against New Mexico State

"They had a really good game. They communicated well up front and everything that the defense showed they were able to pick up. That's good for me, because it's nice having time back there, and it's good for the (offensive) line's confidence."

I was impressed with Duane Zlatnik in this one. After the first week I thought he was a little bit out of his league still, didn't quite look ready. I'm not sure what happened with Marrongelli, but Zlatnik played the majority of this one. He made several very nice plays in space, moved well and finished the blocks. From game one to game four he looked like a more confident and different player. I hope it continues.

Sophomore wide receiver Daymond Patterson

On setting the tone on offense every game:

"Practice-wise, you have to have that mentality that we're going to get better today. We don't have any time to waste in practice because when you do, it shows in the game. I think last week our focus really showed. I think in the game, when you start out on offense, just getting positive plays in the game and getting the ball moving and getting first downs. You don't want too many negative plays at the beginning of the game; you want to get that confidence going.

On winning on the road:

"I think whenever you play on the road, you're going up against a lot. The other team is going to be excited to play in front of their fans. And their fans are going to be trying to get at you and holler and scream at us, but when you can go out on the road and get a win it brings home a lot.

This week presents a huge opportunity. It might be the best of the three road games that Kansas can hope for in terms of the atmosphere. Baylor doesn't get great attendance and it doesn't sound like they are expecting a big draw Saturday at that. Throw in the fact that they are considering this a must win and Kansas can grab some road momentum if they start strong.

Breaking Down Turner

Owen — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:00:34 -0000

Kansas Head Coach Turner Gill

On how Kansas played against New Mexico State:

"I think two phases were pretty good. Probably half of the phase of special teams. I did not like the kick off, but I think offense and defense we definitely improved. We did some good things there, so it was great to see that from our football team to play somewhat of a complete game. Obviously, there are still a few things we need to get ironed out but I think overall I am pretty satisfied with where we are at."

"I think that is the only phase where we didn't do very well. We had not done very well the whole football season but unfortunately some of it started with our kicker. I think the first two he kicked were a little bit low number one, and number two, they were not deep enough when we had the wind in those opportunity situations. I think part of it was the kicker and you have to have people get off blocks and make plays too."

I think that's fair. The offense looked good especially in the second half. The defense was about par for the course, but there were definitely those areas that have and will continue to be frustrating to watch. Special teams just has to continue to get better. If you want to play ball control and have a bend but don't break defense, you simply have to have good special teams.

On D.J. Beshears:

"D.J. did a great job. I take our hats off to him but more importantly to our offensive line. They did some great things here today. It is great to see our guys gel and do some execution. We talked about execution. I think the more time we spent running our offense and getting used to what we are trying to get done, the timing of things were a lot better tonight."

Find a way to get the ball into the hands of those that can make plays. Kansas did that offensively with Beshears, Sims and Patterson. Beshears was impressive.

On the rushing game (237) and gaining 501 total yards:

"Well that is what we like and hopefully we can be in that 175 to 200 every night, but I like the way we were balanced getting 200 plus yards in passing the ball and also rushing the ball. We want to have that balance and I think we are headed in the right direction."

Great balance, solid offensive performance and they took the foot off the gas for almost the entire fourth quarter. This was pretty much what we all were hoping to see from this team from a pure statistical standpoint and while I don't know if they can do this consistently when the competition level ticks up a notch, it's nice to see what the staff is shooting for.

On the 99 yard drive:

"I think that just shows execution. Again, they made plays when they had to. We had guys that when the ball was in their hands, they didn't make some plays. But obviously Patterson and Jordan Webb doing some good things of that nature, and then James Sims made some good runs. I think Chuck Long did a good job of play calling. I think we definitely had a better continuity on the offensive side of the ball as far as trying to make sure we had a better flow of what we were trying to get done."

This drive was one ankle tackle away from being a one play 99 yard drive on a run by James Sims. That said, I'll tak the effort and execution from this one any day of the week. Headed into the first play I was certain that we'd see the sneak at least once if not twice as we set up to punt. What I wanted was a play action pass, which we got. No it didn't work, but it was the right call.

On wrapping up non-conference and beginning conference play:

"I feel better. No doubt about it, we still have some work to do. I feel good about us going into conference play. Obviously, coming in with a win is a good situation for us, but we still have some things to improve on. Our next opponent Baylor is a very good football team and we have to go down there to play them too. It will be a tremendous challenge but again we have to gear up to see what we can do."

In my mind this is the type of game this team needed before heading to Waco. It wasn't perfect, but it was convincing and an improved performance that couldn't be attributed to the extra adrenaline that might have been experienced against Georgia Tech. Kansas faced a weaker opponent, but handled business the way you should for the most part and now they've got a week to go in and work of some positive momentum.

Kansas freshman quarterback Jordan Webb

On his mobility:

"People look at me as more of a drop-back passer. I look at myself that way but if the play breaks down I feel like I'm pretty good at buying time and letting my receivers get open downfield."

He impressed me with his run on a pretty key 3rd down. New Mexico State's ends were keying on the back all night and the QB read was there for the taking. Webb probably could have done even more damage but a play like that will at least help force teams to respect him.

One other thing I'll say about Webb, the kid throws a nice ball. I know we've all wondered if he could air it out and the staff kept defending him saying he just had not had the time, with time he looked good. The shot at the endzone that Jonathan Wilson didn't get to was a great throw. Put it right where you want the ball on the sideline, in the endzone where only Wilson is going to make that catch. To me it looked like Wilson pulled up a little, which seemed to be happening with KU players all night. It was cold. Back to the point though, Webb can throw a pretty nice ball.

Kansas sophomore wide receiver D.J. Beshears

On the kickoff return for a touchdown:

"I have to give all of the credit to my blockers on the kickoff return team. I told them, ‘Go out there and make good blocks and I'm going to take it to the house.' Coach (Aaron) Stamn has been emphasizing that we need a big return on kickoff return, so I just made it happen tonight. I saw the hole open up when Bradley (McDougald) hit the hole. After that I just saw daylight."

I was in section 10 during this part of the game and had a great view of this return. All the sudden a whole opened up covering the length of the field it seemed. Right away I thought to myself, make the cut. Beshears read it and took it to paydirt. Nice job by all.

Kansas senior linebacker Justin Springer

On where the team is going into Big 12 play:

"We just have to be more consistent with everything. We have been up and down with what we have been doing so we just have to stay consistent and try and win against Baylor."

Simple answer, right answer. The world thinks this is a bad football team. When they play consistent they can be pretty good. But with youth comes that inconsistency so hopefully as time goes, they'll improve.

On the tone of the game:

"We wanted to come out and get a three-and-out right off the bat. I think we did a three-and-out in the first series. We wanted to show them that we were excited and that they would have to work harder on the ball with us."

This quote actually has no bearing on what I want to say but it's from Justin Springer and I think he's shown a lot this year. Springer has good instincts, he looks a step quicker and he's doing a great job for this defense in the middle.

Kansas junior defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey

On how the defensive front has played:

"I am pretty happy with how we have played. I know we have not had a sack yet, that is our goal to get sacks, but other than that I feel like we have played pretty good."

On being successful without sacks:

"I feel like we still can be successful but it is needed. Especially with conference play coming up, we need to get sacks and pressure on the quarterback. I feel like it is a must but we can get by without them."

The d-line has Darius Parish back to help now and late in the game he looked pretty disruptive in the middle. Parish is a big man, dwarfs our other d-lineman and twice he created a pile in the middle with himself and three NMSU o-lineman. That's going to give everyone else a lot of room to work. If Parish can get on board and work into the rotation it could go a long way toward improving the defensive front even further.

Kansas Keys To The Game Against Georgia Tech

Owen — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:30:44 -0000

Defensive Front Four

I've mentioned it since the preseason and both of our guest bloggers mentioned it this week as well, Georgia Tech struggles with big physical defensive fronts. Last year's Orange Bowl loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes more or less cemented the blue print for the time being, the question is can Kansas accomplish that?

The Jayhawks certainly enter the game at a bit of a disadvantage. Last weeks starters on the interior, Pat Dorsey and Richard Johnson Jr weigh in at 273 and 283 respectively. Both played fairly well in week one as did the entire defense but John Williams and his 290 pound frame need to be in this game early and often. Perhaps Kansas can even talk him into adding back the 30+ pounds he lost in the offeason at least for one game.

The biggest boost to this group for game two would be in the form of 6'4" 327 pound Darius Parish who did not even suit up against the Bison. I'm not holding my breath but if Kansas could rotate Parish and Williams with one of the other two starters from a week ago it could help the cause in the middle.

At end it again boils down to a thin depth chart. Quinton Woods, Kevin Young, Jake Laptad and Keba Agostinho are the four that played in week one and the four that will see minutes in week two. From a physical standpoint Kansas needs Young and Laptad to step up to the plate in a big way and if it's me, Agostinho is the 1st man off the bench in the rotation. He looked strong for a true freshman and moves well at that.

This is going to be a big challenge for Kansas, but the front four is going to have to play bigger than they are and play much more physical than a week ago if Kansas wants to contain a potent Yellow Jacket running attack.

Diving A Little Deeper Into Position Changes and The Depth Chart

Owen — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:30:26 -0000

Yesterday the Kansas football fan world was fed. After stumbling through most of August with little or no direction the depth chart was released, position changes were announced and the starting quarterback was named.

It marked one of the first time since training camp started that a report wasn't full of generalities or bad news in many cases. The depth chart represented progress, one more step toward North Dakota State and a snapshot of what's shaping up for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2010.

Initial reaction primarily revolved around the position change of Toben Opurum and the naming of Kale Pick as the starter. Twelve hours later with dust still settling and a chance to chew on things a little further, what are the storylines and positive indicators from the first depth chart of the 2010 season.

The Mangino Doghouse and Second Chances

Everyone's heard of it at this point. The Mangino doghouse. Certain players who never seem to catch on, or players who had shown potential suddenly disappear. Obviously it can't all be the wrath of Mangino as several of those said players have since found there way out of the Turner Gill led program, but with this new depth chart there does appear to be a few players that have flourished with the change. Players that perhaps truly did have something to contribute all along but somewhere along the way fell out of favor.

Steven Foster represents the first and probably the most obvious player in this regard. With Foster it may not even have been the doghouse but perhaps just a bad fit. Kansas didn't use a fullback and everywhere else that he seemed to move just didn't work out.

During spring ball with Coach Gill, Foster had struck a major chord with the new coach and looked to be primed for a push for minutes. A mid summer slump and a brief hiatus left doubts, but hats off to the Kansas native as he's rallied, put in the work and is the starting fullback on the depth chart.

Olaitan Oguntodo is another player that stands out. Most probably won't remember it, but he played in nine games as a true freshman only to disappear for the next three years. Now in his final season of eligibility he appears to be in a spot to contribute by beating out Prinz Kande for the starting strong safety position. For the better part of two years his name has been tossed around as a solution at a variety of positions and someone who should see the field. Here's hoping this is a second chance that works out for the player and the team.

Athleticism is the Name of the Game

Turner Gill talked about improving team speed and putting Kansas in a position to compete athletically with other teams in the future. Looking at some of the names on the depth chart, he's making a push to do that immediately.

Isiah Barfield and Greg Brown are two players at corner that have never appeared this high on the depth chart, in fact Barfield has rarely appeared at the same position for more than two weeks in the past two seasons. If there is one thing these two clearly provide when talking to anyone connected with the program, it's speed and athleticism. If Kansas is going to press more and play tighter in coverage, they are going to need guys like this.

Daymond Patterson and DJ Beshears are two players offensively who very clearly represent this shift as well. Recent Kansas teams have rarely featured a player like either of these two in the slot and the mismatches they can create are going to prove valuable. Beshears has reportedly clocked in the 4.3 range on his forty time and has also been used in whatever the Kansas version of the wildcat has been called. Meanwhile Patterson has been one of the most consistent high performers through camp.

The Utility Position

AJ Steward is listed first on the depth chart at the utility position and sign me up for the fan club. I like what he brings to the table in terms of size and ability and like Foster he just hasn't had a home until now. Jimmay Mundine is a potential great player for the future here and if Kansas truly uses this the way other programs do, then it will be a welcome opportunity to see this type of player get involved and contribute.

Defensive End

It's just names on paper, but for some reason this depth chart puts me much more at ease about the position. Jake Laptad is a player on the strongside that can contribute the majority of the snaps and Kevin Young could slide over if needed. In addition Keba Agostinho has impressed plenty of people at camp so far. He's still just a freshman, but having an option to spill Laptad is what Kansas is looking for.

On the weakside the three way battle between Tyrone Sellers, Kevin Young and Quinton Woods in encouraging. It's especially encouraging considering four months ago most would have the order flipped. Sellers has added good weight and kept his speed, Kevin Young is definitely improved physically and Woods still has that potential to be a pass rusher when needed.

Receiver Depth

It's not a surprise at all, but when you put it on paper the depth, the quality and the youth at receiver is impressive. Christian Matthews will have the opportunity to put his mark on Kansas before it's all said and done. Chris Omigie and Erick McGriff are both in the discussion and after the season, Kansas really only loses one, maybe two players out of the eight listed.

Defensive Tackle

This is one of the areas that still raises a red flag for me. Kansas has Pat Dorsey and Richard Johnson starting. Yes both have overachieved in a lot of respects and if they are performing the best in camp then it's 100% the right move. What's concerning is not seeing Darius Parish push for minutes on the two deep and John Williams flying below the radar. Kansas needs those players to step up and provide real size at the position for the Big 12 conference run.

On the bright side, it is good to see Randall Dent making strides.

Linebacker Depth

This is the other concern and it's been covered ad nauseum. I'm sold on the starters after being reassured from every angle under the sun, at least I'm cautiously optimistic. I also think we can find some suitable second tier players, but do they ALL have to be walk ons? I like Peterman, Coach Gill has praised Mestan, but where is Josh Richardson or Dakota Lewis? Let's hope Toben can make a quick transition and contribute by conference play at some level or better yet, let Peterman, Mestan and maybe even Dakota Lewis surprise me and watch Toben take a redshirt leaving him three years left at the position after the switch.

Offensive Line

Last comment, who doesn't like this group? Hawkinson, Zlatnik and Capra anchoring the center through left tackle positions as local players going to a local program. Trevor Marrongelli on the right side with his aggressive style, playing right along side Brad Thorson who is a smart player and someone who can be a vocal leader on the team.

Moving on to next year even you have Riley Spencer waiting in the wings at right tackle. Jeff Spikes returning. Jeremiah Hatch will hopefully respond to his current challenge and Kansas is once again positioned to have solid depth and good competition across the offensive line while the six incoming recruits take a year to develop and prepare physically for their turn.

Kansas: Beyond the Box Score Defensive Preview

Bill C. — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:00:41 -0000

BTBS Offensive Preview

I mentioned in comments yesterday that, while the offense might not be amazing, they will probably not be the reason Kansas fails (if they fail). The onus on respectability falls much more on the Kansas defense. Carl Torbush, are you up for the task?

Defense

Overall Ranks

F/+: 63rd

S&P+: 86th
Success Rate+: 77th
PPP+: 97th

Standard Downs S&P+: 91st
Passing Downs S&P+: 57th

Redzone S&P+: 86th

Q1 S&P+: 56th
Q2 S&P+: 42nd
Q3 S&P+: 111th
Q4 S&P+: 77th

1st Down S&P+: 76th
2nd Down S&P+: 72nd
3rd Down S&P+: 71st

Rushing Ranks

Rushing S&P+: 112th
Rushing SR+: 89th
Rushing PPP+: 118th

Standard Downs: 105th
Passing Downs: 100th

Redzone: 92nd

Adj. Line Yards: 95th

Passing Ranks

Passing S&P+: 53rd
Passing SR+: 64th
Passing PPP+: 47th

Standard Downs: 67th
Passing Downs: 44th

Redzone: 69th

Adj. Sack Rate: 19th
SD Sack Rate: 20th
PD Sack Rate: 42nd

One of the storylines from 2009 that we have helped to perpetuate at Rock M Nation, is the story of Mizzou's improved running game. The offensive line struggled to learn new(ish) blocking schemes at the beginning of the season, and the running game wasn't what it was expected to be, but late in the season it began to take off. In the last four games of 2009, Derrick Washington rushed for 303 yards on 50 carries (6.1 per carry), giving hope that Mizzou's ground attack would be much more formidable in 2010. And hey, maybe it will be. Stories out of fall camp have been encouraging, to say the least. But we should also probably acknowledge that his 6.1 yards per carry came against defenses ranked 50th, 76th, 88th, and 112th in Rushing S&P+. His coup de grace, his 111 yards on 15 carries against Kansas, came against the worst rushing defense he had faced since Furman. Going big against a team barely better than Chronic Fatigue University (an actual opponent of Kansas State in 1996* ... okay, they weren't an actual opponent. But they'd have given Indiana State -- an actual opponent -- a run for their money, I say) is probably not as impressive as it looked at the time.

While that was a bit of a drag to say, I'll also say this: Missouri's rushing offense is much, much more likely to improve this season than Kansas' rushing defense. So we've got THAT going for us.

Only two teams (Florida Atlantic and Eastern Michigan) gave up more big plays on the ground than Kansas did in 2009. Once KU was able to leverage teams into passing downs, their strengths (relative as they may have been) came into play. The problem, of course, was that with the 91st-ranked standard downs defense in the country, passing downs were rare.

So who was the culprit here? The defensive line was a complete pushover against the run, but they rushed the passer pretty well. The linebackers' hands were tied in cleaning up a lot of messes on the ground, but when they had the opportunity to blitz on passing downs, they were iffy at best (Drew Dudley aside). The secondary -- which was supposed to be the anchor of the D, with Darrell Stuckey and Justin Thornton -- prevented big plays and helped the defense finish in the Top 60 on passing downs (with only an okay pass rush), but they played soft on standard downs (they played how Mizzou fans think Mizzou played). The whole thing just didn't work. And now the defense has lost potentially three of its four or five best players -- Stuckey, Thornton and now Huldon Tharp (season-ending injury this month) -- with little in the way of exciting new blood. Oh, and their defensive coordinator is now Carl Torbush. So ... yeah.

Rankings History

Category	2005 Rk	2006 Rk	2007 Rk	2008 Rk	2009 Rk
F/+	N/A*	48	13	65	63
S&P+	8	57	12	30	86
Success Rate+	10	53	13	19	77
PPP+	9	60	14	45	97
Rushing S&P+	1	54	8	38	112
Passing S&P+	29	61	20	27	53
Standard Downs S&P+	13	49	12	41	91
Passing Downs S&P+	22	63	6	35	57
Adj. Line Yards	1	60	12	31	95
Adj. Sack Rate	46	73	89	76	19
* F/+ data does not exist for offenses and defenses until the 2006 season.

First things first: Bill Young is one helluva defensive coordinator. He spent six seasons in Lawrence, and in two of his last three, Kansas had likely the most underrated defense in college football. The 2005 unit was especially (and startlingly) stout. He left for Miami after the 2007 season, and despite relatively manageable turnover in personnel, KU's defense plummeted. Meanwhile, he came back to Stillwater to become defensive coordinator of his alma mater for 2009, and OSU's defense improved significantly. The dude knows what he's doing.

The only area where Kansas improved since Young's departure was in the pass rush. In every single other category, they regressed. They fell from 8th against the run to 112th. From 12th on standard downs to 91st. From 13th to 77 in efficiency (success rates). From 14th to 97th in explosiveness (PPP+). They tumbled across the board. Now, in Turner Gill's first season at Kansas, he has brought in another veteran coordinator to run the D. Carl Torbush has, to say the least, been around. Here's his resume, from his KU bio:

1974 Carter (Tenn.) HS Assistant
1975 Baylor Graduate Assistant
1976-79 Southeastern La. Linebackers/Defensive Ends
1980-82 Louisiana Tech Assistant Head Coach/LB
1983-86 Mississippi Defensive Coordinator
1987 Louisiana Tech Head Coach
1988-98 North Carolina Defensive Coordinator/LB
1998-2000 North Carolina Head Coach
2001-02 Alabama Defensive Coordinator/LB
2003-05 Texas A&M Defensive Coordinator/LB
2006-08 Carson-Newman Assistant Head Coach/LB
2009 Mississippi State Defensive Coordinator/LB
2010- Kansas Defensive Coordinator/LB

He was once one of the bigger names in defensive coaching. But his stint at Texas A&M damaged his brand considerably (as did a failed stint as North Carolina head coach, though that says nothing about his coordinator abilities). He followed Dennis Franchione from Alabama to A&M in 2003, and the Wrecking Crew imploded. The last time they had allowed as many as 24 points per game was 1982; in three seasons in College Station, Torbush's defenses allowed 38.8, 24.3 and 31.2 points per game. Ouch. Of course, things had begun to fall apart before Torbush arrived -- they had gone from 17.8 points allowed in 2001 to 23.3 in 2002 -- but he was the obvious scapegoat regardless. He spent the next three seasons at Carson-Newman until being recycled by Dan Mullen last season at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs' Defensive F/+ rank improved from 51st to 49th in 2009, so while it's unclear that he can unleash a top defense on the country at this point, he might at least be able to improve the Kansas defense back to the middle of the rankings. We'll see. Quite the endorsement, I realize. It is hard to be too impressed by this hire, obviously, but you never know. He might be the perfect fit.

Defensive Line

2009 Unit Ranking: 38th (6th in the Big 12)

Projected DE Depth Chart
Jake Laptad (6'4, 260, Sr., 38.5 tackles, 12.0 TFL/sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR)
Quintin Woods (6'5, 236, Sr., 4.0 tackles)
Tyrone Sellers (6'3, 230, RSFr.)
Travis Stephens (6'2, 255, Jr.)
Kevin Young (6'2, 256, RSFr.)
D.J. Marshall (6'3, 235, So.)

Projected DT Depth Chart
Richard Johnson (6'3, 283, Jr., 12.5 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FR)
John Williams (6'3, 290, So., 5.5 tackles)
Patrick Dorsey (6'0, 273, Jr., 5.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks)
Darius Parish (6'4, 327, So.)
Randall Dent (6'5, 275, RSFr.)

The unit rankings had absolutely no idea what to do with Kansas last year. The Jayhawks' defensive line ended up finishing 38th thanks to their ability to rush the passer sans blitz, but they were so brutal against the run that their pass-rushing ability did not necessarily matter. Jake Laptad returns for his 16th year in Lawrence; he, Maxwell Onyegbule and Jeff Wheeler combined to create a decent set of ends. Onyegbule and Wheeler are gone, but maybe Quintin Woods begins to live up to his recruiting hype this year. Last year, Woods became the latest "Don't count on 4-star JUCOs to make an immediate impact (or any at all)" cautionary tale, following up nicely on the eggs Jocques Crawford and Nathan D'Cunha laid in Lawrence. He looks the part, but after building plenty of hope in practice, he saw the field in only half of 2009's games and made just four tackles. Needless to say, if one of the newcomer DEs gets rolling, there is playing time to be earned.

Perhaps the biggest problem position Kansas had last year was at defensive tackle. Caleb Blakesley and Jefferson City's Richard Johnson were both decent, but they weren't playmakers, and ... they were only decent. At best. Johnson returns, but of the five tackles listed above, they combined for 23 tackles last year and, more importantly, just four tackles for loss.

There is plenty of youth throughout the defensive line. The redshirt freshmen listed above -- Tyrone Sellers, Kevin Young, Randall Dent -- were all three-star signees, and it's pretty likely that one of them will be ready to make a decent contribution this year. But depth appears to still be an issue, and even if the youngsters all pan out, it might not happen in 2010.

Linebackers

2009 Unit Ranking: 77th (11th in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Drew Dudley (6'2, 241, Sr., 68.0 tackles, 8.5 TFL/sacks, 1 FR)
~~Huldon Tharp (6'0, 217, So., 45.0 tackles, 0.5 TFL/sacks, 2 PBU)~~
Justin Springer (6'3, 237, Sr., 19.0 tackles, 4.5 TFL/sacks, 11 FF, 1 FR, 1 PBU)
Steven Johnson (6'1, 237, Jr., 7.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks)
Chea Peterman (6'0, 212, Jr.)
~~Jacoby Thomas (6'1, 243, RSFr.)~~
Dakota Lewis (6'0, 210, Sr.)
Steve Mestan (6'2, 231, RSFr.)
Josh Richardson (6'3, 225, So.)

If Torbush is going to have a positive impact on the Kansas defense, it will almost certainly come at the linebacker position. He has been an LBs coach on and off for the last 30 years. He knows the position. And he has a pretty good player to work with in Drew Dudley. Dudley made a solid number of plays last year and was looking to combine with Huldon Tharp and another potential playmaker, Justin Springer, to create a decent unit. Without Tharp, this is still a unit with potential but more iffy depth. The depth could be there, but they will be relying on some newcomers.

Our friends at Rock Chalk Talk are pretty excited about the linebackers (the excitement, I'm sure, has dropped by at least a few percentage points without Tharp, but still), and I think the unit has more potential than any other on this defense.

(UPDATE: Jacoby Thomas is no longer with the team, so ... cross him off the list!)

Secondary

2009 Unit Ranking: 97th (10th in the Big 12)

Projected CB Depth Chart
Chris Harris (5'10, 190, Sr., 71.0 tackles, 6.5 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 PBU)
Anthony Davis (5'11, 205, Jr., 18.5 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 2 PBU)
Ryan Murphy (6'0, 185, Jr., 11.0 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 2 INT, 1 FR, 2 PBU)
Calvin Rubles (6'3, 205, Sr., 5.0 tackles)
Greg Brown (5'11, 185, So., 3.0 tackles)
Isiah Barfield (5'11, 185, Jr., 1.0 tackles)

Projected S Depth Chart
Lubbock Smith (6'0, 206, So., 32.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 PBU)
Phil Stozier (5'11, 205, Sr., 17.5 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 PBU)
Prinz Kande (6'0, 194, RSFr.)
Olaitan Oguntodu (6'0, 218, Sr., 3.0 tackles)
Dexter McDonald (6'1, 194, Fr.)
Dexter Linton (5'11, 200, RSFr.)

Despite the losses of Darrell Stuckey and Justin Thornton, the Kansas secondary still manages to have both experience and depth. I'm not sure what the ceiling here is, but guys like Chris Harris and Phil Strozier have been running around in the Kansas defensive backfield for a number of years. They will combine with fellow upperclassmen Anthony Davis, Ryan Murphy, Olaiitan Oguntodu and Calvin Rubles to give the unit maturity. Throw in high-upside youngsters like Prinz Kande and maybe Lubbock Smith, and you've got the makings of a strong unit. I like the potential of the LBs more, but even with the losses of their two marquee names, I don't see secondary playing much worse than it did last year.

Kande in particular is an intriguing player. The folks at Rivals.com saw something in him that few others did -- he was given a four-star rating despite offers from only Kansas, Wisconsin and New Mexico. We'll see who laughs last on that one.

Special Teams

2009 Unit Ranking: 98th (12th in the Big 12)

Place-kicking: 85th
Net Punting: 78th
Net Kicking: 72nd
Returns: 88th

Projected Starters
K Jacob Brantstetter (5'9, 170, Sr., 42-for-44 PAT, 13-for-19 FG, Long: 57)
P Alonso Rojas (6'3, 228, Sr., 52 punts, 41.4 average)
KR Bradley McDougald (6'1, 195, So., 21 returns, 18.8 average)
PR Daymond Patterson (5'9, 173, Jr., 21 returns, 8.0 average)

Even bad special teams units are usually good at something. You're terrible in coverage, but you've got a good return man. Your kicker is horribly iffy, but your punter is great. Things like that. Kansas, on the other hand, ranked 72nd or worse in all four major categories -- place-kicking, kickoffs, punting and returns. This maybe another case where "everybody returns for 2010" might not necessarily be a bad thing. Both return men -- Bradley McDougald and Daymond Patterson -- have strong athletic potential, but neither really showed it in the return game last season. Meanwhile, Jacob Branstetter is Adam Crossett on steroids; he has a cannon of a leg and little ability to control it. Branstetter will likely become at least marginally more consistent as a senior, and the unit will certainly benefit (I guess) from experience. Expect a slightly improved but still iffy special teams unit overall.

Summary

In all, this Kansas defense probably has more potential than previous units, but in a lot of cases the experience and the upside don't mix. The older players have probably hit their ceilings already, and the younger players are nowhere near theirs. Even if Torbush is the perfect man for the job, it might take him a little while to figure everything out here. With potentially strong freshmen and sophomores at each position, the long-term looks promising here. But the short-term might be a little painful.

Depth The Big Question On The Defensive Line.

Owen — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:50:26 -0000

UPDATE: As expected, Turner Gill announced that defensive end Travis Stephens is no longer with the team due to academic reasons.

This afternoon kicks off the first practice of the Kansas Jayhawk football season and with practice let the question answering begin.

After reporting yesterday, a few team meetings and some team bonding time at Dave and Busters, it's time to get down to business. What are the most pressing questions needing answers? Defensive line certainly fits the bill.

In order to take pressure of the linebackers and give the defensive backfield a reasonable shot at covering the field, the defensive line has to be productive. Is Kansas ready? Beyond the top level talent, is their enough depth to be effective? It certainly could be a concern.

Defensive Tackle? Depth is the problem and it may not be getting any better.

Defensive tackle has three players that saw the field at the position a year ago. Pat Dorsey, Richard Johnson Jr and John Williams. Dorsey stands just 6' weighing 273. Johnson and Williams are both bigger in stature but even Johnson checks in at just 283. At the end of the day the smart money is on Willams and Johnson to start, the two have been solid during their time at Kansas, but the concern is the depth. Darius Parish is back at the position, but he has plenty of work to do before Kansas is going to see the major payoff from his potential

Others in the mix, Randall Dent and Shane Smith, both redshirt freshman and complete unknowns. The problem right now is that no one can reasonably expect Dorsey, Johnson and Williams to take every snap, Kansas needs to find some minutes from someone and right now the answers aren't jumping off the page.

Defensive End? Again, depth is the name of the game. To rely on the incoming freshman might be a bit of a stretch. Keba Agostinho, Jaqwaylin Arps and Pat Lewandowski may have a future on the Jayhawk defense, but they likely aren't near term solutions. Julius Green looks physically ready on paper, but he's yet to arrive on campus as he waits for clearance from the NCAA.

Kevin Young, Jake Laptad, Quinton Woods and ~~maybe Travis Stephens~~ make up the two deep. Just like defensive tackle, this isn't a bad group. IF all four are available, Kansas might be in decent shape.

Beyond the top level however, the Jayhawks need to find some bodies. Is Tyrone Sellers ready to see the field? His freshman year was full of position shuffling and a struggle to add weight. He's listed at 230 now, most likely he'll need to contribute at some point.

DJ Marshall is the other name out there, but after an offseason spent battling Hodgkins Lymphoma it's just great news to see him back on the roster. More than likely Kansas goes four deep at the position, unless the staff can find a freshman that they think is ready to play.

Right now, any potential injury could be fairly devastating.

Answers aren't readily available at either position with camp kicking off this afternoon. The loss of Jamal Greene proved a major blow. Follow that up with the unfortunate news surrounding Jeremiah Edwards and go back even further to the recruiting class and the last minute loss of Geneo Grissom.

Kansas now sits in a position where they have plenty of work to do. They have the players to put together a starting unit, but the dropoff appears steep and about the only good news to come out of that is that some unknown is likely going to have an opportunity to make a name if they can contribute when called upon.

2010 Kansas Football Roster Talk

Owen — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:00:45 -0000

One of the first glimpses at the 2010 Kansas football roster is available as we are just a few short days away from Big 12 media days.

Obviously the players on the team aren't any secret, but there might be some interest in the reported heights and weights. Maybe the new freshman on the roster and of course of special interest this year, any number changes going into the season since as we all know, there will be no names on the Jayhawk jersey's.

With that in mind let's dive in, take a look and get some high level thoughts on the 2010 Kansas Jayhawks.

No	Name	Pos	Ht	Wt	CL	Exp	Hometown/High School
96	Keba Aghostino	DE	6'3"	253	FR	HS	Katy Texas/James Taylor
98	JaQwaylin Arps	DE	6'3"	235	FR	HS	Denison Texas/Denison
19	Isiah Barfield	CB	5'11"	185	JR	2L	Haven Kansas/Haven
20	DJ Beshears	WR	5'8"	174	SO	1L	Denton Texas/Ryan
86	Tim Biere	TE	6'4"	260	JR	2L	Omaha Nebraska/Westside
37	Brian Blackwell	S	5'11'	191	JR	SQ	Herrington Kansas/Herrington
25	Brandon Bourbon	RB	6'1"	208	FR	HS	Potosi Missouri/Potosi
14	Jacob Branstetter	K	5'9"	170	SR	2L	Lawton Oklahoma/MacArthur
5	Greg Brown	CB	5'11"	185	SO	1L	Cedar Hill Texas/Cedar Hill
37	Ryan Burton	RB	5'9"	187	FR	RS	Colorado Springs CO/Air Academy
59	Sal Capra	OL	6'2"	295	SR	2L	Kansas City Mo./Rockhurst
54	Justin Carnes	LS	6'3"	230	FR	RS	La Porte Texas/La Porte
30	Anthony Davis	CB	5'11"	205	JR	2L	Tulsa OK/East Central
87	Bradley Dedeaux	TE	6'3"	252	SR	3L	Midwest City OK/Midwest City
64	Randall Dent	DT	6'5"	275	FR	RS	Grand Prairie Texas/South Grand Prairie
92	Patrick Dorsey	DT	6'	273	JR	1L	Houston Texas/Yates
49	Drew Dudley	LB	6'2"	241	SR	3L	College Station TX/A&M Consolidated
75	Jeremiah Edwards	DT	6'1"	308	FR	HS	Garland Texas/Garland
50	Jake Farley	LB	6'3"	215	FR	HS	Cedar Falls Iowa/Cedar Falls
41	Jordan Fee	FB	6'2"	240	SO	SQ	Lawrence Kansas/Lawrence
58	Ed Fink	LB	6'3"	221	FR	HS	Belleville Illinois/Althoff
31	Steven Foster	FB	6'1"	257	JR	2L	Sedgewick Kansas/Sedgewick
16	Chris Harris	CB	5'10"	190	SR	3L	Bixby Oklahoma/Bixby
85	Roderick Harris Jr	WR	6'	211	JR	RS	Bryan Texas/Blinn CC
77	Jeremiah Hatch	OL	6'3"	332	JR	2L	Dallas Texas/Carter
72	Tanner Hawkinson	OL	6'6"	293	SO	1L	McPherson Kansas/McPherson
39	Brandon Hawks	S	5'10"	189	SO	SQ	Oskaloosa Kansas/Oskaloosa
80	Ricki Herod Jr	WR	6'2"	183	FR	HS	Mesquite Texas/North Mesquite
70	Gavin Howard	OL	6'5"	292	FR	RS	Owasso Oklahoma/Owasso
40	Tyler Hunt	FB	6'2"	240	SO	SQ	Lawrence Kansas/Lawrence
89	Tetravian Ingram	WR	5'11"	205	SR	SQ	Tampa Florida/Jefferson
97	Richard Johnson Jr	DT	6'3"	283	JR	2L	Jefferson City Missouri/Jefferson City
52	Steven Johnson	LB	6'1"	237	JR	2L	Media PA/Strath Haven
4	Prinz Kande	S	6'	194	FR	RS	Euless Texas/Trinity
12	Nathan Kalish	K	5'11"	169	FR	RS	Washington Missouri/Washington
47	Chase Knighton	WR	5'11"	184	SO	RS	Athens Texas/Tabor College
63	Chad Kolumber	OL	6'8"	296	FR	HS	Woodberry Forest VA/Woodberry Forest
91	Jake Laptad	DE	6'4"	260	SR	3L	Tulsa Oklahoma/Jenks
24	Taylor Lee	S	6	190	SO	SQ	Harrisonville Missouri/Harrisonville
66	Pat Lewandowski	DE	6'6"	248	FR	HS	Overland Park Kansas/Blue Valley West
51	Dakota Lewis	LB	6'	210	SR	2L	Sulpher Oklahoma/Sulpher
6	Rell Lewis	RB	5'9"	205	JR	1L	Muskogee Oklahoma/Muskogee
32	Dexter Linton	S	5'11"	200	FR	RS	Arlington Texas/James Bowie
53	Tom Mabry	OL	6'4"	287	FR	RS	Belleville Illinois/Althoff
69	Trevor Marrongelli	OL	6'2"	293	SO	1L	Austin Texas/Westwood
95	DJ Marshall	DE	6'3"	235	SO	SQ	Mesquite Texas/Mesquite
65	Michael Martinovich	OL	6'5"	279	JR	1L	Tulsa Oklahoma/Air Force Academy
12	Christian Matthews	WR	6'1"	186	FR	RS	Arlington Texas/James Bowie
84	Brian Maura	WR	6'4"	190	FR	HS	Miami Florida/Felix Varela
27	Dexter McDonald	CB	6'1"	194	FR	HS	Kansas City Missouri/Rockhurst
24	Bradley McDougald	WR	6'1"	195	SO	1L	Dublin Ohio/Scioto
88	Erick McGriff	WR	6'3"	209	FR	RS	Tampa Florida/Jesuit
43	Ted McNulty	TE	6'5"	230	JR	SQ	Iowa City Iowa/West
8	Quinn Mecham	QB	6'2"	207	JR	JC	Provo Utah/Snow JC
46	Steve Mestan	LB	6'2"	231	FR	RS	Delavan Wisconsin/Delavan Darian
32	John Milsap	P	5'10"	150	SO	SQ	Andover Kansas/Andover
40	Ray Mitchell	S	6'1"	183	FR	HS	Irving Texas/MacArthur
41	Jimmay Mundine	TE	6'2"	226	FR	HS	Denison Texas/Denison
23	Ryan Murphy	CB	6'	185	JR	2L	Lawrence Kansas/Free State
29	Ryan Nelson	LB	5'11"	207	FR	RS	Overland Park Kansas/St. Thomas Aquinas
44	Olaitan Oguntodo	S	6'	218	SR	2L	Mesquite Texas/John Horn
83	Chris Omigie	WR	6'4"	194	FR	RS	Arlington Texas/Martin
35	Toben Opurum	RB	6'1"	240	SO	1L	Plano Texas/Plano East
28	Willie O'Quinn	WR	6'	181	SO	1L	Coppell Texas/Coppell
55	Darius Parish	DT	6'4"	327	SO	1L	Wichita Kansas/North
33	Tyler Patmon	CB	5'11"	180	FR	RS	Cedar Park Texas/Vista Ridge
15	Daymond Patterson	WR	5'9"	173	JR	2L	Mesquite Texas/North Mesquite
57	Chea Peterman	LB	6'	212	JR	SQ	North Little Rock Arkansas
3	Reece Petty	WR	6'2"	190	SR	SQ	Liberal Kansas
7	Kale Pick	QB	6'1"	208	SO	1L	Dodge City Kansas/Dodge City
10	Corrigan Powell	CB	5'11"	180	SO	SQ	Garland Texas/Lakeview Centennial
38	Justin Puthoff	FB	6'3"	252	FR	RS	Goddard Kansas, Goddard
22	Angus Quigley	RB	6'1"	231	SR	3L	Cleburne Texas/Cleburne
38	Josh Richardson	LB	6'3"	225	FR	SQ	Dublin Ohio/Scioto
18	Alonso Rojas	P	6'3"	228	SR	2L	Miami Florida/Bowling Green
17	Calvin Rubles	CB	6'3"	205	SR	1L	Richardson Texas/Tyler JC
36	Deshaun Sands	RB	5'7"	190	FR	RS	Sunrise Florida/Piper
80	Patrick Shilling	WR	6'1"	187	SO	RS	Kansas City Missouri/Rockhurst
94	Tyrone Sellers	DE	6'3"	230	FR	RS	McCook Nebraska/McCook
73	Joe Semple	OL	6'2"	294	SO	SQ	Mundelein Illinois/Mundelein
39	James Sims	RB	6'	206	FR	HS	Irving Texas/MacArthur
46	Trent Smiley	TE	6'4"	232	FR	HS	Frisco Texas/Wakeland
62	Alex Smith	OL	5'11"	266	SR	SQ	Basehor Kansas/Basehor
1	Lubbock Smith	S	6'	206	SO	1L	Dallas Texas/Carter
78	Shane Smith	DT	6'5"	278	FR	RS	Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado
79	Riley Spencer	OL	6'7"	300	FR	RS	Hesston, Kan./Hesston
74	Jeff Spikes	OL	6'6"	325	JR	2L	Painesville, Ohio/Harvey
45	Justin Springer	LB	6'3"	237	SR	3L	Los Fresnos, Texas/Los Fresnos
56	Travis Stephens	DE	6'2"	255	JR	RS	Houston, Texas/Jersey Village /Blinn JC
11	AJ Steward	TE	6'3"	233	JR	1L	St. Louis, Mo./Riverview Gardens
26	Phillip Strozier	S	5'11"	205	SR	3L	Kansas City, Mo./Rockhurst
9	Keeston Terry	WR	6'2"	185	FR	HS	Blue Springs Missouri/Blue Springs
34	Huldon Tharp	LB	6'	217	SO	1L	Mulvane, Kan./Mulvane
76	Brad Thorson	OL	6'5"	310	SR	2L	Mequon, Wis./Homestead /Wisconsin
13	Jacoby Thomas	LB	6'1"	243	FR	RS	Texarkana, Texas/Texas
82	Andrew Turzilli	WR	6'4"	185	FR	HS	Butler, N.J./Butler
2	Jordan Webb	QB	6'	210	FR	RS	Union, Mo./Union
71	John Williams	DT	6'3"	290	SO	1L	Tulsa, Okla./Washington
68	Carl Wilson	OL	6'3"	302	SR	2L	Redlands, Calif./East Valley
81	Johnathan Wilson	WR	6'2"	190	SR	3L	Houston, Texas/Klein Forest
93	Quinton Woods	DE	6'5"	236	SR	1L	Flint, Mich./Southwestern Academy/Bakersfield JC
90	Kevin Young	DE	6'2"	256	FR	RS	Olathe Kansas/North
67	Duane Zlatnik	OL	6'4"	326	SO	1L	Rossville Kansas/Rossville

Freshman

There are definitely some players in the freshman class who appear on paper to be well prepared.

Brandon Bourbon's 6'1" 208lb frame is pretty impressive. In fact, the word is they had him drop a few lb's since his arrival and if you have that type of size with his athletic capabilities, there is certainly a chance to see the field.

By the same Token James Sims looks just as much the part at 6' 206.

As for the receivers Andrew Turzilli seems to have bulked up a bit while Brian Maura measuring in at 6'4" is a very nice target with his combination of size and speed.

Trent Smiley at 6'4" 232 isn't a bad place to start for a tight end and Jimmay Mundine's #41 jersey number brings about visions of a potential H-back threat in a Jayhawk uniform.

The last group jumping off the page is a group of defenders. Jake Farley's 6'3" 215 pound listing wouldn't be too bad considering Huldon Tharp made an impact a year ago at a mere 6' 217. Dexter McDonald and Jeremiah Edwards are two other players that on paper look the part at the position they play from day one.

Offensive Line

Beef!! It's what's for dinner. Sam Elliott would enjoy this group. It appears the focus on bulking up has paid off for some. Jeremiah Hatch at 332, Duane Zlatnik at 326, Brad Thorson at 310 which I'm not sure I believe, and Jeff Spikes at 325.

The bad news is two of those three are hurt, a third is in question and one is out for the season. Tanner Hawkinson, Trevor Marrongelli and Sal Capra all need to get on the Big MAN plan.

Fullback and other Running Backs

Shades of the Joel Mackovicka and the Cory Schlesinger days at Nebraska?

The Jayhawks have 4 monster fullbacks on the roster and all claim the state of Kansas as their home. Goddard's Justin Puthoff, Lawrence's Tyler Hunt, Lawrence's Jordan Fee and Sedwick Kansas native Steven Foster(maybe).

Even behind the fullbacks the running backs in general have some great size. Angus Quigley and Toben Opurum both look prepared to pack a punch checking in at 231 and 240 respectively.

First Official 2010 Depth Chart

Owen — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:35:21 -0000

Take this for what it's worth as it's very early, but we've got a depth chart so it could be a fun day of what ifs. The Jayhawks went through the majority of spring with a pretty fluid chart and honestly it didn't seem terribly important to the players or the coaches to come up with a hard and fast "depth chart" during that timeframe.

Now that spring is a wrap and the coaches are on the recruiting trail, it does appear they took a few minutes at the very least to sit down, compare notes and come up with the who's who on the offense and defense. Biggest item of note...no QB1. My thoughts after the jump, but for your viewing pleasure. The depth chart.

Offense	1st Team	2nd Team
QB	Kale Pick (SO) OR Jordan Webb (FR)
FB	Justin Puthoff (FR)	Steven Foster (JR)
RB	Angus Quigley (SR)	Deshaun Sands (FR)
WR	Jonathan Wilson (SR)	Christian Matthews (FR)
WR	Daymond Patterson (JR)	D.J. Beshears (SO)
WR	Bradley McDougald (SO)	Chris Omigie (FR)
TE	Tim Biere (JR)	A.J. Steward (JR)
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (SO)	Riley Spencer (FR)
LG	Sal Capra (SR)	Duane Zlatnik (SO)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (JR)	Alex Smith (SR)
RG	Trevor Marrongelli (SO)	Micheal Martinovich (JR)
RT	Brad Thorson (SR)	Jeff Spikes (JR)

Defense	1st Team	2nd Team
DE	Jake Laptad (SR)	Travis Stephens (JR)
DT	Patrick Dorsey (JR)	Jamal Greene (SR)
DT	Richard Johnson Jr (JR)	Darius Parish (SO)
DE	Kevin Young (FR)	Quinton Woods (SR)
SLB	Steven Johnson (JR)	Jacoby Thomas (FR)
MLB	Justin Springer (SR)	Drew Dudley (SR)
WLB	Huldon Tharp (SO)	Josh Richardson (FR)
CB	Calvin Rubles (SR)	Greg Brown (SO)
SS	Phillip Storizer (SR)	Olaitan Oguntodo (SR)
FS	Lubbock Smith (SO)	Prinz Kande (FR)
CB	Chris Harris (SR)	Isiah Barfield (JR)

First Glance Takeaways

No Toben Opurum in the backfield? Interesting. Was Angus that impressive or did Toben take a step back. Either way I think the spot is WIDE open and the competition this fall will definitely include Brandon Bourbon and James Sims. Bourbon ran a 4.38 the other day.
Freshman walkon beats out Steven Foster at fullback. The beginning of a new trend or a motivational tool.
Glad to see Riley Spencer and Duane Zlatnik make the two deep on the offensive line.
Kevin Young as the starting end over Woods. Might Woods be a more situational player for us while Young is capable of being an every down type guy.
No offense to Pat Dorsey or Richard Johnson, but I hope we don't end up with those two starting at DT come fall. Not that they aren't capable, but that means we start TWO undersized players at the position while two monsters make up the second line. Maybe a blend of the four would work?
If Justin Springer is improved as has been reported, the linebacker unit in place is probably as good as we can hope for. I think this can be a serviceable unit, just not very deep and very young after the starters.
Safety. Kande backing up Smith. I thought there was a chance we see these two side by side. I'm not a huge believer in Strozier but he is a senior so perhaps he can step up this year.
I like what we have at corner, jury is still out on everyone except Harris though. I'm just hopeful this doesn't continue to be a revolving door. I'm perfectly fine with changes between now and opening kick, but once we get going I hope we allow these guys the opportunity to learn and grow. Obviously if somethings broken you have to fix it, I just hope we don't have the overreaction that has been customary with these guys.

The Border War: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Bill C. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:00:14 -0000

You expected some other way to start out this post?

Every Border War win feels a little bit more triumphant than other wins, but this year packs a bit of extra meaning. Missouri has a chance to end both Todd Reesing's career and Mark Mangino's tenure in Lawrence with a single victory; meanwhile, Reesing and Mangino have a chance to extend their lives with an upset win in what is potentially their last game together.

I'll say this out front: I try to tune extracurricular detail out of these previews. I said last week that I don't necessarily believe in a positive Senior Day effect, and just the same, I doubt there is any net gain or loss to things like Kansas fighting for Mark Mangino's life in Lawrence. Extra emotion can go either way in the end, but let's just say this: I expect both Missouri and Kansas to bring their respective A-games to Arrowhead; and really, it shouldn't be any other way.

Offense

Kansas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

While the 2009 KU offense really could improve a bit more in 2009, it's a red flag to me that all of their improvement in 2008 came on Passing Downs. They were actually worse on Standard Downs but overachieved in passing situations (which, if you watched last year's MU-KU game, shouldn't surprise you). As I've mentioned before, disproportionate achievement on Passing Downs doesn't seem totally sustainable from year to year, and while a lot of that Passing Downs success was due to both Todd Reesing and the chemistry that Reesing has with Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe, they still may have been a little too successful, unsustainably so.

Lord knows that with their schedule, they better be at least as good in those situations because...well, they're going to face a lot of those situations.

Once again, KU is a strong Passing Downs team, but they have only been a good overall offense instead of a great overall offense. And with their defense struggling for much of the season, good hasn't really cut it.

Kansas Offense vs Missouri Defense
Category	KU Offense	MU Defense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	115.0 (30)	104.1 (48)
Close Success Rate+ (Rk)	112.4 (23)	100.0 (62)
Close PPP+ (Rk)	121.3 (37)	110.1 (46)

Rushing S&P+	109.2 (41)	111.2 (39)
Passing S&P+	116.9 (30)	98.2 (62)

Standard Downs S&P+	118.4 (24)	112.7 (31)
Passing Downs S&P+	131.4 (17)	95.0 (75)

Red Zone S&P+	127.8 (17)	110.5 (44)

Q1 S&P+	106.1 (65)	90.2 (85)
Q2 S&P+	121.4 (24)	121.6 (29)
Q3 S&P+	144.4 (4)	106.9 (47)
Q4 S&P+	128.3 (11)	115.3 (28)

1st Down S&P+	125.8 (12)	108.0 (44)
2nd Down S&P+	122.7 (29)	99.4 (62)
3rd Down S&P+	117.6 (34)	113.7 (38)

Line Yards+	104.6 (53)	103.7 (46)
Close Sack Rate+	91.9 (69)	90.8 (73)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	107.3 (59) / 85.5 (81)	102.5 (57) / 116.4 (39)

As you'll see, both offenses have significant advantages in this one, so the game could come down to which individual playmakers step up the most. Danario Alexander and Sean Weatherspoon, or Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier and Darrell Stuckey? Blaine Gabbert or Todd Reesing?

When KU Has the Ball...
KU Rushing	Advantage: Push
KU Passing	Advantage: KU
Best Time for KU:	Q1, Q3
Best Time for Missouri:	Q2

Mizzou Advantages:

Passing Downs Sack Rate+

And for KU...

Close SR+, PPP+, S&P+
Passing S&P+
Standard, Passing Downs S&P+
Red Zone S&P+
Q1, Q3, Q4 S&P+
1st, 2nd Down S&P+

No matter what happens in this game, Missouri will once again end up with a more successful regular season than Kansas. This has been the norm with Gary Pinkel against Mark Mangino. That said, it's pretty easy to see that KU has a number of matchup advantages to work with, and if Todd Reesing is dialed in and playing well, this game is a complete tossup shootout.

Mizzou's path to success, however, comes on Passing Downs. They must successfully blitz on those downs; if they do, KU's other advantages can be negated pretty quickly.

Quarterback

While he completed 66% of his passes at 7.8 yards per pass against OU and Mizzou, Reesing proved his all-or-nothing tendencies by completing just 54% at 5.4 yards per pass against Texas and Texas Tech (with a 3-3 TD-INT ratio) at home. In the end, most would love to have a "gamer" like Reesing leading your team, but his confidence in his abilities to make plays ends up being, at times, his biggest flaw. He posted a QB rating right at 149 each of the last two years, but he also took 56 sacks in that time, and his interceptions rose to 13 in 2008, not a bad figure per say, but not as in control as the seven he threw in 2007. That's why Kansas only finished 25th in Passing S&P+ and not higher--we remember the great plays, but we forget the sacks he's taken and the occasional atrocious throws he's made.

Todd Reesing: 276-for-441 passing (62.6%), 3,118 yards (7.1 per pass), 18 TD, 9 INT

As a whole, Reesing has certainly put up solid numbers this year; however, after QB ratings in the 148-150 range both of his first two years as a starter, his has fallen to just 131.4 this year, and he has been every bit as all-or-nothing as in years past. Against Iowa State, he went 37-for-49 for 442 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT; he followed that up with another 401 yards against Colorado. Then, against Oklahoma and Texas Tech, he went a combined 42-for-77 (54.5%) for 405 yards (5.3 yards per pass), 1 TD, 3 INTs, and a sub-100 QB rating. We should all expect to see his best performance tomorrow, but anything less than his best might not get the job done.

Running Back

Jake Sharp is the least-scary good running back in the country. He was the main cog in a rushing attack that was 7th in the country in Success Rate+, he's scored 19 touchdowns, caught 44 passes, and put up a combined 1,143 yards from scrimmage the last two seasons, yet his lack of explosiveness got him ranked 198th among 269 eligible running backs in POE, the rushing performance measure I created for Football Outsiders. He's good for a couple of huge games a year, usually against bad defenses (he destroyed Kansas State for 181 yards and 4 TDs last year and went for 118 and 3 TDs against an OU defense adapting to the loss of Ryan Reynolds), but in all he's a steady but so-so runner. You could do worse than starting Jake Sharp, but you could certainly do better.

Toben Opurum: 133 carries, 554 yards (4.2 per carry), 9 TD, 13 receptions, 105 yards (8.1 per catch), 1 TD
Jake Sharp: 95 carries, 400 yards (4.2 per carry), 4 TD; 26 receptions, 188 yards (7.2 per catch), 3 TD
Rell Lewis: 10 carries, 60 yards

Toben Opurum is out with an injury, but I cannot really say I can tell any difference whatsoever between Opurum and Jake Sharp. Their numbers suggest that they are virtually the same running back. Opurum is a bit bigger, and Sharp is a bit faster, but in all, KU's running game probably will not get going that much on Saturday (knock on wood). Mizzou's rush defense has improved considerably throughout this season, and if they can stop Sharp and get to Reesing on passing downs, they should win. It's if they don't get to Reesing where the problems may start...

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

KU executed a risky but perfect gameplan against Mizzou in 2008. They continued to dink and dunk, stretching the field horizontally with Meier and Briscoe, relying on the KU defense to fend Mizzou's offense off for as long as possible. If Mizzou sustains some drives in the first half, then the Mizzou defense doesn't completely wear out in the fourth quarter, but alas, that's what happened. When all was said and done, Briscoe and Meier combined for 23 catches, 221 yards, and 3 TDs (two of which came in Q4), and an exhausted Mizzou secondary saw its communication fall apart down the stretch. Again, dink-and-dunk is always risky because it takes a lot of plays to sustain a drive and opens up more opportunities for mistakes. But if you can pull it off, it works brilliantly, and it worked against Mizzou in 2008.

WR Kerry Meier: 92 receptions, 931 yards (10.1 per catch), 6 TD
WR Dezmon Briscoe: 70 receptions, 1,095 yards (15.6 per catch), 7 TD
WR Jonathan Wilson: 35 receptions, 449 yards (12.8 per catch)
WR Bradley McDougald: 31 receptions, 285 yards (9.2 per catch)

TE Tim Biere: 12 receptions, 134 yards (11.2 per catch)

KU's Border War strategy last year was very effective; what's scary is, Mizzou has become even more vulnerable to that sort of strategy in 2009. If Mizzou is unable to corral the short pass, Reesing could very easily go over 400 yards. If Mizzou fans are having nightmares tonight, it is probably because of Meier and Briscoe.

Offensive Line

Todd Reesing is one of the best when it comes to improvising and creating on the fly, but that doesn't mean you want him doing it every play. For KU to win the North (which means either taking a game against Texas, Oklahoma, or Texas Tech, or running the table in the North), converted tight end Tanner Hawkinson will likely need to quickly become the real deal at left tackle, and Jeff Spikes (or whoever wins the RT job) will need to become pretty stable, pretty quickly. The ends in this conference are more athletic and experienced than in recent years, and...again, this team needs Reesing healthy and upright.

KU's offensive line has been distinctly average in 2009, improving slightly as the year has progressed. Mizzou's line, meanwhile, has also improved as the year has progressed, particularly in terms of line yards and passing down sack rates. If Mizzou can win this matchup by quite a bit, it could negate the passing advantage KU appears to have.

---

Defense

Kansas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

While the offense actually got better, the defense got measurably worse despite nine returning starters (sound familiar, Mizzou fans?). They lost a second-team All-American in James McClinton at defensive tackle--the only loss other than Aqib Talib--and it seems to have made a difference.

Kansas was a bit worse defending the pass, a lot worse at defending the run, and in particular they gave up a ton more big plays (PPP+). This year, they return their entire secondary and three of four starters on the defensive line (losing only end Russell Brorsen)...but lose all three starting linebackers. So the passing numbers improve and the rushing numbers regress, maybe?

I was half-right above. The rushing numbers have certainly regressed ... but then, so have the passing numbers. After some adjustments resulted in better defensive play in the middle of the season, KU's defense just has not been able to maintain a spark. They looked good at times against both Kansas State and Nebraska in recent weeks, but their breakdowns have been killers, as evidenced by the fact that they rank a ridiculous 93rd in PPP+. Mizzou's big-play ability, matched with KU's inability to stop the big play, represent Mizzou's single biggest advantage.

KU Defense vs Missouri Offense
Category	KU Defense	MU Offense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	92.3 (82)	117.2 (27)
Close Success Rate+	96.2 (76)	108.4 (37)
Close PPP+	87.4 (93)	133.1 (21)

Rushing S&P+	84.0 (107)	107.6 (47)
Passing S&P+	99.9 (57)	125.9 (17)

Standard Downs S&P+	93.4 (85)	114.6 (28)
Passing Downs S&P+	106.3 (50)	109.5 (53)

Red Zone S&P+	92.3 (87)	85.9 (104)

Q1 S&P+	106.0 (53)	118.1 (42)
Q2 S&P+	107.9 (54)	115.1 (44)
Q3 S&P+	86.2 (98)	122.8 (22)
Q4 S&P+	92.6 (79)	105.8 (55)

1st Down S&P+	94.2 (77)	120.2 (22)
2nd Down S&P+	97.0 (69)	108.5 (53)
3rd Down S&P+	102.1 (60)	110.1 (57)

Line Yards+	94.1 (84)	97.7 (77)
Close Sack Rate+	135.7 (16)	150.0 (28)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	141.6 (19) / 112.2 (48)	251.2 (10) / 113.6 (51)

When they are not forcing turnovers, this unit is simply not getting the job done.

When Missouri Has the Ball...
Missouri Rushing	Advantage: Mizzou
Missouri Passing	Advantage: Mizzou
Best Time for KU:	First Half
Best Time for Missouri:	Second Half

MU's advantages:

Close SR+, PPP+, S&P+
Rushing, Passing S&P+
Standard Downs S&P+
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 S&P+
1st, 2nd, 3rd Down S&P+
Standard Downs Sack Rate+

KU's advantages:

Red Zone S&P+

As with Mizzou's defense, KU's defense has few advantages, but can use what they have to great benefit. If KU is able to hold Mizzou to three points instead of seven by shutting things down in the red zone, then they will find it a lot easier to outscore Mizzou.

Defensive Line

So if KU felt the absence of James McClinton more than any other in 2008, then it's up to either Jamal Greene (21 tackles, 7 TFL/sacks) to become a much more consistent force or Jeff City's own Richard Johnson (14 tackles, 2.5 TFL/sacks) to overtake him if KU's run defense is to improve. If not them, then who? Man-beast Darius Parish moved to OL. Somehow, someway, there needs to be a better push up the middle.

And on the outside too. Solid-not-spectacular end Jake Laptad (8.5 TFL/sacks) offers hope for a pass rush, but he'll need help. The lack of a pass rush was bad enough last year that LB James Holt moved to end toward the end of the year, and KU fans seem to have hope that 4-star JUCO transfer Quintin Woods will thrive pretty quickly. The other options (Jeff Wheeler, Maxwell Onyegbule, or some younger guy) don't seem ready or capable, so all eyes are on Woods. If Woods doesn't catch on, KU fans start getting worried.

DE Jake Laptad: 37.0 tackles, 12.0 TFL/sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR, 6 QBH
DE Max Onyegbule: 23.5 tackles, 10.0 TFL/sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 PBU, 5 QBH
DT Caleb Blakesley: 12.5 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks, 1 QBH
DT Richard Johnson: 12.0 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FR, 2 QBH
DE Jeff Wheeler: 11.0 tackles, 6.5 TFL/sacks, 3 FF, 8 QBH

As with many highly-touted JUCO transfers (hello, Jocques Crawford ... and Andy Maples, for that matter), Quintin Woods came to Lawrence with much ado and produced almost nothing. He has a whopping four tackles for the season. Which means my prediction more or less came true -- Woods didn't catch on, and the KU defensive line was a liability, at least against the run. Rushing the passer, they've been pretty solid. Laptad (6.5 sacks), Wheeler (5.5) and Onyegbule (5.0) have all had their moments, and KU has been at its most successful getting pressure on the passer while not committing LBs to the blitz. They've been a sieve against the run, though.

Linebackers

While the RB situation isn't in wonderful shape right now, it's still no surprise that Angus Quigley was moved from RB to LB. There's clearly a major void in terms of proven playmakers, so really at this point Kansas just needs as many warm bodies as possible to throw out there and see what they've got. Never say never, but it's hard to see this unit gelling into a solid unit quickly. Whether they call it this or not, you do have to figure that with an experienced secondary, KU will be playing a lot of 4-2-5 or nickel coverage.

LB Drew Dudley: 64.0 tackles, 8.0 TFL/sacks, 4 QBH
LB Huldon Tharp: 44.5 tackles, 0.5 TFL/sacks, 2 PBU, 2 QBH
LB Arist Wright: 34.5 tackles, 4.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PBU, 2 QBH
LB Justin Springer: 18.5 tackles, 4.5 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PBU, 2 QBH

True freshman Huldon Tharp has gotten some good press recently for racking up a large number of tackles in recent weeks; but that's all they are: tackles. He is not much of a disruptive force -- much more Luke Lambert than future Sean Weatherspoon. Drew Dudley, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise. With Angus Quigley failing to figure out the LB position in just one offseason (that is the norm, not the exception), Dudley, a junior, has stepped up and made a decent number of plays behind the line of scrimmage.

The LB corps has been solid in pass coverage, but their run support and blitzing have, as a whole, left something to be desired.

Secondary

As devoid of experience that the KU linebacker corps is, the secondary is the polar opposite. Five players with solid starting experience return, led by Mizzou killer Darrell Stuckey, who almost single-handedly fended off the Tiger offense for the entire first half last November at Arrowhead. ... Mark Mangino has some interesting ingredients, and he's not afraid to shuffle things around. Justin Thornton's been around forever (seems like just yesterday that he was getting decapitated by Tony Temple at Faurot Field), and while he's a proven commodity, he's also in Mangino's doghouse. If he doesn't end up starting (I assume he will, but...well, Mangino's got an angry side), then it looks like Anthony Davis will be the man opposite Daymond Patterson at CB. Both are sophomores. Meanwhile, junior safety Chris Harris was a star freshman in 2007 before losing his starting spot last year. He still managed the second-most successful tackles in the secondary in 2008, however, and I'm going to figure he'll still play a role opposite Phil Strozier and Stuckey.

CB Chris Harris: 67.0 tackles, 6.5 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 7 PBU
S Darrell Stuckey: 66.5 tackles, 3.5 TFL/sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 PBU, 1 QBH
S Justin Thornton: 58.0 tackles, 3.5 TFL/sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 6 PBU
S Lubbock Smith: 32.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 PBU
CB Daymond Patterson: 27.5 tackles, 0.5 TFL/sacks, 1 INT, 5 PBU
CB D.J. Beshears: 16.0 tackles, 1 PBU
CB Anthony Davis: 14.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 PBU
S Ryan Murphy: 11.0 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 2 INT, 1 FR, 2 PBU, 2 QBH
S Phil Strozier: 11.0 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBH

It's been a strange year for the KU secondary. Relatively speaking, it has still somewhat been a strength of this defense, but 2009 has seen all sorts of personnel shuffling and slump busting. Career doghouse resident Chris Harris has turned out to be the star of the secondary (again), while Justin Thornton has, at times, taken Harris' place in the doghouse. Darrell Stuckey has certainly been good, but he hasn't quite lived up to my own expectations for him. Meanwhile, Lubbock Smith emerged as a potential leader in the secondary but has been hindered recently by injury. He is a game-time decision.

In all, this is a crafty, experienced secondary, and I'm sure that, if given the opportunity, they will take advantage of any mistakes by Blaine Gabbert or any drops by Mizzou receivers. That said, they still aren't quite as scary as I thought they would be, and I'm a lot more confident in Mizzou's potential ability to win a shootout than I was a couple of months ago.

Special Teams

KU was decent in the kicking and punt return games, but kick returns produced eight yards fewer in 2008, and that really can make a pretty big difference. It might help explain how KU's Offensive S&P+ actually improved in 2008, yet KU scored 10 fewer points per game. Dez Briscoe was outstanding in limited opportunities, but it seems KU is making a concerted effort not to wear him out (Jeremy Maclin managed to do it all, ahem...just sayin'...), and early indications (according to Rock Chalk Talk) are that sophomore Isiah Barfield might take over the duties, at least to start.
If KU gets anything from the kick return game, this is a decent special teams unit, not as good as Nebraska's (NU really does seem to have the best special teams unit in the North at this point), but solid. Alonso Rojas leaves something to be desired punting, but this is an offensive conference--kicks matter a hair more than punts, right?

Punt Returns Rank: 83rd (Daymond Patterson: 20 returns, 8.2 avg)
Net Punting Rank: 73rd (Alonso Rojas: 48 punts, 41.4 avg)
Kickoff Returns Rank: 51st (Bradley McDougald: 20 returns, 19.2 avg; Dez Briscoe: 16 returns, 23.9 avg, 1 TD)
Opponents' Kickoff Returns Rank: 90th (Jacob Branstetter: 60 kickoffs, 8 touchbacks)

Field Goals: 80th (Jacob Branstetter: 12-for-18, long: 57)
PATs: 78th (Jacob Branstetter: 38-for-40)

In all, special teams are a giant "meh" unit. They are average to below average in both place-kicking and punting, and their return units are, Dez Briscoe aside, average as well. In all, Mizzou should be able to flip the field rather well with Jake Harry, and Mizzou's average return units might find at least some moderate success. But Briscoe is the key. To avoid overuse, Briscoe has not been the key return man this year, but he showed what he could do if given the opportunity with his effortless TD return last weekend in Austin. I get the sneaking suspicion that Briscoe will be the main return man tomorrow, and ... well, that scares the living daylights out of me. IF Mizzou doesn't give up serious field position and/or a touchdown in the kicking game tomorrow, they win the special teams battle. But with the way Mizzou has been covering on kickoffs, that's a huge if.

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Three Keys to the Game

Passing Downs

KU's offense will likely be relatively efficient on Saturday, meaning Mizzou must make stops on passing downs when given the opportunity. They have a pass-rush advantage in those situations, but if they don't make the sack or force a poor throw from Reesing, their propensity for breakdowns makes them extremely vulnerable. If they're giving up the dink-and-dunk stuff and allowing big plays on Passing Downs, they probably cannot win.

Danario Alexander vs Dez Briscoe

Alexander has been the best receiver in the country over the last month, and if he performs to that level again, Mizzou could score at will. Primarily because of Domino, Mizzou's offense has a significant advantage over KU's defense in terms of The Big Play, and if KU successfully takes that away (lord knows they've got the talent and experience to do so), they take away the biggest weapon in the Mizzou arsenal. Meanwhile, the other scariest guy on the field is Briscoe. While Meier gives Mizzou fans nightmares after last year's heroics, Briscoe is still the more dangerous guy. The winner of the Alexander/Briscoe battle will go a long way in determining the winner of the game.

MU's Running Game

Most of the previews, this one included, has focused on these two teams' respective passing games, but if Mizzou's slowly improving run game can eat away chunks of yards and Mizzou is able to both overpower KU and beat them with the big play, then they can both run up points and dominate the flow of the game. Potentially the most underrated facet of the last two games at Arrowhead was MU's running game. In 2007, Tony Temple racked up 98 yards in 22 carries. In 2008, Derrick Washington ended up with a respectable 54 yards in 11 carries but averaged under four yards per carry for the first three quarters, when Mizzou's offense was struggling and the defense was unable to get off the field. If Mizzou is running well from the start, their passing game will open up like a Venus Flytrap.

Prediction

Gotta say, I do NOT like how well KU is capable of running the short passing game considering how vulnerable Mizzou has been to just that over the last few weeks. That is just not a matchup I like for Mizzou. However, Mizzou's own big-play ability might neutralize that a bit, and besides ... it's not like I let my own feelings get in the way of these predictions anyhow, right? The numbers say Mizzou by 4.7, so we'll go with Mizzou 31, Kansas 26. Nothing between a 17-point win for Mizzou and a 17-point win for Kansas would surprise me, but being that the last two games have both gone down to the wire, we can probably expect more of the same here.