Rock Chalk Unleashed

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Mangino Out, Gill In

2009-12-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of activity in the football program since my last post. After the Jayhawks got off to a 5-0 start, the wheels fell off and the season ended with seven straight losses. During the last two weeks of the season, Mark Mangino was under investigation for mistreatment of players. It definitely wasn't a good time to be a fan of Jayhawk football.

It was no surprise that Mark Mangino resigned just a few days after the season ended. And he didn't resign without a big push from the administration. As fans, we've all been concerned about Mangino's obesity. I wrote before the season that he needed to seriously consider getting his weight under control. We'll never know how much his weight problem contributed to his attitude towards the players and how many recruits it turned away. Now that Mangino has time to himself, I truly hope he can find a way to address his weight so that he can live a long life. Even though he is no longer the coach of the Jayhawks, I'll always remember him as the coach that delivered a magical 2007 season capped off by an Orange Bowl win.

Regardless of how you feel about Mark Mangino, he is no longer the coach and we need to be supportive of the new coach. After watching Turner Gill's introductory press conference, I am very impressed with him. Will he bring a consistent winner to Lawrence? Only time will tell.

I'll admit that I had wanted Jim Harbaugh. He was the "sexy" hire. Now that I can reflect, I also feel he would have been the wrong hire. Sure, he may have elevated Jayhawk football. I just don't think he would have been in Lawrence long. If he found success, others schools and the NFL would have come calling. We, the fans, will never know what exactly was said in the talks between Lew Perkins and Harbaugh. I'm guessing that part of the reason that Perkins chose to hire Gill was the fear that Harbaugh would only stick around for a few seasons.

When you listen to the press conference, you'll hear Coach Gill make it very clear that he didn't take the job as a stepping stone to something else. While we've all heard coaches say things like that in the past, I was impressed that he said it without prompting and was quite adamant about it. Let's just hypothesize that he is successful at Kansas and Nebraska comes calling in a few seasons. He could stay at Kansas and be the coach that started the dynasty or he could return to Nebraska in hopes of taking them back to where they were in the mid-90s. Even if he won two national championships for Nebraska, he still wouldn't measure up to Tom Osborne. Yet winning one at Kansas could get him elected to Congress, just like it got Tom Osborne elected. We also must remember that his daughter will be a KU grad and I wouldn't be surprised if the same will be true of his younger daughter who is still in high school. Would they allow their father to leave their alma mater?

Turner Gill did not have a great record at Buffalo. He was only 20-30 in his four seasons. When he arrived, Buffalo was considered the worst Division I team in the country. After three seasons, his team had won a conference championship. When was the last time that KU fielded a conference champion? It has been over 40 years! The Jayhawks had a down season in 2009, but they were nowhere near the worst team in the country. Of course they also play a tougher schedule in a tougher conference than Buffalo in the MAC. I would also think that it will be much easier to recruit top athletes to Kansas than to Buffalo. KU offers better facilities, a better conference and the opportunity to win championships. No matter what you think of living in Buffalo, it can't offer those opportunities.

Critics have also complained about Chuck Long and Carl Torbush as offensive and defensive coordinators. Those critics point to their failures as a head coach. Yet they ignore the fact that both of them have had great success in the positions for which they were hired.

One area where Turner Gill has always been lauded is his recruiting skills. His welcome speech re-recruited me as a fan and I have no doubt he will be successful in the living rooms of some highly skilled players. There is little time left to recruit before signing day in February. If Coach Gill can retain most of the players who have verbally committed and pick up a few more, I'll be happy. The biggest test will come with his recruiting next year. He'll also be tested by the results on the field in 2010. I'll go on record with a prediction right now and say that the 2010 Jayhawks will finish the season 8-5. Maybe I'm too optimistic, maybe not. I do know that I'm very excited for the first game and it is more than nine months away.

Welcome Coach Gill and Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Basketball Season Starts Tonight

2009-11-03T17:14:00.001-07:00

The latest edition of the KU basketball team will take the court this evening in an exhibition game with Fort Hays State. I'll explore more about the team in the near future. Let's start out by looking at the roster and trying to determine who will play, who will redshirt and who will get mop up minutes.

In total there are seventeen players on the roster and coach Self claims that he will have an 8-9 man rotation. We know that two of the walk-on players will have very limited minutes. Let's put Jordan Juenemann and Chase Buford near the end of the bench. While they are valued members of the team, they just aren't going to play very much. That leaves fifteen players.

For the first semester, we also know that Brady Morningstar is suspended and Jeff Withey is not yet eligible to play after transferring. Both players have exhausted their redshirt year so they will play this season. As Morningstar was a starter most of last season, we can expect that he will be part of the rotation this season. Withey brings size and mobility to the front court, as well as five more fouls, so he should also be added to the rotation on his return. That leaves thirteen players.

Mario Little and Travis Releford will sit out tonight's exhibition game so that they have the possibility of redshirting if they won't be playing meaningful minutes. Freshman players are allowed to play in the exhibition games without forfeiting their ability to redshirt. It would make sense for both Little and Releford to sit out this season. Mario hasn't been healthy since he arrived at KU and he would have the opportunity to get fully healed by sitting for the season. Travis Releford has a lot of raw offensive talent, but hasn't shown the ability to be a stopper on defense. Both of these players could get limited minutes this season, though they could play a lot in future seasons. I say they should sit for the season and that leaves us with eleven players.

Another player that could get lost in the shuffle this season is Elijah Johnson. While I'd love to see him play, I don't think he will get many minutes this season. Take the redshirt and learn from the upperclassmen. Now we are down to ten players and I think they will all play significant minutes this season. Of course there will actually be twelve once Morningstar and Withey are eligible.

Now that we've determined who won't play, let's talk about who will play. We'll start in the front court. There is no doubt that Cole Aldrich will start at center and will play a huge role on this team. He was spectacular last season and should only improve in his junior season, especially since it will probably be his last season in Lawrence. Joining him at the post and power forward positions will be sophomore Markieff Morris, sophomore Marcus Morris and freshman Thomas Robinson. The Morris twins were very unpolished in their freshman season and they should be much improved thanks to their great workouts over the summer. Coach Self has had wonderful things to say about Robinson and his "motor". I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing at least 20 minutes a game and tearing up the glass.

At the small forward, Marcus Morris could see some time. Yet it is expected that Xavier Henry will be the starter at this position by the end of the season. While many expect him to only play one season, it is possible he could stick around for more than one if he isn't yet ready for the NBA. Tyrel Reed should also see some time and could even be the starter early in the season since he has experience. Connor Teahan has also seen some time at the small forward and we can only hope he has regained the shooting touch he displayed as a freshman.

There is no doubt that Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor will be the starters in the backcourt as they were last season. Taylor played on the national team this summer and led the team in scoring. Collins is a senior and a pre-season All America. CJ Henry is a big unknown as he hasn't played organized basketball in several years. He will not be playing in the first exhibition game due to a minor knee injury. His health will probably determine the number of minutes he will get this season. If healthy, he will be a valuable player on this team. It is also quite possible that Tyrel Reed and Connor Teahen will see some time in the backcourt.

This team is extremely deep and should be very fun to watch. They have experience and they have very talented young talent. If everyone plays to their expectations, the Jayhawks could be cutting down the nets in April. Let's see what happens tonight and go from there!

Halloween in Lubbock Was Scarier Than Expected

2009-11-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the good news from Lubbock. The Jayhawk defense played very well for the first three quarters of the game. This was a big improvement from the past few games. It was even better news considering it came against one of the top offenses in the country.

Unfortunately the offense seemed really stale the whole game. That didn't stop them from scoring a touchdown at the end of the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead. At that point, a win seemed within reach. Then came the turnovers as things got really scary. Before you knew it, the game was over and the Jayhawks were on the losing end of a 42-21 score.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Todd Reesing was pulled from the game with the win still within reach. He hadn't played well most of the game and later admitted to an annoying groin pull. Yet this was a shocker and it shows that coach Mangino isn't afraid to yank a top player if that's what needs to be done. Reesing will be back at starter this weekend in Manhattan and he even called a player's only meeting today. Let's hope that both the offense and the defense play well this weekend so that the losing streak can be broken.

Halloween in Lubbock Could Be Scary

2009-10-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Did I really take a one month hiatus from the blog? Wow, I knew that I had been busy, but didn't realize it had been that long. First let's recap the four games that passed and then we'll talk about the Jayhawks visiting Lubbock on Halloween.

Southern Mississippi put a real scare into the Jayhawks and if it weren't for the defense locking down in the fourth quarter, this would have been a loss. Unfortunately the poor defense in the first three quarters provided a glimpse of what would come in the next few games.

If the Southern Miss game was scary, the Iowa State game was an absolute nightmare. Luckily a pass at the end of the game was just a tad long and the Jayhawks survived their first Big XII game. Once again the defense was absolutely awful and it took a lot of offense success to survive.

The bad defense caught up with the Jayhawks in Boulder. Thanks to several turnovers in the first half, the Jayhawks found themselves in a three touchdown hole. The offense stormed back in the second half to take the lead, but the defense was still leaky. There were two drives in the last few minutes that could have given the Jayhawks the lead for good, but it just didn't happen. A game that everyone expected Kansas to win had turned into an ugly loss.

Returning home to Lawrence to play Oklahoma didn't seem as bad as it had at the beginning of the season. Oklahoma was a lowly 3-3 and would be without their most potent offensive weapons. Once again the Jayhawks offense sputtered and wheezed early in the game. Three Reesing interceptions gave the Sooners a nice halftime lead. Strangely enough it was the defense that kept KU in the game. The offense came alive in the second half and unfortunately the defense was wearing down. When all was said and done, the Jayhawks were on the bad side of an ugly game.

We are now more than halfway through the regular season with the Jayhawks record at 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the Big XII. Teams that were expected to do well in the Big XII North are doing poorly with Nebraska joining Kansas at 1-2 and Missouri at 0-3. A Kansas State team that was absolutely awful at the beginning of the season sits on top of the North standings with a 3-1 record.

The Jayhawks travel to Lubbock, Texas to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Halloween. Many of the Tech players seem to dress for Halloween every week so I can only imagine what it will look like on the field tomorrow. It is hard to predict which teams will show up on the field. Will it be the Texas Tech team that demolished Nebraska in Lincoln or the one that got demolished at home by Texas A&M? Which Jayhawk offense will be on the field? The one that ran up and down the field on Iowa State or the one that turned it over against Oklahoma? And if the Jayhawk offense shows up, what about the defense?

I do believe the Jayhawks offense will play much better in this game. More emphasis will be placed on running the ball which Texas A&M showed could be quite effective against the Red Raiders. In fact, KU ran like crazy in the first few games of the season. Once the running game gets going, the ball can start flying as Reesing will have more time to throw. There is no doubt in my mind that the Jayhawk offense will put up enough points to win this game.

Texas Tech has the top offense in the NCAA. Yet they will be starting their third string quarterback. Last year the Red Raiders offensive line rarely gave up a sack and this year they have given up many. The KU defense should be able to put some pressure on the quarterback. I am also hopeful that the coaches have instilled a little more aggressiveness into the defense. If they can get a few stops and a couple of turnovers, the Jayhawks have a good shot at leaving town with a win.

Oddsmakers give the Red Raiders a 6.5 point advantage in this contest and that sounds about right on paper. Before the season started, this game looked really tough. Remember that Texas Tech came to Lawrence last season and won 63-21 That was the low point in the Jayhawks season and I think the upperclassmen will remember it well as they prepare for this game. I think the Jayhawks can pull the upset this week. My prediction is 42-38 for the Jayhawks.

KU vs Southern Mississippi Preview and Prediction

2009-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

After a wild week on the Jayhawk campus, I'm sure all players, coaches and fans will be glad to have a game taking place. There is no doubt that Southern Mississippi is the toughest opponent the Jayhawks have faced this season. Various national media have put the Jayhawks on upset alert this week. The fear is that the on campus shenanigans and the tough opponent will combine to catch the Jayhawks off guard.

If Southern Mississippi wins this game, it will be because they play the better game. I have no doubt that the coaching staff will have the players focused on the game and they will be well aware that the Eagles are a very tough opponent. If anything, I think the off field activities will have the team even more fired up to show everyone that they are a top notch team deserving of accolades.

A pleasant surprise for the Jayhawks this season is the potency of their running game. Coach Mangino is pleased, but also attributes this is part to the opposing teams being focused on shutting down the passing game. Southern Mississippi has shown in their first three games that they can shut down an opponent's running game. Jake Sharp is considered a game time decision for the Jayhawks and he could be a deciding factor in who wins this battle. My guess is that Sharp will get a few carries, but he won't get a heavy workload so that he doesn't cause further damage to his calf injury. It is doubtful the Jayhawks will put up the running numbers from the first three games, though I think they will mix in enough runs to keep the Southern Miss defense guessing.

Where I expect the Jayhawks to focus the most is the passing game. They haven't shown as much as expected in the first three games and this game seems the obvious situation to air the ball out. They have three high-quality receivers in Johnathan Wilson, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. Throw in Bradley McDougald, the true freshman, and there is no way that any defense can stop all four of them. In fact, it is dropsies that has stopped them the most so far. My only question is whether Dezmon Briscoe will be playing. Coach Mangino has not announced any suspensions, but it was reported that Briscoe was involved in some way in the scuffles this week. Regardless, I think the Jayhawks will do a good job moving the ball through the air. The Eagles did record six sacks against Virginia last week so it is imperative the line does a good job blocking and Reesing gets rid of the ball quickly.

Southern Miss is good at moving the ball on the ground. To date, the Jayhawks have done a good job of stopping the run. Again, something has to give. I think the Jayhawks will give up some yards on the ground, though the Eagles will be held below their season average. Last week the Eagles had a couple of big runs and KU has given up some big plays to UTEP and Duke. So I wouldn't be surprised if the Eagles get a long run at some point in the game. That could even come from the Wildcat (or Wild Eagle) formation that has become so popular. UTEP used it on a couple of plays and gained positive yardage. The Jayhawks will be looking for it, though they could get caught off guard since they haven't seen it much this season.

While I think the Eagles will have some success on the ground, it will be their passing game that will determine if they score enough points to win. Austin Davis has been proven to be a good quarterback. Last week the Jayhawks gave up a big slant pass to Duke on their first offensive play. Just like the run defense, the pass defense needs to focus on not giving up the big play. I think the Jayhawks will at least keep the Eagles in check on their passing game.

I don't think we'll see a defensive slugfest this week. The defense that provides the most stops will be the difference. I think the Jayhawks offensive firepower gives them the edge and I'll predict the Jayhawks win 38-21.

KU vs Duke Wrap Up

2009-09-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

I don't think it was any surprise that KU was able to beat Duke handily. The Jayhawks were prohibitive favorites and they again covered the betting spread with the latest victory. We did see some good things and some areas of concern in this game and that is where I'll focus in this post.

Just as in the UTEP game, the offense got off to a slow start. This isn't a problem now, but could be a more significant problem in future games. The Jayhawks have a powerful offense and they need to put points on the board early so that there is pressure on the opponent.

Part of the reason for the slow start could have been the calf injury to Jake Sharp. He was in on a few plays, but was largely ineffective. This led to increased playing time for Toben Opurum and he delivered. As impressive as he played, his comments afterwards were even more impressive. Opurum realizes that he has a lot to learn and sure seems to be absorbing as much as possible. He should be a very important weapon for the Jayhawks as they move into conference games and should benefit them for at least two more seasons.

Another area of concern were the passes dropped by KU's top receivers. There is no doubt in my mind that the coaches will work hard on this to prevent a costly drop in future games. The bright spot was that Todd Reesing seemed to be much better than the previous two games. If all the parts of the passing game start clicking, this offense could be absolutely amazing.

Of course the biggest key to the running and passing game lies with the five men up front. The wild snaps of the UTEP game seem to have been solved. Duke was able to put some pressure on Reesing and that is disturbing since the Blue Devils are not nearly as good as some of the defenses the Jayhawks will see later in the season. I know the line as a whole is very young and still learning. It is time for them to gel as they are the key to winning the big games in the conference.

If we could simply erase Duke's first drive of the game, the KU defense would look to be in good shape. Unfortunately they allowed two big plays right off the bat and gave up seven points. This reminded me of the one big play in the UTEP game for the only touchdown. Big plays like this could lead to a loss and the defense needs to address this right away. It was impressive that the defense clamped down for the rest of the first half. Even better was the pick six that started the second half.

I was certainly impressed to see the defensive front continue to put pressure on the quarterback. My question is whether they will be equally impressive when they face the much larger offensive lineman on the schedule. The defensive backfield has definitely improved since the first game and appears to have some good reserves if needed. Linebackers were considered a huge question before the season and they have shown great improvement as well. Most importantly is the role played by true freshman Huldon Tharp. Continued improvement from Tharp will certainly come as the season progresses.

So far the Jayhawks have avoided major injuries. Jake Sharp could be held out this week to insure that he will be at full health when the conference season rolls around. While there have been a couple of players fighting the flu, it is nowhere near as bad as it has been elsewhere. I doubt the Jayhawks can continue to avoid injuries and illnesses as they are part of the game. They did compensate well in Jake Sharp's absence and hopefully they can do the same if another important player is unavailable.

Next up on the schedule is Southern Mississippi. I'll do a preview of that game later in the week.

KU vs Duke Preview and Prediction

2009-09-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

It certainly is less stressful for fans when the opponents are typically big underdogs. Yet the games aren't always exciting for the public at large and certainly can be boring to analyze. While the Jayhawks are receiving some love in the polls, they are getting zero media attention outside of the local media. I don't think that is going to change before the Oklahoma Sooners roll into Lawrence. If things go as expected, KU will be 6-0 and will likely be ranked near the Top 10. Before the season it was expected that Oklahoma would have one loss at most coming into the game. They got one loss in week one to BYU and have two very tough games with Miami and Texas before they come to Lawrence. If OU has three losses, which team will be favored? This could also be harmful to the Jayhawks' strength of schedule. It also hasn't helped that the Colorado Buffaloes have yet to show a pulse. I just don't think Coach Mangino needs this many cupcakes...and yes the pun was intended.

Let's take a look at the Duke Blue Devils. In week one Duke lost to an FCS (Division I-AA) team in Richmond 24-16. At the FCS level, Richmond is pretty darned good. Yet this was still a loss at home to a lower-level team. Last week Duke traveled to Army and won 35-19 though it took a fourth quarter rally including two interceptions for touchdowns to pull the game out. In short, Duke isn't a very good team right now. Yet they have shown improvement since David Cutcliffe took over as coach last season. Kansas fans certainly understand having a program that is just flat out bad. And we have also seen what a new coach and new commitment to the program can bring. Coach Mangino didn't win a lot of games early in his tenure, but the fans could see that the team was slowly improving. Duke hasn't won many games under Cutcliffe and that will probably continue this season. Yet they are showing some improvement and that will translate into wins down the road.

One challenge for the Jayhawks this week is preparing for two quarterbacks. Duke will start the game with Thad Lewis behind center. Cutcliffe has made it clear that Sean Renfree will also see significant playing time at quarterback. I don't think either of the quarterbacks is as good as Trevor Vittatoe of UTEP and Kansas kept him under control last week. I'm not saying that these quarterbacks won't be better than Vittatoe at some point, they just aren't there yet and I doubt that will change against the Jayhawks. Whichever quarterback is behind center, he won't be throwing to Connor Vernon. Vernon is one of Duke's better receivers and it doubtful for the game.

Duke doesn't have much of a running game with only 44.5 yards per game and that probably won't improve in this game. Leading rusher Jay Hollingsworth is questionable for the game and second leading rusher Re'quan Boyette is only probable. Throw in the Jayhawks defense against the run and I would expect most of the Duke offense to come in the air.

The injuries continues on the defensive side of the ball for Duke. Defensive lineman Vince Obhobaase, considered the heart of the defense, is listed as questionable for the game. If Duke tries to stop the KU passing game, we will probably see more of the rushing game the Jayhawks have used to pile up big numbers in the previous two games. Should Duke decide to take away the run, we might finally get to see Todd Reesing and his stable of receivers open up the attack. Given that Reesing was recruited by Duke, he may also want to show them what he has.

I don't see this game being close. Duke hasn't shown a lot of offense in their first two games and I doubt that will change this week. The Jayhawks have continued to put in a workmanlike performance each game. I'm going with 52-10 in favor of the Jayhawks.

KU vs UTEP Wrap Up

2009-09-16T10:40:00.002-07:00

The UTEP game was really enjoyable for me as I got to sit with other traveling Jayhawks in the stands at the Sun Bowl. It was a long drive from Phoenix, but watching the Jayhawks was well worth it.

My prediction about the UTEP game came up a little bit short on offense and underestimated the defense. I guessed 45-17 and the actual result was 34-7. Let's dissect what went right and what went wrong in the game.

Once again the Jayhawks had an excellent game on the ground. Jake Sharp went over 100 yards and Toben Opurum played many meaningful minutes. Clearly he is a very talented back who should show improvement with each game. Rell Lewis also got some carries late in the game and could be another viable option for a few carries each game. What was really impressive was the running of Kale Pick, especially on the last play of the game. I don't expect that his 20+ yards per carry average will continue, but I feel a lot more comfortable that the Jayhawks will have a quality quarterback at the helm next season.

Without the offensive line opening up holes, the running game wouldn't be nearly as successful. Huge questions were posed about this group before the season and they have played great so far. The only negative has been the inaccurate snaps from both Jeremiah Hatch and Brad Thorson. Coach Mangino claims this will be corrected and I have faith that the staff will indeed get it fixed before it creates a problem in a future game. With many of the linemen being young and/or playing in a new position, I also feel there will be a lot of improvement in their play throughout the season. Even more promising is that all of the starters return next season.

Dezmon Briscoe had a very start to his season with over 100 yards in receptions. UTEP did their best to limit the Jayhawks' passing game and yet there was over 300 yards passing overall. Even more interesting is that the receivers didn't really have a great day. They dropped a few passes and made some mistakes in route running. This leaves room for improvement that I'm sure will come in future games.

Todd Reesing was disappointed in his performance and so were many fans. He didn't have an awful game though he didn't really seem to be the same quarterback we know so well. His scrambling was limited and several of his passes were off the mark. Everyone has a bad day and I'm sure Reesing will do whatever it takes to play better in the weeks to come.

Once again, I predicted the Jayhawks would score 45 and yet they only got 34. Add the three missed field goals and/or a touchdown and they would have been very close to my guess. Too many opportunities for scoring were missed. That can't happen when the conference games roll around.

Trevor Vittatoe came in with the resume of a really good quarterback. That had me worried that UTEP would put some points on the board and give the Jayhawks a scare. It is hard to complete passes when you get knocked down and the Jayhawks defense was chasing him constantly. There were six sacks on the game and many more times when he threw under heavy pressure. Given the play of the Jayhawks' defense in 2008, it was a pleasant surprise to see them playing so well in this game. The only touchdown came on one long pass play where there were some defensive breakdowns. It was a mistake that didn't affect the outcome of this game yet it will provide teachable moments so the problem can be addressed for the future.

Overall this was a very good win for the Jayhawks. They won comfortably and yet they still have a number of areas where we should see improvement as the season progresses. Next up are the Duke Blue Devils and I'll preview that game in a future post.

KU vs UTEP Preview and Prediction

2009-09-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

While KU has played in the Sun Bowl before, they have never played UTEP in football. The fact that the Jayhawks are playing a game in Texas will certainly be exciting for the 35 players on the roster who hail from Texas. Of course they will also be playing later in the season in Lubbock and Austin. They are also hoping to play in the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington. That means several return trips to Texas before the end of the season.

UTEP has a potent offense led by a veteran quarterback in Trevor Vittatoe. How good is Vittatoe? His average yard per game in passing is fourth among active players. For reference, Todd Reesing is fifth. The KU secondary committed some awful pass interference penalties against Northern Colorado and they are definitely going to be tested. We'll find out if Clint Bowen was able to make the necessary adjustments to stop the pass this week. Another question that wasn't fully answered was whether the defensive line could put pressure on the quarterback. UTEP isn't as good as Big 12 teams, but presents a much tougher test than Northern Colorado. After this game, we should know a lot more about the KU defense.

UTEP is good on offense, but they struggle on defense. KU's passing game was not as potent last week as it had been the last two years. With the return of Dezmon Briscoe and a different opponent, I expect will see a lot more balls in the air. But I also expect that KU will continue to try and build on the rushing game they showed against Northern Colorado. It will be good to see Toben Opurum get into the game earlier so that Sharp won't carry as much of the load.

I definitely expect this game to be more competitive than we saw in the opener. Playing on the road is always a test and KU is 0-3 in their last three non-conference road games. That would be Northwestern in 2004, Toledo in 2006 and South Florida in 2008. That streak will come to an end on Saturday. My prediction is that the Jayhawks will win 45-17. I'll be back after the game to talk about what went right and what needs improvement.

KU vs Northern Colorado Wrap Up and Questions

2009-09-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

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.

KU vs Northern Colorado Preview and Prediction

2009-09-04T09:55:00.003-07:00

Just over a day to go before KU begins their 2009 football season. 2007 was a dream season and 2008 probably seemed a letdown to fans. Considering where the KU football program has been, it is really difficult to call an 8-5 season a letdown. There are certainly some questions about the 2009 team and this first game should at least help answer some of those questions.

Northern Colorado is an FCS (formerly 1-AA) team and they have only won 3 games in the past three seasons. That means KU shouldn't have any problem winning this game. Lest we get too excited, we should remember how Appalachian State beat #5 Michigan in the opener just two years ago. Of course Appalachian State is a powerhouse in the FCS division and that can't be said for Northern Colorado.

In the Sagarin ratings, KU is ranked #25 with an 80.09 score and Northern Colorado is #198 with a score of 42.32. In order to calculate the theoretical margin of victory, you should add 3.14 points to the score of the home team. Based on those numbers, KU should win by 40.91 points. Of course, that is a computer generated rating and it is the players and coaches on the field that determine the true outcome. It simply shows that KU should win by a large margin.

A year ago Northern Colorado traveled to Purdue. After three quarters, it was 21-0 and the final score was 42-10. So this isn't the first time Northern Colorado has traveled to play a high-quality opponent and they did keep the game somewhat close, for three quarters, last year.

At quarterback for the Bears is Bryan Waggener and he knows a little bit about playing big-time football. He started his career at Florida as a backup (fourth string) to Tim Tebow and transferred to Northern Colorado when he realized he wouldn't get much playing time at Florida. Last season he threw for 2,546 yards. The Bears also have a very athletic receiver in Darren McDonell. He is a little older than the other players having spent several years playing pro baseball. With talent at these skill positions, it is possible that they will hook up for some big plays and keep the Bears in the game.

The talent is definitely more plentiful on the Jayhawks side. Todd Reesing has proven himself the last two seasons to be an elite college quarterback. Jake Sharp is a proven quantity in the backfield. Kerry Meier, Dezmon Briscoe and Jonathan Wilson are probably the best receiving trio in the nation. There are certainly a few questions about the Jayhawks offensive line and the defense and hopefully they will prove to be better than expected. I'm also very curious to see Kale Pick, the backup quarterback, as he will most likely be the quarterback in the coming years.

I'm going to say that KU will win this game 59-10. The Bears just don't have the talent to keep this game close. This should give some of the KU backups and newcomers valuable playing experience that will help in the tougher games later in the season.

I'll post a wrap-up on the game and we'll see how close I did with my prediction.

Duke Football Players Hit by Swine Flu

2009-08-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

According to an ESPN report, more than 15 Duke football players have been diagnosed with swine flu symptoms.

Some of you might wonder why I'm mentioning this on a blog dealing with the Kansas Jayhawks. Quite simply because our Jayhawks will be playing Duke in the third game of the season on September 19th.

I'm no doctor and I'm certainly no expert on the Swine flu (technically the H1N1 flu). I wouldn't be surprised if a few more Duke players get infected simply because they have come in contact with some of the sick players. The report says that symptoms have been minor so I wouldn't expect that all of the infected players will be healthy by the time they arrive on the field in Lawrence on September 15th. What may give KU a slight advantage is that these players are missing practice time and their conditioning could suffer a bit. I really think this advantage, if any, will be minor. Hopefully all of the players will recover quickly. I want Duke to field the best team possible so that our Jayhawks can beat them fair and square.

Can Mangino Follow Friedgen's Lead?

2009-08-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

If you are a Jayhawk fan, you are fearful that Mark Mangino won't be our coach much longer. Typically this is because fans are worried that a coach will leave for another job or even to retire. In the case of Mangino, we are scared that his unhealthy weight will cut his coaching tenure—and his life—short.

We've all heard the jokes.

"Our coach is Phat!"
"Our coach can eat your coach."

Those are some of the nicer jokes. Yet Mangino's largess is no laughing matter. It is a serious health risk. Which leads me to a story I read today about Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen and his loss of 105 pounds. I would love to be reading a story a year from now about how Mangino has lost at least that much weight. I would guess that he could lose at least twice that much.

From a recruiting standpoint, I would like to see Mangino compete on NBC's The Biggest Loser. Not only would he lose weight, he would be exposed to millions which would surely lead to a recruiting advantage. Unfortunately the time commitment required is more than Mangino's busy schedule can handle. Coach, please give Ralph Friedgen a call and find out about the diet that worked for him! Lew Perkins, please put an incentive clause in Mangino's contract to get down to a healthy weight.

As a fan of the Jayhawks, I want to see Mangino roaming the sidelines for many more seasons. I also fear that he could end up like John McSherry, the former MLB umpire, who died on opening day from a massive heart attack at only 51 years of age.

Coaches Show No Preseason Love for Gridiron Jayhawks

2009-08-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

KU is a basketball school. I've heard that since the days before I was a student. The 2009-2010 season should be a great season for basketball at KU. Things have changed drastically since the arrival of coach Mark Mangino. Instead of hoping and praying that the Jayhawks will finally beat Nebraska, we wonder if the Jayhawks can compete for conference and even national championships.

Today the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was released and KU was at the top of the "others receiving votes". I wasn't expecting to find the Jayhawks in the top 10 or 15 until they have proven themselves on the field, but I was surprised at the lack of the respect shown by the coaches. Then again, did the coaches really do any research and fill out their own ballot? It was only a couple of weeks ago that Steve Spurrier, current coach of South Carolina and ex-coach of Florida, left Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow off of his preseason All-SEC ballot. The blame eventually fell of director of football operations Jamie Speronis who had filled out the ballot for Spurrier to rubber stamp.

In basketball, the polls give us as fans something to boast about during the season. Beyond that, they don't really mean much. Things are much different in football because it is the polls that help determine which teams play in the BCS Championship game as well as in the BCS games. As we saw last season, the polls (via the BCS rankings) are even used to settle tiebreakers in the Big XII. Make note of #5 as it is what allowed Oklahoma to play in the Big XII Championship game last season which led to Oklahoma playing in the BCS Championship game. How would KU fans feel if they were to be tied with Nebraska and Missouri and one of those other teams would advance based on rankings? In the preseason poll: Nebraska is #22, KU is #26 and Missouri is #34. Obviously things will change during the season, but Nebraska would get the nod now. From this perspective, the preseason ranking is a negative.

There is also a positive aspect to the coaches lack of respect in the preseason. There is no doubt that coach Mangino will use the snub as a motivational tactic to fire up the team. Before the 2007 season the Jayhawks got little respect, and probably didn't deserve it. Once they hit the field, they just kept sawing wood and brought home a 12-1 record and the Orange Bowl trophy. The lack of preseason respect for the team and for the program as whole may have kept KU out of the BCS Championship game. If the Jayhawks come out and dominate on the field, I'm sure they will quickly rise in the rankings. Should they play close games or even lose a non-conference game, the preseason snub will be deserving.

If you were voting in the preseason poll, where would you rank the Jayhawks? I think I would put them around #18.

Who Will Carry the Rock?

2009-07-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of changes at running back since the Jayhawks last played a football game. Jocques Crawford has left the team and Angus Quigley has moved to linebacker. Those were the two main backups to Jake Sharp last season.

Sharp is back and there is no doubt in my mind that barring injuries he will have his best season as a Jayhawk. Yet no back can handle all the carries. Heck, Jake averaged just over 14 carries a game last season. That leaves probably another 14 or so per game to be divided amongst the rest of the backs. Todd Reesing will probably have a few keepers, but there has to be another running back to tote the ball 8-10 times a game.

Let's go over the next four backs on the roster and see who might have what it takes.

Rell Lewis was a wide received in his freshman season and has been converted to a running back. He is 5' 10" and 201 pounds, so not too much different than Sharp. I wasn't able to watch the spring game, but Lewis was supposedly very impressive with 14 carries for 66 yards. That doesn't sound great, but I'll take the word of those in attendance that he had a great day.

Freshman Deshaun Sands is an even smaller back at 5' 9" and 182. He had a great season last year in high school and he has a great Jayhawk pedigree being the son of "Tuxedo" Tony Sands, KU's second all-time leading rusher.

True freshman Tobum Opurum is 6' 2" and 229 pounds. His size compares nicely to that of recent star Brandon McAnderson. Supposedly he has been working really hard this summer so he could be even bigger by the time the first game rolls around. Sharp claims he is the fastest player on the team. Plus he can catch and block. While he has the size of a fullback, he definitely wants to carry the ball.

Daniel Porter is a junior who transferred in from the College of San Mateo. He is 6' 0" and 195 pounds. Crawford was a superstar in junior college and he just didn't play as well as hoped when he got to the Jayhawks. Some fans feel Porter is a real sleeper who can give the Jayhawks good production.

Going into training camp, Lewis has to be considered the backup based on his experience and his success in the spring game. The questions he needs to answer for me is whether he can help protect Reesing and can he catch the ball out of the backfield? As a former receiver, I'm not too worried about catching the ball. My guess is that he can be a good enough blocker to get a lot of snaps this season.

Unless there are injuries, I think there is only room for one more back to get regular playing time. If I had to pick one of the other three, I'd pick Opurum since he would be a nice change to the smaller backs. In fact, I have a good feeling that by the end of the season he could be second on the depth chart behind Sharp. I wouldn't even be surprised to see a few two back sets featured both Sharp and Opurum.

We'll all find out when September rolls around and the Jayhawks take the field. Who do you think will be sharing carries with Jake Sharp this season?

The Perception of Coaches

2009-07-21T02:00:00.002-07:00

In the whirlwind of coaching changes this past spring, I found some of the comments about coaches to be quite interesting. As John Calipari was the biggest name to switch schools, I'll use him as an example.

Calipari was the coach of the Memphis Tigers through the end of the season. I'm guessing that if a poll of Kentucky fans were taken in mid-March, the majority would have felt that Calipari bends the rules to get the best recruits. I don't know him or his recruits so I honestly couldn't say what he does or doesn't do. This is simply about the perception of the fans. If a similar poll had been taken of Memphis fans, he would probably have been exonerated by the majority.

Now fast forward a month. Calipari leaves Memphis for a huge payday at Kentucky. Many of the big-name recruits also decided to leave Memphis. Soon after he took the job at Kentucky, there were allegations of wrongdoing at Memphis. When reading the comments that followed the numerous stories, the Kentucky fans were his biggest supporters. He would never do anything wrong and nothing bad would ever happen at Kentucky. Of course the Memphis fans were venting about how he destroyed their program with his wrongdoing.

Now I'm a Kansas fan so I definitely find some amusement watching this all play out from a distance. Yet I understand the feelings all too well. I was a huge Roy Williams fan. That is until he took the job at North Carolina. While it helped to beat William's Tarheels in the 2008 Final Four, I doubt I will ever cheer for his teams in the near future.

As for Calipari, there have been some frustrating moments when he has gotten a top recruit that I would have loved to see on the court for the Jayhawks. Yet his teams have played the Jayhawks twice and have lost both times. The first game was when KU beat #1 ranked UMass in the Wooden Classic and the most recent was in the Championship game of the 2008 Final Four over his favored Memphis Tigers. So as long as we keep beating him on the court, I won't dislike him too much. That can certainly change so stay tuned for the upcoming season to see what happens.

KU Baseball Exceeding Expectations

2009-05-07T20:17:00.003-07:00

I attended KU for six years and never went to a single baseball game. During that time I didn't even follow the results. Even now I couldn't tell you if they had a good team during my years on the hill unless I were to look it up. My guess is that they probably didn't have any great teams or I would have known more about the team.

Fast forward more years than I'd like to admit and I'm pretty excited about KU baseball this year. Before the season, they were picked to finish last in the Big XII. With three games against Missouri and three games against Kansas State remaining, they are in the hunt to win the conference. Admittedly, they probably need to win at least five of the six. Even if they don't win the conference, they will have far exceeded expectations.

At this point they should have a good chance of making the NCAA tournament and it is certainly possible they could advance since they have beaten a number of top teams already. After the recent successes in football and basketball, I'm really excited that baseball has improved as well. Maybe one of these days I'll even attend a game!

Henry's On Tap, Could There Be More?

2009-04-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I theorized on three scenarios that could play out for the Jayhawks in recruiting. According to a wide variety of Web sites, Xavier Henry will verbally commit to KU tomorrow morning. He can not sign another Letter of Intent since he had already signed one with Memphis. He won't officially be a Jayhawk until he enrolls in school. If he holds a press conference and verbally commits, I'll take his word that he is coming. And if Xavier is coming, so is his brother C.J.

Of the three scenarios I presented yesterday, that was the one that got me the most excited. Zagsblog indicates that Lance Stephenson is probably not going to be a Jayhawk. There are still rumors that Lance is considering KU knowing that he will have to accept sharing the limelight. One of his criteria for picking a school was winning. I don't think that is possible at either Maryland or St. Johns. Sure, they may have a winning record, but I don't think they have a chance to advance deep in the big dance. If Lance wants to win, he could still become a Jayhawk. He'll just have to accept fewer minutes per game.

Another possibility is John Wall. He is considered the best prospect available. Unfortunately KU is already pretty loaded at point guard for next season. So he too would have to accept fewer minutes per game in exchange for a chance to win a ring. It is also possible he could apply to the NBA, especially since it is possible he won't qualify academically.

If KU added either Stephenson or Wall, the Jayhawks would have an embarrassment of riches. It would be hard to imagine them not advancing to at least the Final Four. Without either, they are still stacked at all positions.

Only one problem if Xavier Henry commits. He would be taking the last available scholarship. Roger Morningstar, father of Brady and big booster, has claimed that he would pay Brady's tuition if it meant getting an important player. My guess is that Stephenson or Wall would be considered important.

My guess is that Bill Self is finished adding players if Xavier commits. But you just never know!

Two Henrys, One Stephenson or Bust?

2009-04-21T19:34:00.002-07:00

When John Calipari moved his used car lot from Memphis to Kentucky, the world of recruiting went crazy. It has left the Jayhawks in a tough position where it seems there are three potential outcomes.

Xavier and C.J. Henry commit to Kansas and Lance Stephenson goes elsewhere.
Xavier and C.J. Henry go elsewhere and Lance Stephenson becomes a Jayhawk.
KU loses all three in the insanity.

While option #3 would still leave the Jayhawks loaded for 2009-2010, it would be a bitter pill to swallow. Even under this worst case scenario, the Jayhawks have a good shot at another championship. As fans, we would like one more player to all but guarantee that championship.

In reading the comments of many fans, they wish Lance Stephenson to sign on the dotted line right now. He is a top 10 player and I would certainly welcome him to Lawrence. While it seems he only wants to be in college for a single season, he might just stick around for at least two seasons.

Sentiment seems to run against option #1 simply because the Henry boys can't seem to make up their mind. Some fans feel Lance is a better player than Xavier. That might be true. I think the real kicker of the deal is that C.J. Henry would be a walk-on with his scholarship paid for by the New York Yankees. Xavier may also leave after a single year. But it is quite possible that C.J. would be a Jayhawk for at least two to three years and possibly even all four years. He is no slouch on the court though he is probably a little bit rusty after taking time off for baseball and an injury. Thus Xavier could be the piece to secure the 2010 trophy, but C.J. could help bring another trophy to Lawrence in future years.

If the latest rumors are true, we should have an answer for this in the next week. Which option would you prefer?

A Quick Introduction

2009-04-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

As the first post in this blog, I thought I should introduce myself and give you a preview of what you might expect to see posted here in the future.

I grew up in Kansas City, Kansas (the Dotte) and graduated from KU in 1989. After graduation I moved to Arizona though I still am a season ticket holder for KU football and basketball. Due to the distance, I don't get to attend as many games as I like, but I still get to attend a few each year. If I can't attend a game in person, I do everything possible to watch on television and follow the statistics via the Internet.

Like many of you, I have opinions I like to share about the Jayhawks. Sometimes you will agree with me, sometimes you won't. I simply ask all of you to debate the subjects with respect for the opinion of the poster. As we get started, I don't plan to moderate comments and I'd like to keep it that way so that we can have lively discussions. No, we don't allow anonymous comments. I don't think it is too much to ask for you to have an OpenID or Google Account to comment. Even then you will only be known by your screen name so you can still have anonymity if you desire. This way we just have a name to use if we want to comment on your comments.

My main focus will be on Jayhawk sports and mostly basketball and football. There may be an occasional post of baseball or women's basketball or even some of the other sports. And since I grew up in Kansas City, there will be occasional posts on the Royals and Chiefs. If there are other sports stories that pique my interest, I may even comment on them.

Now that I have the formalities out of the way, I'll start working on the second post where we can starting talking about the Jayhawks!