SB Nation - Ryan Murphy

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.

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Defense

Kansas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MU's advantages:

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

KU's advantages:

Red Zone S&P+

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

Defensive Line

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

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

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

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

Linebackers

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

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

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

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

Secondary

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

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

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

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

Special Teams

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

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

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

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

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Three Keys to the Game

Passing Downs

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

Danario Alexander vs Dez Briscoe

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

MU's Running Game

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

Prediction

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

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.

Hawk Talk: Kansas vs. Colorado Tailgate Edition

Denverjhawk — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:00:45 -0000

A look at news and notes from this week about the Jayhawks and their upcoming game....

The Good Guys...

Jayhawks Focused on Changing the Defensive Problems.
Coach Mangino Thinks Todd Should be in the Discussion for Heisman.
Is the Defensive Scheme Overwhelming Kansas' Defenders.
Players Notice the Halftime Student Exodus...Seriously Students, this is Messed Up.
Ryan Murphy Setting an Example.
Reesing has been A Buffalo Hunter from Day One.
Kansas Receivers Expecting a Tougher Test Against Colorado.
Kansas v Colorado Preview.
The Old Elevation Argument Whenever Anyone Travels to Colorado.

The Bad Guys...

Denver's Take...

One Paper this one is easy. Then again on paper so was Iowa State. Good news is the weather is gorgeous here in Colorado and I'm off to Boulder to enjoy some fun in the Colorado sun. The good weather should be a benefit to the Kansas offense and I'm curious to see what the coaches have in store for the defense this week.

A few quick items of note. I've been told Jake Sharp will be playing, and also keep your eyes open for a new face in the backfield on Saturday. Big John Williams should push for minutes at defensive tackle this week and from the sounds of things the guy might even push for major minutes by late in the season. Lastly on defense keep your eyes out for Lubbock Smith in the defensive secondary and true freshman DJ Beshears appears to be making a little bit of noise. Beshears might not appear on Saturday but it sounds like he's had the staff taking notice of late.

Back to the game Colorado put out an excellent first half against Texas last week. If their defense can be equally effective against the Jayhawks through four quarters this might be a tough one. In terms of the Colorado offense, it's anybody's guess what we'll see there just as it's anyone's guess what we'll see from the Kansas defense.

My opinion is this is a game that will play tough early but Kansas will pull away. The Kansas offense is riding high and confident as ever. A few stops for the Kansas defense whether by their own account or the self destruction of the Buffaloes and this will eventually get out of hand as things did for CU with Texas.

I'm not discounting the Buffaloes and this game has scared me from the beginning but I'll hop in my car and head to the Darkhorse confident but cautious. CU has put together one shocker nearly every year with Coach Hawkins. I don't think it's Kansas this year and Todd runs out of Boulder with a 4-0 record against the Buffs.

Final Score: Kansas 42 Colorado 24

Notes and more things to look for after the jump..

KU-CU SERIES -- Colorado leads the all-time series 41-24-3, including a 23-9 advantage in games played in Boulder. Kansas has won three straight in the series since CU won five consecutive from 2001-05.

LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY -- With its current three-game winning streak, Kansas is looking to win four straight against Colorado for the first time in the series which dates back to 1903. The Jayhawks
won three straight from 1962-64. KU posted a five-game unbeaten streak from 1906-1948 with two wins, a tie and two wins.

KU-CU LAST YEAR -- RB Jake Sharp rushed for 118 yards on a career-high 31 attempts and scored three touchdowns to lead then No. 16 Kansas to a 30-14 victory at Lawrence on Oct. 11, 2008. Kansas limited Colorado to just 233 yards of total offense, nearly 100 yards shy of its 325 yards per game average. S Darrell Stuckey and CB Kendrick Harper both came up with interceptions. KU meanwhile produced 407 yards of total offense as QB Todd Reesing completed 27 of 34 passes for 256 yards. KU led 16-14 going into the fourth quarter before Sharp scored on touchdown runs of eight and seven yards to put the game away.

KU-CU LAST TIME AT BOULDER -- Behind the leadership of QB Todd Reesing, then 15thranked Kansas held off Colorado 19-14 at Folsom Field on Oct. 20, 2007. Kansas built up a 19-7 lead after scoring on a 15-play, 94-yard drive with 10:23 left in the game. Colorado scored a touchdown to pull within 19-14 at the 3:42 mark. After Colorado forced KU to punt, the Buffaloes took over at their own 42-yard line with 2:16 remaining in the game. Kansas stopped the Buffs on four plays (CU lost eight yards on the possession) and the Jayhawks won their seventh straight game of the year. Reesing completed 20 of 29 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown while also rushing seven times for 84 yards. KU's defense registered seven tackles for loss, including three sacks, and came up with three turnovers.

JAYHAWKS VS. COLORADO -- Here is a look at how some Jayhawks have done vs. Colorado:

QB Todd Reesing made his collegiate debut in the second half against Colorado in 2006 completing seven of 11 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 90 yards and another score to rally the Jayhawks from a 9-0 deficit to a 20-15 win... In two and one half games against the Buffaloes he is a combined 54 of 74 (73 percent) for 515 yards and four passing touchdowns... The top two rushing games of his career have come against Colorado with 90 in 2006 and 84 in 2007 (his third-best rushing game was 79 vs. Northern Colorado this year).
WR Dezmon Briscoe did not have a catch at Colorado in 2007, but has recorded at least two receptions in his 23 games since then... He was shutout on receptions just one other time in his career (zero vs. SE Louisiana in game two of his freshman year.
TE Tim Biere had his previous career bests in both receptions (two) and yards (26) against Colorado last year. He is coming off his new career game with three catches for 53 yards against Iowa State last week.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR AGAINST COLORADO

KU has scored at least 30 points in six straight road games.
KU is looking to post its first ever four-game winning streak in the series with Colorado.

500 CLUB -- For the third time this season Kansas produced 500 total offensive yards in game with its 551 against Iowa State last week. In the 31 games since the start of 2007, KU has produced 400 yards in 25 games, 500 yards in 12 games, and one 600-yard game.

DEFENSE DOING WELL IN THE FOURTH QUARTER -- In the last two games, with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the KU defense has managed to come up big when it needed to. Against Southern Miss. with the game tied heading into the fourth quarter, KU forced USM into an interception, two punts and a drive which ended on downs. Last week against Iowa State, KU trailed 30-27 before holding ISU to a punt, a touchdown and a drive ending on downs in the final period en route to the victory.

REESING LEADS NATION -- KU QB Todd Reesing has the nation's longest active streak of games with a touchdown pass at 23 consecutive contests. Colt McCoy of Texas is second at 22, while Case Keenum of Houston is third at 21

Hawk Talk: Southern Mississippi the Morning After

Denverjhawk — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:38:33 -0000

A look at News and Notes from Saturday's Game...

A Kansas DEFENSIVE stand holds of USM for the win.
Lawrence native Ryan Murphy makes his presence known for the first time in a Kansas uniform.
Toben Opurum more than ready to carry the load on Saturday.
Kansas shrugs of concerns of distractions and shows up ready to play.
A Special View on Game Day.
Mangino looks for Sharp to be back by conference play.
KC Star game story.

Denver's Take...

Honestly, this is exactly what Kansas needed. A tough non conference tune up where we would have to step up in some areas of weakness, expose some of our weaknesses and give us a good two weeks of something to work on before the Cyclones come to town.

Southern Mississippi is a good team. They are a very good team, with an offensive minded coach who comes straight from the Big 12. They're defense had been very solid through 3 games this season and in it's final 5 contests of 2008, and just in case you didn't catch it they did come in with the second longest winning streak in division one yesterday.

Sure there were struggles. The offensive line broke down at times and it always seemed to be in a major loss, drive killing kind of way. On the other hand they also looked very good at times, forming a pocket, picking up there blocks and giving Todd room to work. Not to mention Kansas ended up with 102 yards rushing against Southern Mississippi and Toben Opurum became the first 100 yard rusher they've allowed in some time.

On defense it looked ominous and as Kansas fans we're almost trained at this point to blame the defense anytime things aren't going well. When it mattered in the end though the Jayhawk defense stopped 3 consecutive drives to secure the win. What does that mean? Well, it means the offense had 2 chances to put the game away but failed to do so. It means our defense was the difference today. No, this isn't a great defense and they'll give up their share of yards, but I feel comfortable saying it's an improvement over last years group through four games.

There are two stats I like in this one. The first is the Southern Mississippi offense manages only 64 yards rushing and is held below their overall average on the season. Not bad when facing the number 18 offense in the country to date.

The second one is time of possession. I harped on this in the open thread and I absolutely think it will pay huge dividends in conference play if we are able to control the clock and run a balanced attack as we did yet again yesterday. Kansas finished this one with 36.21 in the TOP column while Southern Mississippi finished with 23.39. That's nearly a full extra quarter that their defense had to be on the field versus ours, and I'm not sure our defense has the gas in the tank to make three consecutive stops down the stretch if this is reversed.

35-28 is a win. Sure we'd like them to all be easy, but it's fun to face a challenge and see how your team responds. Kansas did what they had to do and came out with a win. Time to rest up, make some final improvements and head into two conference opponents where Kansas should be favored in Iowa State and Colorado.

Postgame Quotes and Notes after the jump...

Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino

On Southern Miss:

"Offensively they did a good job of trying to keep us off balance today. They were a formidable offensive team to compete against. That's good for us because we're right up to conference play. The defense, when they had to in the fourth quarter, shut them down and made plays. That's the key. They gave us a lot of looks that we had not seen before. We had to adjust on the run, but our coaches on defense stayed with it and did a good job of getting our kids settled down and made the proper adjustments so that we could stop them in the fourth quarter."

On the play of senior receiver Kerry Meier who set a career high with 141 yards receiving:

"They both had great days no question. Kerry (Meier) just quietly does that stuff. He makes play after play. He's a tremendous playmaker for us. He gets open when a lot of receivers would struggle. He finds a way to get open and get the ball. He gets yard after the catch."

On the play of true freshman running back Toben Opurum in his first start:

There was a lot of pressure on Toben (Opurum) today. We down played that with him all week. He had to go in there and start as a true freshman and it's a difficult duty. He did a marvelous job. The only glitch all day was when he turned the ball over. He ran hard and ran smart. He got some good yardage after first contact. He pass protected well. We're really excited about his play today as a true freshman."

On how he feels the team has performed so far:

"I really feel good about our team in terms of attitude and fight they have in them, the competitive spirit that they have. Today for three quarters on defense it didn't look like it, but you have to understand when the game was on the line our kids fought for the ball on defense. We're far from a finished product. We have a lot of work to do. This off week will be very important. We have to get better in a lot of areas, but I like where we are right now and I like the direction of our ball club."

Kansas players

Junior Defensive End Jake Laptad

On the overall play of the defense:

"We knew we weren't playing our best game to start off. I feel like we stepped up in the fourth quarter and made plays when it counted."

On the emotional toll a game takes:

"We know that we're tired, but we know they are tired, too, so we always condition after practice. I feel like that was a helpful step to get the win today. I feel they were a little more tired than us."

On KU's only sack:

"The quarterback was getting rid of the ball really quickly and I was getting frustrated with not being able to get him down. But to step up at the end and get that was rewarding."

Senior Cornerback Chris Harris

On KU's defensive play:

"We had to try to make the stops. Some games, we'll be struggling and the offense will have to win for us, so we knew today we had to win for them."

On stopping Southern Mississippi's DeAndre Brown:

"It was a big challenge. You can see by today that he's a future first round draft pick. I give him credit for coming out today and playing really well."

On Southern Mississippi's Damion Fletcher:

"Our main goal was to stop him because he holds all of their records. We knew he would come in and try to run, so we felt that if we stopped the run and made them one-dimensional, we could come out with a win."

Senior Quarterback Todd Reesing

On his personal foul:

"I will make sure I hand the ball to the referee, so I don't get any unsportsman-like penalties. That was a rough one. I've never seen that one before."

On if he was surprised that it was a close game:

"Not at all. We knew coming in that they were a very good team. Looking back, we didn't really know how good they were. I have to give a lot of credit to them because they are a really good football team. They played hard and gave us some new looks that we weren't familiar with. I wouldn't be surprised if they are contending for their conference championship."

On the defense in the fourth quarter:

"They were huge. They had never gotten a team in all four quarters of the game, and that's what this was. They played hard from the first play to the last in the game. The defense came up huge at the end, and that's big for them. It's a confidence booster going into conference play."

Freshman Running Back Toben Opurum

On whether or not he expected Jake to play:

"They're looking at him everyday to see how he's doing. They just wanted to hold him out and let him get some rest. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was ready to play."

On Southern Miss:

"They are definitely by far the best team we've played so far. I feel like they'll do really well in their conference and it was definitely a test to see where we are. I think we handled it well."

On what he takes from this game:

"Basically we don't want to be satisfied. This game here came down to the last minute and you can't be satisfied with what you've done either in the first half or the first three quarters. You've got to play the entire game"

Sophomore Cornerback Ryan Murphy

On the progress that he's made:

"I know that I'm making progress. The coaches tell me I've been doing a great job and they've been trying to get me more action. The first couple of games I really didn't get a whole lot of playing time, but these last couple of games I've been trying to make the most of it."

On the improvement of the defense in the fourth quarter:

"Well we felt like we played well in the first half. We came out there in the second half and we knew we had to shut them down. In the fourth quarter it felt like we got stop after stop and it was just huge. One person after another was making plays and that's what we need to be successful."

Senior Wide Receiver Kerry Meier

On the game as a whole:

"Southern Miss came out and did everything we thought they were going to do. They did it well for four quarters and we found ourselves in a tough situation. We found just enough plays to seal the victory and we are happy to be 4-0 right now."

On his career day (141 receiving yards):

"If you push yourself and work hard throughout the week, Saturdays will be a lot easier. If you're pushing yourself hard and pushing your teammates, stuff comes easier on game day. It's a testament to our coaching staff, to our players and to myself for pushing each other."

On the feud with the basketball team:

"With all the stuff that went down, people could look at that stuff as a distraction. But I think we came out today and performed like nothing happened last week. What happened with the basketball team happened and we've moved on. We turned our attention and focus to Southern Miss. The basketball team turned their focus toward what they've got to do to get ready for their upcoming season. What's happened is in the past, it's behind us now and we are moving on to bigger things."

Poll

Who's your MVP of the Southern Mississippi Game

Todd Reesing 30/41 331 yards 3TD's 1Int

9 votes

Toben Opurum 28 Carries 109 Yards 1 TD, 2 Catches 21 Yards 1 TD

16 votes

Kerry Meier 10 Catches 141 Yards 2 TD's

36 votes

Kansas Defense - 3 Straight stops down the stretch

20 votes

81 votes | Poll has closed

Kansas Positional Previews: Cornerback

Denverjhawk — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:00:11 -0000

Daymond Patterson Will Begin the 2009 Season Where he Left Off in the Defensive Backfield as a Corner for the Jayhawks

View full size photo »

Moving away from the defensive front and into the backfield, the cornerback position will be the focus of today's positional preview. Kansas has had a great deal of success in turning corners into stars of late with both Charles Gordon and Aqib Talib gaining national attention before taking their games to the next level in the NFL.

This has led to a bit of a recruiting boon as the Jayhawks sit in the position of having a lot of players that can fill this roll, while not quite being certain who is the one to fill it.

Last year was an interesting one at the position as an assortment of young players took a stab at things and unfortunately almost all were eaten alive by Big12 offenses. The result wasn't terribly unexpected when you are asking a freshman or redshirt freshman to cover the likes of Michael Crabtree and Jordan Shipley among others, but it still leaves a little bit of concern that there wasn't really anyone at the position capable of ultimately locking down a starting role.

One year later the staff has addressed the position through a variety of means. Position changes, additional recruiting as well as the overall development of those already in the position should lead to some stiffer competition this year.

Full Positional Preview After the Jump...

The starting role at the corner position, like many positions appears only partially resolved at this point. Daymond Patterson who joined the team as a true freshman was slated as a receiver at the beginning of the fall of 2008. A lack of success in filling the role of corner through other means led the Kansas staff to make a change with Patterson and try his quick feet out on the defensive side of the ball. Now after a full offseason in the training program and gaining experience at the position it appears Patterson has made some pretty big strides and could be a breakthrough player in the secondary this fall. A year removed from a 21 tackle, 2 pass breakup performance Patterson has improved himself physically and ideally prepared himself more mentally for being a solid corner in the pass happy Big 12.

The other corner position is a little more up in the air with last year's starter by the end of the season Justin Thornton running second team. Thornton broke into the Kansas lineup at safety in 2007 as part of the Orange Bowl championship team and actually finished tied for the team lead in interceptions with first round draft pick Aqib Talib. It was those ball skills and the lack of anyone else stepping into the role that ultimately led to his move to corner in the middle of 2008. At 6'1" 213 pound Thornton brings excellent size and strength to the position along with the ability to provide run support when needed. Thornton finished 2008 with 63 tackles for the team, 1 int and 11 pass breakups. The biggest hindrance to his success this year may well be his late season suspension from the insight bowl as the Mangino doghouse is not a place you want to be.

The player to date that has stepped into the first team role in place of Thornton is a 6' 195 pound sophomore in Anthony Davis. Davis arrived at Kansas with a pretty solid reputation as a player but one who might need some development in terms of the speed of the game in college. He was a 2 time all state player in high school and was known as a player with the physical tools and athleticism to make plays in coverage. In his now third season with the Jayhawks it appears the switch may have been flipped and the kid out of Tulsa with untapped potential, might finally be realizing it and ready to contribute.

After those three there are two other players who saw action last year but were clearly not quite ready. The first is 5'10" sophomore out of Lawrence Free State in Ryan Murphy. Murphy came to Kansas as a 4* athlete and had a lot of folks excited because he was a player people were familiar with. He's been tested at receiver and corner but appears to have found a home in the defensive backfield. While he has yet to see significant minutes on gameday he has done fairly well as a scout team player and he may still contribute down the line for the Jayhawks.

Another player the Jayhawks tested last year was true freshman at the time Corrigan Powell. Unfortunately for Powell, he was tested during the Texas Tech game and we all know how that ended up. I guess my feeling on Powell is this, as a true freshman he played in a total of 9 games and if nothing else that means he showed something during practice that the coaches felt could contribute. Maybe last year he wasn't quite ready but I would say that he certainly has to be up there on the depth chart this year if he continues to develop.

Another player that came in with Powell in 2008 is 5'11" 180 pound Greg Brown. Brown has been referenced more than once as a player that has made strides in the offseason and while it's hard to say where he'll land on the depth chart, he definitely could provide good depth at the position. Brown comes from a solid high school program in Cedar Hill out of Texas and was considered a Texas top 100 player out of high school.

Now it's time for a look at the newbies at the corner position and as I said Kansas added a lot in terms of recruiting at this position. Calvin Rubles, Tyler Patmon, DJ Beshears and Taylor Lee all joined the program in the offseason.

Starting off with Rubles, Calvin is the former teammate of a familiar Jayhawk corner Aqib Talib. At 6'3" 200 pounds the junior college transfer bring great size to the position after transferring in from Tyler Junior College in Texas. Last season Rubles was an all conference first team selection at Tyler after recording 45 tackles and three interceptions on the year.

Tyler Patmon is a guy that we interviewed here as part of our Rock Chalk Talk series last season and while he was relatively unheralded in last year's class he has apparently turned some heads in the preseason and wouldn't surprise anyone if he were to see minutes this season as a true freshman. Patmon measures 5'10" 180 and the staff was very complimentary of his footwork and hips during the recruiting process. It seems those strengths have translated well to coverage against the Kansas receivers so they might just get tested on gameday at some point.

DJ Beshears is a player in the similar mold of a Daymond Patterson. In fact when he initially committed to Kansas I think many saw him as an addition to the receiving corps because nearly all the film that existed of him showed the 5'9" speedster catching the ball on a bubble screen and scrambling for the end zone. He finished his senior season with 88 receptions for over 1400 yards and 21 touchdowns. Who knows he may jump back over to that side of the ball but with the way Pattersons quickness and speed have translated to a successful corner, it appears that's where Beshears will begin his career.

The last name on the list is a 6'1" walk on freshman in Taylor Lee. Very little is known about Lee but he is on the roster and working with the cornerbacks at this point.

So there you have it, 9 guys that are on scholarship and slated at the cornerback position. Obviously the need for good quality coverage corners in a league like the Big 12 is huge and the Jayhawk staff has filled the pipeline with athletes who will have to compete for time from day one. This trend will likely continue and hopefully so too will Kansas' tradition of producing NFL caliber corners.

Poll

Who do you want starting opposite Daymond Patterson

Justin Thornton

36 votes

Anthony Davis

17 votes

Corrigan Powell

3 votes

Ryan Murphy

2 votes

Greg Brown

1 votes

Calvin Rubles

5 votes

Tyler Patmon

1 votes

65 votes | Poll has closed

"I'd Rather Not Talk About It": Texas Tech 63 Kansas 21

rockchalk — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:28:47 -0000

First off, let me shoot it to you straight; I didn't finish the game. I showed up late, was watching the game on DVR, was eager to watch some live college football. Once Michael Crabtree took the screen on 3rd-and-Goal from the fifteen-or-so to make the score 42-14, I turned the TV off in dusgust. Well, that isn't entirely true; I simply pressed 'EXIT' and went on my merry way watching some other college football, including some kickass finishes between Michigan-Michigan State, Virginia-Georgia Tech and USF-Louisville.

And for that, I suppose I apologize. I still fully intend to watch the game, obviously, it's just slid down the priority chart. However, I think the action I saw provides me with sufficient evidence to analyze our problems; we can't exactly stop the pass. Like, at all. Like, our secondary is so putrid we are playing true freshman slot receivers at corner. It would have been nice to at least get a pick somewhere along the lines, maybe even force a three-and-out off of three incompletions. Anything. And yet, no matter what we did, they still ended up scoring 6, kicking the extra point and tacking another TD into Graham Harrell's Heisman profile and, more importantly, the scoreboard.

When hiphop from over at KJ-IBT claimed that this was Kansas' worst loss in the school's history, he wasn't far off. In fact, given our status as favorites against a Top 10 team (#8, to be exact) and the importance it contained over our national perception and all of that fun stuff, expectations were countless. We were expected to perform, and in a big way, whether we lost or won. As the week of the game wore on, I began to have mixed feelings regarding the game. Some of the time, I was incredibly confident, considering our homefield advantage and that one QB we have. And others, I was sure we would lose, considering our porous pass defense and, well, the fact that the Red Raiders were ranked #8 in the entire freakin' country. But were we to lose, I wouldn't be devastated. Of course not. I mean, I just explained that Tech is the better team, and most of us knew that coming in. But all of us, even including Texas Tech fans, fully expected a close, offensively-enthused shootout. Excitment was to abound.

Uhh, no. Not so much. The Red Raiders showed up to the game; I'm not so sure our defense actually did. Honestly, did you see a BCS-conference D out there? Sure, we have plenty of D-1 talent. At least I'm pretty sure we do. But it is painfully obvious that we are desperately thin in the defensive secondary, with only one good corner (Chris Harris), while Kendrick Harper most likely isn't 100%, because he isn't nearly the player he was last year or this year prior to his injury. And our trio of young, raw freshmen aren't near ready enough to play. I think Corrigan Powell could be a big-time stud in the future, but he isn't Texas Tech-ready yet; not by a longshot.

Let's just consider that the first, incredibly obvious bullet point to discuss. Here are the rest of them, all of them much shorter than the four-paragraph-opening discussion on our porous pass defense.

Jake Sharp was the lone bright spot in Saturday's game. I mean, where was he the first four games of the season? I'm not complaining or nothing, but he looks entirely different and has for the past couple of games. Even way better than last season. Hopefully he can bring this for 12 games next year, and with some better athletes, potentially, a more-experienced overall team, we can have some big-time success. Yeah, that-a-way, let's already look towards next season. My oh my, what a single, blowout loss can do to a fan's psyche.
This ties in with the whole cant-stop-the-pass thing, but we desperately need some pass rush. What seemed to be some breakout performances from Laptad and Onyegbule against Iowa State and Colorado has quickly turned into a decent game against OU and an absolutely terrible game against the Red Raiders. I realize that the Texas Tech's offensive line is ridiculous, but it would be nice to at least force Harrell to have to scamper away. Oh, and yes, I do realize that we got two late sacks. Congratulations. Not to be a bitch about it, but it doesn't quite mean as much when the score is so out-of-reach. Means a helluva lot less. Don't get me wrong, I sincerely hope that they can emerge as legitimate pass-rush threats. I'm just not holding my breath.
Clint Bowen isn't the only one to blame. Of course, I also defended Mike Solari in his first year as the Chiefs' Offensive Coordinator, but I tend to ere on the side of caution as far as giving coordinators time. However, sticking with the Mike Solari angle, there seems to be plenty of similarities. Both were 'company men' who were promoted to a job they had zero experience in from within the organization, with the effort to 'stay consistent' with the respective schemes. Of course, Solari proved he was entirely incompetent as an Offensive Coordinator and Bowen has yet to really prove he can be a Defensive Coordinator. I am entirely willing to give him the rest of the year, but he better start showing some stuff, and the sooner the better.
One last thing. I am actually worried about this game. Kansas State didn't completely roll-over-and-die like I expected against Boomer Sooner this past Saturday, and J-Free has looked like, oh, I dunno, a legitimate college QB. He isn't making many mistakes and is efficiently running their offense. And if we lose to the Powercats, at home, then it will almost be like 2007 never even happened, and we'll be right back to the any-bowl-makes-me-happy attitude. An attitude I hate, by the way. Ugh.

Honestly, I couldn't have even imagined one single loss could have demoralized me so much. Coming into the Texas Tech game, I almost expected a loss. And it wouldn't hurt us too bad, as long as we beat K-State and the Cornhuskers. But the way we lost, with our complete inability to stop any ball that left Graham Harrell's hand, has completely ruined my faith in the majority of our team, but more specifically the defensive secondary.

We've just gotta bea thte Powercats.