SB Nation - Jeff Spikes

The Border War: Beyond the Box Score Preview

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

You expected some other way to start out this post?

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

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

Offense

Kansas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mizzou Advantages:

Passing Downs Sack Rate+

And for KU...

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

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

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

Quarterback

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

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

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

Running Back

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

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

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

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

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

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

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

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

Offensive Line

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

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

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Defense

Kansas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MU's advantages:

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

KU's advantages:

Red Zone S&P+

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

Defensive Line

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

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

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

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

Linebackers

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

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

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

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

Secondary

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

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

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

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

Special Teams

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

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

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

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

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Three Keys to the Game

Passing Downs

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

Danario Alexander vs Dez Briscoe

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

MU's Running Game

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

Prediction

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

Where Was the Husker Defensive Line Against Kansas?

Jon Johnston — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Kansas made themselves bigger in the middle with the influence of head coach Mark Mangino.

Browse more photos »

Nebraska's defensive line has been incredible most of the season, but against Kansas they looked somewhat pedestrian. Nebraska managed only one sack, that on a corner blitz where Prince Amukmara chased down Todd Reesing who was rolling to the opposite side of the field. The defensive line unit managed only 3.5 tackles for loss, with five total for the team.

Strategically, Kansas did a couple things very well to neutralize Nebraska's defensive line. They double and triple-teamed the best defensive lineman in the nation for most of the game. They also ran a fair number of misdirection plays, having Reesing roll in the opposite direction of the offensive line blocking. On those plays the defensive line doesn't have much choice but to go in the direction of the offense, as that's the point of misdirection - to disguise the play by moving the offense in one direction while the ball goes in another.

Kansas tried a couple of plays early with a single blocker against Ndamukong Suh, but his upfield push was too strong for tackle-converted-to guard Jeff Spikes. (Last week Husker fans were told a freshman would be getting his first start against Suh. Apparently Mark Mangino isn't that crazy.) Given that result, Suh was double-teamed and triple-teamed for the rest of the game. Normally Jared Crick would benefit from the extra blockers handling Suh, but in this game Crick was frequently caught up in KU's blocking scheme. Carl Pelini called some line stunts in an attempt to cross up the blocking, but the Huskers were burned by them on a few occasions.

That's not to say the defensive line didn't have some great plays. Kansas was limited in the number of downfield passes they could throw. When they tried to develop longer passing routes, Reesing was frequently pressured into bad throws. Kansas had one play where their receiver had gotten behind Nebraska's defensive backs, but the ball was dropped.

Dezmon Briscoe's biggest gain of the day came on a short pass where Briscoe spun around and ran past two Husker defenders who had taken bad angles on the play. Those are the kind of plays Briscoe can make. Reesing's biggest gain came on a 17-yard quarterback draw when he barely escaped the grasp of a defensive lineman. Other than Reesing's draw, the longest ground gain was by running back Toben Opurum for a mere six yards. That's not anywhere near suck territory.

The most impressive defensive line play of the day came when Barry Turner tracked down Dezmon Briscoe on a reverse, running him to the sideline for a one-yard loss. Turner showed impressive speed on the play and kept the angle of pursuit to his advantage. Turner ended up with four tackles, while fellow linemen Suh, Crick, Pierre Allen, and Cameron Meredith had 2.5 apiece.

To date, Nebraska has averaged 6.9 tackles for loss and 2.8 sacks per game. Kansas was successful in eliminating negative plays, largely due to Reesing's ability to scramble and find just enough room on his draw plays. The Jayhawks made the best of Briscoe's ability to make plays and Kerry Meier's ability to catch anything thrown at him.

Overall, it wasn't a bad game for the defensive line, we just didn't see the bone-crushing tackles that we've become accustomed to this season. Don't worry about it too much - Kansas State quarterback Grant Gregory isn't nearly as mobile as Todd Reesing, and the Wildcats only have one big playmaker in speedy receiver Brandon Banks.

Count on seeing a Husker defensive line back in form this weekend. Contain the Wildcat ground game, get some sacks, and everything should be good.

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.

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.

Hawk Talk: Kansas vs. Duke Tailgate Edition

Denverjhawk — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:00:45 -0000

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

The Good Guys...

Jake Sharp, Toben Opurum and the Kansas running game have started strong this season.
Maxwell Onyegbule earns Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Honors for his performance in El Paso.
The Kansas defensive line has the look of an improved unit so far this season.
Jeff Spikes settling in at Right Tackle in his redshirt sophomore year.
Todd Reesing not overly impressed with his own play so far this year.
KC Star Game Preview
Whitlock does a bit of a Todd Reesing response piece to his Blaine Gabbert lovefest.
A look at the hurdles that schools like Duke and Kansas face when trying to become more than a basketball school.
Jeff Wheeler hopes to distinguish himself on an improved Kansas offensive line.
Toben brings size and maturity beyond his freshman year status.

The Bad Guys...

A look at Duke backup QB, a highly rated one at that in Sean Renfree.
Article about Todd Reesing, a former Duke recruit, from the Duke perspective.
Duke hit with a few injuries as they head to Lawrence.
..."What if Todd Reesing had Picked Duke"

Miscellaneous...

Came across this while scowering for news...it's your feel good story of the week.

Denver's Take...

Here's the thing, Kansas hasn't put together a great game to date and the passing game has been less than stellar. The staff keeps saying they are taking what other teams are giving them and that's fine but from the sounds of things Todd Reesing is getting a little fired up and ready to bring it up a notch.

If the interior line can handle Vince Oghobaase up the middle I don't have much reason to believe the Duke defense will put up much of a fight. Combine that with a Duke offensive unit that averages just 44 yards on the ground against weak opponents and this one has to have the Kansas players drooling.

I expect this game to be one where we see Kansas click a little bit more on all cylinders. I'm not saying they put the finished product together but they move closer in that direction.

Next week Southern Mississippi comes to town and they will be the first major test as UTEP proved not to be. This week Kansas puts together those final tune ups against Duke, get's some extra PT for the youngsters and heads to the final non-con game with confidence running high.

Final Score: Kansas 52 Duke 7

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

KU-DUKE SERIES -- Kansas and Duke will be meeting for the first time in school history. In fact, each of KU's four non-conference games this year are first-time meetings.

KU VS. THE ACC -- Kansas owns a 3-16 record against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 1-0 mark against Virginia Tech, 2-5 vs. Florida State, 0-1 vs. Georgia Tech, 0-2 vs. North Carolina, 0-2 vs. North Carolina State, 0-2 vs. Virginia and 0-4 vs. Miami. The last time KU played an ACC team was when the Jayhawks defeated league champion No. 5 Virginia Tech 24-21 in the 2008 Orange Bowl. The last time KU hosted an ACC team was a 50-10 loss to then No. 15 Virginia in 1990.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR AGAINST DUKE

KU has recorded at least three sacks in each of its last three games dating back to last year and had six at UTEP last Saturday.
RB Jake Sharp (22) needs one touchdown run to tie Brandon McAnderson and Chip Hilleary (23 each) for third on the KU career touchdowns list and two for sole possession.
Sharp (8) needs one 100-yard rushing game to tie Clark Green (9) for sixth on the KU career 100-yard rushing games list.
Sharp (60) needs two receptions to pass June Henley (61) for second on the KU career receptions by a running back list.
Sharp (162) needs seven points to pass "Touchdown" Tony Sands (168) for seventh on the KU career scoring list.
WR Dezmon Briscoe (2,057) needs 105 yards to pass Mark Simmons (2,161) for second on the KU career receiving yardage list and 210 yards to pass Willie Vaughn (2,266) for first place.
Briscoe (8) needs one 100-yard receiving game for sole possession of first on the KU career 100-yard receiving games list (currently tied with Willie Vaughn).
Briscoe (132) needs seven points to pass Chip Hilleary (138) for 10th on the KU career scoring list and 13 points to pass David Winbush (144) for ninth.
Briscoe has produced five straight 100-yard receiving games.
Briscoe has caught at least two passes in 20 consecutive games.
Meier has caught at least two passes in 23 consecutive games.
Reesing (8,046) needs 308 passing yards to pass Major Applewhite of Texas (8,353) for seventh place on the Big 12 career passing yardage list.
Reesing (657) needs 24 completions to pass Josh Freeman of Kansas State (680) for eighth and 34 completions to pass Joel Klatt of Colorado (690) for seventh on the Big 12 career completions list.
Reesing has thrown a touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games.
DE Jake Laptad (12.5) needs two sacks to pass Nick Reid (14) for ninth on the KU career sacks list.

DID YOU KNOW? -- KU has allowed only two 100-yard rushers in its last 15 games.

MANGINO TIED FOR SECOND ON KU WINS LIST -- With its 34-7 victory at UTEP on Saturday, Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino recorded his 47th victory as the Jayhawk mentor and moved into a tie for second place on the KU coaches' victories list. Mangino reached 47 wins in his 88th game to tie Glen Mason, who finished his career with a 47-54-1 mark. Both trail A.R. Kennedy, who had a 52-9-4 record from 1904-10.

ONE OF TWO -- Kansas is one of just two teams in the country to currently average at least 250 yards rushing and at least 250 yards passing, joining top-ranked Florida. The Jayhawks average 291.5 yards rushing and 270.0 yards passing through two weeks. KU's rushing average is seventh in the nation while its passing mark is 24th. Overall, KU's 561.50 yards per game rank sixth nationally. Florida is third in rushing at 330.0 and 13th in passing at 313.50 to rank first in total offense at 643.50 per game.

Hawk Talk: UTEP the Morning After

Denverjhawk — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:39:41 -0000

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

Jayhawks win but the team is still looking to improve.
Defensive line finally puts it together in an impressive performance against UTEP.
Position changes in the secondary help out in UTEP win.
Miners say, "We just couldn't stop them."
KC Star story about the game.
Box Score
Game Report

Denver's Take...

While the offense still ended up with nearly 600 yards in total output the defense was the story in El Paso and that is a very good sign.

Chris Harris back to corner, Justin Thornton to the Nickel spot and Phillip Strozier at safety seemed to solve any concerns in the defensive secondary and the coverage led to a few sacks up front.

On the defensive line the front four to their credit was also making it happen themselves. Maxwell Onyegbule and Jeff Wheeler the two most talked about defensive ends in terms of potential throughout their careers finally seemed to realize a little bit of that at the Sun Bowl.

Sure UTEP shot themselves in the foot at times but regardless of who you are playing, when a team that can't break the century mark in total yards for the better part of three quarters you are doing something right.

Even the linebacking corps seemed solid with both Arist Wright and Drew Dudley providing excellent run support as well as playing pretty solid in coverage when called upon. If you need a stat to show what these guys did, UTEP only put together 4 yards rushing and numerous times I saw Drew Dudley meeting the Miner backs in the holes or in the backfield.

Lastly on the defensive side of the ball the game plan itself was much improved, far less vanilla and at times did look to disrupt the rhythm of the UTEP offensive game. All in all this was a big confidence builder on the defensive side of the ball and something we all needed to see.

From an offensive perspective Jake Sharp and Dezmon Briscoe showed up to play, both having tremendous outputs. The team as a whole as I said was near 600 yards but it still looked a mess at times. Todd Reesing was battling some bad snaps at times which might have led to some of his questionable play making but I'll cut the guy some slack as he's usually a warrior out there for us. It might have even felt good for him to know he didn't have to win every game for us.

Our two headed monster of Jake Sharp and Toben Opurum combined for 166 of the teams 255 rushing yards behind a modified offensive line that saw Thorson move back to center, Capra to LG and Trevor Marrongelli enter the game at right guard and count me among those impressed by this guy. Ultimately I really want Hatch back in the game and his snapping concerns addressed but it's good to know we have some solid depth on the interior. The competition in this area is stiff and it's going to get harder and harder for the coaching staff to keep a guy like Marrongelli off the field.

In terms of pass protection it did seem that Todd Reesing was scrambling less, most of his jitters in the pocket seemed more a result of either his own indecision or a lack of open receivers. Tanner Hawkinson again protected the backside but Jeff Spikes did stumble a bit at the right tackle and at this point might be the one weak link up front that has shown through 2 games.

Finally, the third phase of the game on special teams. Kick return game looked good as Daymond Patterson nearly broke two punt returns for touchdowns. Jacob Branstetter and Alonso Rojas continue to look pretty solid in terms of kicking when it comes to the kind that determines field position. The biggest concern that was exposed today was hands down the kicking accuracy of Branstetter. It's early and I'm hoping those were jitters but right now this is an area that could lose a game for us and that's scary.

Overall, Kansas dominated this one and the reality is we still are far from putting together our best game. Duke next week and then another decent test in Southern Miss before Iowa State and Big 12 conference play. There's a lot of football to go but if there is one thing the first two weeks have shown it's that this year is wide open in the Big 12. Put the pieces together and there's no telling what Kansas might accomplish.

Postgame Quotes and Notes after the jump...

- With the win KU: Started a season 2-0 for the seventh consecutive season... Won its fourth straight game dating back to last year... Stopped a three-game non-conference road losing streak... Improved to 18-2 in its last 20 non-conference games... Improved to 25-7 in its last 32 games overall...

- KU Head Coach Mark Mangino tied for second among KU coaches for career victories with his 47^th win (47-41 overall). He is tied with Glen Mason (47-54-1) and behind A.R. Kennedy (52-9-4).

- New starters from last week included RB Toben Opurum (first career start for the freshman as KU started two running backs) and WR Dezmon Briscoe on offense and DT Caleb Blakesley and S Phillip Strozier on defense. Chris Harris started at cornerback this week after starting at nickel back in the first game.

- KU recorded three sacks in the first quarter to extend its streak of recording at least three sacks in a game to four straight dating back to last year. The first-quarter sacks were by Max Onyegbule, Jeff Wheeler and Patrick Dorsey.

- Jake Sharp's 30-yard run from the KU six-yard line in the first quarter, was the second-longest rush of his career (47 vs. Kansas State last season).

- Sharp moved into 10^th place on the KU career rushing list as he entered the game with 1,933 yards and moved past Kerwin Bell (1,970).

- Sharp tied for fifth place on the KU career rushing touchdowns list after entering the game with 20 scores on the ground.

- Sharp moved into third place on the KU career receptions by a running back list after entering the game with 54 career grabs.

- Sharp scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game for the fourth time in his career.

- Sharp recorded the fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career, including his second in two games this season (had 123 in opener against Northern Colorado).

- Sharp has rushed for 15 touchdowns in the last 11 games.

- KU junior Justin Thornton recorded his eighth career interception in the second quarter after a deflection by Daymond Patterson.

- WR Dezmon Briscoe recorded his fifth straight 100-yard receiving game dating back to last year and in fact had 121 yards by halftime. It marked his eighth career 100-yard receiving game which tied Willie Vaughn for the most in KU history.

- Briscoe moved into third place on the KU career receiving yardage list as he entered the game with 1,903 yards and Richard Estell had 1,997.

- Briscoe has now caught at least two passes in 20 consecutive games.

- QB Todd Reesing moved into ninth place on the Big 12 career total offense list as he entered the game with 8,392 yards and Josh Freeman of Kansas State had 8,421 in his career.

- DE Maxwell Onyegbule had a career-high tackle total (had five vs. Texas last year). His first five tackles were for loss, including two sacks.

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 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

Texas Tech Opponent Prospectus // Kansas Jayhawks

Seth C — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0000

2009 Texas Tech Opponent Prospectus

Game 1: North Dakota Fighting Sioux // Game 2: Rice Owls // Game 3: Texas Longhorns // Game 4: Houston Cougars // Game 5: New Mexico Lobos // Game 6: Kansas State Wildcats // Game 7: Nebraska Cornhuskers // Game 8: Texas A&M Aggies // Game 9: Kansas Jayhawks

Head coach Mark Mangino and his Kansas Jayhawks are predicted to battle for the Big 12 North. With so many returning offensive stars (Reesing, Mier and Briscoe) the Jayhawks should be fine offensively, but it's the defense (like almost every Big 12 team) that's going to have to improve in order to take the next step.

Join me after the jump for a closer look at Kansas.

General Information

Opponent	University of Kansas
Nickname	Jayhawks
Location	Lawrence, KS
Enrollment	20,298 (Undergraduates)
Conference	Big 12
Head Coach	Mark Mangino
2008 Record	7-5 (4-4)
Starters Returning/Lost	15/7
Blogs	Rock Chalk Talk Oread Boom Kings
Links	2009 Media Guide (pdf) 2009 Spring Prospectus (pdf)

Statistics


Statistic	Kansas	Texas Tech
Pass Offense	305.62 (8)	413.15 (1)
Rush Offense	126.77 (83)	117.84 (94)
Total Offense	432.38 (21)	531.00 (4)
Scoring Offense	33.38 (22)	43.77 (3)
Pass Efficiency	149.93 (17)	158.76 (9)
Sacks Allowed	2.38 (97)	1.00 (4)
Pass Defense	273.62 (114)	242.23 (94)
Rush Defense	123.08 (28)	140.38 (61)
Total Defense	369.69 (89)	382.62 (79)
Scoring Defense	28.85 (82)	27.85 (74)
Pass Efficiency Defense	129.69 (69)	130.56 (72)
Sacks	2.23 (40)	2.62 (18)
Tackles For Loss	6.31 (40)	4.85 (95)
Turnover Margin	0.23 (45)	0.62 (22)

Top Returners

Category	Player
Rushing	Jake Sharp (186 / 860 yds / 12 TD)
Passing	Todd Reesing (329-495 / 3,888 yds / 32 TD / 21 Int)
Receiving	Dezmon Briscoe (92 rec. / 1,407 yds / 15 TD)
Tackles	Darrell Stuckey (98)
Sacks	Jake Laptad (7.0)
Interceptions	Darrell Stuckey (5)

A Few Things

Replacing the Offensive Line: Texas Tech and Kansas are somewhat in the same boat in that each team needs to replace three-fifths of their starters from last year, plus Kansas must replace their tight end from last year. I think this means that much like Texas Tech, the Jayhawks are replacing the entire left side of their line and I believe that means that former tight end Tanner Hawkinson will be your left tackle. The Jayhawks have also done some shuffling, where last years left tackle, Jeremiah Hatch, will be moving to center and the lone returning starter is Jeff Spikes. We'll get into this below, but the nice thing about the Kansas line is that Reesing is a mobile quarterback and he can avoid quite a bit of pressure by himself, but this is obviously a situation to watch.
Who Picks Up the Rush: Again, much like Texas Tech, the Jayhawks must replace their first, third and fourth leading sacker from 2008. Defensive end Jake Laptad does return with seven sacks from last year, but the Jayhawks lose 16.5 of the 29 sacks from last year. I believe that Kansas is hoping that Maxwell Onyegbule steps up in a full time role. I should also mention that James Holt, a linebacker, was the leading sacker from last year. I can't say that I watched enough Kansas football last season to know how the Jayhawk defense works, but that's a lot of production to replace (and Texas Tech fans can empathize) in 2009.
Tremendous Offensive Skill Positions: You can't help but love the offensive triumvirate at Kansas. Todd Reesing is the Wes Welker of quarterbacks, and I mean that as a tremendous compliment. He's a guy that's not to be as successful as he is because of his stature, but he gets the job done and he does it with excellent efficiency. RB Jake Sharp is an effective runner, gaining 4.62 yards a carry and catching 25 passes out of the backfield. Had it not been for Michael Crabtree and Dez Bryant, the entire league would be talking about Dezmon Briscoe, which could be both good and bad. Bad in the sense that he ran into some issues during the spring, probably school related, that kept him out of some of the spring practices. With that being said, there's no denying Briscoe's talent as he caught 92 passes for 1,402 yards and 15 touchdowns. Just for comparison purposes, Michael Crabtree had 97 catches for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns. Briscoe had a relatively quiet game against Texas Tech, but make no mistake that Briscoe has the potential to be a game-changer for Kansas.
New Linebackers: As mentioned above, Kansas replaces all three linebackers from last year, including the leader pass rusher in James Holt, who was also KU's leading tackler, third leading tackler in Mike Rivera and fourth leading tackler in Joe Mortenson. Like I said, that's a ton of production to produce. Much like any school, hope springs eternal, and there's always the thought that there's depth to replace those three players. Where the former linebackers seemed to be more traditional, there's the thought that KU could move towards a faster and more fleet linebacking group.
Secondary Returns: We've talked about some of the weaknesses of the Kansas defense, but the strength of the defense is the secondary, where the Jayhawks return Darrell Stuckey, an All-American candidate. Stuckey was very good last year, which included being the leading returning tackler, and leading the team in interceptions last year. Cornerbacks Justin Thornton and Daymond Patterson also return, as well as free safety Phillip Strozier. As you could imagine, with entire secondary returning, there are some issues in that the Jayhawks were 114th in the nation last year in pass defense. Yeesh. I think this group will improve, but with the lack of pass rush and the fact that over the middle may be incredibly vulnerable. Again, we're talking about the experience factor here, and it's also the Big 12 where offenses fly high.

Poll

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most worried and 1 being the least worried, how worried are you about the Kansas Jayhawks?

1

26 votes

2

51 votes

3

94 votes

4

28 votes

5

17 votes

216 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: Kansas Jayhawks

rockchalk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:56:47 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

4 months ago: Kansas coach Mark Mangino gestures during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Browse more photos »

In conjunction with CBS Sports, the folks at The Ralphie Report are organizing the official SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Conference Preview. What follows is Rock Chalk Talk's "outsider's" look at the 2009 Kansas Jayhawks, much like you'd find in many preseason magazines across the country.

Overview: After two years on the periphery of the Big 12 Championship Game, this would appear to be the year for the Jayhawks to finally capture a Big 12 North title and become the obligatory punching bag for the South Champion. A tough schedule, though, may prevent them from winning the North yet again.

Offense: As is the trend in the Big 12, the strength of the Jayhawks is the offense. It starts with Todd Reesing, the QB that fits this team and its current standing in college football perfectly -- overlooked because of warts, but still given some respect. Of course, the job is easier when you have (arguably) the Big 12's best receiver in Dez Briscoe and some of the best hands in all of college football in Kerry Meier to throw the ball to. Add in a solid third option in Jonathan Wilson, a solid-if-unspectacular runningback in Jake Sharp and a young, improving offensive line, led by returning starters C Jeremiah Hatch and RT Jeff Spikes, and you have one of the better offenses in the country. It should have no trouble scoring points, no matter the point -- it's just how consistently it can score more of them.

Defense: The defense is led by FS Darrell Stuckey, a legitimate All-American candidate at FS, with some supporting stars in CB Daymond Patterson, DE Jake Laptad and LB Arist Wright. Kansas will use the 4-2-5 as its base defense, particularly against pass-heavy teams that are so prevalent across the Big 12, with Chris Harris playing the rover position. With one less linebacker, the onus will fall on the defensive line to stop the run -- particularly the interior guys, like Richard Johnson Jr., Darius Parish and Jamal Greene. They have the tools, but none have lived up to their potential quite yet. Former RB Angus Quigley has looked good at LB so far in fall practice, and may end up starting beside Wright, although Justin Springer remains the favorite as long as he heals as planned.

Special Teams: Save kickoff returner, the Jayhawks are returning every meaningful specialist in special teams. Punter Alonso Rojas is back for his second year, after closing out the regular season with a monstrous effort against Missouri. Kicker Jacob Brandstetter will also be returning for his second season, and word is that he's added some yards on to his kickoffs. And punt returner Daymond Patterson is back and ready to rock, as is long snapper Kayl Anderson. As for the kickoff returner void, there are numerous names vying for the job, including All-American candidates Briscoe and Stuckey.

Who We'll Miss The Most: On offense, the interior offensive line. They weren't stellar by any stretch of the imagination, but they were solid enough, and it's better to have an expected solid than a batch of incoming unknowns. On defense, without a doubt, LB James Holt. He was, for parts of last season, the sole pass rush on the Jayhawks, and he was downright stellar at it. His linebacker mates, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen, will be missed as hell, but not as much as Holt -- after Stuckey, he was the defense's second best player in 2008.

Exciting, New Faces You Should Know: On offense, there's a couple. RB Toben Opurum is probably the favorite to back up Jake Sharp and receive a dose of carries a game, and he's the real deal -- he was recruited by Notre Dame, people. He played in a spread system in high school, so he should have a quicker learning curve than most. There's also Erick McGriff, the son of the Crime Dog Fred McGriff, at the wide receiver position that has a chance to see the field early on. After the top three (Briscoe, Meier, Wilson), it's anyone's for the taking, and Erick has looked fabulous thus far. Oh, and don't forget about Bradly McDougald -- he could see snaps at WR or kick returner, or even both.

On defense, watch out for JUCO transfers Quintin Woods on the defensive line and Calvin Rubles in the secondary. Woods will, hopefully, provide a competent pass rush opposite Laptad, while Rubles should see some playing time in a secondary that will be heavily depended on.

Best Case Scenario: We aren't going undefeated, so give up the pipedream. However, like I mentioned in the overview, the Big 12 North is a perfect goal -- a big enough accomplishment that it'd be a success, but not too big that it seems unreachable. So, in the Best Case, Kansas goes into the Big 12 Championship Game with, oh, a 10-2 record. It's possible. We're almost assuredly losing in Austin (although weirder things have happened), and that just means winning three of the following: @ Texas Tech, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Nebraska, vs. Missouri (Arrowhead). Not unreasonable. We lose in the Big 12 Championships Game, but still end up in the Cotton Bowl and win it against SEC Team X.

Worst Case Scenario: The defense sucks, Todd Reesing gets hurt and Mark Mangino gains even more weight. We slip up not once, but twice in the non-con, then continue against a brutally tough Big 12 slate. 5-7 and bowlless. Don't even bring it up.

My Prediction: As common sense would dictate, I'll go somewhere in between "best" and "worst". I'll go on record with a 9-3 mark -- undefeated in the non-conference slate, then slipping up thrice in the Big 12 (@ Texas, vs. Oklahoma and @ Texas Tech, in case you were interested). It's just enough to beat out Nebraska via tiebreaker to make it to the Big 12 Championship Game, wherever it's being played, only to lose by a large margin. But for all of our troubles we get sent to the Holiday Bowl, where we beat Pac 10 Team X.