KU vs Northern Colorado Wrap Up and Questions
I don't think anyone was surprised that KU handily dispatched Northern Colorado last Saturday. In many ways this game was a tune-up for the upcoming games on the schedule. Several questions were answered for me and there are still questions that remain unanswered.
Going in to the season, there were various positions that had questions. I'm going to break down my discussion into those groups. They are running backs, offensive line, receivers, defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs. I don't think there was much we didn't already know about the kicking game, so I won't include it here. In addition to the positions already listed, I will talk about the kick return game.
Running backs: There was no question that Jake Sharp was the main running back and he was voted as the offensive player of the game by the KU coaching staff. After Jake, it was unknown if another back would emerge. Toben Opurum came in and did a very nice job, especially considering he is a true freshman. If he can give KU the "thunder and lightning" duo they had in 2007, the running game will be in great shape. I also have to give kudos to both Todd Reesing and Kale Pick who both ran well when the Northern Colorado defense had the pass covered.
Offensive line: Only two starters returned on the offensive line. One of those starters moved from tackle to center. The all-important left tackle position was manned by a redshirt freshman who had never before played tackle. Overall the line played well, but they still have unanswered questions for me. The Northern Colorado defense is not the same as what KU will see during Big 12 play. It was also discouraging that Jeff Spikes was off target on a few snaps. While I have unanswered questions, I am encouraged that the line will only continue to improve with more experience.
Receivers: This is definitely a position where the Jayhawks are extremely strong. With Dezmon Briscoe suspended for the first game, it gave some of the other receivers a chance to show what they can do. Tertavian Ingram caught a TD pass and will provide valuable depth at the position. Bradley McDougald also showed that he deserves time on the field. Very nice considering he is a true freshman. I don't think Kerry Meier and Johnathan Wilson had their best games, but I have no doubt they will have better games this season. For me, there are no unanswered questions at receiver and the Jayhawks will have plenty of quality targets to catch passes from Reesing and Pick.
Defensive line: Overall the Jayhawks needed to improve on defense from 2008 and that starts with the big boys up front. They had a good game against Northern Colorado, but I still have questions they need to answer. Northern Colorado just doesn't have the same size and quality of offensive line as KU will find in the Big 12. The defensive line got some valuable experience, but they need to continue to improve if they are going to pressure Big 12 quarterbacks and stuff Big 12 running backs.
Linebackers: KU lost all three of their starting linebackers from 2008 and so this was one of the biggest questions that needed to be answered. I'm not sure that we have the full answer yet, but the early prognosis looked good to me. Justin Springer is still recovering from a torn ACL and played a limited role in the game. As his health continues to improve, his play and playing time will also go up. Another true freshman, Huldon Tharp, made some good plays in his first college game. I'm not sure this year's linebackers will be as good as 2008, but I feel comfortable that they can do a good job.
Defensive backs: 2008 was a very tough year for the Jayhawk defensive backs. The Big 12 is loaded with great quarterbacks and they racked up a lot of yardage and touchdowns on the KU defense last year. I am very impressed with the safeties. Darrell Stuckey and Chris Harris both played very well, with Harris being voted the defensive player of the game by the KU coaches. Anthony Davis was flagged three times for pass interference and his replacement Calvin Rubles was also flagged. This has me worried a bit, but the coaches feel it was just first game jitters. UTEP has a solid passing game and so we'll have to see how these guys rebound in the second game. For now, I still have questions that need to be answered.
Kick returners: Coach Mangino stressed that the punt/kick return game needed to improve. Unfortunately the suspension of Dezmon Briscoe left many of the questions unanswered. I wasn't overly impressed with the return game against Northern Colorado, but there were signs of improvement from the poor performance of 2008. With Briscoe back against UTEP, I'm hoping to see a lot more improvement.
Northern Colorado wasn't the level of opponent that can answer many of these questions, but the coaches were able to try out a variety of new players and new schemes. I'm anxiously awaiting the game in El Paso as it should answer a lot more questions about how far the Jayhawks can move up the polls this season. I'll dissect that game in a couple of days.
Going in to the season, there were various positions that had questions. I'm going to break down my discussion into those groups. They are running backs, offensive line, receivers, defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs. I don't think there was much we didn't already know about the kicking game, so I won't include it here. In addition to the positions already listed, I will talk about the kick return game.
Running backs: There was no question that Jake Sharp was the main running back and he was voted as the offensive player of the game by the KU coaching staff. After Jake, it was unknown if another back would emerge. Toben Opurum came in and did a very nice job, especially considering he is a true freshman. If he can give KU the "thunder and lightning" duo they had in 2007, the running game will be in great shape. I also have to give kudos to both Todd Reesing and Kale Pick who both ran well when the Northern Colorado defense had the pass covered.
Offensive line: Only two starters returned on the offensive line. One of those starters moved from tackle to center. The all-important left tackle position was manned by a redshirt freshman who had never before played tackle. Overall the line played well, but they still have unanswered questions for me. The Northern Colorado defense is not the same as what KU will see during Big 12 play. It was also discouraging that Jeff Spikes was off target on a few snaps. While I have unanswered questions, I am encouraged that the line will only continue to improve with more experience.
Receivers: This is definitely a position where the Jayhawks are extremely strong. With Dezmon Briscoe suspended for the first game, it gave some of the other receivers a chance to show what they can do. Tertavian Ingram caught a TD pass and will provide valuable depth at the position. Bradley McDougald also showed that he deserves time on the field. Very nice considering he is a true freshman. I don't think Kerry Meier and Johnathan Wilson had their best games, but I have no doubt they will have better games this season. For me, there are no unanswered questions at receiver and the Jayhawks will have plenty of quality targets to catch passes from Reesing and Pick.
Defensive line: Overall the Jayhawks needed to improve on defense from 2008 and that starts with the big boys up front. They had a good game against Northern Colorado, but I still have questions they need to answer. Northern Colorado just doesn't have the same size and quality of offensive line as KU will find in the Big 12. The defensive line got some valuable experience, but they need to continue to improve if they are going to pressure Big 12 quarterbacks and stuff Big 12 running backs.
Linebackers: KU lost all three of their starting linebackers from 2008 and so this was one of the biggest questions that needed to be answered. I'm not sure that we have the full answer yet, but the early prognosis looked good to me. Justin Springer is still recovering from a torn ACL and played a limited role in the game. As his health continues to improve, his play and playing time will also go up. Another true freshman, Huldon Tharp, made some good plays in his first college game. I'm not sure this year's linebackers will be as good as 2008, but I feel comfortable that they can do a good job.
Defensive backs: 2008 was a very tough year for the Jayhawk defensive backs. The Big 12 is loaded with great quarterbacks and they racked up a lot of yardage and touchdowns on the KU defense last year. I am very impressed with the safeties. Darrell Stuckey and Chris Harris both played very well, with Harris being voted the defensive player of the game by the KU coaches. Anthony Davis was flagged three times for pass interference and his replacement Calvin Rubles was also flagged. This has me worried a bit, but the coaches feel it was just first game jitters. UTEP has a solid passing game and so we'll have to see how these guys rebound in the second game. For now, I still have questions that need to be answered.
Kick returners: Coach Mangino stressed that the punt/kick return game needed to improve. Unfortunately the suspension of Dezmon Briscoe left many of the questions unanswered. I wasn't overly impressed with the return game against Northern Colorado, but there were signs of improvement from the poor performance of 2008. With Briscoe back against UTEP, I'm hoping to see a lot more improvement.
Northern Colorado wasn't the level of opponent that can answer many of these questions, but the coaches were able to try out a variety of new players and new schemes. I'm anxiously awaiting the game in El Paso as it should answer a lot more questions about how far the Jayhawks can move up the polls this season. I'll dissect that game in a couple of days.
posted by Foster D. Coburn III at
4:00 PM
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