SB Nation - Kendrick Harper

A Final Reflection; Insight Bowl and 2008

Denverjhawk — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:19:59 -0000

New Year’s Eve 2008 marked the end of an exciting Kansas football season as the Jayhawks wrapped up their first ever back to back bowl wins in school history. Already fans, media and players alike are looking toward 2009, but I thought I would take one last opportunity to look back at the 2008 Insight Bowl and discuss 2009 sometime next week.

Full story after the jump…

I myself landed in Tempe early the morning of the game. Weather was fantastic, there looked to be about 8 fellow Jayhawks arriving on the same plane with me. One shuttle to the hotel and one to downtown Tempe and my first bowl experience was underway. Now, before getting to much into the game I’ve got to say if you haven’t made the plunge and forked over the money to attend one of these, do so on your next opportunity. These events are special and going forward I will make every effort to attend in the future. I sat next to an older Jayhawk alum at a bar prior to the game. He had been to the Orange Bowl, Final Fours and many other events I as younger alum had not been able to attend at this point. His advice to me, “go to as many as you can, you’ll never say, gee I wish I hadn’t spent the money to go to that.” After the game and the good feelings you get being surrounded by that many Jayhawk fans in that environment, I think I’ll heed his advice going forward.

Onto the game…after a few beers in downtown Tempe I wandered over to the alumni tailgate and an ocean of blue shirts outside the stadium. Got my tickets at will call, snapped a few photos of the scene and just took it all in waiting for the doors to open. Now, I know this wasn’t the Orange Bowl or a BCS Bowl, but as someone who endured the Terry Allen era and realizes where this program has been, you take nothing for granted. I wandered over to the player will call area and all the parents and guest of the players were lined up for a very, very long stretch. I think my favorite was what I assume was Dezmon Briscoe’s mother. She had a shirt on the back that read Mrs. Briscoe, and on the front the phrase “you got Briscoed.” I wonder if she handed that over to Tim Brewster after the game.

The doors opened, fans filed in and moral was high as Kansas fans far outnumbered the Gopher faithful. My guess would be a good 6:1 ratio of Kansas to Minnesota. I don’t say that as a knock on the Minnesota crowd but more as a acknowledgement of the Kansas following. If you think about it this is a fan base that went to the Orange Bowl last year, the National Championship in basketball and now like everyone else is stuck in one of the worst economies of recent history. Combine all that it makes it very impressive that so many fans, students and family were able to make the effort and fork over their hard earned cash to make the trip. I think it speaks a lot to the potential this program has if the building continues.

Pregame was great, fireworks, precision parachuting and a flyover. One somewhat humorous moment was right before the national anthem started Todd Reesing and the captains came bursting out of the tunnel in a sprint. I think they were expecting a rowdy welcome but since everyone was showing respect for the flag, it remained quiet. Reesing quickly realized what was going on, removed his helmet and showed his respect. One other thing regarding the pregame, there was a Greg Ostertag sighting. Two rows in front of me a freakishly large man rolled in with his wife and kids, I quickly recognized him as the Big O and glad to see he could make it.

Kickoff came, Briscoe back deep and I had a good feeling about our special teams. One play later and we had scored. Jayhawk fans went wild and Gopher fans had that look on their face like they were already convinced Big 12 offenses were as good as advertised. As we all know the game would swing the other direction before Kansas took firm control in the third quarter and never looked back.

There were several player performances I was impressed with. The obvious of Todd Reesing, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier is worth mentioning but there were others who seemed to save there best for last.

The offensive line, a much maligned unit early in the year pulled it together late and between the Missouri contest and this one allowed Reesing to step up, improvise and make plays. The tackles have come a long way and on one drive in particular Jeremiah Hatch played the whole series with a malfunctioning helmet. The thing must have fallen off three or four times, one time with Reesing picking it up and carrying it up to the line for the big guy. The interior Seniors have been great, going from a question mark in 2007 to the anchors of back to back bowl champions. One other worth mentioning here is Sal Capra. The redshirt sophomore came to Kansas as a linebacker from Rockhurst in Kansas City. He’s bulked up, put in the work and seems like he has the chance to lock down one of these spots next year. He might not be the most physically gifted but he seems to be a very smart gritty player that just gets it done.

The defensive line, another area that has been frustrating throughout the year also seemed to find its way late. The defensive tackle rotation of Blakesly, Greene, Johnson Jr, Wheeler and Parish seemed to really respond to the extra time off and opportunity to heal. The goal line stand showed a lot of what the future may hold for a very young, very raw Parish and with another year in the weight room this unit could be fairly effective. At the ends, Brorson was his usual steady self, but the guy that impressed me most was Maxwell Onyegbule. For the first time the guy with all the potential seemed to really understand the game. He may not have had his name called a ton but he did get pressure, sack the quarterback and showed a lot of athleticism and intelligence on some of the screens shovel passes, and running plays where he put himself in the right position to make the play.

Linebackers are a special group; special guys and they went out the right way. Kansas has shown a knack lately of developing this position and with the advent of the spread these three faced some tougher tests, but they always gave it 150%. Special mention to James Holt, should have had him on the occasional pass rush all year.

The secondary did what they had to do. No huge plays here but Daymond Patterson looks the part after half a season on the defensive side of the ball. Stuckey has a chance to be great next year. Finally, Kendrick Harper I know it hasn’t been a smooth ride but he made a big play on the goal line stand and he is a Jayhawk and for that I am grateful.

On the special team’s side of things, Branstetter again proved our best tackler on kick coverage. Alonso Rojas, this guy is brilliant at times and that punt at the 1 inch line was the most remarkable kick I’ve seen in my life. I’ve been to a lot of football games but I’ve never seen a fan base get that excited over a punt.

The coaching staff deserves some serious recognition as well. Watching the fine tuned, well oiled machine work on the sideline is impressive. The coaching staff orchestrates everything so well and smoothly and I think that is why we get the absolute most out of our players. Expectations are high, everything is taken seriously and all these guys have to worry about is making the play. You also see a real good cop, bad cop dynamic from these guys. Just due to pure personality there are coaches down there that strike fear into a player making the wrong move, but there are also those guys that really pick players up. Clint Bowen comes to mind as he shared a moment with each of the senior linebackers as the game wrapped up. Hugs all around for that group.

As the game wrapped up the Rock Chalk Chant was hear loud and proud. If Minnesota fans hadn’t heard it before they got one of the best versions I’ve heard. As I’ve mentioned before many stayed for the trophy presentation. Coach Mangino thanked the great fans of Kansas; we sang the alma mater, did the Rock Chalk Chant and sent the players off to the locker room I know this was a bit long, but I really think you do gain an appreciation for a team when they go through as many hard times as Kansas has and you witness an event like this. Jayhawks filled the streets of Tempe well past midnight to ring in the New Year. 2008 was a fun, wild ride. It maybe finished a little short of initial expectations but it was still a success, and now 2009 can’t come fast enough.

Press Conference Quotes...11.11.08

Denverjhawk — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:51:59 -0000

Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino and KU Players...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“Looking back on last week, Nebraska made more plays than we did to win the game. We had opportunities and didn’t always capitalize. We didn’t make stops when we needed to make stops. We have got to improve our tackling. We have got to play a lot more sound in our inside run game. There were a few bright spots. Dezmon Briscoe had a big day and looked really good. Todd Reesing had a good day, although his numbers didn’t show that he did. James Holt is really playing good defense for us right now.”

“This week we have Texas, who is a very good, ranked, top-five program. They have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball and on special teams. Defensively they are very stout. They are only allowing 86 yards per game rushing. They have a very athletic defensive line with very quick, athletic guys who can move around. Their linebackers seem to be the heart of their defense. They are an outstanding group of linebackers. Their secondary is very athletic as always.”

“On the offensive side of the ball they run the ball with a number of different tailbacks. Their big playmaker is obviously Colt McCoy at quarterback, both running and throwing the football. He has a bunch of excellent receivers to throw to, led by Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Shipley is also a very dangerous player on special teams.”

“It is a very good Texas team that is coming here and we are planning on having a good week of preparation and getting ready to play them. It is an opportunity for us to play a top-five team here at home and we want to play well.”

More Coach and Player Quotes after the Jump...

Coach Mangino Cont.

On this year’s senior class:

“This is a senior class that has several fifth-year players and some kids that have played a lot of snaps. They have been through some really good times and have had to fight through some times. We see them as a group of kids who have been here and weathered some storms and have had some really big highs. We expect that they will continue to compete and fight here until the end.”

On Dezmon Briscoe:

“Dez is playing good football. Each and every week he seems to get better. He does a good job of understanding the defense. He knows where the holes are, he understands the coverages and we are really getting the ball to him quite a bit. He is finding holes in zones and leveraging man coverage pretty well. This is only his second year with us, but he is really getting better all the time.”

Junior Quarterback Todd Reesing

On playing Texas:

“I grew up in Austin, obviously watching the Horns. My dad went to UT. So I would be lying if I told you it wasn’t a little bit bigger for me. You got to try to not make it as big to yourself, but it is going to be fun. I grew up watching Texas and cheering for them, so now that I am playing against them it will be a lot of fun.”

On the Big 12 North Race:

“At this point things haven’t gone the way we would have liked them to. Last week obviously was a big game for us in terms of stepping up and playing for the Big 12 North, but that is obviously out of our hands at this point. This week we just have to go out there and play our best. We are playing a very good Texas team that is ranked real high and it one of the best teams in the nation. They are coming to our place on senior day and it is the last time for our seniors to go out there and play in front of our home crowd. We are going to lay it all out on the line and see if we can get a win and the upset.”

On the current senior class’s home success:

“You always want to send your seniors out with a win and that is why senior day is such a big deal. It is the last time you get to play at Memorial Stadium. It is going to be a crowded house and I know that everyone is going to be excited and have a positive attitude this week. We are just going to practice hard, get ready, and try to bounce back.

Senior Linebacker James Holt

On what senior day means:

“There is a lot of history in that stadium. I will always remember the first game that I played in it. It will mean a lot to all of the seniors and hopefully we can play a good game and just leave it all out there and give the people a good show.”

On getting a signature win for the year:

“Definitely with it being senior day and getting to go against No. 4 ranked Texas, a real powerhouse team, would be great to go out and pull an upset that would be a tremendous statement for the senior class.”

Junior Cornerback Justin Thornton

On helping the younger cornerbacks believe in themselves:

“A lot of guys came in knowing that they could compete and play. After being at practice with them all year we know that they can play and we are taking it upon ourselves to keep beating it into their heads that they can play at this level and they are here for a reason.”

On James Holt:

“Moving him around has been a great thing for us. He gives us the chance to blitz from different angles and play different coverages from different spots. He is great around the ball and he just gets the job done. He is a great athlete. If you get him matched up against bigger, slower guys he will beat them with speed. He isn’t the biggest or heaviest guy, but he plays hard and has a nose for the ball.”

Junior Safety Darrell Stuckey

On his thoughts of playing Texas this week:

“It’s one of those games that you go into where you have to do everything right. You have to execute every play and can’t have a lot of mental mistakes, because they will exploit them and take advantage of them. Texas is one of those teams that builds on what they can do to put themselves in a position to move forward. Our best opportunity is to do the same thing and go out there and focus on what we are doing right, focus on making our plays and executing on our side of the ball.”

Senior Defensive End John Larson

On playing in his last home game as a Jayhawk:

“You walk around and everything’s starting to look a little different, knowing that you aren’t going to get on that field again. I think the whole senior class is really looking forward to this weekend.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Dezmon Briscoe

On his record-breaking year at receiver for Kansas:

“It’s a blessing, I haven’t really paid much attention to it though. I usually find out from the media.”

On the key to his improvement over last year:

“My work ethic has always been good, but I came into this season with a little more of a chip on my shoulder, knowing that we need to build on what we did last season. Film time and coming in and watching the opponents by myself or with some of the veterans on the team. They have helped me how to read a zone and how to beat man coverage.”

Senior Defensive End Russell Brorsen

On why he chose to play at Kansas:

“Coming out of high school I didn’t really have a lot of options. This was my best option by far, because it gave me a chance to play in the Big 12 and that’s why I came here.”

On what being named to the Lott Trophy watch list means to him:

“I feel that it was an achievement, I think there were 40 players on it. I think being named to a watch list shows that you have done a little bit in the college football world.”

NOTES...

FINAL HOME GAME FOR 18 SENIORS -- The Texas game will be the final home contest for 18 Kansas seniors, including DE Richard Alspaugh, S Tang Bacheyie, DE Russell Brorsen, WR Micah Brown, WR Raymond Brown, OC Ryan Cantrell, OT Matt Darton, WR Dexton Fields, WR Gary Green, CB Kendrick Harper, OG Chet Hartley, WR Marcus Herford, LB James Holt, DE John Larson, OG Adrian Mayes, LB Joe Mortensen, S Patrick Resby, and LB Mike Rivera.

THE LAST FOUR YEARS -- In the last four years, this senior group has been a part of some special things in Kansas football history. Among the numerous highlights are:

• Combined 31-16 record with two games left.

• 31 wins are the second-most in a four-year period in KU history behind the 32-6 record from 1896-99

• Produced at least six wins in four straight seasons for the first time since 1903-06.

• Saw home attendance average records set in each of the last four years.

• Posted two undefeated home seasons (2005 and 2007).

• Recorded a 23-3 home record in their four years.

• Played in first January bowl game since 1969 with last year's FedEx Orange Bowl victory.

• Could reach bowl game for the second straight year, the first bowl games in consecutive seasons in school history.

• Returned to the national polls in 2007, the Jayhawks' first ranking since 1996.

• Were part of a school-record 19 straight weeks in the Associated Press poll.

Press Conference Quotes...11.04.08

Denverjhawk — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:04:05 -0000

Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino and KU Players...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“We had a great effort from both the offense and the defense (last week vs. Kansas State). We played well. We played sound, fundamental football. I was pleased overall with the performance. There are still things to build off of, but certainly it was a good springboard as we head into the home stretch of the season.”

“This week we travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska. They are a good football team and they are much improved from a year ago. Defensively, they are much improved. They have a different system. They are teaching their kids good, fundamental football. On offense they have been very effective. Joe Ganz is a quality quarterback. He is sometimes forgotten in this league, but I haven’t forgotten about him. I think he has passed for about 2,500 yards this year. They have quality receivers to throw the ball to in Todd Peterson and Nate Swift. To put things into perspective, Nate Swift passed Johnny Rogers on the all-time reception list at Nebraska. He is moving in here to take over as the all-time leader in career receiving yardage at Nebraska. You are talking about a quality football player when you mention somebody in the same breath as Johnny Rogers.

“They are running the ball pretty well. They have a couple of really good running backs. (Marlon) Lucky is a talented kid and so is (Roy) Helu. We are preparing hard and hopefully we will continue to have a good week.”

New This Week...After the Jump get player quotes, notes and quick look at some team statistics.

Coach Mangino Continued:

On playing in Lincoln:

“Memorial Stadium is a fun place to play. Kids play in the Big 12 Conference for a number of reasons. One of them is that they like playing in all of these storied venues. Our kids will go there and play well and will not be intimidated. We respect the Nebraska fans and the Nebraska program, but we have played pretty well the last couple of times we have gone there.”

On the election:

“I told (the team) to vote. I told them that it is their right and that they should exercise that right. Who knows, maybe their vote will make a difference.”

Senior Offensive Lineman Ryan Cantrell

On what the offensive line can improve on:

“We can be more consistent coming off of the ball. We can understand the defense a little bit better, getting in there and really studying them and recognizing certain formations. I think that is going to be a big key the rest of the season.”

On what he remembers about KU’s 76-39 victory over Nebraska last season:

“I can hardly remember what I had to eat for lunch today, but I do remember that it was a lot of fun just like all of last year. It is hard to accept a defeat like that, just like it is hard to accept a loss to Texas Tech like we had at home. Any good program is going to move on and keep building on what they have.”

Junior Running Back Jake Sharp

On if the game against Kansas State was like being back in high school:

“I was definitely exhausted like I was back then. Like I said, the offensive line had a great day, they opened up holes and I was able to do a lot of running.”

His thoughts on Nebraska:

“It’s going to be tough. They’re still Nebraska, and we’re going to be in Lincoln and it’s definitely a tough place to play. We’re going to have to have another great week of preparation and hopefully take care of business on Saturday.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Dezmon Briscoe

On how the team has gotten better week to week:

“It’s the approach we’re taking. We’re one of the most competitive teams in the nation. Of course no one likes losing, so we always go out there with a competitive edge.”

On last year’s victory over Nebraska:

“We dropped 76 on them on our homecoming so that was a great accomplishment. But we can’t look back on that. They are a much improved team. Their coaching staff and players know what happened last year and they don’t want that to happen again.”

Freshman Cornerback Daymond Patterson

On the switch from wide receiver to defensive back:

“It’s been pretty good for me so far. It hasn’t been too tough of a switch. Going from offense to defense, you kind of know what the other receiver is thinking because you were a receiver. That definitely helps me. I’m liking it so far and I’m just looking to improve each and every week.”

Notes…

QUICKLY -- Kansas (6-3 overall, 3-2 Big 12) will head to Lincoln, Neb. to face Nebraska (5-4, 2-3) on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m... The game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis (details will be made available later in the week)... Kansas played eight straight games on network or cable television before this week... The Kansas-Nebraska series is the nation’s longest uninterrupted series as the teams will meet for the 103rd consecutive year... KU has won 18 of its last 22 and 21 of its last 26 games... KU is 1-2 on the road this season after going 4-0 in road games a year ago... KU has won 16 consecutive games against un-ranked teams.

BOWL ELIGIBLE -- With a 6-3 record Kansas has become bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive year, marking the first time the Jayhawks have won at least six games in four straight seasons since actually winning six striaght five times from 1902-06. The Jayhawks were 7-5 and played in the Fort Worth Bowl in 2005, 6-6 and did not play in a bowl game in 2006, and 12-1 and played in the FedEx Orange Bowl in 2007. A bowl trip in 2008 would give the Jayhawks bowl games in consecutive years for the first time in school history.

TWO YEARS IN A ROW -- For the second season in a row, Kansas enters the Nebraska game with a better overall record than the Huskers as the Jayhawks are 6-3, while Nebraska is 5-4. Last year KU entered the game with an 8-0 mark, while Nebraska was 4-5. Prior to last year, the last time the Jayhawks entered a meeting with Nebraska with a better record was 1974 when KU was 4-1 and Nebraska 3-2. The teams had identical records in 1981 (both 5-2) and 2006 (both 3-1).

Stats Special…

2008 INDIVIDUAL BESTS

Rushing

181 Jake Sharp vs. Kansas State

118 Jake Sharp vs. Colorado

103 Jake Sharp at Oklahoma

Passing

412 Todd Reesing vs. Louisiana Tech

381 Todd Reesing at South Florida

356 Todd Reesing vs. Sam Houston

Receiving

269 Dezmon Briscoe at Oklahoma

179 Johnathan Wilson at South Florida

146 Dezmon Briscoe vs. Louisiana Tech

Tackles

13 Mike Rivera vs. Texas Tech

13 James Holt vs. Texas Tech

13 Kendrick Harper at Oklahoma

13 James Holt at South Florida

2008 TEAM BESTS

Offense

Rushing

280 vs. Kansas State

161 vs. Texas Tech

161 vs. Sam Houston

Passing

412 vs. Louisiana Tech

381 at South Florida

357 at Oklahoma

Total Offense

538 vs. Louisiana Tech

528 vs. Sam Houston

491 at Oklahoma

Defense

Rushing

45 vs. Sam Houston

66 vs. FIU

86 vs. Colorado

Passing

73 vs. FIU

119 vs. Louisiana Tech

147 vs. Colorado

Total Defense

139 vs. FIU

233 vs. Colorado

267 vs. Louisiana Tech

"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.

Some Final Thoughts on the Oklahoma Game

rockchalk — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:09:54 -0000

Perspective is a wonderful thing.

As I discussed in my postgame reactionary, the game was incredibly frustrating to watch. There were some pretty egregious calls made by the officials as well as some particularly insane comments made by Ron Franklin and, to a lesser extent, Ed Cunningham. There were slip-ups and mistakes, which going in were a mandatory no-no if we wanted to win. There were missed tackles all over the place, and there was a hundred kajillion completions because of the Ty Law-esque cushion offered the wide receivers. All of this was combined into one incredibly painful four-hour-long contest, causing me to scream more out of anger than I have since, well, since the KU-MU game last November.

Still, considering the opponent and locale, the 14-point loss wasn't too bad. And, you could make an argument that the game was closer than that, as it certainly was throughout the first three quarters. Even while watching the game, I was still mildly pleased with the way we battled, the way we fought back, the way we forced Boomer Sooner to make adjustments at their own place. It was exciting stuff.

And now, three days after the fact, the game is even more exciting. Even more enjoyable.

Perspective, baby.

So, these thoughts, with all of their finality, will tend to shade on the optimistic, glass-is-half-full side. That's what happens when you have three days to ponder such events. Oh, and this piece (which is amazing, by the way, and a weekly-must-read) sort of helped as well (scroll down to KU-OU).

First and foremost, I just want to make one thing clear. I'm not necessarily blaming our loss on the missed tackles. Yes, I understand that, given my postgame reactionary (if it's not a word, I'm starting the trend right here, right now; hop on board) that could fairly easily be inferred, but I do realize the mitigating circumstances. Oklahoma's offense was on the field for like 2 hours of real-life time, which is an exhorbiantly long time to stay out there and be expected to tackle world-class athletes, which Boomer Sooner has boatloads of. And, while I made reference to it above, you can't really blame the cushions either. Oklahoma has quite a plethora of athletes, and our DB's, notably Kendrick Harper, aren't quite up to that level. Sure, they can tackle well (for the most part) and are 'good', which is fine-and-dandy against most teams in the country. But against those 10-or-so teams that it won't quite work, you have to give up the short stuff and hope for incompletions to get off the field. It's just nature of the beast. Now, give Mangino a couple more years of consistently having a number next to our name, first-or-second place finishes in the Big 12 North and solid bowls and I think we'll have the kind of defense to keep up with the OU's of the world. For now, nuh-uh.
Jake Sharp. Wow, where did that come from. I mean sure, he had an awesome half against Iowa State and a pretty good game against Colorado, but Oklahoma is an entire different beast altogether. And this is a team that wouldn't let Adrian Peterson run on them. Of course, that was pre-Ryan Reynolds' injury, and their defense is obviously much worse without him. Still, though, Sharp deserves a lot of credit for getting over a 100 in Norman. That one drive, too, was probably the high point of the game for me. It was at that moment(s), when Jake Sharp consistently found holes big enough for Mark Mangino and sliced-and-diced up the field for chunks of 15 and 20 yards that I thought 'hey, we can actually win this game'. But it wasn't just him, either. Jocques Crawford looked mighty fine in his action, and Angus Quigley had that one nice run off the shovel pass (more on that in about 3.8 lines). Whether it was our offensive line simply deciding to whoop some ass or Oklahoma's lack of Ryan Reynolds or something else (probably a combination of all three, as per usual), it was nice to see us run on a legitimately good defense. Hopefully we can do that again against the rest of the big boys on our schedule; if we can't, uh-oh.
OK, as promised, here is what I have to say about the shovel pass. I hate it. Well, that isn't true. I really love it when used in moderation, like once-a-half. And wouldn't you know it; the first time we do it it's good for a large gain. But everytime after that, the Boomer Sooner D-Linemen were right there, ready to demolish whichever RB caught the ball (Crawford or Quigley, I don't think Sharp had one). I like it once-or-twice or, if you wanna be crazy, three times a game, but we seriously overdosed. And while it certainly wasn't the only reason we lost, by a long shot, it certainly did little to help.
Speaking of Jocques Crawford, he helped out our kickoff return game quite a bit. I realize that Boomer Sooner can't cover kickoffs at all (about all they can't do, really), but it was still nice to actually get the ball beyond the 20.
Todd Reesing's pick in the endzone coule have been a game-ender right there. But, as mentioned before, we didn't let it faze us too much, focred a three-and-out (or something like that, maybe they got a first down) and got the ball back and drove right back and scored. All was good, again. Still could have used the TD, but I was awfully proud that we bounced back to basically negate the INT.
Finally, and this is obvious, but it still needs to be said. We desperately need a pass rush. We kinda-sorta had one at the beginning of the game, but as our defense stayed out on the field longer and longer, that quickly dissipated. I am eagerly anticipating D.J. Marshall next season after a year of redshirting and incoming recruits Tyrone Sellers and Kevin Young, as all of them profile as more complete-ends as our current crop. I still think Laptad can be a three-down DE, but Mangino ain't convinced as of yet, and we need him right now.

That's it. No more OU-KU talk. Starting tomorrow, it's all Red Raiders, all the time. Get ready for some offense. Wait, one more thing. Sam Bradford is dayum good, and I sincerely hope that he will be the Kansas City Chiefs QB, whenever he decides to play pro football.

Oh, and the game is now officially on ESPN. Still at the crack of dawn for me way out here in California, but the game was either going to be on ESPN or ESPN2, in sort of a competition with some Big 10/11 game (and honestly, if it ain't Penn State or tOSU, does it really matter? I mean, it is entirely possible that Northwestern is the third best team in that conference...), but, naturally, we won.

One final note: Guess who won't get to see the OSU-UT game? Oh, yeah, that'd be me, who instead will get to watch the sure-to-be-unforgettable UCLA-Cal game. I mean, maps have yet to be realized, but I'm no idiot.

Oh well. I can always watch the replay...