SB Nation - Sal Capra

Kansas Lands Fifteen on the Academic All Big 12 List for Football

Denverjhawk — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Darren Abate - AP

Todd Reesing highlighted the list of 15 Kansas football players named Academic All-Big 12 by the league office Tuesday. The list includes nine players selected to the first team, including five repeat honorees as KU produced at least seven players named to the first team for the fourth straight year.

Student-athletes must post a 3.0 grade-point average, either cumulative or in the previous two semesters, and be regulars on the team to earn the league honors. First-team honorees must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average.

Reesing, a senior quarterback, was named to the first team for the third time, becoming the ninth Jayhawk in history to earn first-team academic all-conference honors three times.

Other KU first-team selections include two-time first-team honorees Jacob Branstetter, Drew Dudley, Justin Springer and Jeff Wheeler, who was a second-team selection in 2008 after earning first-team accolades in 2007.

Tim Biere, Trevor Marrongelli, Olaitan Oguntodu and Brad Thorson were named first team for the first time.

Second-team honorees include Greg Brown, Sal Capra, Kerry Meier, Daymond Patterson, Jake Schermer and Jake Sharp.

Sharp was recognized for the third time as he was a first-team honoree in 2007 and a two-time second-team selection. Meier was a second-team selection in 2007 and again this year. Schermer has been a second-team honoree in each of the last two years.

Reesing joined previous three-time honorees from Kansas including Ron Oelschlager, Ken Saathoff, Jim Moore, Greg Erb, Jake Letourneau, Kevin Kane, Russell Brorsen and John Larson.

Reesing and Dudley both earned Academic all-district honors earlier this season and are eligible for Academic All-America honors.

2009 Kansas Academic All-Big 12 Football Honorees

First Team

Tim Biere, TE, So., Pre-Business

Jacob Branstetter, PK, Jr., Management and Leadership

Drew Dudley, LB, Jr., Civil Engineering

Trevor Marrongelli, OL, Fr., Economics

Olaitan Oguntodu, S, Jr., Marketing

Todd Reesing, QB, Sr., Finance and Economics

Justin Springer, LB, Jr., Sport Management

Brad Thorson, OL, Jr., Economics, Masters

Jeff Wheeler, DE, Sr., Civil Engineering

Second Team

Greg Brown, DB, Fr., Pre-Business

Sal Capra, OL, Jr., Finance

Kerry Meier, WR, Sr., Sport Management

Daymond Patterson, CB, So., Pre-Sport Management

Jake Schermer, LB, Sr., Marketing

Jake Sharp, RB, Sr., Sport Management

The North in 2010

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

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

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

Missouri

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

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

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

Colorado

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

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

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

Iowa State

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

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

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

Kansas

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

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

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

Kansas State

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

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

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

Nebraska

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

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

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

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

Kansas Football Notable Quotables 10.13.09

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the Iowa State Game

Offense: Todd Reesing

Defense: None

Special Teams: None

Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week: Dexter Linton

Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week: Riley Spencer

Head Coach Mark Mangino

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

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

On this week's game vs.Colorado:

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

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

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

On the progress of Jake Sharp:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Junior Offensive Lineman Sal Capra

On blocking for an offense that can make plays:

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

On being a starter this season:

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

On the bond of the offensive line:

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

Junior Cornerback Chris Harris

On the Jayhawks' performance against Iowa State:

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

On what they will have to do to improve:

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

On preparing for Colorado:

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

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

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

Freshman Running back Toben Opurum

On playing Colorado:

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

On playing in an unfriendly environment:

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

Senior quarterback Todd Reesing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Junior Punter Alonso Rojas

On his contributions:

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

Senior safety Darrell Stuckey

On the change in quarterbacks at Colorado:

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

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

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

On whether the team prepares differently for Colorado:

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

Senior cornerback Justin Thornton

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

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

On the defensive wake-up call against Iowa State:

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

On the team being unbalanced:

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

Junior Wide Receiver Johnathan Wilson

On the success of others helping him improve:

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

On playing with other talented wide receivers:

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

On playing with Todd Reesing:

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

Offensive Line Early Season Report Card

Denverjhawk — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:17 -0000

In the preseason we looked at several areas that would play a major factor in how the Jayhawks season would turn out. The offensive line, running back depth, defensive front seven pressure, the linebackers and the backup quarterback to name a few.

Three games in now and as sad as it may seem we are already a quarter of the way through the Jayhawks regular season. So how does everyone grade out so far? Taking into account experience at the position, maturity in the system and even player expectations here's a bit of a subjective look at how the offensive line has graded out by position?

Tanner Hawkinson LT - B+

Starting with the left tackle position we have what many considered the biggest question on the offensive line headed into the season with Tanner Hawkinson. A redshirt freshman who isn't even a full year into playing the position has bounced from tight end to defensive end, tacked on 40+ pounds and moved to the toughest and most scrutinized position on the offensive line. Granted the competition hasn't been the stiffest but he's still performed admirably through 3 games at a brand new spot.

Tanner does have all the tools as we've been led to believe from day one, possessing quick feet, athleticism and he seems to be settling in to his new found frame. Tanner has protected the backside of Todd Reesing, gotten off a solid first block in most running situations and has done so with limited help from the tight end position.

Now it's possible if expectations were higher Hawkinson could be graded lower. However, for a guy that as of one year ago joined the Jayhawks as a 240 lb. tight end, one can't help but feel optimistic for what's to come. There will be bumps in the road as conference play begins, but Hawkinson should have a bright future with the Jayhawks.

B+ for Hawkinson, he's handled the transition well and with time he looks like he could very well be a big time talent at the left tackle. Things will get much tougher from here on out though and the bar has been set a little higher after the first 3 games.

Brad Thorson LG - A-

Brad Thorson's move to left guard in the offseason may well prove to be one of the most important of the year. Kansas likely knew the fate of one of the guard spots all along but the left side was a bit of a question mark. Kansas had several talented redshirt freshman fighting for the role, but consistency can always be a concern with youth.

Thorson has brought stability and consistency to the left side much the same way his counterpart on the right provides the interior. Entering his fourth season of major college football after two with Wisconsin and now one with Kansas, Thorson knows what it takes, he is extremely intelligent and brings an aggressiveness and athleticism to this spot that is important in Kansas' offensive game plan.

Thorson can get out and move, make a hit, finish a block and has been reliable through three in terms of being at the right spot at the right time.

A- for Thorson, not a lot of expectations at this spot going in and he's provided a solid upperclassmen on the interior. Thorson's addition changed us from a potentially very young offensive line, to one with a little more maturity.

Jeremiah Hatch - B-

With Hatch it's not that he's doing anything wrong, it's that he's just not quite to the level that many expected yet. Now that may have a whole lot to do with his reported illness as teammate Jeff Spikes noted him vomiting in the locker room prior to the UTEP game and then apparently all over the Sun Bowl field as well. Now that's the only game we have him reported to be ill, but odds are if he's like the majority of the world he wasn't 100% the next game either.

The other concern with Hatch has been the consistency in his snaps. Obviously one of the most important roles for a center in the spread is to get the quarterback the ball cleanly so he can make his reads quickly and make the throw. It's been discussed that Todd hasn't always looked in sync this year and at times high and low snaps could be too blame.

Still Hatch deserves the benefit of the doubt as he was Kansas' best lineman by the end of last season and he should come along this year as he get's into a groove. Low grade on this one primarily due to expectations, but by no means has Hatch been a MAJOR weakness to this team.

B- for Hatch, because he's better than we've seen. Hatch has been billed as a future All Big12 center and both his game and leadership will step it up to make that happen.

Sal Capra RG - A

Not a whole lot to say about this one other than Capra is steady as they come so far. Going back even to last season it was apparent that Capra had the football IQ and work ethic to be a player in this program and those qualities have put him in a position to succeed as a junior.

Capra is probably the first guy on the list who came in with expectations of being solid and has performed to those expectations. Capra has graded out very well according to his own coaches and in watching the game it's clear he is getting the job done in his spot whether it be the right side or the occasional stint on the left.

Capra's story has been well documented and while he may not have been a well hyped recruit or an immediate impact player, he has turned himself into a formidable offensive guard in the Kansas system.

A for Capra, he's been reliable, consistent and when's the last time a guard received offensive player of the week honors.

Jeff Spikes RT - B-

Jeff Spikes is a bit of a mystery at times, he has the physical tools and was once hyped by the coaching staff as the next great left tackle of Kansas football. Sure that's a lot to live up to but Spikes hasn't even been afforded the opportunity to fulfill that role as he's been "downgraded" to right tackle.

Spikes is however only a redshirt sophomore and it was always known he was very raw coming in. I for one am also of the opinion that the right tackle is as important in many instances as the left, but due to the NFL millions that great left tackles command it's a position that can be overlooked.

This season the expectations for Spikes were stepped up a notch, he's performed well at times and he's also looked like a matador in the bull ring at times. Spikes has looked fairly solid in terms of run blocking and it seems that comes easier to him which isn't a huge surprise as it often is for many. However, in a pass blocking scheme he's improving but still not quite there.

This isn't a knock on Jeff Spikes as I do see him as a player in progress and someone that from a football IQ perspective isn't making as many mistakes as last season. The issues at this point are fewer and with time he'll get there. My concern is this, if anyone watched the Texas v Texas Tech game and saw Sergio Kindle destroy Taylor Potts coming off the right edge it had to make you cringe a little bit because Spikes can have those same struggles as the competition level picks up over the next three quarters of the season.

B- for what he's done so far, simply because I was hoping for more. Still happy with his potential in the long hall and he does seem to be "getting it" a little more every game.

Bench - B-

Off the bench thus far we've seen Thorson move to center, Trevor Marrongelli fill in at right guard and John Williams on the occasional jumbo package. What we haven't seen is what we have depth wise at tackle.

Thorson can make the move to center if needed despite the concerns with his snap early on. Good news is, if he is forced to make that move Capra is just as reliable on the left and Trevor Marrongelli is a firey, angry, solid replacement at right Guard.

Throw in the mix John Williams who the staff has given some snaps to early and Kansas has enough on the interior to feel confident.

At the tackle spots it's an incomplete at this point and truthfully there are a lot of things that could be done if one of the tackles needs replacing. With the depth on the interior Kansas could move Hatch back to the outside, or bring in Ian Wolfe off the bench. Neither is ideal but it can be done.

B- grade for this group right now. Interior get's an A, while the tackle spot it incomplete. Hopefully it won't matter anyway.

Overall this is a situation of being good but not great and the Kansas staff would likely say the same. This unit has done well against the talent level it's been playing but it will need to step up their game in the coming weeks to perform against the top of the Big12.

One thing working in their favor is Kansas does have the benefit of breaking in so many new faces with such an experienced group on the field at the skilled positions.

It's clear the Jayhawks are improving the talent they are putting on the field up front, it's only a matter of getting the experience and developing their skills at this point. If the development continues in the right direction, Kansas will likely look at this area as a position of stength in 2010 as they break in a whole new set of skill position players.

Kansas Press Conference Quotes 9.15.09

Denverjhawk — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:45:14 -0000

Coach Mangino looks back at UTEP and ahead to Duke. He also discusses the improvement with the defensive line as well as the fact that the running game is coming along nicely.

On the player side of things we hear from Steven Foster, Toben Opurum, Bradley McDougald, Daymond Patterson, Todd Reesing and Jake Sharp. Nice to see that some of our younger guys in the program are stepping up enough to get noticed, things look good for the future.

Players of the week and press conference quotes after the jump...

KU Players of the Game vs. UTEP

Offensive: Sal Capra

Defensive: Max Onyegbule

Special Teams: Kick-off coverage unit

Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week: Prinz Kande

Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week: Erick McGriff

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Recap of last week's game vs. UTEP

"I am very pleased and our staff is pleased with the effort on both sides of the ball, as well as our kicking game. I thought it was one of those games where we really felt like we were in control of the game from early on, and maybe just left some points on the field, but still played pretty well on offense. We did some good things in the run game and pass game, and we did a good job controlling the line of scrimmage on offense, which is something we really needed to do."

"On the defensive side of the ball, I think we are improving. We are improving in areas of playing the run better and getting pressure on the quarterback with a four-man rush. We closed the zones hard and played well in the secondary, as well as some good man coverages. I liked the way we attacked the ball and attacked the receivers. So, overall it was a good effort."

Opening statements on this week's game vs. Duke:

"Duke is just in their second year under David Cutcliffe, and you can see they are a team that is getting better. They are a team that stays on track. They do not panic. They stay with their game plan. Their offense is deliberate. They are always trying to get better at the plays they run, which you can see is part of their coaching philosophy. They beat Army last week, but they were going into the fourth quarter 14-13. They came back on a drive with Sean Renfree, who is actually the back-up quarterback, and then they had two interceptions for touchdowns as well. So, they don't panic, they are able to stay calm and do what they have to do. They are using two quarterbacks. Thad Lewis has been their starter and he will start this week, but their back-up is very capable as well. On the defensive side of the ball, they are sound fundamentally. They have a good-looking defensive tackle named Vince Oghobaase. He is a big, strong guy who comes off the ball well. They are smart and play good, sound, fundamental defense. So, we are looking forward to getting back to Memorial Stadium and playing very well."

On the speed of running back Jake Sharp:

"He is physically quicker. He is quicker and faster to acceleration than he was a year ago. He had a great offseason of working out and doing the things that are necessarily to make you better. He is a very, very hard worker."

On the team's improvement of making sacks:

"Based on Saturday night's performance, I am pleased, but we need to continue to do that. A lot of it is just fundamental play and I felt coming in to this season, we needed to be better pass rushers and in order to do that, we needed to be better fundamentally. I thought we needed to take care of the little things in a pass rush, like rushing a half-man instead of a full-man and getting a good jump on the ball. We tell them to use their hands, for instance we tell our defensive lineman that if your numbers are exposed to the offensive lineman, he is taught to punch those numbers and lock out. But if you come off flatback and ready to dip or rip or swat or whatever move you want to use, the offensive lineman will have trouble getting his hands on those numbers. You have to play at ‘pad-level.' Getting your pads down is the whole start of good pass rush. We drill the heck out of pass rush work in training camp. I know the kids are probably sick of it, but they are starting to see the benefits of doing it. Saturday was a good night but we have to continue to do that now. As we keep going in competition, we'll be stiffer and stiffer."

On rotating centers Brad Thorson and Jeremiah Hatch:

"Hatch was just not feeling good and could not function. Thorson is our back-up center and he plays it well, and we also feel good about our back-up guards. We would like to play the way we started the game with Hatch, but we were forced to do that and that is okay. It is good we were forced in that situation because we know now what kind of work we can get out Thorson at center."

On progression of Justin Thornton:

"Justin is an intelligent player. He is a smart kid. He knows our defense very well and has played in it for a number of years now. Because he understands the mental aspect of it and he is a good athlete, he is able to fit in different places and help us. I would be comfortable if we needed to use him at corner, although I would prefer not to do that. He understands the nickel position, the free position and the strong position. He has made himself useful. He is like a utility player in baseball; those guys who stay on rosters for years because they can do more than one thing. He is able to do it because he understands it and he is very smart."

On KU's run game:

"The defenses that we have played in the first two games wanted to stop the pass. Watching how they played us and the adjustments they made kind of told us what they were going to do. They [our opponents] do not want Todd [Reesing] coming in there and passing for 400-500 yards. So, it is great because if they are going to play us that way, we can run the ball."

On progress of Toben Opurum:

"Toben has done a good job. Now, he has a lot to learn, as there is a lot more to this game than getting the ball and running up field with it. He has to learn the little things that come with being a good running back. He is just a true freshman, who is learning something new everyday either on the practice field or in the classroom. But he is doing well and I am impressed with his progress."

On defensive end Max Onyegbule:

"It does not matter what you look like. There are a lot of guys out there that do not look like players, but are very productive. There are others who really scare you when you see them, but then they cannot play. Max came in here as a linebacker, never having played defensive end, but he looked like a defensive end to me, so we made the change after his first year. He really worked his tail off in the weight room. You can see he looks bigger and stronger because to play the end position you need to be able to pass rush, squeeze guards, full backs, run plays. There are big tackles that are trying to smother you on run plays, so you have to be physical and Max did a good job of getting himself ready in the weight room. The next step was understanding everything that was going on, and I thought toward the end of last year the light really started to go on for him. Now, he is really playing with confidence and playing hard. I think he had to learn how to play the game hard on every snap. Those are the reasons he is much improved."

On Kansas' offensive performance vs. UTEP:

"I think our expectation, as coaches, is perfection. We know our offensive unit has the chance to be really good, so where there is a little mistake here or there, we think that should not happen. Most teams in America would like to have the offensive performance we had Saturday night, but yes, we did leave points on the field. There were a couple reasons, for instance there were a few times we were not real crisp on routes and did not recognize things right away. We had bad communication in the pass game on a few things, but nothing major. Sometimes it was just flat-out execution. We dropped some balls that we do not normally drop. We had a fumble, which we seldom do, because we get after our kids and work them pretty well fundamentally on how to hold on to the ball. But 34 points, and all the yardage we had, is pretty good for our first road game and I think we will take that and run with it."

Sophomore Defensive Lineman Steven Foster:

On having to learn fundamentals on the fly after switiching from fullback to defensive end:

"I have never really played defensive end before, but with Coach (Tom) Sims, he really just simplified everything for me and he taught me the basics. I still work with him after practice a little bit because I don't have everything down perfect and nobody else does either. It's just a continuing process. We go over it every single day in the meeting room and at practice. So it gets easier for me."

On the importance of the defensive line:

"In the passing game, obviously it's important in the pass rush. We have got to get the quarterback. If he has too much time he can stand back there and make plays, especially with some of the quarterbacks we have in the Big 12 like (Sam) Bradford and (Colt) McCoy. If we give them too much time, then they are going to make plays. In the run game, the defensive line does a lot because we can hold up offensive linemen so our linebackers can run free and make plays."

Freshman Wide Receiver Bradley McDougald

On what caused some miscues in the first half:

"I would say it is the momentum. We were driving, but then later on in the drive, it would seem like we were going through the motions and not fully focused. Once we came back out in the second half and started scoring and started moving the ball more efficiently, things started to sharpen up a little bit."

On the first road game:

"It was good. It wasn't as hostile as I thought it was going to be just because our offense was moving the ball and taking the crowd out of it, which helped a lot. It was good to get that under my belt to build my confidence so I know what to expect when I go on the road from here on out."

On playing Duke and being back at home:

"Being back at home, we will have our fans behind us. We are looking to have a big turnout with the fans. Just coming in and looking at the film, we are trying to pick up their tendencies as always. This week at practice, I think the coaches are going to stress the little things to make our overall game better so we can actually punch it into the end zone instead of just kicking field goals."

Freshman Running Back Toben Opurum

On his first road game:

"The road game was definitely a different atmosphere than what I am used to. Playing here, we have all the fan support. It is a different atmosphere going to UTEP. They have got crazy fans down there. The stadium was beautiful."

On whether he is feeling more comfortable on the field:

"I feel like the coaches are working me a little bit more. I was able to work with the offense and I am getting a more comfortable being able to just recognize signals and recognize different things."

On how Jake Sharp is able to help him:

"Jake (Sharp) has had a great season. I think it really helps that he is doing so well because that helps me do well when I've seen what he has done off the field. I get to look up to that. Anytime before practice, he is helping me out on certain plays and all the time trying to get me to become a better player for this program."

Sophomore Cornerback Daymond Patterson

On how KU's pass rush has helped him:

"The pass rush this past weekend was real good, probably one of our better ones. It really made it easy out there playing DB this week just because the quarterback was out there scrambling so much and he didn't know where they were coming from."

On the nickelback position:

"You have got to be more physical to play the nickel because you are basically a linebacker removed from the box who is covering people. Also you have got to be able to come in and fill gaps inside and outside and make plays on the run a lot. It is probably more of a safety position than a corner position."

On Duke:

"We have watched a little film on them, so I am not really aware of everything they do. I do know they are trying to get their program moving forward. We are just looking to get a little scouting report on them and go in and watch a little film and see what they have got."

Senior Quarterback Todd Reesing

On Duke:

"They are a BCS conference team. They are a talented team with a lot of kids that have a lot of ability. Just like last week, we were going to a place with a defense that has guys that can play and guys that can make plays and it is something we have to get ready for."

On Duke's recruitment of him:

"They recruited me. They were my only other school that I was looking at that I had an offer from before I came here. I had a chance to go up there and went to their camp. They hadn't offered me anything, so I went up there and threw and ended up getting an offer after that. It is a school, that obviously academically, was very interesting for me, but after I came here I kind of knew that here is where I wanted to go. It was definitely a school I looked at. It is a school that has a very good reputation academically and they were looking to build their program at the time and it was something I saw as an opportunity."

On Coach Mangino saying the team left points on the board at UTEP:

"Absolutely. I don't think he needs to tell us that for us to know that. There is no question that we left points on the board. We got down to the red zone and were not able to convert touchdowns. That is my fault for not getting the ball where it needs to be sometimes and guys not executing, so it is disappointing. It is encouraging though that you put up 570 yards of offense and walk away a little disappointed, but that is the truth of it. We did not feel like we played our best game on offense. That was on me. I did not have my best game. It is hard to be too upset after a loss, but now after it is all over and we enjoyed the fun of a win. I am ready to get back to work. I did not play my best and was not as sharp for whatever reason. No one always can play their best - I mean, even (Roger) Federer lost yesterday - so it's good to get back to work. I can't wait to get back out there this week and get that passing game back to where it needs to be."

Senior Running Back Jake Sharp

On the first two weeks of play by the offensive line:

"I think, basically, we come out with the same mentality - whatever they are going to give us, we are going to take. And with two great outings, those guys have really come together and I am really happy to run behind those guys. I think that is the basis of the success of our running game."

On his increased speed this year:

"I keep working hard on my lifts and stuff like that. Coach (Chris) Dawson - he is the man to ask on that one. I just do the same stuff, but increase the intensity. Being in my last year, guys like Kerry Meier and I just put in extra work. We just do a little extra every day and it has paid off so far."

On how his extra work has brought a good start:

"It is something where you can see the results. It is very pleasing and I am very happy with it."

On the team's early road success:

"It was a definite emphasis. We goofed a bit in the past going on the road early. It was an emphasis that we were going to go out and play a great game. We were going to play a team that was more than capable of beating us and causing us problems, but with the right metal attitude and mental frame of mind, we were able to do what we wanted to do."

Hawk Talk Northern Colorado the Morning After

Denverjhawk — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:34:31 -0000

A look at news and notes about the game...

Northern Colorado Impressed with Reesing
Tom Keegan compares Reesing to some fairly famous "performers"
Kansas dominated Northern Colorado in front of a record crowd.
Toben Opurum and Kale Pick gave a glimpse at the future and it ain't half bad.
Kansas v Northern Colorado Summary
Kansas v Northern Colorado Report Card
Anyone catch this score....I'd be concerned.

Denver's Take

Well, there was good and bad to take from this one. Honestly I was hoping for a more dominating performance but at the same time it's clear we are much more committed to and confident in establishing a balanced attack which is a great thing.

Todd was Todd accounting for 4 touchdowns while showing off his scrambling skills that we've all come to expect. The offensive line I thought really looked solid. Getting on blocks, staying on blocks and finishing them. It's always tough to tell how much time Todd really has because of his tendency to scramble, but he had plenty of time and the scrambling was due more to receivers not getting open than the blocking breaking down.

The running back corps looked good. Hard to call it a corps in this one because it was all Jake Sharp for 3 and a half quarters which I was a little surprised by. Still though Sharp showed why the staff is confident in his consistency. You have to wonder if we see a little more of a two back look next week though, after Toben Opurum EXPLODED onto the scene racking up 80 yards and 2 touchdowns in just 9 carries. I think the effectiveness of the running game is just another example of the improved offensive line in this one.

At the receiver spot it definitely wasn't the best performance, but that's simply because Northern Colorado was committed to not letting Todd and our receivers beat them. This group does deserve some kudos though for what they did in terms of blocking in the running game. I don't think this improvement can be understated when it comes to our improvement in the running game. Johnathan Wilson definitely had a few struggles and our whole group wasn't finding openings as they usually do, but you have to take what they give you and our offense capitalized on what we were given so it's hard to complain to much. I think Dezmon Briscoe's return certainly makes it more difficult for anyone to stall us out in the passing game going forward.

On defense I am still a little concerned. We did hold them to a fairly low offensive total and obviously kept them out of the endzone, but at times our front seven really struggled to control the line of scrimmage which isn't comforting against UNoCo. Jake Laptad really stood out up front but that's about it.

The other main concern right now is that #2 corner spot which between Rubles and Davis accounted for 4 pass interference penalties. It's too early to sound the alarms but this group has definitely been put on notice. Hats off though to Chris Harris who showed why he's the perfect fit for this 4-2-5 scheme. He was johnny on the spot all night long making tackles and is it just me or has this guy really bulked up.

Last phase of the game is special teams and from what we've seen so far it looks solid. Branstetter has added some distance to his kicks. Rojas showed some pretty accurate placement punts and the kick return game looks better.

Oh one more thing, the reserves looked impressive. Pick, Opurum and Trevor Marrongelli all stood out to me as guys off the bench that were getting after things in a big way. I was also pleased with what Steven Foster showed coming off the bench at the defensive end spot.

All in all this was pretty much an exhibition and there was good and bad to take from it just like any game of this nature. The staff now has the opportunity to build on some positives, improve on some of the negatives and get this team moving in the right direction. Mangino coached teams seem to take this path every year and improve over the course of the season. Good win, not great but I'm probably being overly critical on this one. On to El Paso!!!

Postgame Quotes and Notes after the jump...

Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino

On the impressive number of rushing yards (328):

"Northern Colorado came in here and I think they were expecting us to put up big numbers in the passing game. They played some zone, and well, we can run the ball. In order to do that and in order to be effective, we'll do what we've got to do. We'll go through our tailback and we can do it through our quarterback. I'm pleased with the way they did what they had to do given the circumstances."

On KU's defensive pressure on the quarterback:

"Without looking at tape, I thought we got some good pressure. I think we played the run well, although we left some gaps free at times. That's related to having some different kids out there and getting everyone on the same page, but I feel good about it. I think we've got a lot of work to do. The competition is going to pick up considerably here in the next week. Overall, it was a good first night out."

On KU playing without four suspended players:

"(Desmon) Briscoe and (Jamal) Greene's suspensions were related to the spring. They knew when they were suspended in the spring that part of the stipulation would be not playing in the first game. Jeff Wheeler and Raimond Pendleton's issues were different, but they violated a team policy and I didn't have them play tonight."

Freshman Quarterback Kale Pick:

On the young players:

"Toben (Operum) is a great running back, he had a great night tonight, with two touchdowns - and Bradley McDougal also had some great plays. Giving the freshmen a grade: I'd give them an A, both of them made great plays, and Toben had two touchdowns."

On his first career game:

"It was exciting, I haven't been out on the field in a while. For only playing two games my senior year, and being redshirted my freshman year, it was an exciting moment."

On pre-game nerves:

"Actually (Jeremiah) Hatch asked me right before the series, `are you nervous at all?' I was like, `not really.' I was just looking forward to getting out there and playing."

Sophomore Center Tanner Hawkinson:

On communication with the other offensive linemen:

"We all communicated very well - that was a big emphasis going into the game. Coach Redding was just telling us about doing our assignments and we'll be fine."

On "bulldozing" the defensive line and tallying up a lot of rushing yards:

"Yeah, it definitely is (really fun), it's really encouraging, looking to see how many rushing yards you have in the game. Looking at the different sets they had, we knew coming in to the game that they'd come in with three down linemen. We had to create some seams and get to the linebacker, and get them blocked."

Junior Defensive End Jake Laptad:

On starting the season and being able to hit someone in a different colored uniform: "It was a lot of fun getting out there and finally getting to hit someone else for a change.

On the overall performance of the defensive line:

"We were just going out there, and we've got to take it one game at a time, to be able to get better and practice every day. I felt like we took a step forward today.

Junior Safety Chris Harris

On the pass interference woes:

"They are problems that we can work out. Those plays were just mental mistakes that we can fix, so it was not too big of a deal."

On his position change:

"I am way more comfortable, the reason that I love this position is because I am just free to play."

Freshman Running Back Toben Opurum

On his first college game:

"It was an opportunity that I have been waiting for, and when I got that opportunity I took advantage of it. It felt really good."

On his two touchdowns:

"It was not something that I expected, but when that opportunity comes around you definitely have to take advantage of it."

On his nerves:

"I actually was not nervous, I kept my calm tonight. It was more excitement. I have been thinking about this game for a very long time."

Senior Wide Receiver Kerry Meier

On the game:

"We got off to a good start on the opening play. After that we kept rolling and I think that we played pretty well."

On the blocking of the receivers:

"Blocking is something that we have worked on and stressed throughout camp and the offseason, becoming physical blockers and throwing up physical blocks. We came out tonight and were in the right position. Coach made the right play calls so it made it easy on us."

Northern Colorado Quarterback Bryan Waggener

On what got the game out of hand:

"We struggled in the red zone; we had some penalties that killed us in the red zone. The missed field goal hurt a little bit and Todd Reesing took over the game today and showed why he's one of the better quarterbacks in the nation."

On Todd Reesing:

"I feel like he's just a playmaker out there. He's just real scrappy and knows how to get it done and finds ways to make plays all the time."

On not getting any touchdowns:

"We always expect to score. We expect to play with them and be in the game, we come out here trying to win every game and it was a disappointment not to get in the end zone, but they're a Top 25 team for a reason."

-- The crowd of 52,530 set a new single-game record for home attendance, surpassing the crowd of 52, 230 that attended last season's 52-21 victory against Kansas State. KU has played in front of four-straight sellout crowds at home. The game marked the 25^th home crowd of at least 50,000 at Memorial Stadium.

-- Six Jayhawks made their first career starts. On offense: LT Tanner Hawkinson, LG Brad Thorson and RG Sal Capra. On defense: DE Max Onyegbule, DT Patrick Dorsey and CB Anthony Davis.

-- QB Todd Reesing now owns a 21-6 record as a starter after KU's 49-3 victory against Northern Colorado.

-- Reesing's two rushing touchdowns gives him 11 for his career. This was the first game in his career that Reesing recorded multiple rushing touchdowns in a game.

-- Reesing's 79 rushing yards were his third most in a single game behind the 90 and 84 yards he recorded against Colorado in 2006 and 2007.

-- Reesing has thrown a touchdown pass in 19 consecutive games.

-- With 13 completions against Northern Colorado, Reesing (632) passed Jason White of Oklahoma (626) to occupy the 10^th spot on the Big 12 career completions list. Reesing needs (23) to pass Josh Heupel of Oklahoma (654) for ninth.

-- Kerry Meier has caught at least two passes in 22 consecutive games.

-- Meier's 71-yard reception to end the third quarter was the longest of his career, surpassing his previous best of 68 yards against Sam Houston State.

-- With 115 yards receiving against Northern Colorado, Meier (6) tied two others for third on the KU career 100-yard receiving games list.

-- RB Jake Sharp's 122 rushing yards against Northern Colorado moved him into the 11th spot on the KU career rushing yardage list and were his third most as Jayhawk (181 vs KSU in 2008, 127 vs Toledo in 2007).

-- With 122 rushing yards against Northern Colorado, Sharp (7) moved into a tie for seventh with five others on the KU career 100-yard rushing games list.

-- Sharp's 12 points moved him into ninth place on the KU career points list with 144 points.

-- S Darrell Stuckey made his 31^st career and consecutive start.

-- RB Toben Opurum rushed for two touchdowns in his first game as a Jayhawk. Opurum finished with 79 yards on eight carries.

--The last time a true freshman rushed for two touchdowns in one game was in 2006 when Kerry Meier rushed for two touchdowns against Northwestern State.

-- WR Tertavian Ingram caught his first career touchdown pass in the second quarter. His two catches against Northern Colorado were one short of his previous career total of three.

-- DE Jake Laptad recorded his first career two-sack game against Northern Colorado. He had two games of with 1.5 sacks in 2008.

-- Laptad also tied his career high in tackles with six. His also had six tackles against Texas in 2008.

-- LB Drew Dudley recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.

-- CB Chris Harris recorded his first career forced fumble and DT Steven Foster recorded his first career fumble recovery on Northern Colorado's first drive.

Hawk Talk Northern Colorado Tailgate Edition

Denverjhawk — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:00:36 -0000

A look at news and notes from game week about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

The Good Guys...

Clint Bowen looks to improve in his second season as defensive coordinator.
Toben Opurum and Bradley McDougald will look to make immediate impact on the field as freshman.
Stadium Improvements in the works with more luxury boxes on the east side.
Stuckey named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidate.
Special teams improvement a major focus for this years team.
Daymond Patterson ready to step up in his Sophomore campaign at corner.
Season opener a sellout.
A look at the competition for the linebacker job for the Jayhawks.
Kale Pick solid as the backup quarterback?
Sal Capra and Brad Thorson finding their niche with the Jayhawk program.
Toughness a key to Mangino's success with the program.
The offensive returnees look to make a big splash this season.
A look at a Reesing Top 10, tip 10 plays that is.
ESPN Game Preview.

The Bad Guys...

UNoCo Bears open the season for the third straight year against top QB talent
Quarterback Ryan Waggener confident headed into the season.
A look at the Bears offensive line situation.
Preseason preview for the UNoCo Bears
Bears have struggled since the jump to D1.

Denver's Take...

In a word; tuneup. That's plain and simple what this is. The Jayhawks will overmatch the UNoCo Bears in nearly every way. From a physical standpoint, talent wise and overall coaching. The important thing is to get something out of this one.

Last years opener I remember almost from the get go getting that feeling that we weren't going to be on par with 2007. The offense wasn't as crisp, the defense struggled in areas and it was as this year against a lesser opponent. Sure it was still and easy win but it was still apparent.

Things I'm looking for in this one are how the line gels. Do they look like they are on the same page and does Tanner Hawkinson look the part. How does Hatch handle the interior from a leadership standpoint and do program guys in Capra and Thorson look like the right moves. Is Jeff Spikes taking that next step and ready to lock down the right side in a dominant fashion.

Keep Reesing healthy and get Kale Pick some minutes late. We know what we're getting from the first line of receivers but how does the second unit in look. We should get a good look at a few more than normal because Dezmon Briscoe won't be playing in this one. He'll be on the sideline but don't expect him in the game today.

Will Jake Sharp and Topen Opurum get the running game off to a faster start this season and can Toben provide the blocking in the backfield that we missed last year in the passing game.

Defensively how strong does out defensive line rotation look and does the defensive backfield handle their business effectively and with confidence.

The linebacker rotation will be a big area I'll be watching. Who's in, how often, what combos and how effective are they. If we struggle here against UNoCo how concerned should we be.

Lastly on special teams I want to see us control the field position through better kick coverage and a much improved return game. Play this one on a short field and make the other team work harder with a long field. Even without Briscoe returning kicks today this needs to happen.

A tune up for sure, but a lot of expectations in terms of what we need to see to begin to ease the concerns of Jayhawk fans everywhere and show that this season truly can be a special one.

Final Score: Kansas 55 UNoCo 10

Also here is your friendly reminder to join fellow Hawks in the open thread if you don't already have plans...I will be sporting blue in a kickoff tailgate of sorts at Casa de Denver, grilling watching football and cheering the Hawks to victory. The flag is hoisted out front. Let's play some football.

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

KANSAS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN MANGINO ERA

Four bowl games in a six-year span (2003-present). That represents one-third of KU's bowl appearances in just six years (eight bowl games in the previous 56 years since KU's fi rst bowl game in 1948).
Bowl games in consecutive years (2007 and 2008) for the fi rst time in school history.
Three consecutive bowl victories for the fi rst time in school history.
Eight wins in consecutive seasons for the fi rst time since 1908 and 1909.
Twenty wins in a two-year period, the most in consecutive years in school history (won 18 games combined in 2006-07 and 1904-05).
Six wins in four straight seasons (2005-08) for the fi rst time since 1903-06.
Combined 33-17 record from 2005-08 for the most wins in a four-year period in school history.
Set new home attendance average records in each of the last four seasons.
KU returned to the national polls in 2007, the Jayhawks' fi rst ranking since 1996.
KU was ranked in a school-record 19 consecutive Associated Press polls from 2007 through half of 2008.
Reached No. 2 in the polls after winning fi rst 11 games in 2007.

KANSAS HONORS IN MANGINO ERA

KU has produced 72 All-Big 12 selections.
KU has produced 45 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections.
Four Jayhawks were drafted after the 2007 season, including fi rst-round selection Aqib Talib.
In 2007 and 2008 KU had a combined three All-Americans and 24 All-Big 12 selections.
A number of Jayhawks have made national award lists, including two fi nalists in Aqib Talib (Nagurski Award) and Anthony Collins (Outland Trophy) in 2007.

EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE -- In the last two years the Kansas offense has ranked among the best in the country. The 2007 team set school records in total offense, passing and scoring. Last year's team set a new record in passing offense.

Year       Total Offense    Passing           Scoring
2007     479.77 (8th)    291.00 (17th)   42.77 (2nd)
2008     432.38 (21st)    305.62 (8th)     33.38 (22nd)

THINGS TO LOOK FOR AGAINST UNC

KU has won fi ve straight home openers.
KU has won 17 consecutive non-conference home games.
KU has won 18 straight home games played at night.
KU has had nine straight home games with 48,000 in attendance.
QB Todd Reesing has thrown a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games.
Reesing (619) needs eight completions to pass Jason White of Oklahoma (626) for 10th and 36 to pass Josh Heupel of Oklahoma (654) for ninth on the Big 12 Career Completions list.
Reesing (8,105) needs 317 yards of total offense to pass Josh Freeman of Kansas State (8,421) for ninth on the Big 12 Career Total Offensive Yardage list.
Reesing (1,196) needs 19 plays to pass Eli Roberson of Kansas State (1,214) for 10th on the Big 12 Career Total Offensive Plays list.
WR Dezmon Briscoe has produced four straight 100-yard receiving games.
Briscoe (7) needs one 100-yard game to tie Willie Vaughn for first on the KU Career 100-Yard Receiving Games list.
Briscoe has caught at least two passes in 19 consecutive games.
Briscoe (1,903) needs 95 yards to pass Richard Estell (1,997) for third on the KU Career Receiving Yards list.
WR Kerry Meier has caught at least two passes in 21 consecutive games.
Meier (10) needs one touchdown reception to tie two others for ninth on the KU Career Touchdown receptions list.
Meier (5) needs one 100-yard receiving game to tie two others for third on the KU Career 100-Yard Receiving Games list.
RB Jake Sharp (1,810) needs 53 yards for 12th, 105 for 11th and 161 yards for 10th on the KU Career Rushing Yardage list.
Sharp (19) needs two rushing touchdowns to tie for sixth and three to tie for fi fth on the KU Career Rushing Touchdown list.
Sharp (6) needs one 100-yard rushing game to tie fi ve others for seventh on the KU Career 100-Yard Rushing Games list.
Sharp (52) needs three receptions for fourth and fi ve receptions for third on the KU Career Receptions By A Running Back list.
Briscoe and Sharp (132 each) need six points to move into a tie for ninth place on the KU Career Points list.
S Darrell Stuckey (7) needs one interception to tie for 10th on the KU Career Interceptions list.

SHARP LOOKING FOR 800 AGAIN -- RB Jake Sharp is looking to become the fi rst Jayhawk since Laverne Smith from 1974-76 to rush for at least 800 yards in three straight seasons as he gained 821 in 2007 and 860 last year.

ACTIVE KU CAREER TACKLES
Player, Class Career 2009
S Darrell Stuckey, Sr. 202
S Justin Thornton, Sr. 155
NB Chris Harris, Jr. 124
LB Arist Wright, Sr. 77
DE Jake Laptad, Jr. 58
S Phillip Strozier, Jr. 41
DT Caleb Blakesley, Sr. 40

ACTIVE KU CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
Player, Class Career 2009
S Darrell Stuckey, Sr. 7
S Justin Thornton, Sr. 7
NB Chris Harris, Jr. 3
S Phillip Strozier, Jr. 2
LB Arist Wright, Sr. 1
DE Maxwell Onyegbule, Sr. 1
WR Isiah Barfield, So. 1

ACTIVE KU CAREER SACKS
Player, Class Career 2009
DE Jake Laptad, Jr. 10
DE Maxwell Onyegbule, Sr. 6.0
DE Jeff Wheeler, Sr. 4.5
DT Caleb Blakesley, Sr. 2.5
DT Jamal Greene, Jr. 2.0
LB Arist Wright, Sr. 1.0
NB Chris Harris, Jr. 1.0
DT Richard Johnson, So. 0.5

Kansas Football Press Conference Quotes 9.1.09

Denverjhawk — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:49:36 -0000

View full size photo »

Once again a weekly update from last year is the standard press conference held by the Jayhawks every Tuesday. I'm working on getting something potentially special going for these things but for now the standard presser will have to do.

This week coach Mangino talks a whole lot about new players, new positions and the upcoming opponent. We also get to hear from some of the new faces on the team with Bradley McDougald, Toben Opurum, Huldon Tharp and Kale Pick joining usual faces in Darrell Stuckey, Kerry Meier and Jake Sharp.

Easily most talked about guy seems to be Bradley McDougald, everyone got asked about him.

Onto the quotes...Get ready, there's a lot this week.

Opening Statement on game vs. Northern Colorado:

"We are in our preparation here for our first game of the year against Northern
Colorado. We have had a very good training camp and preseason practices. I like the
development of our team in just about every area. I feel like we've accomplished a
lot of things, but we're always working to get the right players in the right spots,
which is something we work on throughout the season, but so far, I'd say we're in
pretty good shape."

"Northern Colorado is a team in the process of transitioning to Division I football and
they are really doing it in the right way. They have a good plan, both on and off the
field, for the development of the program. They are a team that just won one game
a year ago, but they have plenty of people back;13 returning starters on offense and
defense. They have recruited a junior college running back, who is a very good
player, by the name of Andre Harris. They are talking him up quite a bit and I think
he will have quite an impact. Brian Wagner, the quarterback, is returning as well."

"They are a team that can give you some problems because they use a lot of
different looks on offense. You can see them in one back, in two backs, two tightends.
They also do a good job with their package of empty backfield, meaning
nobody in the backfield. They've given some teams problems with that, including last
year when they played Purdue, you can see they did some really good things out of
that package."

"This is a big game for UNC. It's an opportunity for them to come to a Big 12
stadium and compete, and it's our job to not only be concerned with them, but also
be in competition with ourselves. We must use this game as a measuring stick to see
where we are in various positions on the field and to get better."

"We are really looking forward to it. Our players are getting tired of practicing
against each other, so they're also excited to be playing somebody different."

On is it easier to scout a team early in the season which has a lot of returning
players:

"Well not necessarily because we're always adding wrinkles to our offense and
defense. We are always going to expand our package of veteran players; ask them
to do more than they've done in the past. So, I'd say it is better to have veteran
guys coming back than to have a bunch of rookies that nobody knows."

On Dezmon Briscoe's kick return game:

"He's made a world of difference back there, which we saw in just the few games he
played back there last year. He understands the lanes, he understands leverage, he
knows where the block lanes are coming from and he knows where the pursuit lanes
are coming from downfield, so he will continue to do that job and I suspect he will be
able to do it very well."

On offensive line vs. defensive line in practice:

"I think we have seen a lot of give-and-take. That is one of the things as a head
coach that you sometimes can't measure [who is progressing at a faster pace]
because you want them both to do well. They are both out there competing against
each other every day and I truly think it has been give-and-take, which is a sign to
me that we are doing well and making progress in both areas."

On the progression/improvement of the linebackers:

"We have made a lot of progress since day one; there is no question about that. I
think those kids are starting to develop some confidence in knowing their
assignments, getting their reads and getting where they are supposed to be in both
the run and pass game. We have been hindered a little by guys who have been
banged up and missed repetitions, but overall I like the progress. We just need to
continue that development as we go through the season."

On moving Brad Thorson to left guard:

"It was a situation where he was playing very well at the center position and he has
had a big winter and a good spring as well. He's a strong player and we just knew he
belonged on the field somewhere. We made a decision to move him to guard and
take a look at him there, which we found was worth doing because he looks pretty
sharp there. Now, he is still learning some things, but it was a good move for us
because we want to put our five best offensive lineman on the field and he was one
of our five best.

"There are little nuances in moving from center to guard, but nothing major. It would
be a lot tougher to go from center to quarterback, that would really difficult, but not
guard."

On Jeremiah Hatch at center:

"Hatch has a lot tools. He plays with leverage, he does a good job getting under the
defensive lineman and he has active feet; his feet are always moving. He is a young
player who is really getting comfortable with being the guy in the middle of the line
who gets us in the right protections and the right calls. He is really doing a great job
and he is excited about this opportunity to get to play in the center."

On starting the season and making a statement in the opening game:

"Well everybody is excited to play our first game. We have been looking at this since
August 6. We haven't seen a different color jersey for a month. You take a look at 15
practices in the spring, 15 practices for a bowl game and 29 practices leading up to
the first game. That's a lot of practices to have only seen one opponent, so our
players are anxious to get on the field and compete. We just want to play well. We
want to play smart football, aggressive football in the way we always do. Good,
tough hard-nosed ball is what we're looking forward to doing."

On balance between playing time in a game like this for first team and second team:

"To be honest, the number one priority is going out there with your ones and winning
the game. We are not fooling around, meaning we have not sat around saying ‘we'll
get this guy reps and have him do this and that.' We have focus just like we do
every week on our game plan for our starting players. Now, we put a good amount
of emphasis on the twos, but there is no more this week than there would be any
other week. In an ideal situation in your first game, we would like to get some young
kids some work to see where they fit in because maybe they are guys who should be
up on the depth chart and can prove that, but our focus is getting in there with our
ones and winning the game. If we get a chance to play our second-team, then great,
we'd like to do that."

On quarterback Kale Pick's reps, now that Kerry Meir is primarily at wide receiver:

"I think he has been steady everyday on the practice field. You can see him pick up
little things here and there that maybe he was not able to do a week ago, but he has
just been really steady; just how you like him. He is coming along and gaining
confidence. He has spent a lot of time working on his game. He comes in and
watches tape on his own, goes in the meeting room and studies himself and studies
the opponents, so his progress has been nice and steady."

On importance of Pick getting real game experience:

"Well yes, if it is the result of a decision we make as a coaching staff, rather than
one we are forced in to out of necessity."

On freshman wide receiver Bradley McDougald:

"We had not really spent a lot of time with him over the summer because all his work
is done with the strength and conditioning coaches. We thought he would be pretty
good, but then you hear the kids talk around the building and the strength coaches
talk and you realize he has the ability to be pretty good. As soon as we got him on
the field, just a few days into practice, we realized he was talented young guy. We
asked ourselves how fast he could run our offense, how fast he was going to adjust
to the tempo of DI football as opposed to high school, and we now suspect he will
adapt pretty well."

On defensive to offensive transition for Tanner Hawkinson:

"Obviously we want our kids to play a position they enjoy playing and can be happy
with. He is a talented young guy and to be honest, we moved him to defense last
year out of necessity. But I always had in the back of my mind that he would be best
as an offensive tackle. He has embraced it and sees himself getting better everyday,
and when kids see themselves getting better, the enthusiasm grows."

On the growth of junior lineman Sal Capra:

"Sal is an interesting player. He's a kid who played linebacker at Rockhurst and was
a very good high school player, but I knew he was not going to play linebacker here.
What we thought he would do is perhaps be a three-technique or a nose, but we
really needed some help on the offensive line a couple years ago, so we moved him
over. At first it was difficult for him, but he did everything he had to do to make
himself a better player. He needed to get bigger, so he worked hard in the weight
room and he worked hard on the practice field. Sal Capra is a guy I would term a
‘program guy.' He works hard, he is dedicated to the program, he doesn't get a lot of
fanfare or press, but he works at it everyday and has developed into a solid football
player for us and we would be in trouble if we didn't have him."

"Yes, being called a ‘program guy' is one of the best compliments because it means
the kid has done everything the program has asked him to do to become a better
player, a better teammate and contributor to the program, which he [Capra] really
has done. The strength coaches rave about him, his position coach says he's just a
hard working guy and when I watch tape of him, I see he's not flashy, he's not a
huge guy or a quick guy, but he's smart, resourceful and knows how to play the
game."

On the experience of returning special teams players:
"We don't really put out a special teams depth chart, so you will probably be
surprised by the personnel you see on the field because there have been a lot of
changes. But special teams has been highly competitive in this year's training camp.
We have made it a high priority because we feel if we are going to have a chance to
be a really good football team, we have to win the field position battles and the
special teams. I'm convinced we'll be better on special teams this year from top to
bottom."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Player Quotes

Kansas Player Quotes
Press Conference
Sept. 1, 2009

Freshman Wide Receiver Bradley McDougald

On the biggest thing he has had to get used to in college football:
"Probably the speed of the game. In high school once you get to a certain point, it is
easy to just be able to go through things half-heartedly. But college football is
always a consistent grind. Each play is full speed and just the speed and the tempo
of the game is something I had to get used to."

On his confidence in his ability to immediately contribute:
"It was a definite goal. Coach (Ed) Warinner was the person who recruited me out of
high school and he mentioned possible playing time, but I never thought it would be
what it is now. I thought I would be rotating and working my way into the first
group. Once you get here and you sit down in the meeting room and you look
around at the receivers, it is kind of intimidating because they know more than you
do, but it is basically about getting on the practice field and making plays."

Senior Wide Receiver Kerry Meier

On playing a Non-BCS school in the first game:
"We’re trying to come out and start the season off with a bang. Northern Colorado is
making the transition to Division one and a lot of people think that this is going to be
a walk in the park for us but it’s going to be a good test for us to come out and see
where we’re at. We’re eager to come out and see what we can do."

On Bradley McDougald:
"He has the ability to make everything look easy. He’s just a smooth athlete that
takes it all in stride. A lot of times it looks like he’s not going very hard, but his
ability to make plays and make it look easy is going to be great for us. He’s come to
me numerous times, trying to figure out certain things. Anytime I can help him out, I
know it’s for the betterment of him. If he’s getting better, we are getting better as a
team."

Freshman Running Back Toben Opurum

On his feelings playing the first game of the season:
"I might be nervous when Saturday comes around, but I’m pretty good at keeping
my calm. I’m pretty calm right now, but definitely excited for the game."

On Northern Colorado:
"I didn’t know a lot about them prior to us preparing for them, but we’ve looked at
the film and what they do, I think we’re definitely prepared to handle ourselves on
Saturday."

On how practice has changed now that it’s gameweek:
"The most important thing is for us to prepare on what we do because that’s
ultimately what’s going to happen in the game. It doesn’t really matter what the
opponent does, but how we handle ourselves during the game. We have put
preparation in for this team, but it’s mainly about what we do and how we maintain
our focus."

Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Kale Pick

On winning the number two job:
"I’m very excited. It was my goal this whole offseason and Saturday is going to be
exciting. I’m more concerned about how we do coming out right away and how our
team does offense, defense and special teams. How we kick off the season is more
important than my personal excitement."

On his feelings for this week:

"This is something we’ve worked hard for all offseason. There are only 12 days in the
year that we are working hard for all winter long, all summer long, so this is what
we’ve been looking forward to since the Insight bowl. So it’s definitely exciting this
week and we are looking forward to Saturday."

Senior Running Back Jake Sharp

On Bradley McDougald:
"He’s really stepped up. Mentally, he’s where he needs to be for a freshman. It’s
usually the mental aspect that will separate freshmen from other freshmen to be
able to play early. He’s really showcased some maturity in that aspect."

On Northern Colorado’s season last year:
"That was last year. We don’t even look at that stuff. Bottom line is that we’re
playing an opponent this week and it’s Northern Colorado. We’re going to play as
hard as we can, like we would every other week. I’m sure those guys are working
hard down there and that thought is not on their mind at all."

Senior Safety Darrell Stuckey

On the cornerbacks going against top receivers in practice:
"I think it sets the bar high for them. I think it forces them to think big even though
they are small. It is one of those things where you start out running at a fast pace.
That pace is going to set the bar for the rest of the race. If this is where the pace is
going to start and their expectations are going to be that much higher, then they are
going to break that much faster and play better.

On helping young guys with their roles:
"The first rule we implemented was to know everything about your position. Know
everything about the people that surround you. Know everything about what your
position influences on the field. As a corner, their roles are going to be small. They
could be on an island the whole time, but when things come their way they have to
understand why they do what they are going to do."

Freshman Linebacker Huldon Tharp

On what has been most challenging:
"The most challenging thing has been learning the whole mental side of the game.
Learning the defense has definitely been a challenge – learning all the coverages."

On whether he is nervous:
"I’m definitely nervous for this game just because it has been over a year since I’ve
played an actual game. I’m nervous, but I’m also more excited to get out there and
show what I can do and help the team out as best as I can. It’s been a long time
since I’ve played."

On what it has been like since he got injured in high school:
"Originally, it was just shock – there was a possibility that I wouldn’t play Division I
football, but then KU gave me the opportunity and still had faith in me that I would
be all right. Right now, it’s paying off and they feel like I can help."

On how he spent time while injured:

"Rehab all the time. Then once I’d get cleared for certain weight-lifting things, I’d be
lifting all the time and running all the time and doing whatever I could do to be 100
percent."

Kansas Football Depth Chart Is Out

Denverjhawk — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:20:36 -0000

One week out and we've got an official word from the athletic department on what things will look like when we take the field on Saturday the 5th. For the better part of three weeks we've been trying to piece together what this thing might look like from the eyes in the sky, but it's always fun to see the official look from the staff.

Let the speculation end because this is the Jayhawks story and for now their sticking to it. We'll see come next Saturday.

Offense:

LT 72 Tanner Hawkinson 6-6 270 Fr. RS
63 Ian Wolfe 6-5 295 Jr. 1L

LG 76 Brad Thorson 6-3 290 Jr. 1L
71 John Williams 6-4 309 Fr. RS

OC 77 Jeremiah Hatch 6-3 311 So. 1L
76 Brad Thorson 6-3 290 Jr. 1L

RG 59 Sal Capra 6-3 295 Jr. 1L
69 Trevor Marrongelli 6-4 285 Fr. RS

RT 74 Jeff Spikes 6-6 314 So. 1L
55 Darius Parish 6-4 314 So. 1L

TE 86 Tim Biere 6-4 250 So. 1L
43 Ted McNulty 6-5 231 So. SQ

WR 81 Johnathan Wilson 6-3 189 Jr. 2L
29 Isiah Barfi eld 6-0 184 So. 1L

WR 10 Kerry Meier 6-3 221 Sr. 3L
24 Bradley McDougald 6-2 195 Fr. HS

WR 80 Dezmon Briscoe 6-3 202 Jr. 2L
89 Tertavian Ingram 6-0 200 Jr. SQ

RB 1 Jake Sharp 5-10 195 Sr. 3L
35 Toben Opurum 6-2 235 Fr. HS
or 6 Rell Lewis 5-10 201 So. SQ

QB 5 Todd Reesing 5-11 200 Sr. 3L
19 Kale Pick 6-2 200 Fr. RS

Defense:

LE 90 Maxwell Onyegbule 6-5 258 Sr. 2L
84 Jeff Wheeler 6-7 260 Sr. 3L

LT 97 Richard Johnson 6-2 281 So. 1L
99 Jamal Greene 6-4 304 Jr. 1L

RT 94 Caleb Blakesley 6-5 298 Sr. 3L
98 Duane Zlatnik 6-4 303 Fr. RS
or 92 Patrick Dorsey 6-0 275 So. SQ

RE 91 Jake Laptad 6-5 258 Jr. 2L
93 Quintin Woods 6-5 230 Jr. JC

SLB 45 Justin Springer 6-4 242 Jr. 2L
9 Vernon Brooks 5-11 230 Jr. JC

MLB 49 Drew Dudley 6-2 232 Jr. 2L
52 Steven Johnson 6-2 229 So. 1L

WLB 41 Arist Wright 6-0 226 Sr. 3L
34 Huldon Tharp 6-1 215 Fr. HS

LC 15 Daymond Patterson 5-9 175 So. 1L
27 Greg Brown 5-11 177 Fr. RS

SS 25 Darrell Stuckey 6-1 205 Sr. 3L
13 Lubbock Smith 5-11 192 Fr. RS

FS 46 Justin Thornton 6-1 213 Sr. 3L
26 Phillip Strozier 6-1 201 Jr. 2L

RC 30 Anthony Davis 6-0 192 So. 1L
17 Calvin Rubles 6-3 203 Jr. JC

Kansas: Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

Bill C. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:09 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

"I'd say the burrito was about this big." (Sorry, have to win back some goodwill after posting an unharmed Jayhawk logo yesterday.)

Browse more photos »

Confused? Catch up with the BTBS Primer.

We now take a look at a team that, talent-wise, seems to be most well-established for making a North title run in 2009. At least, a team well-established at skill positions and in the secondary, with some pretty good-sized question marks in some units.

2008

Record: 8-5 (4-4 in the Big 12)
S&P+: 230.0 (20th in the country, 6th in the Big 12)
Scoring Margin: 434-375 (+59)
Conference Scoring Margin: 251-293 (-42)
Wins (S&P+ Ranking in parentheses): #10 Missouri (dammit), #63 Minnesota, #82 Colorado, #79 Kansas State, #86 Louisiana Tech, #93 Florida International, #104 Iowa State, 1-AA Sam Houston State
Losses: #3 Oklahoma, #5 Texas, #15 Texas Tech, #21 Nebraska, #23 South Florida

Two atrocious quarters of offense from Missouri prevented me from being able to cleanly say that KU was 0-6 versus Top 60 teams and 7-0 versus everybody else, but alas...the 40-37 win over Mizzou at Arrowhead was KU's single crowning win in 2008. And yet...they managed to rank 20th in the country anyway. It all depends on how you frame it, I guess. You could also say that they were 1-5 versus the Top 25 and 7-0 versus everybody else, which makes #20 sound about right. Regardless of how you frame 2008, in 2009 KU returns all of their skill position talent and some key cogs in the secondary, but faces major holes on the O-line and at linebacker.

Coaching

Head Coach: Mark Mangino
Record at Kansas: 45-41 (conference: 22-34)
Career Pythagorean Record: -1.15 wins (-0.1/year)

Mark Mangino enters his eighth season in Lawrence having brought Kansas pretty steady, if a little two-steps-forward-one-back, success. He has yet to finish ahead of Gary Pinkel in the Big 12 North standings, yet he is consistently ranked ahead of GP when Big 12 coaches are ranked. At some point, actually, you'd think KU fans would become rather offended by this, as it pretty much suggests that KU was such a bad job that he's done an amazing job just to win some games while never finishing ahead of PInkel.

Mangino's moving average of wins shows just how methodically he has brought success to Lawrence:

2002-04: 4.0
2003-05: 5.7
2004-06: 5.7
2005-07: 8.3
2006-08: 8.7

And while we're at it, let's look at "Adjusted Win %." If you remember this from previous use, this is where we adjust a team's record for quality of opponent, equally weighting the record against teams based on win %.

Mark Mangino's Adj. Win %
	vs .000-.250	vs .251-.500	vs .501-.750	vs .751-1.000	Adj. Win %
Year 1-4	7-1 (0.875)	6-10 (0.375)	6-12 (0.333)	0-5 (0.000)	19-28 (0.396)
Year 5-7	9-0 (1.000)	8-2 (0.800)	8-6 (0.571)	1-4 (0.200)	26-12 (0.643)
Total	16-1 (0.941)	14-12 (0.538)	14-18 (0.438)	1-9 (0.100)	45-40 (0.504)

Just as a means of comparison, here's Gary Pinkel's Adjusted Win %, broken out the same way:

Gary Pinkel's Adj. Win %
	vs .000-.250	vs .251-.500	vs .501-.750	vs .751-1.000	Adj. Win %
Year 1-4	6-0 (1.000)	12-8 (0.600)	3-10 (0.231)	1-7 (0.125)	22-25 (0.468)
Year 5-8	7-0 (1.000)	15-2 (0.882)	14-8 (0.636)	1-6 (0.143)	37-16 (0.665)
Total	13-0 (1.000)	27-10 (0.730)	17-18 (0.486)	2-13 (0.133)	59-41 (0.583)

So Gary Pinkel has performed slightly better across the board, but clearly both have done wonderful jobs turning iffy programs into winners. And as with Gary PInkel, Mangino will lose quite a few impact players after his eighth season, so he'll be starting Year #9 with a somewhat fresh slate just the same.

Looking at Pythagorean wins suggests that KU should have actually done a bit better overall, but the improvement has been easily measurable, and Mangino clearly is a pretty good coach. He's just not better than Pinkel.

Offense

Overall Stats

S&P+: 118.1 (#19)
Success Rate+: 115.8 (#16)
PPP+: 121.5 (#28)

Standard Downs S&P+: 110.0 (#33)
Passing Downs S&P+: 128.0 (#16)

Redzone S&P+: 125.1 (#12)

Q1 S&P+: 126.7 (#18)
Q2 S&P+: 108.6 (#44)
Q3 S&P+: 105.2 (#53)
Q4 S&P+: 126.6 (#10)

1st Down S&P+: 114.5 (#26)
2nd Down S&P+: 110.9 (#42)
3rd Down S&P+: 124.0 (#21)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 118.8 (#21)
Rushing SR+: 120.9 (#7)
Rushing PPP+: 116.4 (#42)

Standard Downs: 106.3 (#48)
Passing Downs: 130.3 (#24)

Redzone: 120.0 (#30)

Line Yards+: 115.0 (#19)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 115.2 (#25)
Passing SR+: 111.6 (#24)
Passing PPP+: 119.7 (#27)

Standard Downs: 113.0 (#24)
Passing Downs: 122.5 (#24)

Redzone: 131.3 (#13)

Sack Rate+: 103.3 (#61)

Kansas stepped backwards by four games from their 12-1 season in 2007 to 8-5 in 2008. A lot of that dropoff was schedule-based (as mentioned above, they didn't actually lose to a team ranked below 23rd in S&P+), but was it measurable in the numbers too? Not really.

2007 vs 2008

S&P+: 39th in 2007, 19th in 2008
Success Rate+: 40th in 2007, 16th in 2008
PPP+: 41st in 2007, 28th in 2008
Rushing S&P+: 35th in 2007, 21st in 2008
Passing S&P+: 41st in 2007, 25th in 2008
Standard Downs S&P+: 30th in 2007, 33rd in 2008 (regression!)
Passing Downs S&P+: 54th in 2007, 16th in 2008 (a-ha!)

That they actually improved offensively in 2008 despite the regression in record says two things: 1) they could be pretty damn good in 2009, and 2) not to beat a dead horse, but...their schedule was so freaking weak in 2007!!

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.

Quarterback

Forever and ever.

2008 Unit Ranking: #27 in the nation (#7 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Todd Reesing (5'11, 200, Sr.)
Kale Pick (6'2, 200, RSFr.)
Chase Knighton (6'1, 195, So.)

If this team is relying on Passing Downs success to win their first North title, then they're going as far as Todd Reesing can take them. He was at his improvisational best against Oklahoma and Missouri, scrambling and seemingly inventing routes on the fly on his way to a combined 717 passing yards and 6 TDs (and, to be fair, 4 INTs). The Brett Favre comparison gets overused these days, and while Reesing doesn't quite see the Favre-esque extremes that someone like Matt Grothe does (he's only thrown more than 2 picks in a game twice), it's definitely in him, much moreso than with Chase Daniel, who was also given that "gunslinger" label (even though Chase was, in the end, about as robotic as a QB can be).

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.

Which, in the end, is about as Favre-esque as you can get.

Running Backs

2008 Unit Ranking: #69 in the nation (#8 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Jake Sharp (5'10, 195, Sr.)
Reil Lewis (5'10, 201, So.)
Deshaun Sands? (5'9, 182, Fr.)
Toben Opurum? (6'2, 239, Fr.)

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.

For better or worse, Sharp is the horse of this unit. Their two other POE-eligible running backs, Angus Quigley (165th) and Jocques Crawford (153rd), are either no longer playing running back (Quigley moved to LB) or no longer on the team (Crawford left Lawrence after, uhh, some drama). What remain are Reil Lewis and a couple of brank, spanking new options in Deshaun Sands and big Toben Opurum. Expect either or both of the freshmen to play this year, though you never want to rely too much on freshmen. Barring injury, Sharp will still carry a majority of the load.

One more thing: if Sands, ~~brother~~ son of the one and only Tony Sands, sees the field at Arrowhead this November, somebody should take precautionary measures and break his freaking kneecaps. Nothing personal, ahem.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

2008 Unit Ranking: #23 in the nation (#4 in the Big 12)

Projected WR Depth Chart
Dezmon Briscoe (6'3, 200, Jr.)
Kerry Meier (6'3, 220, Sr.)
Johnathan Wilson (6'3, 189, Jr.)
Raimond Pendleton (5'11, 192, Sr.)
Tertavian Ingram (6'0, 200, Jr.)
Isiah Barfield (6'0, 184, So.)
Reece Petty (6'2, 195, Jr.)
Willie O'Quinn (6'0, 190, So.)

Projected TE Depth Chart
Tim Biere (6'4, 246, So.)
Bradley Dedeaux (6'3, 252, Jr.)
Nick Plato (6'6, 242, RSFr.)

I'll be the first to admit that I need to figure out a better method of ranking WR/TE units. Both Kansas and Missouri ranked in the 20s in this category, but...well, until I figure out a better way, this is what we've got. KU definitely has the scariest 1-2 punch in the North. Briscoe and Meier combined for 189 catches, 2,452 yards, and 23 TDs in 2008, simply insane numbers. Johnathan Wilson (43 for 573, 3 TDs) is a solid third option, but...well, talking about anybody but Briscoe and Meier as the headliners is like saying Wilt Chamberlain and I have combined to sleep with over 10,000 women...it's very impressive, but it completely takes away from the real accomplishment.

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.

I am working on the assumption that 2009 will be Briscoe's last season in Lawrence--he's got good NFL size and speed, plus grades appear to be an issue, which sometimes pulls people toward the pros a little sooner than otherwise--meaning the KU receiving corps will take on a completely different look in 2010. But we'll talk about that in 2010. For now, this is the best WR unit in the North, and any production they get from the tight end position (which, last year, was almost nonexistant--Tim Biere and Bradley Dedeaux combined for all of 8 catches and 74 yards) is just icing.

Offensive Line

2008 Unit Ranking: #32 in the nation (#6 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
C Jeremiah Hatch (6'3, 311, So.)
T Jeff Spikes (6'6, 314, So.)
G Sal Capra (6'3, 292, Jr.)
G Carl Wilson (6'4, 292, Jr.)
T Tanner Hawkinson (6'6, 260, RSFr.)
G John Williams (6'4, 338, RSFr.)
G Trevor Marrongelli (6'4, 285, RSFr.)
C Brad Thorson (6'3, 290, Jr.)
T Ian Wolfe (6'5, 295, Jr.)
T Darius Parish (6'4, 341, So.)

Consider the offensive line Major Kansas Question Mark #1 (the second will come when we talk about the defense). They have the fewest returning career starts in the conference (lower than even OU), and of the ten names I was able to dig up for a depth chart (question for KU fans: is senior Jose Rodriguez still with the team? He's not on the 2009 KU roster, but I saw him mentioned at RCT), there are no seniors and only four juniors. This bodes well for 2010, when a solid, experienced line is trying to set the table for an almost 100% new set of skill position players, but for now it's a giant red flag for this offense. 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.

Summary

Todd Reesing's interesting offseason workout plan was introduced to the country recently...and well, I just needed a place to reference that, so here you go. Now to the real summary:

It cannot be emphasized enough just how much this team relies on Reesing for success. They have an efficient but average running game and the greenest offensive line in the conference. Reesing has two explosive and heady options in Briscoe and Meier, but the Jayhawks will need things to click better than they did last year to navigate through the most brutal schedule in the North and win their first North title (no, 2007 does not count). The more Reesing has to rely on his great improvisational skills, the more likely KU is to fail, not because Reesing's talent will fall off or anything, but because you're simply setting yourself up for failure with the more Passing Downs you encounter.

The running game must click at least as well as it did last year, when a seemingly raw O-line produced very respectable line yardage totals, and KU must avoid relying on Passing Downs success because they will likely fall off in that regard in 2009. Missouri did from 2007 to 2008, and I think with the more data I get, the more common I will find these occurrences to be. I still think that, talent- and experience-wise, KU is the most proven overall team in the North, but they will need to be better than they were in 2008, and with that offensive line and their '08 over-reliance on Passing Downs success, it's far from a given that they actually will be better.