Kansas Jayhawks Football

So Kansas lost a game.  It hurts to be so excited for a new era and be repaid with a subpar performance against a subpar opponent.

Very rarely have I heard such a large group of people so angry and upset at a collegiate athletics team.

I guess the only question is what do these players owe us?  What right do we have to be upset at them?

Attendance was less than 50,000 at the home-opening football game at our infamously—perennial basketball school.  A shamefully large portion of those "fans" were gone by halftime.

The remainder of those "fans" harassed our own players with negativity's and profanities throughout the entire second half.

We do these things because we feel hurt or let down.

What about the players?  How does one suppose they feel right now?

We invest a few hours every Saturday in partying and being entertained by these student athletes, and yet somehow we feel hurt by the performance in Saturday's contest.

What about the men who go through unimaginable physical pain and devote hours daily to the football program?  What about the guys that entertain us with their play as a job to pay for their education?  The guys that devote their lives to entertaining us in hopes of making it a career?  The guys that play football just for the love of football and entertain just for the love of entertaining?

Not to mention that, after all the pain and shame players went through in their bout with North Dakota State, it was the players sitting in front of reporters and video cameras apologizing to us.

We should be apologizing to them.

We should also be thanking them and encouraging them just to come out to the field and give it their best try again, especially against an opponent like Georgia Tech.  Not for us, but for their own good because they deserve much better than what Saturday gave them.

This is my challenge to every single person who watched, listened to or even talked about last Saturday's game.  Even more importantly, it is my challenge to every writer or opinion-expresser who has in any way, shape or form contributed to the whirlwind of crap that has been circulating over the weekend.

Negativity is easy.  Any two-year-old can point a finger.  It takes little more than luck to get paid to do so for a living.

The next time a player drops a pass, misses a tackle or fumbles a football, why not encourage him rather than harass him.

These are BCS conference athletes.  They can get the job done.  If you are going to criticize, which is by all means necessary, you must do it constructively.

Players already have enough on their mind between school, practice, and forfeiting the opportunity to get these things done on weekends.  They need not worry about how we feel as well.

If you can't handle that, stay at home.  

Chances are that you've already bought your tickets, so the Athletics Department has what they really want from you.

As far as the players are concerned, no crowd is better than a nasty crowd anyway.

Thank you, athletes, for the time and effort you give to this school.

This past Saturday 16th-ranked Georgia Tech dominated its FCS opponent as expected, defeating South Carolina State 41-10 in the season opener for both schools.

What seemed like an easy victory for the Jackets, was not as pretty as the scoreboard appeared.

An overall lack of energy combined with an ultra vanilla game plan, and a new somewhat hesitant looking defense gave fans reason to speculate on the promising forecast for the remaining season. Does Georgia Tech have any chance to repeat as ACC champions?

The answer to that question will be found soon.

The Jackets hit the road this coming week to face the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence. The Jayhawks were embarrassed by North Dakota State in their opener losing 6-3 before their home crowd.

Head coach Turner Gill will be eager to prove that the opening game was a fluke and without question have his team fired up to prove that they can play better. Do not be surprised to see a closer than expected game with two teams looking for an identity this season.

Kansas' anemic offense will look to redeem itself against Tech's lackluster defense, which yielded nearly 300 yards of offense (178 on the ground) in Week One. The Ramblin' Wreck option offense will look to continue their great start against the solid defense of the Jayhawks, which only allowed two field goals and only 168 yards in total offense.

One thing is for certain, Georgia Tech's coaching staff will be working hard to keep its young players focused on the task at hand.

Looking ahead to Week Three, the Yellow Jackets will stay on the road and begin their ACC schedule against UNC. The Tar Heels have the benefit of a bye week to prepare for the Jackets option attack and hopefully get some of their starters reinstated.

After its gritty performance in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic, UNC will be looking to showcase a more complete team in conference play. That game might very well be the key game in the race for Coastal division champion.

In general, Week One did very little in giving away who the 2010 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are.

Chances are fans will see a bit more energy and focus this week in Kansas. Paul Johnson will look to have his option fully cranked up and in rhythm by Week Three in what is sure to be an epic battle against two programs who truly believe they are the best the ACC has to offer.

College football is a sport that bears the same relation to education that bullfighting does to agriculture.    
                        ~ Elbert Hubbard

The only good thing about this game was that it wasn’t on TV. Had it been, I would have thrown my shoe through the screen in frustration. I thought the dark days of KU football we’re over, and that we were finally moving forward, but I guess I was wrong. I just have a few questions for KU, about how the hell we lost to North Dakota State University. 

1. How do we only score 3 points at home, against North Dakota State?

                This is my big problem with the Jayhawk’s performance tonight. Turner Gil’s conservative offense plan is obviously not working. There are many factors that I will get to that contributed to us only scoring 3 points, but come on KU, that was pathetic.

2. Why do we have more carries than we have total rushing yards?

                We had 34 carries from running backs Angus Quigley and Deshaun Sands, which totaled to a whopping 32 total rushing yards. This is absolutely terrible, not to mention on our home turf against and unranked FCS team. Our blocking was terrible so our running backs had nowhere to go, but still 32 yards? St. Thomas Aquinas High School could put up at least 75 on NDSU.

3. Why were all of our timeouts used by the 8 minute mark in the fourth quarter?

                I actually have an answer to this one. It’s because we did not have any focus going into this game. I think Gil is going too easy on these kids. He cannot afford to have a bad first season since his job security will be gone when Perkin’s leaves next year. I think I heard some people chanting “Bring the fat man back!” At this point it doesn’t seem like too bad of an idea.

The Wheat has stood silent tonight. The season won’t get any better for the Jayhawks, with a ranked Georgia Tech coming in next week, and conference play right around the corner, it might be time to bring out the paper bags.

Turner is going way too soft on these guys. I’m not suggesting we bring back Mangino, but we cannot continue with this “It’s about letting these kids have a good time playing college football.” It didn’t look like they were having any fun tonight, and it’s only going to get worse if they don’t change their mindset, grow some balls and start driving the ball down the opposing defense’s throat.

I’m not usually the person who is pessimistic about a team that I love. Hell I still think the Royals are in the playoff race, but this was absolutely frustrating to watch. I don’t want to return to the dark ages of 2-10 seasons, and getting beat 63-3 by K-State but it looks like we are heading in this direction. If this doesn’t change soon, Gil will be packing his bags as soon as Perkins bids his final farewell come next September.

Ben Gartland

9/4/10

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Mark Mangino did some amazing things during his eight year run at the University of Kansas. He took over a moribund Jayhawk program and made them a player in the Big 12 North division with a high-octane, exciting spread offense.

Then, before you could say, “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” everything came crashing down. Kansas was 12-1 finishing the season in the top 10 with a win in the BCS Orange Bowl as recently as 2007 when he was named national AP Coach of the Year. Last year started out just fine as Kansas was 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 with wins that included rolling over UTEP (34-7), Duke (44-16) and getting by a quality Southern Miss (35-28) team.

But it all came unglued as KU lost its last seven games and Mangino lost his team, eventually resigning after allegations that he was mistreating and verbally abusing his players.

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The team is trying to put these bad feelings in the rear-view mirror and kick off with a different attitude under new head coach Turner Gill. The former Nebraska Husker quarterback was only 20-30 in four years at the University of Buffalo, but most college football watchers considered that an admirable job considering the disadvantages Buffalo has.

Offense

Under the former regime, Kansas was a spread team with heavy emphasis on the air attack. Departed quarterback Todd Reesing set numerous school records in that scheme.

Reesing is gone and the front-runner to take the controls of the Jayhawk offense is sophomore Kale Pick. Pick played little last year, completing 4-of-5 passes for 22 yards. Pick does bring great mobility to the table as he picked up 167 yards on just 14 carries. Redshirt freshman Jordan Webb has challenged for the starting position in early drills and Gill had still not named a clear starter after the first week of fall drills.

How will Gill adjust the offense? Gill ran more multiple sets at Buffalo, but will work with the talent he has. His team has plenty of receivers, and hard-running Toben Opurum led the team in rushing as a true freshman last year with 554 yards.

During a scrimmage on Saturday, Gill emphasized the running game, running 50 times out of 70 plays. Last year Reesing passed for 498 yards against Missouri, and the Jayhawks still lost, 41-39 in the Border War.

“We have to be able to control the clock with our running game when we have a lead,” Gill said.

Along with a stable of running backs, Kansas returns all five starters on the offensive line.

Defense

The defense returns five starters to a squad that ranked No. 76 in the nation in total defense and No. 85 in scoring defense. The strongest part of the defense is the secondary where there are eight players competing for playing time, led by three-year starter Chris Smith, a senior. The ones that don’t win starting slots will get plenty of action in nickel and dime coverage in the pass-happy Big 12 South. Seniors Jake Laptard at defensive end and Drew Dudley at linebacker are also returning starters.

Dudley was the team’s second-leading tackler last year and played most of the season despite an arm injury that required surgery in the off-season. Dudley is healthy now and the coaches expect an all-conference type season out of him.

Jayhawks at a Glance

Last year:  5-7, 1-7.

Total Offense:  422.4 ypg. No. 25

Total Defense:  383.3 ypg. No. 76

Plus: The Jayhawks should have one of the deepest, most experienced defensive backfields in the pass-happy Big 12. The team is excited about new head coach Turner Gill. All five starters return on the offensive line. 

Minus:  Most teams struggle in the first year of a new head coach, and Kansas ended last year on a seven-game losing skid. The rushing attack was pitiful last year, averaging just 3.5 yards per rush and ranking 101 in the nation at 112.1 ypg.

Circle the Dates:  Sept. 11 — An early non-conference test, as the Jayhawks host one of the top teams from the ACC in Georgia Tech. KU will be a big underdog at home. Oct. 16 Kansas State — It seems unlikely that either team will make a run at the Big 12 North title, and the in-state rivalry game may be the biggest of the season for both teams.

CSM Prediction:  Turner Gill made a mark as one of the most promising young coaches at Buffalo where he was 20-30 in four years at a school where it will always be tough to win. Can Gill take the team that Mark Mangino built up – and then tore down – back to competing for a Big 12 North title? We don’t think so this year, but it will be interesting to see if the team shows signs of a bright future. Six wins and a minor bowl will be a major accomplishment for the Jayhawks.

This CSM original article was written by Grant Tolley

Halfway through his true freshman season, Daymond Patterson was the victim of a switch that almost resulted in him leaving the University of Kansas a year later.

Thanks to a coaching change, however, Patterson has been given the opportunity to return to his favored position, and he seems to be making the most of it.

I believe that the table seems to be set for Patterson to become not just one of the biggest comeback stories in Lawrence this season, but to become one of the more important ball-carriers in the conference.

The most recent depth chart released to the public not only has Patterson slotted as a starter at receiver, but as the primary kick and punt returner as well.

You don't put the ball in one guy's hands that often if you don't think he'll do something with it.

That's why Daymond Patterson will do big things in 2010. He's finally completely healthy, he's a playmaker, and he'll get more than ample opportunity to have the ball in his hands with which to make those plays.

Think back to the spring game. I know it was a conservative, rough-draft-esque spring game offense, but when Kale Pick and Jordan Webb needed to check down, D.J. Beshears and Patterson were there.

Patterson has excellent speed and runs solid short routes. As long as the offensive line is still adjusting and the signal caller is developing, the receiver who gets the best and quickest separation will see the ball the most.

That receiver will be Patterson.

Jonathan Wilson has experience out the wazoo and Bradley McDougald has Patterson-esque skills as a playmaker and even more potential. Still, Patterson seems to have the best combination of receiving skills and experience within a more traditional, balanced offense, for now (keep an eye out for articles on a few more receivers I really like).

As evidenced by being entrusted with so many special teams duties, Patterson obviously has the support of the coaching staff as well. Being a returner has become too important in today's game to put just anyone back there.

So, in 2010, if Daymond Patterson can do with this new slate of opportunities the same kind of things he can do with a football in his hands, he will quickly become KU's most valuable offensive weapon. Period.

A little special teams success could make him one of the highest-impact playmakers in the Big 12 North, for sure.

Not too long ago, Keeston Terry made the switch from wide receiver to safety.  Coincidentally, I’ve always thought he has a lot in common with former Kansas safety Justin Thornton.

Terry has decent size and was best known in his high school days for simply making plays.

Still, I think people have the wrong idea about the position switch.

I don’t believe that Terry has switched to safety to address problems at the position.  Sure, if he’s a really quick learner and his ball skills balance out his average athleticism, it’ll be hard to keep him off the field.

That’s a completely plausible situation; the kid is a very adept player.

However, I’d be surprised to hear that Terry’s switch had anything to do with the immediate future.  Let’s have a look…

Jonathan Wilson is the only graduating wideout of true notability, and Daymond Patterson will be the primary senior factor there in 2011. 

On the other hand, Bradley McDougald, D.J. Beshears, Chris Omigie, Erick McGriff, and Christian Matthews are all very talented young receivers who will have some experience to boot.  That’s without counting the other talented true freshmen receivers.

Kansas seems decently well-set at safety this season.  Lubbock Smith is proven, Olaitan Oguntodu has earned his due, Phillip Strozier will be a reliable backup, and Prinz Kande and Dexter Linton both have tools and time.  Ryan Murphy has experience at safety too.

2011 will be a different story.  No Oguntodu or Strozier will mean only three other true scholarship safeties on the roster.

Head Coach Turner Gill seems reluctant to let true freshmen on the field.  I think Gill was looking ahead and wanted a fourth safety with some college experience under his belt ready for 2011. 

Terry seems like the perfect candidate to me.  He’ll have a chance to play early and often next season too, so hopefully the swap works out.

It’s not rebuilding or reloading or any other potentially derogatory term.  It’s just smart coaching.

On a related tangent, I feel quite the opposite about Toben Opurum. 

This isn’t to say he won’t redshirt or stay on the defensive side of the ball.  It is to say that Gill wouldn’t turn his most talented runner into a linebacker, especially with this season’s injury situation, if he didn’t think Opurum could provide instant depth there.

Unlike Terry, Opurum’s move is a change for the present, not the future.

If he turns into a good backer, he’ll have the first opportunity to play between Steven Johnson and Huldon Tharp in 2011.

Don’t completely count out a return to offense though.  It all depends on how well the other young running backs and linebackers develop this season.

Ahh injuries.  They can really change the look of a team, can't they?

Pardon my chronology, because I don't remember this all particularly well, but I believe Angus Quigley joined the Jayhawks with a decent chance to play early on in his career. 

The depth chart opened up a bit when fellow running back John Randle tried valiantly to injure a non-football player at a bar and was removed from the team for doing so.

Jon Cornish took over and Quigley went on to spend a season redshirted and another on the injured list.

After recovering from his injury and spending one season as a wide receiver then the next back at running back, linebacker Justin Springer's injury issues helped indirectly lead to Quigley's switch to defense in 2009. 

Ironically, an 'injury' to fellow linebacker Arist Wright's chest (caused by a stubby finger and a foul mouth from Mark Mangino) combined with a lingering ankle injury to running back Toben Opurum both had a part in Quigley's opportunity not only to re-become a  running back, but to become the Jayhawks' starting running back as well.

Now that Quigley is a runningback, injuries to Huldon Tharp and Ed Fink really weakened the linebacker position.  I know Quigley didn't want to be a linebacker, but he certainly would've had the opportunity to play had he stayed there.

The need for depth at the linebacker position led to Opurum, recently recovered from his ankle injury, switching to linebacker (a temporary move in my mind, yet others are seeing it as a move for the future). 

Ironically enough, he'll be playing behind Justin Springer (playing at an injury free 100 percent for the first time in two years), Steven Johnson (whose scholarship offer was repealed by KU after knee injuries in high school, but who decided to walk on anyway) and Drew Dudley (whose injury during spring ball paved the way for Steven Johnson).

Now comes the most current happening; runningback Rell Lewis recently suffered an injury to his knee that will keep him out of action for awhile.

In my mind, with Lewis healthy, true freshmen James Sims and Brandon Bourbon probably would have redshirted the season.  Now with Rell lost to injury and Toben on the other side of the ball, it may not be so easy.

I think for the moment we can assume that Turner Gill will be more than happy to suffice with Quigley and number-two back Deshaun Sands getting all the carries.  It probably would've worked out that way anyway.

Still, keep an eye out on the runningback corps because if there's another injury before Lewis is able to return we could quickly see another back in the mix.

Rivals.com is pretty high on Bourbon's mix of size and speed, while ESPN.com's scout pages favor Sims who was an extremely successful high school back in the great football state of Texas.

It may be the least likely scenario, but depending on the situation I'm sure walk-on redshirt freshman Ryan Burton would love to be the emergency number three back.  (There's a little bit of a personal bias here, though).

Whatever it may be, I can't wait for this horrendously unfortunate and injury-plagued offseason to just be over.

Hopefully there will be no need for yet another back to step up, but best of luck to whichever guy may have to.

And thank goodness Mark Mangino poked Arist Wright hard enough in the chest to get himself fired or Angus Quigley wouldn't still be around, either.

According to KUSports.com, Kale Pick has been selected as the opening day starter.  What does that mean for the Jayhawks?

Well, it's pretty obvious that Pick can make plays with his feet and has a qualified arm for a decent passing attack. 

What it really means, hopefully, is that Pick, in practices, has displayed good decision making skills when deciding to gun or pull the ball in and run.  One would hope that Pick won the job because his decision and play-making abilities in general overcame the more proven arm of Jordan Webb.

Once again, hopefully it means simply that Pick was the better of the two quarterbacks, not simply the quarterback who messed up less.  Regardless, both quarterbacks gained my confidence over the spring and summer.

Also according to KUSports.com, Toben Opurum is making the switch to linebacker.  What does that mean for the Jayhawks and his future?

Well this one is slightly more difficult.  Opurum came to Lawrence to play running back and specifically not to play fullback or defense.  Last season, he proved himself to be our future's most promising at the position.

What would cause such a dramatic switch (yet again, at KU) from running back to linebacker?

The injury situation at linebacker is getting ridiculous.  Opurum is an uber-athletic guy with plenty of high school experience at the position.

My guess is Opurum's career as a running back is not over.  I'd say Turner Gill was pleased enough with the production and dimensions that  Deshaun Sands, Rell Lewis and specifically Angus Quigley bring to the running back table.  Even the quality of the fullbacks may have played a role.

Opurum, roughly the same size as Steven Johnson, is athletic enough to add immediate depth to every linebacker position available (all three backups on the updated depth chart are college walk-on's).

Also, just as a bit of a wild card, perhaps this means Gill also has faith in a true freshman running back to begin his four years of eligibility if worse comes to worst.

Finally, the same article also mentions Keeston Terry's switch to safety.

This seems unusual to me as Kansas has three talented, young safeties already on the roster.  Still, this was probably a move for the future rather than to address a present need.

Terry's measurables don't match up to most of the other young receiving talent on the roster, and yet he has a reputation as a playmaker.  Playmaking defensive backs are always good.

Next year, after Phillip Strozier and Olaitan Oguntodu have graduated (both seniors listed on the two-deep), it might be nice to have a redshirt freshman safety to insert into the lineup. 

Another Few Minor Notes I'd Like To Make about the Depth Chart

Daymond Patterson is listed as both the punt and kick returner.  I think this means the most to D.J. Beshears, probably the number four receiver on the roster.  If Patterson is tired or dinged up, D.J. Beshears can provide a very similar skillset and give the junior a good breather.

A.J. Steward and Ted McNulty are listed as the number one and two U-backs.  I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I'd say it has to do with being a blocking-capable, on-the-line/off-the-line receiving end in a certain situational package or two.

The offensive line does in fact look very deep, albeit a less experienced one than Hawk fans might have planned on lining up.  It'll be interesting to see how the linemen mesh.

Isaiah Barfield has jumped over Calvin Rubles as the second starting cornerback, and Greg Brown was listed evenly with Rubles.  I've always had faith in Barfield (haven't seen much of Brown), but was under the impression that Rubles was vastly improving.  It's just another competition scenario that will be fun to watch develop.

Tyrone Sellers (defensive end), Tyler Patmon (nickelback) and Olaitan Oguntodu have all overcome some quality competition to be listed as starters at their respective positions.  That seems like good news to me.

And finally, the Hawks are a bit undersized on the defensive line.  Keep an eye out for situational rotations with backups Kevin Young, true freshman Keba Agostinho, Richard Dent and John Williams, who are all well-known for being extremely stout and strong.