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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
>> COMMENTARY
WWW.KANSAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2007
Mangino deserves national recognition
PAGE 1B
Mark Mangino should be national coach of the year. At this point, there's no question about it
What he did with Kerry Meier after the fact was another brilliant move. Meier now plays wide receiver, running back and quarterback. His versatility makes Kansas' offense that much more dangerous. Just go back and watch Meier's fake option pass last Saturday and you'll see why having Kansas' backup quarterback on the field as a wide receiver can pay dividends. Now that's coaching.
At the beginning of this season, Mangino made one of the smartest moves of his coaching career. Would the starting quarterback be sophomore Kerry Meier or redshirt sophomore Todd Reesing? Mangino finally said Reesing, who has been a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Ed Warriner's system.
Since arriving to a cellar-dweller program in December of 2001, Mangino has built his team and staff to fit his plans for a successful football team. He has all of his own recruits, who under his command, have made the Jayhawks one of two undefeated teams remaining in FBS football.
about it.
This year, Kansas has gone from a projected fourth-place finish in the Big 12 North to No. 3 in the only poll that really matters — the BCS. Kansas is one spot out of the national title game 10 games into the season. No one, absolutely no one, would have thought this was possible.
In his second year at Kansas, Mangino led his team to its first bowl game since 1995. He then took his 2005 squad to the Fort Worth Bowl and got Kansas its first winning season in a decade. Things looked up for Mangino and the 2006 season to come. But after finishing a disappointing 6-6 and blowing four late leads, many wondered whether Mangino was really the right person to turn the program around. If this season was a bust, Mangino would've been out of a job.
With two regular season games remaining and a possible two more, the Jayhawks are going to finish with a winning record for the second time in Mangino's six years and are going to a bowl game for the third time in his tenure. Kansas may even make a BCS bowl game. He deserves to be recognized for his team's accomplishments this year.
Kansan sports columnist Erica Johnson can be reached at ejohnson@kansan.com
So who's to say that Mangino doesn't deserve to be coach of the year? Even though many people still doubt that the Jayhawks are a top-five team, each week Mangino has proved all the doubters wrong.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
But for now, the Jayhawks are taking things one game at a time just like their coach has asked them to all year. Mangino's recognition will soon come after the season has finally settled down and everyone realizes that this is no dream.
- Edited by Rachael Gray
There's a new offense in town
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
This is not the Big 12 of old.
THE NEW WAVE OF OFFENSE
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach brought the spread offense to the Big 12 and rode its effectiveness to a 63-37 record in seven-plus
Two weeks ago, Kansas scored touchdowns on 10 consecutive drives on its way to 76 points. Last weekend, the lajhawys scored 43 points using trick plays and plenty of passes. But the fireworks provided by Kansas don't begin to describe the offensive onslaught The Big 12 Conference has experienced this season. Nebraska threw 73 points on the board last weekend and the Texas-Texas Tech game finished in a 59-43 shootout.
years. Two seasons ago, the Red Raiders set an NCAA single-season scoring record and have not relented since. Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell ranks third in the nation in passing efficiency and wide receiver Michael Crabtree has the most receiving yards in the country.
Since its genesis 11 years ago, the Big 12 Conference has traditionally been the home of smash-mouth football. For the most part, defense reigned and if teams gained yardage they did it through the running game.
Programs such as Missouri and Oklahoma State followed Texas Tech's lead by instituting variations of the spread offense. Missouri rarely puts more than one running back in its backfield and runs its plays out of an odd extra-deep shotgun formation.
"There a lot of things that make it tough to be a defensive player in this day and time," Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Young said. "The speed and athleticism of offensive players combined with new schemes on the offensive side — plus all of the running quarterbacks. All of that has put tremendous stress on defenses."
This season has seen a gradual shift in offensive philosophy result in a wholesale transformation of the conference. Gone are the days of absolutely dominant defenses
Kansas, which has relied on a basic spread scheme in recent years, has turned over a new offensive leaf this season with the addition of offensive coordinator Ed Warinner.
such as Kansas State's 1999 group, which allowed only 2,585 yards all season. The best defense in the conference this season, Kansas, has already yielded 3,066 yards in just 10 games. Some Big 12 coaches have attributed the shift to the rising popularity of the spread offense — and teams' inability to stop it.
Warinner's offense combines no-huddle elements similar to Missouri's offense with the spread principles of Texas Tech while holding onto some standard running plays. The philosophical shift has worked wonders: The Jayhawks are second in the nation in scoring offense and 10th in total yardage.
"Because everybody's spreading it out, you have to have tremendous speed on defense because the game is being played out in space quite a bit, which puts a lot of pressure on your linebackers and your secondary," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "One of the key things is rushing the passer: If a team can do it with four guys, it's an advantage for them. If you rush more than four, you really put your defense and your secondary people in a tough position."
QUARTERBACKS APLENTY
But X's and O's are probably not the only reason behind the offensive explosion. The conference's quarterbacks are doing their fair share as well.
"I would say that we're getting really good quarterback play in this league," Mangino said. "There are some very capable guys who can throw the ball. And not only throwing the ball; they can beat you with their feet."
Oklahoma's Sam Bradford is the nation's most efficient passer, followed by Harrell in third place. Missouri's Chase Daniel and Kansas' own Todd Reesing sit at 11th and
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 3B
FOOTBALL
Talib's slump-breaker draws more attention
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Aqib Talib loves being the center of attention. He excels when his every move is under surveillance. And more importantly, he embraces it.
It can be seen everywhere from pre-game warm-ups where Talib does the "Soula Boy" dance to post-game press conferences where his talkative attitude serves as a main attraction.
So it should have come as no surprise that Talib's best game of the season came against Oklahoma State on Saturday after a week full of national attention. Talib's picture graced the front page of the USA Today sports section and Sports Illustrated ran a feature story on the junior cornerback during the week.
But Talib was suffering a minor slump — at least by his standards. He was burned for two touchdowns the week before against Nebraska and hadn't recorded an interception in four weeks. In front of a national television audience, Talib escaped the slump by recording nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one pass break-up. He also made the hit that took out star OSU
wide receiver Adarius Bowman for the rest of the regular season.
"It was a little drought," Talib said. "The drought is over, you know what I mean. We're coming. Let's go and keep it moving now."
If Talib can keep it moving, he certainly has the opportunity to permeate the nation's conscience further and add some hardware to his living room. A representative of the Jim Thorpe Association, which annually gives the Thorpe Award to the nation's best defensive back, was at Boone Pickens Stadium last weekend to watch Talib.
Talib has already been named one of 12 semi-finalists for the award. After receiving Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play against Oklahoma State, Talib is one of the favorites to be named a Thorpe finalist next week.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino definitely thinks Talib is deserving of the award. Mangino has hinted on numerous occasions throughout the season that Talib is one of the nation's best defensive backs. After a 100-yard interception return earlier in the year,
SEE TALIB ON PAGE 3B
Junior cornerback Agib Talb love the attention his performance is getting him. After a minor slump, Talb returned to form Saturday against Oklahoma State with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one pass break-up.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
football notebook
KU PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Kansas coach Mark Mangino named the players of the week from last weekend's
Victory at Oklahoma State. Senior wide receiver Marcus Henry won offensive player of the week for his eight receptions, 199 yards and three touchdowns. Junior linebacker Joe
Stuckey
Mortensen and sophomore safety Darrell Stuckey shared the defensive honors. Mortensen made four tackles and recovered two fumbles. Stuckey recorded nine tackles and broke up two passes. Senior kicker Scott Webb earned the special teams player of the week honors for making all three of his field goal attempts. The scout team players of the weei were freshman defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey and freshman wide receiver Ryan Murphy.
BROTHER-SISTER CONNECTION
Though only two Kansas players are from Iowa and just one Iowa State player is native to Kansas, one Jayhawk has some close ties to Iowa State athletics. Darrell Stuckey's younger sister, Denae, plays for the Cyclone women's basketball team. Denae, a sophomore guard, attended Butler Community College for one year before transferring to Iowa State.
ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
"She has high energy just like I do," Darrell said. "It's funny because she plays basketball just the same way I play football."
Last weekend, she started and scored 12 points in her first game as a Cyclone.
Mangino downplayed the possibility of increased scrutiny on sophomore quarterback Todd Reeing because of
his Heisman Award candidacy. Reesing is currently 15th in the nation in passing efficiency, has not tossed an interception in 179 consecutive pass attempts and has appeared on some analysts' short lists of Heisman contenders.
"Any time any of our kids are mentioned for personal honors, I'm excited by it," Mangino said. "But that's not what propels us, and it doesn't propel Todd."
Asher Fusco