8B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
KU KICK-OFF
COUNTDOWN TO KICK-OFF
AT A GLANCE
Kansas is 11 victories and zero losses into the best season in the program's history, but much of the euphoria sweeping Lawrence could dissipate if the team loses this weekend. And what a weekend it will be: Saturday's game could be the most important in the history of the Border Showdown. Kansas is No. 2 in the nation, Missouri is No. 3 and the teams are playing for a Big 12 Championship bid and a possible BCS bowl berm.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
45. 8 ppg—2nd scoring offense
210. 6 ypg -15th rushing offense
14. 2 ppg - 2nd scoring defense
289. 6 ypg—16th passing offense
86 ypg — 7th rushing defense
214 ypg—41th passing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Sophomore quarterback/
wide receiver Kerry Meier
It's the "Mizzou game"; meaning the Kansas coaching staff could pull out all the stops in pursuit of points. Meier
has been used as a punter, quarterback, wide receiver and running back this season. That versatility gives Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warinner plenty of reason to pull trick plays from his sleeve.
QUESTION MARKS
THIS ONE'S FOR ALL THE MARBLES
>> Will Kansas exploit Missourl's weak pass defense!
Without star safety Pig Brown. Missouri could be lax in its pass defense this weekend. With speedy wide receivers Marcus Henry and Dezmon Briscoe, the Jayhawk offense could pick up big chunks of yardage through the air.
Border showdown takes on unprecedented implications
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI 7 p.m. Saturday, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
The Missouri quarterback has been unstoppable through the first 11 games of the season, posting the ninth-best passing efficiency in the nation and torching defenses with an accurate deep ball and quick feet. A disruptive pass rush from defensive ends John Larson and Russell Brorsen will be the key to holding the Missouri sensation silent.
Can Kansas contain Chase Daniel?
Kansas 11-0,7-0 Big 12 Conference
OFFENSE
The Jayhawks posted 566 yards of offense last weekend against Iowa State and that was without junior left tackle Anthony Collins. If Collins — perhaps Kansas' best offensive player — is healthy enough to participate this weekend, the Kansas offense could roll its way to another 40-point performance. Sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing has legitimately entered the Heisman race, senior wide receiver Marcus Henry is averaging 19.5 yards per catch and senior running back Brandon McAnderson recently eclipsed 1000 rushing yards this season. On top of all of that, the team hasn't turned the ball over since Oct. 20.
After facing some tough opponents and falling toward the middle of the pack in several statistical categories, the Kansas defense rebounded in a big way last Saturday. Kansas gave up just 234 total yards, intercepted a pass and held Iowa State to 33 percent on third-down conversion attempts. A run defense anchored by senior defensive tackle James McClinton and augmented by a fleet of hard-hitting linebackers has forced offenses to turn to their pass game early and give up valuable time of possession. The health of junior defensive backs Patrick Resby and Kendrick Harper could be key against a deep and talented Missouri team.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kansas' performance on special teams has been its weakest link but is far from abysmal. Junior wide receiver Marcus Herford is eighth in the nation in yards per kick return, and senior kicker Scott Webb is closing out his collegiate career with the same consistency he has shown over the past three seasons. Both sides of the punt game — returning and punting — have been troublesome all season but have not seriously hampered the Jayhawks. An often overlooked area of concern could be the team's kickoff coverage unit: Kansas is giving up an average of 22.5 yards per return, making it 86th in the nation.
MOMENTUM
It's tough to find words to describe just how perfectly everything is going for the Jayhawks right now. The team has lived up to its end of the bargain so far, winning every game (often in blowout fashion) to run its record to 11-0, the best in school history. Kansas' competitors for a spot in the national title game have also helped the Jayhawks out considerably. Oregon fell to Arizona last week and Oklahoma lost to Texas Tech, pushing Kansas into second place in all of the polls and the BCS Rankings. All Kansas needs to do to reach the BCS National Championship is win two more games, and winning hasn't been a problem for this round.
COACHING
Each member of the Kansas coaching staff seems to project a certain mindset onto the Jayhawk players. Defensive coordinator Bill Young fields a resilient unit that bends without ever breaking. Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner has a playbook full of ingenuity that fits his personnel to a T. And coach Mark Mangino seems to have convinced every last player on the roster to buy into his "one game at a time" approach.
Missouri 10-1,6-1 Big 12 Conference
OFFENSE
Imagine a swarm of bees viciously attacking an unsuspecting pedestrian, who can swat a few away but can't escape all of them. That's the Missouri offense. The Tigers have so many lethal weapons, it's a game of pick your poison for opponents. Junior quarterback Chase Daniel averages 326 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the nation. Daniel has a strong receiving corps headlined by freshman Jeremy Maclin and two of the nation's best tight ends. Senior Martin Rucker and junior Chase Coffman, the two tight ends, have combined for more than 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Defenses can usually take one away, but then the other strikes for a big game. Senior running back Tony Temple keeps the offense balanced and is fully recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games earlier in the season. Like a raving group of bees, the offense will sting the Jayhawks. The key for Kansas will be to limit those stings.
The Tigers lost their best defensive player and leading tackler, Cornelius "Pig" Brown, three weeks ago. But they seem to have adjusted without him and junior Justin Garrett has stepped up to take his starting spot. Junior free safety William Moore is first in the Big 12 and tied for fourth in the nation with six interceptions per game. But the pass defense hasn't exactly been indestructible. In fact, it's the one weakness on an otherwise outstanding Missouri team. Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman and Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee found it easy to lead their offenses down the field on Missouri in the last two weeks. But the front four are experts on collapsing the pocket. Junior defensive ends Stryker Sulak and Tommy Chavis pressure quarterbacks off the edges and Junior Evander Hood and senior Lorenzo Williams take care of the interior line. Linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Brock Christopher lead a strong rush defense.
DEFENSE
SPECIAL TEAMS
Missouri. The Tigers do rank last in the nation in net punting but they often win the field position game regardless of Macin.
The Tigers have a strength that many teams would like but in reality, few have. That strength is freshman Jeremy Maclin, who is one of the most exciting returners in the nation. He handles both punt and kickoff return duties and has scored three touchdowns on the year through returns. Maclin is the catalyst that can change the whole complexion of a game in a split second. Junior Jeff Wolfert serves as a consistent kicker for
MOMENTUM
A quarterback with Heisman candidacy on the line, a kick returner that's one of the nation's most exciting players and a championship showdown with a hated rival equals unprecedented momentum for the Tigers. Like Kansas, Missouri still has its eye on the Big 12 Championship and possibly, a national championship. The only possible concern could be having too much adrenaline to concentrate on what will prove to be a thrilling rivalry game.
Kansas fans may not like to hear this, but Gary Pinkel is not only one of the Big 12's best coaches but also one of the nation's best coaches. He's also one of Mark Mangino's main competitors in the national Coach of the Year race as they are both finalists on the watch list. Much like Mangino, Pinkel revived a sinking MU football program taking the helm in 2001. Just four years ago, the Tigers finished their streak of four straight losing seasons. Now, they're competing for a national title.
COACHING
MU KICK-OFF
AT A GLANCE
It doesn't get any bigger than this. The Tigers look to inch closer to their goal of a Big 12 Championship in front of a national prime time television audience against their loathed border rivals. Saturday's game at Arrowhead Stadium will be the 116th version of the Border Showdown and first at a neutral site since 1945. But it's also the most important game in the history of Missouri football.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
334 ypg — 5th passing offense
42. 45 ppg — 6th scoring offense
172. 27 ypg - 37th rushing offense
23 ppg -- 33th scoring defense
Case Keefer
121. 55 ypg — 29th rushing defense
258. 27 ypg — 96th passing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Freshman wide receiver Jeremy Maclin
Maclin had a big week last week. He gathered 360 all-purpose yards, which brought his season to total more than 2,300 yards. It
was enough to break the NCAA record for all-purpose yards by a freshman and earn Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the
Maclin
Week recognition. As only a freshman, Maclin is on the cusp of turning into the Midwest's version of Reggie Bush with his variety of talents.
QUESTION MARKS
》 Can Missouri take care of the ball?
The Tigers have lost five more turnovers than the Jayhawks on the season. That may seem like a minimal margin but in a game like this, the smallest miscue could prove to be the difference. And so far this season, Kansas has secured the ball with slightly more vigilance.
》 Can Chase Daniel live up to the hype?
Daniel has been outstanding all year but the Border Showdown will be the first time he is exposed to a national audience. Missouri has put an especially big target on his back this week by aggressively starting his Heisman campaign with a Web site, www.chasetheheisman.com. The stakes are high for everyone in this game — but especially Daniel.
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
Game Time Channel
Nebraska at Colorado 11 a.m. ABC
No. 13 Texas at Texas A&M 2:30 p.m. ABC
TOP25
State Time Channel
Oklahoma State at No. 10 Oklahoma 2:30 p.m. FSN
Kansas State at Fresno State 2:30 p.m. ESPN
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
No. 11 USC at No. 7 Arizona State 7 p.m. ESPN
THURSDAY
Game Time Channel
Arkansas at No. 1 LSU 1:30 p.m. CBS
No. 17 Boise State at No. 14 Hawaii 8 p.m. ESPN2
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
No. 8 Virginia Tech at No. 16 Virginia 11 a.m. ESPN
Miami at No. 15 Boston College 11 a.m. ESPN2
No. 19 Tennessee at Kentucky 12:30 p.m. CBS
Utah at No. 23 BYU 1 p.m. Versus / CSTV
No. 6 Georgia at Georgia Tech 2:30 p.m. ESPN-GP*
No. 9 Oregon at UCLA 2:30 p.m. ESPN-GP
No. 20 Connecticut at No. 4 West Virginia 2:30 p.m. ABC
Florida State at No. 12 Florida 4 p.m. CBS
No. 21 Clemson at South Carolina 6 p.m. ESPN2
No. 24 Cincinnati at Syracuse 6:15 p.m. ESPNU
Alabama at No. 25 Auburn 7 p.m. ESPN
*ESPN Gameplan is available on Pay Per View.
TELEVISED GAMES
TUESDAY
FRIDAY
Game Time Channel
Middle Tennessee at Troy 6 p.m. ESPN2
Game Time Channel
Central Michigan at Akron 10 a.m. ESPNU
Delaware vs. Delaware State 12:30 p.m. ESPN
Toledo at Bowling Green 1:30 p.m. ESPNU
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
Fordham at Massachusetts 11 a.m. ESPNU
UTEP at Central Florida 11 a.m. CSTV
Southern vs. Grambling 1 p.m. NBC
Notre Dame at Stanford 2:30 p.m. ESPN2
Duke at North Carolina 2:30 p.m. ESPNU
Washington at Washington 6 p.m. FSN
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