6B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2007
KU KICK-OFF
COUNTDOWN TO KICK-OFF
ATAGLANCE
When Kansas won its first four games, analysts dismissed the success as a byproduct of a weak nonconference schedule. After a road victory at Kansas State, Big 12 country started taking notice. Two more victories away from Lwrence put the Jayhawks on the national radar. A 76-39 scorching of Nebraska last week vaulted the Jayhawks into the BCS picture.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
46. 2ppg - 2nd scoring offense
215. 1.ypg - 15th rushing offense
274. 3 ypg - 25th passing offense
13. 4ppg — 2nd scoring defense
77. 7 ypg-6th rushing defense
210. 7 ypg - 46th passing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Junior cornerback Agiq Talib. The Jayhawks' most celebrated defensive player will
be naked up against the Cowboys' most potent weapon, wide receiver Adarius Bowman. Bowman blew past the Kansas
Talib
secondary for 300 receiving yards last season, and Talib will be the player responsible for stopping the 6-foot-4 monster of a receiver.
QUESTION MARKS
>> Can Kansas hinder Oklahoma State's aerial attack? Oklahoma State quarterback Zee Robinson has two of the best targets in the Big 12 in Bowman and 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Shutting down the Cowboys' receivers could be the key to containing the offense.
Will the Jayhawks ignore the hype? All week long, the spotlight has shined squerely on Kansas — 76 points tends to raise some eyebrows. The Jayhawks will need to set aside talk of a BCS bowl and National Championship possibilities to focus on a formidable and underrated Oklahoma State team.
RUMBLE IN THE SOUTH Jayhawks go for 10th victory against underrated Cowboys
KANSAS VS. OKLAHOMA STATE 7 p.m. Saturday, Stillwater, Okla.
OFFENSE
It's a shame the Kansas offense can't earn more than five stars, because its performance against Nebraska was impressive enough to turn the heads of the national media and rewrite the program's history books. Sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing is riding a 139-pass attempt, four-game streak without an interception. Senior running back Brandon McAnderson has topped 100 rushing yards in two straight contests. Freshman wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe's seven touchdown receptions put him one short of the single-season school record. Gone are the days of offensive ineptitude at Memorial Stadium.
DEFENSE
The defense experienced its first truly poor stretch of the season last weekend against Nebraska when Cornhusker quarterback Joe Ganz threw for 266 yards in the first half. But the struggles weren't much of an issue as the defense forced four straight turnovers and held Nebraska to 149 passing yards after halftime. In addition to star junior comeback Agib Talib and senior defensive tackle James McClinton, a supporting cast of consistent contributors is emerging. The unsung heroes of the defense include sophomore safety Justin Thornton, who leads the team in interceptions, and junior linebacker James Holt, who has 67 tackles this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
First, the good news: Junior wide receiver Marcus Herford has carved a niche for himself as a kick returner, and his 31.8 yards per return ranks fifth in the nation and first in the Big 12 Conference. A poor performance at Texas Äm discounted, senior kicker Scott Webb has provided consistency on both kickoffs and field.
goals. Second, the bad news: Senior punter Kyle Tucker's performance has reeked of inconsistency all season. He is averaging just 37.7 yards per punt. Sophomore wide receiver Anthony Webb has not proven himself as a punt returner because of a strange aversion to making the fair catch signal.
With every victory, the 2007 Kansas team further cements itself as one of the finest in school history and grabs more national headlines. Ranked No.4 in the BCS rankings and No.5 in all three polls, the Jayhawks are legitimate challengers for a BCS bowl berth and perhaps a spot in the National Championship game. It's not every season—or decade—that Kansas football is the subject of USA Today's top sports story.
MOMENTUM
Oklahoma State 3-2,5-4 Big 12 Conference
This week coach Mangino earned a spot on the watch lists for two national coaching awards alongside coaching legends such as Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Alabama's Nick Saban. Considering the drastic turnaround Mangino has engineered during his five-plus seasons at Kansas, his name certainly deserves mention in that elite group. His assistant coaches aren't bad, either. Defensive coordinator Bill Young has built the Big 12's best defense out of players discarded by more prestigious programs, and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner's schemes helped put 76 points on the scoreboard last weekend.
The Oklahoma State offense didn't exactly pick up where it left off last season at the beginning of the year. It sputtered in losses to Georgia and Troy. But now, the Cowboy offence is better than ever. Junior quarterback Zac Robinson threw for a school-record 430 yards last week and added 56 more yards on the ground. Senior running back Dantrell Savage leads the Big 12 Conference in rushing with 136 yards per game in conference play. Savage runs through arm tackles, speeds past defenders and causes genuine headaches for opposing coaches. The two main cogs of the machine-like Cowboy passing game are senior wide receiver Adarius Bowman and Junior tight end Brandon Pettigre. Led by the left side of David Koening and Russel Okung, the Cowboy offensive line is possibly the Big 12's best. They are third in the nation in sacks allowed and Jumpstart the running game with a strong push.
COACHING
OFFENSE
The most famous band from Stillwater, Okla., is the All American Rejects. Well, at least being rejects implies the band members were thought about. The Cowboy defense certainly doesn't have any players good enough to even be considered for the All-America team. The passing defense is among the worst in the nation as it allows an average of more than 300 passing yards per game. The linebackers have been formidable, but the Cowboys will likely play without starting middle linebacker Chris Collins on Saturday. Collins has spent the week at home in Texas dealing with legal issues. Sophomore outside linebacker Patrick Lavine, the Cowboy's leading tackler, is guaranteed to be at Boone Pickens Stadium. Lavine is one of the better linebackers in the Big 12, but Kansas will likely make an effort to get a body on him. Although his pass coverage skills are less than impressive, junior defensive back Jacole Lacey is an interception threat.
DEFENSE
If the Jayhawks let perish Cox loose, they'll pay. Cox made the freshman All-America team last year as a kick returner. He's
freshman All-America team last year as a kick returner. He's
not strong enough to break a lot of tackles but can use
breakaway speed once he gets into the open field. Junior kicker Jason Ricks is 8-for-14 on the year on field goal attempts. Matt Fodge averages a consistent 40 yards per punt
MOMENTUM
The Cowboys crumbled under
The Cowboys crumbled under pressure in the fourth quarter last week. They led the Longhorns by 21 but played no defense in the final 15 minutes, which
led to a devastating defeat. But don't expect Oklahoma State to carry the hurt into a game against Kansas. Oklahoma State will be eager for a shot at one of the only undefeated teams left in the nation. The Cowboys have a lot to play for as they could conceivably still win the Big 12 South division and it's the seniors' last game at Boone Pickens Stadium.
COACHING
Coach Mike Gundy became the country's proudest 40-year old a month ago when his tirade against a reporter, where he infamously screamed "I'm a man, I'm 40!" raised concern. Gundy said.
tion correctly, but his players responded to it. This OSU coaching staff continues to progress yearly as the Cowboys have played better and better on the field.
40!" spread across America. Gundy didn't handle the situa-
Case Keefer
OSU KICK-OFF
AT A GLANCE
Oklahoma State welcomes fifth-ranked Kansas to Stillwater, Okla., for a nationally televised night game. It is Oklahoma State's final home game of the season. The Cowboys are 29-28-2 all-time against the Jayhawks and have won the past five games in the series.
BY THE NUMBERS
2007 Averages and National Rank
34. 56ppg-26th scoring offense
253ypg—39th passing offense
246. 33 ypg — 7th rushing offense
305. 11 ypg—116th passing defense
27. 22 $ _{ppg} $ - 66th scoring defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
143. 22 ypg----54th rushing defense
Junior tight end Brandon Pettigrew. When Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Young watched Oklahoma State game film this week, the player that stuck out
in his mind was Pettigrew. He said the Cowboys were trying harder to incorporate the 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end into the
Pettiarew
offense. Pettigrew's size creates obvious matchup problems for defenses. He gained a career-high 85 yards against Texas last week and caught a touchdown pass.
Asher Fusco
QUESTION MARKS
» Will anyone have an Adarius Bowman-like game this year? The Cowboys defeated the Jayhawks last year because then-junior wide receiver Adarius Bowman had 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Kansas will make sure Bowman doesn't do it again. But the Cowboys will need someone to step up with a highlight-reel performance to upset the nation's fifth ranked team Saturday. Could it be Dantrell Savage? Zac Robinson?
Can the defense create early turnovers? The Jayhawks rank second in the nation in turnover margin, and Todd Reesing has thrown 139 straight passes without an interception. The Kansas offense got into a deadly rhythm last week against Nebraska. Oklahoma State must make sure it doesn't happen again.
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
Texas A&M at No. 7 Missouri 11:30 a.m. FSN
Colorado at Iowa State 11:30 a.m. FCS Central
Kansas State at Nebraska 11:30 a.m. Versus
Texas Tech at No. 15 Texas 2:30 p.m. ABC
Baylor at No. 4 Oklahoma 5:30 p.m. FSN
No. 5 Kansas at Oklahoma State 7 p.m. ABC
TOP25
THURSDAY
No. 6 West Virginia 38, Louisville 31
SATURDAY
Name Time Channel
No. 13 Michigan at Wisconsin 11 a.m. ESPN
Wake Forest at No. 20 Clemson 11 a.m. ESPN2
Arkansas at No. 22 Tennessee 11:30 a.m. ESPN-GP*
No. 21 Alabama at Mississippi State 11:30 a.m. ESPN-GP
No. 24 Kentucky at Vanderbilt 1 p.m. ESPN-GP
No. 19 Boise State at Utah State 2 p.m. ESPN-GP
No. 18 Auburn at No. 10 Georgia 2:30 p.m. CBS
Illinois at No. 1 Ohio State 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 9 Arizona State at UCLA 2:30 p.m. ABC
Florida State at No. 11 Virginia Tech 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 16 Connecticut at Cincinnati 2:30 p.m. ESPNU
No. 23 Virginia at Miami 6:15 p.m. ESPN2
No. 17 Florida at South Carolina 6:45 p.m. ESPN
No. 8 Boston College at Maryland 7 p.m. ABC
No. 12 USC at No. 24 Cal 7 p.m. ABC
Louisiana Tech at No. 2 LSU 7 p.m. ESPN-GP
Fresno State at No. 14 Hawaii 10 p.m. ESPN2
Game
*Big 10 Network not available on Sunflower Cable,
GSM Gamepad available through pvdr vairie*
TELEVISED GAMES
BYU 27,TCU 22
THURSDAY BYU 27, TCU 22
FRIDAY
Game Time Channel
Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
Rutgers at Army 7 p.m. ESPN2
SATURDAY
Name Time Channel
Penn State at Temple 11 a.m. ESPNU
Indiana at Northwestern 11 a.m. ESPNC
Michigan State at Purdue 11 a.m. BTN
Lafayette at Holy Cross Noon CSTV
Air Force at Notre Dame 1:30 p.m. NBC
Wyoming at Utah 2:30 p.m. CSTV
Central Florida at UAB 6:30 p.m. CSTV
Washington at Oregon State 9:15 p.m. FSN
San Diego State at UNLV 10 p.m. CSTV
Marc
I
A sma cial Ch