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All Big 12 Teams Announced

Denverjhawk — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:31:10 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe was named All-Big 12 First Team, leading a group of seven Jayhawks who earned conference football postseason honors announced by the league office Tuesday.

The teams are selected by the league coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.

Briscoe was the only Jayhawk named first team, while fellow wide receiver Kerry Meier was tabbed second team. KU had five honorable mention selections in offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson, defensive end Jake Laptad, quarterback Todd Reesing, punter Alonso Rojas and safety Darrell Stuckey.

Briscoe, a 6-3, 202-pound junior from Dallas, Texas, caught 84 passes for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns this season. His 84 catches were the fourth most in a season in school history, while the 1,337 yards were second to the 1,407 he had in 2008.

Through games of Nov. 28, Briscoe is ranked fifth in the NCAA in receiving yards per game (121.55) and eighth in receptions per game (7.64). He is also 13^th in all-purpose yardage (162.55).

He closed the season with 14 receptions for 242 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri Saturday. The 14 receptions tied for the second most in a game by a Jayhawk, while the 242 yards were second only to his 269 at Oklahoma in 2008.

This season Briscoe set school records for receptions in a game by a junior (14 vs. Missouri), career receiving yards (3,240), most yards in a season by a junior (1,337) and most yards in a game by a junior (242 vs. Missouri).

Briscoe was a 2008 All-Big 12 Second Team selection as a sophomore.

Meier, a 6-3, 221-pound senior from Pittsburg, Kan., caught 102 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. The 102 receptions were a school record, while the 985 yards were the seventh most in school history.

Meier, who was a 2008 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, ranks fourth in the NCAA in receptions (8.50) and 25^th in receiving yards per game (82.08). This year he set KU records for career receptions (226), season receptions (102), season receptions by a senior (102), single-game receptions (16 vs. Iowa State) and single-game receptions by a senior (16 vs. Iowa State).

He ranks second at KU in career receiving yards (2,309) behind only Briscoe.

Hawkinson, a 6-6, 285-pound redshirt freshman from McPherson, Kan., manned the left tackle spot in all 12 games in his first year on the field. He came to KU as a tight end where he spent most of his redshirt year, then spent time on the defensive line before finding a home on the offensive line in 2009.

Laptad, a 6-5, 258-pound junior from Tulsa, Okla., was named Honorable Mention for the second-straight year. He led KU defensive linemen with 49 tackles, while leading the team with 12 tackles for loss, including a team-best 6.5 sacks. His six quarterback hurries were third on the team, while his two forced fumbles were second.

Laptad started the season being involved in a sack in each of the first four games and in six of the first eight contests. He tied for 61^st in the NCAA in sacks and tied for 66^th in tackles for loss.

Reesing, a 5-11, 200-pound senior from Austin, Texas, established nearly every KU career, season and single-game passing record in his storied career. Reesing was recognized by the league coaches for the second time as he was a second-team selection in 2007.

This year Reesing leads the Big 12 in total offense (311.2) and is second in passing (301.3). Nationally, Reesing is fourth in total offense and seventh in passing yards.

Among active players in the country Reesing ranks third in career passing yards per game (273.0), fourth in total yards per game (288.8) and fifth in touchdowns responsible for (105).

In his final game in a KU uniform, he threw for a school-record 498 yards and four touchdowns, on a record-tying 37 completions against Missouri.

He leaves KU with the top three seasons in most statistical categories, while shattering career records in nearly every listing as well.

Rojas, a 6-3, 220-pound junior from Miami, Fla., had a great year punting for KU. He posted a 41.3 average with eight 50-plus yard punts, including a 72-yarder at Texas Tech. He also placed 16 of his 51 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Stuckey, a 6-1, 205-pounder from Kansas City, Kan., was recognized by the league coaches for the third-straight year. He was an honorable mention selection in 2007 before garnering first-team honors in 2008.

Stuckey became the first non-linebacker to lead the team in tackles since defensive back Carl Nesmith had a team-best 103 stops in 2000. Stuckey registered 93 tackles in 12 games after making 98 stops in 13 games in 2008.

For his career Stuckey recorded 295 tackles, the second most by a defensive back in school history (LeRoy Irvin had 347), and his eight career interceptions tied for 10^th on the KU list.

Stuckey's career numbers include 11 tackles for loss, 18 passes broken up, four fumble recoveries and three fumbles forced.

2009 INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Coach of the Year	Mack Brown, Texas
Offensive Lineman of the Year	Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
Defensive Lineman of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Freshman of the Year	Christine Michael, Texas A&M
Defensive Freshman of the Year	Aldon Smith, Missouri
Special Teams Player of the Year	Brandon Banks, Kansas State
Defensive Newcomer of the Year	David Sims, Iowa State
Offensive Newcomer of the Year	Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
Defensive Player of the Year	Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Offensive Player of the Year	Colt McCoy, Texas

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Colt McCoy **	Texas	Sr.	Tuscola, Texas/Jim Ned
RB	Daniel Thomas	Kansas State	Jr.	Hilliard, Fla./NW Mississippi CC
RB	Keith Toston	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Angleton, Texas/Angleton
FB	Bryant Ward	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater
WR	Jordan Shipley	Texas	Sr.	Burnet, Texas/Burnet
WR	Danario Alexander	Missouri	Sr.	Marlin, Texas/Marlin
WR	Dezmon Briscoe	Kansas	Jr.	Dallas, Texas/Cedar Hill
TE	Jeron Mastrud	Kansas State	Sr.	Beaverton, Ore./Southridge
OL	Russell Okung ^	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Bush
OL	Trent Williams ^	Oklahoma	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Longview
OL	Nick Stringer	Kansas State	Sr.	Topeka, Kan./Hayden
OL	Brandon Carter	Texas Tech	Sr.	Longview, Texas/Spring Hill
OL	Nate Solder	Colorado	Jr.	Buena Vista, Colo./Buena Vista
PK	Grant Ressel	Missouri	So.	Jackson, Mo./Jackson
KR/PR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
Defense
DL	Ndamukong Suh **	Nebraska	Sr.	Portland, Ore./Grant
DL	Gerald McCoy ^	Oklahoma	Jr.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL	Von Miller	Texas A&M	Jr.	DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
DL	Brandon Sharpe	Texas Tech	Sr.	Lyons, Ga./Fresno City CC
DL	Jared Crick	Nebraska	So.	Cozad, Neb./Cozad
LB	Sean Weatherspoon ^	Missouri	Sr.	Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB	Jesse Smith	Iowa State	Sr.	Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk
LB	Travis Lewis	Oklahoma	So.	San Antonio, Texas/Robert E. Lee
DB	Earl Thomas	Texas	So.	Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark
DB	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
DB	Dominique Franks	Oklahoma	Jr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union
DB	Prince Amukamara	Nebraska	Jr.	Glendale, Ariz./Apollo
DB	Larry Asante	Nebraska	Sr.	Alexandria, Va./Hayfield/Coffeyville CC
P	Derek Epperson	Baylor	Jr.	Southlake, Texas/Keller

** - Unanimous Selection
^ - Repeat first team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Jerrod Johnson	Texas A&M	Jr.	Humble, Texas/Humble
RB	Roy Helu Jr.	Nebraska	Jr.	Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley
RB	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
FB	Jamie McCoy	Texas A&M	Sr.	Midland, Texas/Lee
WR	Ryan Broyles	Oklahoma	So.	Norman, Okla./Norman
WR	Kerry Meier	Kansas	Sr.	Pittsburg, Kan./Pittsburg
WR	Brandon Banks	Kansas State	Sr.	Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
TE	Riar Geer	Colorado	Sr.	Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita-Monument
OL	J.D. Walton	Baylor	Sr.	Allen, Texas/Allen/Arizona State
OL	Chris Hall #	Texas	Sr.	Irving, Texas/Irving
OL	Kurtis Gregory #	Missouri	Sr.	Blackburn, Mo./Santa Fe
OL	Adam Ulatoski	Texas	Sr.	Southlake, Texas/Carroll
OL	Brody Eldridge	Oklahoma	Sr.	La Cygne, Kan./Prairie View
OL	Lee Grimes	Texas A&M	Sr.	Brownwood, Texas/Brownwood
PK	Alex Henery	Nebraska	Jr.	Omaha, Neb./Burke
KR/PR	Perrish Cox	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Waco, Texas/University
Defense
DL	Sergio Kindle	Texas	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DL	Lamarr Houston	Texas	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
DL	Jeremy Beal #	Oklahoma	Jr.	Carrollton, Texas/Creekview
DL	Jaron Baston	Missouri	Sr.	Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs
DL	Daniel Howard	Texas Tech	Sr.	Wichita, Kan./Butler County CC
LB	Joe Pawelek	Baylor	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB	Roddrick Muckelroy	Texas	Sr.	Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville
LB	Phillip Dillard	Nebraska	Sr.	Tulsa, Okla./Jenks
DB	Jamar Wall	Texas Tech	Sr.	Plainview, Texas/Planview
DB	Quinton Carter	Oklahoma	Jr.	Las Vegas, Nev./Cheyenne
DB	Brian Jackson	Oklahoma	Sr.	De Soto, Texas/De Soto
DB	Jordan Lake	Baylor	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB	Cha'pelle Brown	Colorado	Sr.	La Puente, Calif./Los Altos
DB	Trent Hunter	Texas A&M	So.	Katy, Texas/Katy
P	Tress Way	Oklahoma	Fr.	Tulsa, Okla./Union

A tie in voting created an additional second-team offensive line and defensive back spot.
# - Repeat second team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION

Baylor	Justin Akers, TE; David Gettis, WR; Jason Lamb, DL; J.D. Walton, Off. Lmn of Yr.; Kendall Wright, WR
Colorado	Jake Behrens, FB; Jalil Brown, DB; Benjamin Burney, DB; Marquez Herrod, DL; Scotty McKnight, WR; Ryan Miller, OL; Jeff Smart, LB; Jimmy Smith, DB; Rodney Stewart, RB
Iowa State	Michael Brandtner, P; Kelechi Osemele, OL; Paul Rhoads, Coach of Yr.; Alexander Robinson, RB; Reggie Stephens, OL
Kansas	Tanner Hawkinson, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Todd Reesing, QB; Alonso Rojas, P; Darrell Stuckey, DB
Kansas State	Jeffrey Fitzgerald, DL; Tysyn Hartman, DB; Joshua Moore, DB; Bill Snyder, Coach of Yr
Missouri	Danario Alexander, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Carl Gettis, DB; Jake Harry, P; Dan Hoch, OL; Jared Perry, WR; Kevin Rutland, DB; Jasper Simmons, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Aldon Smith, DL; Derrick Washington, RB
Nebraska	Dejon Gomes, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Eric Hagg, DB; Alex Henery, P; Jacob Hickman, OL; Mike McNeill, TE; Matt O'Hanlon, DB; Niles Paul, WR; Barry Turner, DL
Oklahoma	Jeremy Beal, Def Ply of Yr.; Chris Brown, RB; Ryan Broyles, PR/KR; Keenan Clayton, LB; Auston English, DL; Landry Jones, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jonathan Nelson, DB; Gerald McCoy Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Ryan Reynolds, LB; Adrian Taylor, DL; Trent Williams, Off. Lmn of Yr
Oklahoma State	Hubert Anyiam, WR; Ugo Chinasa, DL; Patrick Lavine, LB; Swanson Miller, DL; Zac Robinson, QB; Andre Sexton, LB; Quinn Sharp, P
Texas	Emmanuel Acho, LB; Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB; Blake Gideon, DB; Kyle Hix, OL; Michael Huey, OL; Sergio Kindle, Def. Lmn. of Yr.; Hunter Lawrence, PK; Alex Okafor, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Keenan Robinson, LB; Jordan Shipley, PR/KR; Charlie Tanner, OL
Texas A&M	Ryan Epperson, P; Jeff Fuller, WR; Cyrus Gray, RB & PR/KR; Michael Hodges Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Jerrod Johnson, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Patrick Lewis, OL; Kevin Matthews, OL; Jamie McCoy, TE; Von Miller Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR & Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jordan Pugh, DB; Ryan Tannehill, WR; Garrick Williams, LB
Texas Tech	Baron Batch, RB; Bront Bird, LB; Cody Davis, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Alex Torres, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Colby Whitlock, DL; Marlon Winn, OL

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.

---

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.

Kansas vs.Texas Matchup Breakdown

Denverjhawk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:23 -0000

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Texas?
Was it better last week? I'm inclined to say yes, but it's still way off of any offense that is going to put up big numbers against the Longhorns. Texas boasts the best defense in the country. For Kansas to win this matchup based on the current state of the offense it's going to take an incredible turnaround. My biggest hope is that since there is really nothing to lose at this point, maybe our players start playing that way and loosen up.		KU Offense vs. Texas Defense	This was never a game circled as winnable on the KU Calendar but I sure thought I had a chance to see Todd put up some numbers and push the Texas D. No longer the case.	The Longhorns are top notch against the run, have some seriously dangerous pass rushers and in general field a top notch defense with athletes all over the field.
The Kansas defense took a small step backwards last week giving a Husker offense that has limped all season a new life. This week it'll take a much stronger effort across the board to compete with the athletes Texas is going to put on the field. Best advice, keep the ball out of their hands and the Kansas defense might be able to compete in small bursts. See: Colorado v Texas 1st half.		KU Defense vs. Texas Offense	Texas returned a Heisman finalist QB and his WR target who in case you missed it likes to fish. They both do...Saturday could be a big day for the pair	Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley...the only reason this offense doesn't look even better on paper is they've spent chunks of the season on the bench with huge leads. Keep it balanced and the Longhorns shouldn't have any trouble beating up on the Kansas D.
I thought Branstetter couldn't pooch kick? Looked like he did against the Corn. That backfired didn't it? Seriously this area needs to be addressed in the offseason first and foremost. This area made all the difference in '07 and has gone dormant since. Oh, except Alonso Rojas.		Special Teams	By a landslide...	Watch out...Texas might very easily return a kick or two in this one. Texas is borderline great on special teams. Not an optimistic view in this matchup.
What happened? Anybody else find it incredibly easy to key on the reciever in motion who made no effort to hide his intentions of crashing the edge on the sweep that the Corn kept running last week? Coaching...well, we're having this discussion elsewhere in a fanpost so I'll defer to that.		Coaching		Mack Brown has won a National Title and he's in a great position to play for another. Hard to argue with success and the Longhorn staff certainly has that.

Well I have to admit it's been a fun early week on here. Not for the reasons I hoped necessarily but it's good to see all the fanposts, fanshots and discussion going on. I'm not so sure this weeks breakdown is going to set off much discussion so please, by all means...keep your thoughts coming with the fanposts etc. and the good news is that Saturday we get to watch a game with no expectations, no urgency and at this point nothing to lose.

Kansas vs. Kansas St. Matchup Breakdown

Denverjhawk — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:26 -0000

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Kansas State?
This feature is beginning to feel like a broken record. Kansas' offense has become nonexistent and I'm not sure Robert Stack and John Walch combined have the ability to find it. Still, I just can't fathom that this thing won't eventually get fixed. They'll be changes on the offensive line and likely in a few other spots this week for the Jayhawks, Todd hit rock bottom in Lubbock and it seems there is only one way to go and that's up. Eliminate the early mistakes, get some confidence and let's get back to the business of scoring touchdowns.	I'm going push here because if K-State stuffs the run which they are capable of doing, then once again the Jayhawks are stuck trying to let a passing game with zero confidence carry the team against a Kansas State team that is gaining confidence on a weekly basis.	KU Offense vs. K-State Defense		Statistically K-State isn't great but they aren't bad either. It's tough to get a great read though because K-State has allowed some pretty big yardage against teams that run a similar pass heavy spread. Oklahoma put up 458 yards of total offense and Tech with a total of 739. Difference here might be those two teams were also effective in the running game. If Kansas State keeps the Kansas running game on the backburner it can could cause some problems for Kansas
This is an improving unit for the Jayhawks. After hitting rock bottom against Iowa State the players have responded to the challenge and the competition is pretty intense for playing time. Kansas held both of their last opponents in Oklahoma and Texas Tech well below their seasonal averages and will need a similar effort against the Wildcats. Stop the run, force a turnover and Kansas can win this matchup.	I give Kansas the edge here based on the effort in the last two games against pretty solid offensive units. In either game if the offense had given any support and not turned the ball over so often the defense likely would have looked even better. This is a close call though, because K-State impressed me with their effort and execution in Norman.	KU Defense vs. K-State Offense		Daniel Thomas is the real deal and last week against Oklahoma the Wildcats played a disciplined brand of football offensively. Still they aren't particularly explosive. If they can get the running game going again though and loosen up the Kansas defense there is no telling when the floodgates might open. I'll tell you one thing, this offense won't lay down like the Ron Prince teams did.
Well we learned that our kicker apparently doesn't even know how to onside or squib, our punt return game is typically good for negative yardage and our kick return might get us to the 25 if we're lucky. I guess that means Alonso Rojas is the lone bright spot. Put DJ Beshears back there and let that guy have a shot at things. Also it's time to send a message to the guys on special teams that anything less than your best will quickly move you to the end of the bench. Kansas has a long way to go on special teams.		Special Teams	Not even close, Kansas State with the edge here and it's a dangerous possibly gamechanging scenario. Don't kick it to Banks please, of course that's assuming Branstetter can kick in a specific direction.	Special teams is Bill Snyders specialty isn't it? Brandon Banks is a stud, they block kicks and they play this area with a sense of urgency. Keep doing that and this is almost a gimme for the Wildcats.
Right now the Head Caoch and the Offensive Coordinator at Kansas have a lot to prove. They've done it in the past but something isn't working right now so it's back time to prove it again. Also, I think Labba needs to refocus some of his attention on hating the special teams coach as well. Fix it.		Coaching	Old Balls still has it. It's still uncertain what the long term results will be of the second coming but one thing is for certain they're going to field a team that plays hard every week.	Bill Snyder has overachieved with what looked to be a disaster of a team left behind in the wake of the Ron Prince experiment. His teams are focused, fundamental and they play hard from start to finish. I'm a believer again, Kansas State will have a good gameplan and execute it. The Kansas staff better find a way to do the same or it's going to be trouble.

Eight weeks ago this one looked laughable. Kansas State appeared to have so many holes and Kansas seemed unstoppable offensively. Of course all this was before the first kickoff. Since then Kansas has regressed, K-State has improved and even though I still believe that Kansas has a talent advantage in this one, the outcome isn't so certain.

5-3 at the 8 game mark. Exactly where we sat last year before pummeling the Wildcats and regaining some confidence. Can the Jayhawks do it again? Will the changes offensively solve the problems? and can Mark Mangino find a way to use the frustration of the season to fuel some sort of us against the world mentality. This team has a lot to prove right now. There aren't a whole lot of people out there worried about playing Kansas. Anyone on this team care to make them wish they had?

The North in 2010

Bill C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The 2009 Big 12 North race is, to say the least, intriguing heading into November, but the way my brain works, I can't help but keep an eye on the future as all of this plays out. And since it's in my head, I might as well type it out too, huh? As November 2009 begins, let's take a look at...2010.

What we're going to do is simple: we're going to take the most recent two-deeps listed on each team's website, remove the seniors, and see what's left. Obviously there will be plenty more analysis to come, but this will be a nice, preliminary peek. I can't help myself.

Missouri

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr) Jimmy Costello (So)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr) Marcus Malbrough (So)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr) De'Vion Moore (So)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr) Marvin Foster (RSFr)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr) Brandon Gerau (Jr)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr) Bart Coslet (Sr)
WR	T.J. Moe (So) Rolandis Woodland (So)	DE	Aldon Smith (So) Brad Madison (So)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr) Michael Egnew (Jr)	WLB	Zaviar Gooden (So) Donovan Bonner (So)
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr) Beau Brinkley (Jr)	MLB	Will Ebner (Jr) Luke Lambert (Sr)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr) Justin Britt (RSFr)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr) Tyler Crane (Jr)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr) Trey Hobson (Jr)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr) J.T. Beasley (Jr)	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr) Robert Steeples (So)
RG	Jayson Palmgren (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	FS	Jasper Simmons (Sr) Munir Prince (Sr)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr) Jack Meiners (So)	SS	Jarrell Harrison (Sr) Kenji Jackson (Jr)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr)
PR	Carl Gettis (Sr)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr)

I've got to say, this is the most complete team heading into 2010. Blaine Gabbert will be the most accomplished North QB heading into 2010 and Derrick Washington the second-most accomplished RB. The improved secondary will return just about everybody of importance, and a deep LB corps could be well-positioned to absorb the loss of Sean Weatherspoon with as little drop-off as possible.
Two major question marks: a) who replaces Danario Alexander, and b) who replaces Jaron Baston? Multiple candidates exist to replace Spoon, so that's actually less of a worry, but the WR situation is at least a bit worrisome. Wes Kemp has shown flashes, and if he continues to grow, he could be the deep threat this team needs, but what is it I always say? Until you actually prove it, it's a question mark. Beyond Kemp, guys like Jackson, T.J. Moe (remember him?), Rolandis Woodland, and one of the redshirting freshmen (L'Damian Washington, Jaleel Clark, Kerwin Stricker) will fill out the depth chart, and at least one of them will need to take a step forward.
Of course, you know who else could absorb the loss of Danario? Tight ends. Novel concept, I know.
I really like what I've seen out of Dominique Hamilton recently, but Terrell Resonno seems to have disappeared. Either he or one of the underclassmen (Marvin Foster, Jimmy Burge, George White) will need to raise their game. If somebody competent steps up at WR and DT, this team is loaded.

Colorado

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Tyler Hansen (Jr) Cody Hawkins (Sr)	DE	Marquez Herrod (Sr) Josh Hartigan (Jr)
RB	Rodney Stewart (Jr) Darrell Scott (Jr)	DT	Curtis Cunningham (Jr) Nate Bonsu (So)
FB	Ryan Deehan (Jr) ?	DT	Will Pericak (So) Conrad Obi (Jr)
WR	Scotty McKnight (Sr) Jason Espinoza (Jr)	DE	Forrest West (So) Nick Kasa (So)
WR	Markques Simas (Jr) Will Jefferson (So)	WLB	Jon Major (So) Tyler Ahles (Jr)
TE	Ryan Deehan? (Jr) ?	MLB	Michael Sipili (Sr) ?
LT	Nate Solder (Sr) Ryan Dannewitz (So)	SLB	B.J. Beatty (Sr) Doug Rippy (So)
LG	Ethan Adkins (Jr) Blake Behrens (Jr)	CB	Jimmy Smith (Sr) ?
C	Keenan Stevens (Sr) Mike Iltis (Jr)	CB	Jalil Brown (Sr) Arthur Jaffee (Jr)
RG	Matthew Bahr (Jr) Max Tuioti-Mariner? (So)	FS	Ray Polk (So) Anthony Perkins (Jr)
RT	Ryan Miller (Jr) Bryce Givens (So)	SS	Travis Sandersfeld (Jr) ?

K	Aric Goodman (Sr)	P	Aric Goodman (Sr)
PR	Jason Espinoza (Jr)	KR	Brian Lockridge (Jr)

I mentioned this past offseason that while Colorado was going to stink in 2009, they might actually be positioning themselves to actually fulfill the role of sleeper that has been foisted upon them for most of the last half-decade. Ironically, they might actually emerge as a sleeper just as everybody finally gives up on them.
Of course, there will still be some major question marks. You know I'm not at all impressed with Rodney "Another Short Gain By" Stewart, and while Scotty McKnight (how is he still an underclassman???) is a great possession guy, he'd be a helluva lot better as a #2 or #3 threat than a #1. Unless Markques Simas finally starts to live up to the potential everybody says he has, this team is still severely lacking at WR, and they're losing both of their top tight ends. (I'm going out of my way not to mention Darrell Scott here, as he...whatever. I have no expectations whatsoever for him at this point, and I'm going to let him surprise me.)
I really like Jimmy Smith at CB, but CU's going to be searching for some replacements in the secondary. Jalil Brown has potential, and Ray Polk is young, but depth could be an issue.
Same can be said for the LB corps. Luckily for CU, they should have a strong D-line to maybe deflect some of the concerns.
If CU really does live up to its annual sleeper reputation, it will be in the trenches, where a struggling O-line will at least have experience on its side, and the D-line could be strong. Then again, after watching CU's O-line attempt to handle MU's improving-but-not-amazing D-line, maybe returning a bunch of these guys might not be a good thing.

Iowa State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Austen Arnaud (Sr) Jerome Tiller (So)	DE	Patrick Neal (Jr) ?
RB	Alexander Robinson (Sr) Beau Blankenship (So)	DT	Bailey Johnson (Jr) Stephen Ruempolhamer (Jr)
WR	Jake Williams (Sr) ?	DT	Austin Alburtis (Sr) ?
WR	Sedrick Johnson (Jr) ?	DE	Roosevelt Maggitt (So) Cleyon Lang (So)
WR	Josh Lenz (So) Darius Darks (Jr)	SLB	Jacob Lattimer (Jr) ?
TE	Collin Franklin (Sr) ?	MLB	Matt Tau'fo'ou (Sr) A.J. Klein (So)
LT	Kelechi Osmele (Jr) Brayden Burris (So)	WLB	Jake Knott (So) ?
LG	Alex Alvarez (Sr) Mike Bangston (So)	CB	Leonard Johnson (Jr) Jeremy Reeves (So)
C	Sean Smith (Sr) ?	CB	Jacques Washington (So) ?
RG	Ben Lamaak (Sr) Trey Baysinger (Jr)	FS	Michael O'Connell (Sr) ?
RT	Scott Haughton (Jr) Zack Spears (Jr)	SS	David Sims (Sr) Zac Sandvig (Sr)

K	Grant Mahoney (Jr)	P	?
PR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)	KR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)

So Paul Rhoads' second year in Ames will potentially see a downright strong offense and a thin, depleted, inexperienced defense. I don't want to overstate the offensive potential (the WR situation is iffy, to say the least), but ISU might have the best O-line in the North blocking for what is at least decent skill position talent.
Arnaud vs Tiller. Could be interesting to watch this competition.
Really, if ISU returned just a couple more decent playmakers on defense, I could talk myself into them being a darkhorse contender. But while I do like what Rhoads has done with the talent on hand this year, I just can't figure they'll be that great next year. They will need another year or two of Rhoads developing his own recruits before I feel a lot more comfortable about the potential of their program.

Kansas

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Kale Pick (So) ?	DE	Jake Laptad (Sr) ?
RB	Toben Opurum (So) ?	DT	Jamal Greene (Sr) ?
WR	Dezmon Briscoe?? (Sr) ?	DT	John Williams (So) Richard Johnson (Jr)
WR	Johnathan Wilson (Sr) Tertavian Ingram (Sr)	DE	Quintin Woods (Sr) ?
WR	Bradley McDougald (So) Chris Omigie (So)	SLB	Justin Springer (Sr) ?
TE	Tim Biere (Jr) Ted McNulty (Jr)	MLB	Drew Dudley (Sr) ?
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (So) Ian Wolfe (Sr)	WLB	Huldon Tharp (So) ?
LG	Brad Thorson (Sr) Carl Wilson (Sr)	CB	D.J. Beshears (So) Daymond Patterson (Jr)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (Jr) Brad Thorson (Sr)	CB	Chris Harris (Sr) Calvin Rubles (Sr)
RG	Sal Capra (Sr) Trevor Marrongelli (So)	FS	Lubbock Smith (So) ?
RT	Jeff Spikes (Jr) Michael Martinovich (Jr)	SS	Phil Strozier (Sr) ?

K	Jacob Branstetter (Sr)	P	Alonso Rojas (Sr)
PR	Daymond Patterson (Jr)	KR	Bradley McDougald (So)

So KU's biggest question mark (offensive line) will return completely intact next year, while most of the known skill position talent disappears. I listed Dez Briscoe on the two-deep above, but I've got to be honest: I'm about 92% sure he's going pro this year. His stats are ridiculous, he's got decent NFL size, he's been suspended for academic reasons, and supposedly he was tied to those football-vs-basketball brawls earlier in the year. That's not a recipe for someone who's going to go out of his way to stick around campus for another season.
Without Briscoe, I have to figure this is going to be a run-heavy offense next year. Kale Pick's got a lot to prove, but with Toben Opurum and an experienced line, they might (might) be able to rely on the run. Then again, they'll still need some sort of passing attack, and...who will be the #1 receiver? Johnathan Wilson, I guess? Color me unafraid.
I'm not even going to try to figure out if KU's D is going to be any good. They've improved recently, but they lose Darrell Stuckey and two linemen, and the depth from LB corps vanishes. I assume this will be a decent unit, and really you can start to maybe see the identity KU might be going with--defense first, run-heavy, grind it out.

Kansas State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Carson Coffman (Sr) ?	DE	Brandon Harold (Jr) ?
RB	Daniel Thomas (Sr) ?	DT	Prizell Brown (Sr) ?
FB	Braden Wilson (So) Lucas Hamm (Sr)	DT	Raphael Guidry (Jr) ?
WR	Lamark Brown (Sr) ?	DE	Antonio Felder (Sr) Joseph Kassanavoid (So)
WR	Collin Klein (So) Chris Harper (So)	LB	Kevin Rohleder (Sr) ?
TE	Travis Tannahill (So) ?	LB	Alex Hrebec (Jr) ?
LT	Zach Hanson (Jr) ?	LB	Troy Butler (Sr) Thomas Ferguson (So)
LG	Zach Kendall (Sr) Trevor Viers (Sr)	CB	Joshua Moore (Sr) Darious Thomas (So)
C	Wade Weibert (Sr) ?	CB	Stephen Harrison (Sr) David Garrett (Jr)
RG	Kenneth Mayfield (Sr) Colten Freeze (Jr)	FS	Emmanuel Lamur (Jr) ?
RT	Clyde Aufner (Jr) Ethan Douglas (So)	SS	Tysyn Hartman (Jr) Torrell Miller (So)

K	Josh Cherry (Sr)	P	Ryan Doerr (So)
PR	Tysyn Hartman (Jr)	KR	Daniel Thomas (Sr)

Like Kansas, this looks to be a pretty run-heavy, can't-pass-on-them team, with Daniel Thomas running behind a super-experienced line and a well-coached defense that is iffy in the front seven but stout in the secondary. In other words, this looks like a Bill Snyder team (sans the All-American linebackers). We've made a big deal out of the fact that they're losing about 35 seniors this year (and that's only a slight exaggeration), and that will absolutely murder their depth, but if they stay reasonably healthy, the Snyder identity might be able to take shape a bit more.
Now, I say they'll have a good secondary...I'm still unsure about how good the secondary is now, but returning all four current starters certainly suggests decent improvement for next year.
I believe I heard that Chris Harper is moving to WR instead of competing at QB, right?

Nebraska

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Cody Green (So) Zac Lee (Sr)	DE	Cameron Meredith (So) Josh Williams (So)
RB	Roy Helu, Jr. (Sr) Rex Burkhead (So)	DT	Baker Steinkuhler (So) Terrence Moore (Jr)
FB	Tyler Legate (So) Mike Hays (Jr)	DT	Jared Crick (Jr) ?
WR	Niles Paul (Sr) Antonio Bell (So)	DE	Pierre Allen (Sr) ?
WR	Curenski Gilleylen (Jr) Khiry Cooper (So)	Will	Blake Lawrence (Sr) Matthew May (Jr)
TE	Mike McNeill (Sr) Dreu Young (Sr)	Mike	Will Compton (So) Micah Kreikemeier (So)
LT	Mike Smith (Sr) ?	Buck	Sean Fisher (So) Eric Martin (So)
LG	Keith Williams (Sr) ?	CB	Prince Amukamara (Sr) Dejon Gomes (Sr)
C	Mike Caputo (Jr) ?	CB	Anthony West (Sr) Alfonzo Dennard (Jr)
RG	Ricky Henry (Sr) ?	FS	Eric Hagg (Sr) Austin Cassidy (Jr)
RT	Marcel Jones (Jr) D.J. Jones (Sr)	SS	P.J. Smith (So) Courtney Osborne (So)

K	Alex Henery (Sr)	P	Alex Henery (Sr)
PR	Niles Paul (Sr)	KR	Niles Paul (Sr)

How the hell is Pierre Allen still an underclassman? I was completely convinced that both he and Barry Turner were seniors, but I guess not.
Next question: how much of Nebraska's defensive identity is grounded in Ndamukong Suh? He and Turner depart, but will Allen and the stout Jared Crick be able to keep the great D-line play coming? And how much of Crick's success is due to offenses' fear of Suh?
The shine is quickly wearing off of Roy Helu, Jr., but he does return next year (lord knows he's not going pro), and with yet another experienced O-line, NU should be able to run the ball pretty well. That will obviously take some pressure off of Cody Green if Green is not, after all, ready to be NU's savior.
I really like what NU has returning at CB, but...safety? I think I like their second-string CBs more than their first string safeties. Will be interesting to see if there's some position shifting when all is said and done.

As a Missouri fan, I look at this information and quickly conclude that Missouri will be the 2010 favorite, and really I'd say I have pretty good basis in fact for that opinion. That said, Nebraska is intriguing, and even though K-State is not a stat-friendly team (I've already accepted that they're better than the stats say--I just can't figure out how much better), Bill Snyder really might get them back into the hunt despite the youth and lack of depth. Colorado could be interesting depending on who the head coach is (ahem), Kansas has recruited well and will see plenty of talented-but-young players hitting the field, and Iowa State might have the best offensive line in the division. I'd like to think Missouri might run away with this thing, and I'm sure it could happen (the trip to Lincoln aside), but with five of six North teams (all but Kansas) looking potentially better next year than this year, we might have another fun race on our hands.

Kansas vs. Texas Tech Matchup Breakdown

Denverjhawk — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:28 -0000

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Tech?
I'm at a bit of a loss on this one. Kansas is one of the top ranked offenses in the country but the last few weeks have held some struggles for the unit. Kansas needs to avoid mistakes early so they aren't forced to abandon the run. From there take a little hint from A&M and commit to the run. In the passing game Briscoe and Meier are studs but it's time guys like McDougald, Biere and Wilson see more balls. Balance is the key to keeping teams off guard. It's almost as if the Jayhawks have become to predictable. One other thing, if the other team wants to throw an giant umbrella out there against this tough recieving corps, check down to the running backs. They've been open regularly.	Edge Still goes to the Jayhawks here but after the last two weeks it's by an ever slimming margin. Todd and the O have earned the benefit of the doubt due to past success, let's just get this thing back on track so doubt doesn't continue to trickle into the picture.	KU Offense vs. Texas Tech Defense		Texas Tech is a middle of the pack defense after some key losses from last season. However if they can force some mistakes and make Kansas one dimensional it becomes a different game. The blueprint is out there on how to stop this Jayhawk attack, it's just a matter of executing and capitalizing on any miscues.
The changes from a few weeks back look to be upgrades. John Williams is solid up front, Justin Springer and Huldon Tharp look to be the best linebacking combo Kansas has fielded this year. Finally, Lubbock Smith, Ryan Murphy and even DJ Beshears despite his struggles have looked very good at times. Throw into the mix a rejuvinated Darrell Stuckey and this defense has been respectable since Iowa State and had Kansas been firing on all cylinders was likely good enough to beat Oklahoma. The Kansas defense needs the offense to put the team ahead and let the Jayhawks tee off, mix things up and try and force more mistakes by the Raiders, beyond that...bend but don't break whenever possible.		KU Defense vs. Texas Tech Offense		Believe it. Once again Mike Leach has the top passing team in the nation. The only tricky thing is their running game has struggled and their most efficient quarterback in this years musical chairs is out. Take advantage of a youthful Kansas secondary and put them on their heels and Tech's wild ride, shootout style could make for some serious problems for the Jayahwks.
Allright, Kansas needs to keep McDougald as the kick return man, find a way to get Daymond Patterson better blocking and special teams might be moving in the right direction. I mean hell Jacob Branstetter bombed one in and Alonso Rojas is still our punter extraordinaire. All Kansas needs to do is play with a little more fire and be a little less timid on the special teams units and this might one day be a strength again.		Special Teams	I'll give Tech the edge because they have a solid return game and the last thing Kansas can afford to do is give Tech a short field.	Exploit the Kansas kick coverage and make Jacob Branstetter show why he's the best tackling kicker in the country. Other than that, Mike Leach doesn't believe in field goals does he? Still the Tech special teams unit can win field position with their return game and coverage.
Kansas coaching staff will come up with a gameplan of their own and I'm still confident in the group. If it's me though, I'm going to commit to the run, keep things simple on offense and find ways to spread things around more. On defense, channel whatever you did against Oklahoma in the first half and things will look allright. Mix it up, disguise coverages and blitzes and make it difficult on whoever lines up behind center for the Red Raiders.	I say push on this one but let's be completely honest that the Jayhawk staff as got to find a way to get things back on track. Like the offense they've earned a little bit of goodwill, but it's time to earn some money again.	Coaching		Tech's coaches need to find a way to get the run defense back under control. Find a way to plug and play yet another quarterback in the offense, and put Kansas behind early. Leach is a mad genius and he certainly didn't disappoint last year in Lawrence. Can he do the same?

It's tough to look at this one and say Kansas has a chance. At the same time, isn't it tough to look at this one and say they don't? Kansas and Tech have been all over the board this year in terms of how they've played and the state of the team. Kansas is coming off two weeks with losses to Colorado and OU where they hurt themselves to the point of putting themselves out of the game.

Things at Tech were looking up after throttling Kansas State and beating Nebraska behind an impressive defensive performance. Then lowly Texas A&M came to town and ran up and down the field to the tune of 50+.

So who wins this thing? In Lubbock with the offense the Raiders put on the field they'd look to have a decided edge. At the same time the Kansas defense is playing better now and at some point this offense has to get back on track, right?

With all the uncertainty I think it's safe to say this one comes down to coaching. Which coach has his team more prepared, refocused and ready to go. The great thing about football is there's always next week, well next week is here Kansas fans and the North is still there for the taking.

Kansas Football Notable Quotables 10.13.09

Denverjhawk — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:03:50 -0000

Looks like it may have been a rough week if you play defense or special teams for the Jayhawks. The staff elected not to name either a "Defensive" or "Special Teams" player of the week following the lackluster performances last week during the Iowa State game.

This week Coach Mangino talks Colorado, Jake Sharp, fixing the defense and the play of Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe.

On the player side of things we here from Sal Capra, Chris Harris, Toben Opurum, Todd Reesing, Alonso Rojas, Darrell Stuckey, Justin Thornton and Johnathan Wilson.

If there is one positive in this weeks opponent, it might be that their offense is in as much turmoil if not more than our defense.

Players of the Iowa State Game

Offense: Todd Reesing

Defense: None

Special Teams: None

Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week: Dexter Linton

Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week: Riley Spencer

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Recap of last Saturday's game vs. Iowa State:

"We handled ourselves pretty well on offense. Several players stepped up and made a lot of plays, as I had said before. Todd Reesing had a really big day, as well as Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier and Toben Opurum, who did a great job with his role. I thought our offensive line played pretty well. On the defensive side of the ball, obviously, we were giving up too many points. We did not get enough three-and-outs, and that is something we will definitely work on this week."

On this week's game vs.Colorado:

"Colorado is a good football team at home. They always play well in Boulder and we understand the challenge there. They have made a change at quarterback. Tyler Hansen will now replace the coach's son, Cody Hawkins. From all indications, they are making that a permanent move. We know that Tyler Hansen is similar in the passing game to Cody Hawkins in a lot of ways. They share a lot of the same characteristics. Obviously, he [Hansen] is a little bit faster. Maybe a little quicker, better athlete, which brings a new dimension to their offense in running. We will certainly be prepared for that challenge. On defense, they can be stellar at times. They gave Texas a rough time in the first half. They had some good calls and made some good plays, so it will be a challenge for us. We are looking forward to going to Boulder and playing well and trying to get another Big 12 North win."

On Colorado's game vs. Texas game last week:

"I thought they did some good things on defense in the beginning. Offensively, they moved the ball a little bit. Texas gave up a big play and Colorado was then able to win the field position battle in the first half. Unfortunately, Colorado gave up some big plays in the second half and Texas was then able to run off with it."

On the progress of Jake Sharp:

"It's day-to-day. It will be a game-time decision. Hopefully, we will get the green light, but it is really day-to-day."

On the relationship between star receivers Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe:

"Well it depends on what kind of an environment you're being coached in. And the other people who are around you also plays a significant role. One of the things about our ball club is we have been able to have some success here in the last couple years because we are unselfish. Kerry Meier is the poster boy for unselfishness. Our kids realize they need one another. No one person is going to do it alone. It is going to take a cast of many. Our players are the type that cheers for each other, pat each other on the back. Our players understand that for the University of Kansas to have a really good football program, everyone has to have their toe on the line in the same direction. They are all smart enough to understand that and they have always done that since I have been here."

On the play of wide receivers Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe complimenting one another:

"I don't know if they compliment each other; I think what they do is put extreme pressure on the defense. You cannot play a combo, double-team coverage on one of them and try to play a single-coverage on the other without any kind of help. It is difficult to do. They create a dilemma for the defenses because they [the defense] are dealing with two pretty high-level players who run well, have good ball skills and can catch the ball in a crowd. They can catch the ball under pressure from a defender, so defenses are trying to make a decision whether to play strictly zone, or play man-to-man by trying to man-up their speedy guys with them or maybe a man-free concept with a man and a safety over the top helping out one another. It is difficult to try and double-up on one of those guys because it really puts the rest of your defense on an island."

On other teams' different attempts to defend Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe:

"We see all kind of things. Since the beginning of the year, we have had several different types of approaches from dropping eight, blitzing play after play, man concepts, two-deep zones, cover four. We have seen a three-man rush and a lot of other things. Todd is doing a really good job of managing all that. That is probably the reason we are 5-0 because he is prepared to deal with those different looks."

On fixing the defensive problems exhibited in last weekend's game vs. Iowa State:

"As I watch the tape and study it, I feel like we just need to play to our players' strengths. I think in some areas we need to just have them do what they do best. Not try to make them do things that may be really good, sound schemes, but do not fit our personnel. We have to continue to work on the things that fit our personnel. We have to do a better job with communication on the field between our players. I don't think we tell each other much what is going on. We are going to get our calls out sooner, when it is needed. That is something, strategically, you do not want to do all the time, but when it is needed, we'll try to get our calls out sooner to give them a chance to get lined up and talk to each other. I think we have to tackle better. I think more than anything, we, as coaches, have to know what our players are capable of doing and do that. We have a lot of good things in our package, but we have to do only what our players can do. I think we will rebound nicely and our defense will be able to feel a lot better about the direction we are going."

On the play of Todd Reesing and talk of the Heisman:

"I can't tell you I have been obsessed with it. But when you get an opportunity to go home in the evening, since we have played a lot of these morning games, I have had a chance to watch a lot of college football lately. They talk about all these different players, who I'm sure all deserve to be mentioned in the Heisman talk. But it's early; we have only played five games. For Todd to make a true run at it, we have to win a lot of games. It is on us as a team as much as it is in his hands. He is not obsessed with it and neither am I. But, I really believe that if you look at his body of work over the last three years, what he has done here...he is off to a 5-0 start, he is in the top five or six in a lot of passing and offensive categories. The real appreciation I have for Todd Reesing is watching him play. Statistics don't tell the whole story, they tell part of it and his stats are impressive. But the way he controls the line of scrimmage, the confidence he plays with, the throws that he makes and the times that he is in difficult situations where it looks like it is going to be a minus-yardage play and he turns it into a plus or a first down, that is the beauty of Todd Reesing. I just would hope that all the people who have a vote for the Heisman would at some point in time have an opportunity to see him play. If not in person, then watch him play on television because I think they will have greater respect for what he does for his team and how he plays and not just match statistics up. He will bode well against most in statistics, but it is actually how he plays the game. If the Heisman is truly for the best player in college football, then I really believe that mid-season, he deserves to be mentioned in that group."

Junior Offensive Lineman Sal Capra

On blocking for an offense that can make plays:

"It is fun knowing that if you make a block it could turn into a touchdown or an amazing play by Kerry Meier, Todd Reesing or Dezmon Briscoe."

On being a starter this season:

"It is gratifying after all the hard work and of three years of playing behind people."

On the bond of the offensive line:

"Pretty much all we do right now is football. Through two a days to right now we have formed a bond together, joking around, hanging out and playing football."

Junior Cornerback Chris Harris

On the Jayhawks' performance against Iowa State:

"I felt like we were kidnapped or something. It didn't feel like us playing out there and I couldn't figure out why we were playing so terribly."

On what they will have to do to improve:

"We all need to hold each other accountable and make sure everyone is doing his job. Once we do that, I think we should be fine."

On preparing for Colorado:

"They're going to throw a lot of different formations at us so we have to be ready. We saw that they changed their quarterback, so we don't know what they will try and throw at us."

On whether the defensive leaders talked to the defensive line after the Iowa State game:

"We just said that pretty much we have to keep believing and keep working - working for each other and playing for each other."

Freshman Running back Toben Opurum

On playing Colorado:

"Colorado is a team that is looking to pull out a big win to continue the season. It's going to be tough to go to Boulder and pull out a victory there. We will be tested at the level we're playing right now. A win at Colorado would be big for us."

On playing in an unfriendly environment:

"I've heard stories about all the Big 12 teams we're playing on the road. That's how teams are supposed to be when other teams come to play. Fans are supposed to be intimidating and they're supposed to get into the game. It really sets the emotions for the game and the players."

Senior quarterback Todd Reesing

On Mangino talking about Reesing's contention for the Heisman:

"Obviously it's not a focus but it's nice to hear. Any time your own coach thinks you're worthy of mention for an award such as that, you can't help but be happy about it. For Coach Mangino to mention an individual award is pretty out of character since we all know his focus is more team-oriented, as well as my focus. But for him to say that and think that I'm worthy of being mentioned as a candidate, it is good to have his support on my side."

On the performance between him, Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe against Iowa State:

"I don't know how you can get much better than that - with those guys getting the numbers they did with yards and catching-wise. The whole offense was pretty unbelievable. For having three guys like that put up those kinds of numbers, those are numbers that anybody would take for a career-day and on any given game, having three numbers like that is pretty spectacular."

On the different ways teams have tried to stop the Kansas offense:

"Every team has its own approach. Certain defenses are better at certain things. Every team knows its limitations and its strengths. Everybody is going to have their own game plan and their own way that they feel is best-suited for their team to defend us. It's going to change every week - one team is not going to play us the same as another team. We have to be ready for it. The teams may do something different than they've done all year. We're known to put up a lot of yards and a score a lot of points and people are going to give us different looks to try and throw us off balance. We're ready for anything they'll throw at us and we'll adjust on the run as we always have."

Junior Punter Alonso Rojas

On his contributions:

"The field position battle is very important for us. We feel like the further back a team is, the harder it is for them to get downfield. It gives the defense a lot of breathing space. I take a lot of pride in being able to help and that the defense can benefit off my good play."

Senior safety Darrell Stuckey

On the change in quarterbacks at Colorado:

"The quarterback play may be slightly different, but the play calling will be exactly the same most likely. It's one of those things where we'll go out there and play against a complete team. The quarterback is obviously a big part of their offense, but at the same time, he has to be willing and able to fit within the scheme of their offense too. And, at the same time, we have to be prepared for anything and everything when we go out each game."

On Coach Mangino's statement that the elevation will not be an issue:

"I agree with that. It's one of those things where you may find yourself breathing a little faster, but the air is the same and just as clear - you may just be a little shorter of breath."

On whether the team prepares differently for Colorado:

"Not at all. We run and condition after practice every week the same way. It's one of those things where we need to be prepared to play them."

Senior cornerback Justin Thornton

On whether the team will change its preparation to deal with Colorado's new quarterback:

"We probably won't change too much. They're kind of similar type players. We'll just be ready for it. We've seen him (Chris Hansen) a little bit earlier in the season, but not a whole lot. I'm pretty sure they're going to do a lot of the same things they did with their other quarterback (Cody Hawkins) in there. It's not too big of a difference. I think we'll be all right."

On the defensive wake-up call against Iowa State:

"That would be fair to say (the team got a wake-up call). Any time something like that happens to you, you either have to make changes and get it fixed, or you're just going to be an average team."

On the team being unbalanced:

"We know that we can be a good defense. After a performance like that (Iowa State), what else can you say? It was an unbalanced performance throughout the day. The offense carried us the entire day. If it wasn't for Todd Reesing and the o-line and the offensive skill positions, we would have had a loss to Iowa State. It's definitely a wake-up call for us and we're going to make some changes and try and get things fixed. I promise we won't turn in a performance like that the rest of the year."

Junior Wide Receiver Johnathan Wilson

On the success of others helping him improve:

"It definitely helps Bradley (McDougald) and me. Other teams will try and play up to our level of talent, so we have to be ready."

On playing with other talented wide receivers:

"You can't be selfish because this is a team atmosphere."

On playing with Todd Reesing:

"He takes control of the game and makes plays on his own. He scrambles all over the place, and usually those plays are not designed to do that. That's what makes him so special."

Kansas vs. Iowa State Tale of the Tape

Denverjhawk — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:27 -0000

			VS.


Conf	National	Actual	Category	Actual	National	Conf
Rank	Rank	Actual	Category	Actual	Rank	Rank
2	16	209.25	Rushing Offense	207.6	20	3
5	12	302.25	Passing Offense	171.6	106	12
3	6	511.5	Total Offense	379.2	53	10
2	6	40.5	Scoring Offense	25	78	11
2	3	59.25	Rushing Defense	157.6	84	10
10	62	123.69	Pass Effic. Defense	129.85	74	11
5	35	310.75	Total Defense	358.4	65	9
3	11	13.5	Scoring Defense	20	40	8
12	114	30.57	Net Punting	42.65	3	3
8	59	9.54	Punt Returns	5.33	92	11
6	44	23.25	Kickoff Return	22.30	54	8
5	T-36	.75	Turnover Margin	-.4	80	11
11	98	251.5	Pass Defense	200.80	49	5
3	18	153.58	Passing Efficiency	109.43	97	11
3	6	3.75	Sacks	1.8	62	10
3	T-11	7.75	Tackles for a Loss	5.8	58	9
8	T-56	1.75	Sacks Allowed	.2	1

First thing that doesn't really surprise me but just doesn't seem right is the effectiveness of our offense. It's funny because '07 and '08 it felt like the offense clicked better but yet this year the Jayhawks are putting up bigger numbers, or else comparably bigger in the grand scheme of things. Maybe this is another example of the defensive adjustments across the college football landscape that have been implemented to offset the spread.

On defense the Jayhawks continue to look like an improved group. Pass defense is still a bit lagging behind but as an overall unit they are stopping the run better, overall a better group and when you look at big plays they are making them more often. Tougher tests to come but it's hard to argue with what they've done so far.

Lastly the special teams is better, kick returns is out of the bottom of the nation which is where the group spent much of last season. The only area that statistically looks to be lagging is the net punting stat. However, that area isn't the least bit concerning because Alonso Rojas is typically being called upon to punt it inside the 20, and he's been extremely reliable in doing so.

Overall coming out of non-con this year versus last year the signs are there that we are a better team on paper. Not sure if it feels that way with the eyeball test or not, but on paper we're better...

Kansas Football Press Conference Quotes 9.22.09

Denverjhawk — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:28 -0000

This week coach recaps the Duke game both offensively and defensively. He discusses the upcoming opponent in Southern Miss. and the challenges the present and lastly talks a little about the progression of a few key performers on defense from last weeks game.

Coach also makes some great points when it comes to Todd's performance and how he has managed the game very well in the early going.

From a player standpoint, Kerry Meier, Toben Opurum, Todd Reesing and Daymond Patterson give their feedback on a variety of topics. What stands out most to me is there is a confidence yet an understanding that there is room to improve and work to be done from each of the players this week.

Note: Early Season Report Card on the Offensive Line and Week 2 RCT Fantasy Football Rankings later today...

Players of the Game

Offensive: Todd Reesing

Defensive: Jake Laptad

Special Teams: Alonso Rojas

Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week: Duane Zlatnik

Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week: Christian Matthews

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Recap of last week's game vs. Duke:

"After reviewing the tape, we feel like we had a good performance against Duke. We know there are areas we need to work on, but the key thing is we are better every week, which is what is most important for us."

On KU's offense vs. Duke:

"We had some young guys pressed into duty like Toben Opurum, who performed well and did a really good job. We think he is a guy who keeps getting better as we go along. He is a true freshman, so everyday is a learning experience for him. I like the way Todd Reesing played again. Todd threw the ball very well. He made good decisions; he ran the ball well and managed the game extremely well. So, he continues to play at a high level for us. Kerry Meier also did well on offense. Dezmon [Briscoe] also made some good plays, even though he dropped a few passes we would like to have back; he continues to play well."

On KU's defense vs. Duke:

"I like the way we are progressing. I think we are learning a little bit about ourselves each and every week. I really like the way we are playing up front. I think we can still be better fundamentally up front, but I like the kind of work we are getting out of people like Jake Laptad, Max Onyegbule and Jeff Wheeler, who's come on strong. All our linebackers continue to get better and our secondary is playing with great confidence and getting better as we go along. We certainly have some work to do in a few areas on defense, but we are getting better."

On this week's game vs. Southern Miss:

"Southern Miss is a good football team, who, as you know, is 3-0. They beat Virginia last week. On offense they give you a lot of looks. They are a wide-open offense. They have a lot of formations and a lot of different looks. They run the ball very well, in fact Damion Fletcher has averaged 115 yards a game. He is a very quick guy with good lateral movement and good explosion. Their quarterback manages the game very well. They have a couple of big receivers. One of them, by the name of DeAndre Brown, is young man who got hurt last year in the bowl game and has come back and played very well.

On the defensive side of the ball they play very well. Their defensive line is very active. They have some key guys on their front that jump the ball and make a lot of plays. They have a returning free safety who I think is a really good player. He was a Conference USA second-team player last year. This is really good team, who will come in here ready to go and we plan to have a good week here and be ready ourselves."

On this week's game vs. Southern Miss as a good test before Big 12 play:

"Certainly they are a good football team at 3-0. They beat a good ACC team or what we think is a good ACC team. There are quicker than what we have seen and have more skill than what we have seen. So, you bet they are a good challenge for us."

On facing a wide receiver with size like DeAndre Brown:

"You cannot change your structure for one guy; you just have to play well. You have to play good, sound fundamentals, understand what he is trying to do, and what his strengths are and how to play against those strengths. But he is a talented guy and really big guy at 6-5, 6-6, so he's not your average size receiver so to speak."

On progresson of Daymond Patterson from wide receiver to cornerback:

"He has had to work at it and it has really taken some time, but I think the key with him right now is he has really developed some confidence. He is playing the ball in the air pretty well. He plays bigger than his size, which I think is always very important. He does a good job of taking his feet with him. He doesn't leave his feet to play the ball very often and he doesn't reach for the ball. He understands what his responsibilities are in various zone-to-man coverages and he has adapted well. Those are all key components, but number one; he is playing with a lot of confidence."

On KU's efforts to stop the run game:

"I think it speaks for itself. I think we have played the run very well in the first three games when you look at statistically, but also when you look at it from a fundamental aspect. Based on the schemes we are running, I think we are doing a good job. I think we can be better. I think there is room for improvement in that area, like playing our fits a little better in the run game. I think we have to do a good job of pursuing and not overrunning the ball, which we have improved on, but we still have work to do in that area. However, in terms of progress, I am pleased."

On play and progression of Hulden Tharp:

"He is a true freshman and we wanted to ease him into the situation just so he could develop some confidence. We wanted to put him in situations where we thought he could succeed. We threw him in there because we needed his help and he is athletic, tough, smart and he knows how to play the game. He makes a lot of freshman mistakes, but as time goes on he is playing more and more and we think he is going to end up being a key guy for us out there. I can't say that when we recruited him we intended to put him on the field right away, but we thought he could play as a true freshman. We knew that our linebacking situation was going to need some immediate help. But we did not feel like we needed to throw him out there and we have been able to take him just about the way we would like; maybe a little bit ahead of schedule, but he has responded very well. As the competition gets better, he seems to improve. As the tempo of the games pick up, he improves as well and has a good grasp on that tempo."

Senior Wide Receiver Kerry Meier

On Southern Miss:

"Just taking a quick look at them yesterday, they've got some players. The past three teams have had some players too. But overall, the amount of players that they have on defense and the team speed and the coaching, it's going to be a great challenge to see where we're at. Southern Miss will come in ready to go and try and knock us off."

On the sluggish start versus Duke:

"I don't know what the reason was. I think we had a solid week of practice and we felt confident going into the game, but we found ourselves not as sharp as we'd like to be. We played decent, but we're excited to be 3-0 and we're as excited to move on."

On the satisfaction with the offense and being 3-0:

"We're satisfied with 3-0, but as far as the rest of the stuff that's out there, the stuff we haven't gone after and gotten, we're not satisfied. I don't think we'll be satisfied this whole season. I think at the end of the season if we're undefeated, that's when we'll be satisfied, but until that happens, we're going to keep working and keep pushing until we get to where we want to go."

Freshman Running Back Toben Opurum

On how he has performed on a personal level:

"It's funny, we will get a lot of praise from people outside the program, but I think it's easy to see when we come in here and watch film that I've got a lot of areas that I need to improve on. I feel like I can only get better from here though."

On the opportunity to play early:

"I saw the opportunity to play early, it was there. I felt like when the opportunity came, I'd be ready for it."

On the performance of the offense so far this season:

"I definitely like it. I'm impressed with what we've done and what the coaches have prepared us to do. But once again, we've got a lot of work to do."

On Southern Miss:

"It will definitely be a test to see where we really are. I think Southern Miss is an underrated team, I think they're one of the better teams in the country and we will definitely have our hands full with them."

Sophomore Cornerback Daymond Patterson

On how the defense has handled the run thus far the season:

"I think we've handled the run pretty well. We can always do better. But so far, all the linebackers have been playing pretty well playing downhill. We are going into this week really working on techniques and filling gaps to make sure we are ready for this game."

On taking steps as a defense each week:

"I think we have taken steps each week. The first week, we had an OK game but we felt like we weren't running to the ball fast enough. The next game, we came out and felt like we moved to the ball really well. We got some turnovers and made some big plays. Last week, we made some more big plays and some more turnovers."

Kansas senior quarterback Todd Reesing

On running back Toben Opurum being pressed into duty:

"Toben Opurum did a great job. He was asked to play a lot more snaps than he probably thought he was going to. He did a good job and made some big plays for us. He is a young guy. He is going to continue to learn and get better. We expect him to progress fast and make plays like that."

On the challenges of playing Southern Miss.

"They are the best team we will play so far. That's that challenge within itself. They have talented, athletic guys. They want to come in here and pull off the upset to make a statement for their season. There are a lot of things we have got to be ready for. They are going to bring their A game and we have to do the same."

Kansas vs. Southern Mississippi Team Analysis

Denverjhawk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:00:22 -0000

The Golden Eagles come to Lawrence this weekend in what many considered Kansas' first major test with UTEP being the other possible exception. To date the Jayhawks have handled their business with relative ease but haven't been quite as crisp or efficient as some would have hoped. Sure there are those that contend this offense is perfectly fine averaging in the top 3 in terms of production, but if you take the statistical blinders off for a moment it would be hard to not at least acknowledge some concerns.

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Southern Miss.?
Kansas has been good but not great on offense and last week lost the services of running back Jake Sharp temporarily. With or without Sharp back Kansas' balanced attack will need to continue to be a strength against the Golden Eagles. Stats or no stats Kansas is a top 20 offense nationally and you have to think the pieces will come together soon. Some teams might be able to contain the Jayhawks offense but not many will stop them.	Closer than normal though based on Kansas' last few games.	KU Offense vs. Southern Mississippi's Defense		Southern Mississippi has been very strong against the run and better than average against the pass. If they can make Kansas one dimensional, continue to put pressure on the quarterback and ride that to a couple turnovers they'll be in this. Southern Mississippi's defense is fully capable of mustering enough chaos to give the Jayhawk offense some trouble if Kansas is sloppy.
I want to believe, I'm trying to believe, I even added the Monkey's to my IPod this week to help me believe this Kansas defense has turned a corner. So far Kansas is winning the battle up front and it's translating to success on defense. What happens as the level of competition increases? Kansas has to continue to get pressure on the quarterback, continue stopping the run and this week take advantage of Southern Mississippi's mistakes which have led to them being ever so slightly turnover prone early this year. Do those things and Kansas wins this matchup and turns this fan into a believer.	I wanted to say push on this one but after last season, I need one more good showing before I take the Kansas defense against such a solid offense.	KU Defense vs. Southern Mississippi's Offense		Southern Mississippi has the horses and athletes on offense to make this a game. This will be as solid a test for the Jayhawks defense that they've seen this year in every way. The quarterback can beat you through the air or with his feet. They field a running back that will punish you for blown assignments. The Golden Eagles also put a reicever on the field that will be a SERIOUS test for this Kansas secondary. Kansas' defense will have it's hands full in this one and if the Golden Eagles play mistake free football it will be tough for Kansas to stop them.
Kansas looks to be an improved team in this area for 2009. Besides a few missed field goals every unit looks better. The kick coverage is solid as is the kick return. However, the most underrated stat has to be Alonso Rojas' punting which from a net standpoint looks pretty abysmal. Again though take the statistical blinders off and Rojas and the rest of the Kansas special teams are winning the field position battle for the Jayhawks.		Special Teams		Southern Miss. like Kansas has been pretty solid here if not slightly better in the return game. Like Kansas, the Golden Eagles do a nice job of putting their offense and defense in positions to succeed and no surprise here but one of these two has to give. At the end of this one special teams may be a major factor but deciding an edge is a push for me at this point based on how early it is in the season and how similar these two teams special teams units have performed.
Last week against Duke the Jayhawks defense looked to be returning to old habits after a first drive which saw Duke go the length of the field in a hurry. From there though the Jayhawk defensive staff was able to buckle down and force 8 straight possessions with no points from the Blue Devils. Throw in the fact that the Hawks are getting much more creative in terms of stunting and blitzing and the only thing that is missing is a little more aggressive pass coverage. Once again just another example of the upgrade in coaching this offseason for the Jayhawks. Kansas staff is deep and Mark Mangino teams come around as good as any.		Coaching		Larry Fedora is the Southern Mississippi Coach and for those who think that name sounds familiar it's because he was the Offensive Coordinator with the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 2005-2007. Fedora was instrumental in taking OSU from Big12 South afterthought to what they are now. In his second season with the Cowboys Fedora took OSU from 96th in the nation in offensive production to 7th. Fact of the matter is the guy can coach. If he can put together a defensive scheme as good as some of his offensive one's he'll win this battle of wits against the Jayhawks.

Southern Mississippi will be the most well rounded team the Jayhawks play, the best defensive team the Jayhawks play and they will have a legitimate playmakers on the field. Austin Davis returns at quarterback where he produced over 3500 yards of offense as a sophomore in 2008. Damien Fletcher returns in the backfield following a 1300 yard rushing season in 2008 and is off to a fast start in 2009 averaging over 5 yards per carry. Lastly, DeAndre Brown is perhaps their most dangerous weapon at the reciever spot for the Golden Eagles. Coach Mangino says Brown might be the toughest Kansas faces all year he is coming off of a 2008 season with over 1100 yards recieving and 12 touchdowns.

Factor in solid special teams play, a notable coaching talent on top of the fact that this team is riding a stout defense to an 8 game win streak dating to late last year and the Jayhawks are looking at a potentially tricky one at home.