6B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007
DUNTDOWN TO KICK-OFF
KU KICK-OFF
ATAGLANCE
Kansas has been the surprise team of the year in the Big 12 Conference, winning its first seven games in dominating fashion. The Jayhawks have outscored opponents 321-71 on the way to the program's best start in 12 seasons. With the victories has come national recognition: Kansas is ranked 12th or better in all three major polls and 9th in the BCS standings.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
45. 9ppg—3rd scoring offense
276. 5ypg—25th passing offense
213. 3.ypg - 16th rushing offense
10. 1 ppg - 2nd scoring defense
178.1 ypg — 10th passing defense
78 ypg — 7th rushing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Junior linebacker Mike Rivera. The outside linebackers and defensive ends will be the key players for Kansas against Texas A&M's patented option-heavy offense. The Aggies have
three potent weapons in shifty running back Mike Goodson, hefty running back Jorvorskie Lane and tough quarterback Stephen McGee. Rivera will be one of the Jayhaws responsible for containing a diverse Texas A&M run game that keeps defenses guessing.
Rivera
》 Can Kansas limit the Texas A&M run game? If the Jayhawks can stop Lane, Goodson and McGee at or near the line of scrimmage, the Aggies will be forced to throw the ball. Going to the air hasn't worked out well for Texas A&M this season.
>> How will Kyle Field affect the Jayhawks? Texas A&M's Kyle Field is known for its raucous atmosphere and intimidating noise level. Kansas has visited and triumphed in two hostile environments, but the folks in College Station should up the ante this weekend.
QUESTION MARKS
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE
KU travels to College Station for big test before homecoming
KANSAS AT TEXAS A&M 6 p.m. Saturday, Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, ESPN2
Kansas 7-0,3-0 Big 12 Conference
OFFENSE
The Kansas offense looked out of sorts for much of last weekend's game at Colorado. The team had trouble establishing the run game against Colorado's speedy front seven and dropped passes and fumbles plagued the receiving corps. But the offense got the job done when it mattered most: The team converted on several third downs late in the game and marched 94 yards on a 15-play drive that stretched the lead to 19-7 with 10.23 remaining. No matter how much everyone else struggles, sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing seems unflappable.
DEFENSE
A pair of Jayhawks added themselves to the list of defensive heroes last week when junior linebacker James Holt erupted for 15 tackles and junior safety Justin Thornton added seven tackles and an interception. Holt and Thornton's emergence as go-to players only adds to the arsenal defensive coordinator Bill Young has at his disposal. Senior defensive tackle James McClinton could be the best in the Big 12 and Junior linebackers Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera have improved immeasurably since last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kansas' special teams units showed some substantial improvements last weekend. After several weeks of mediocre punting and punt returning, senior punter Kyle Tucker averaged nearly 44 yards per punt and sophomore cornerback Anthony Webb established himself as a decent punt returner last week. Senior kicker Scott Webb earned the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week award for his two-for-two performance on field goals and has made 11-of-12 this season. Most impressive of all, Coach Mark Mangino took extra care to point out his special teamers' exceptional performance at his weekly press conference.
MOMENTUM
The Jayhawks aren't just winning, they're impressive. Kansas has blown out every team it has faced at home and pulled off two inspiring and emotional victories over quality opponents on the road. Sitting at 7-0 and No. 9 in the BC5 rankings, the team is poised to add to the annals of the program in a big way. Kansas had not reached 7-0 since 1995 and has not started 8-0 since 1909. Another victory would keep the streak alive and push the team further into the BCS picture.
COACHING
Whatever Mangino is saying in his pregame speeches is working wonders. The Jayhawks have dealt with success as well as possible, shrugging off questions about bowl-eligibility and downplaying their surge into the national spotlight.Mangin's job is made even easier by the proficiency of his coordinators: Bill Young has some supreme talent on his defense and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner has developed an offense that runs like a well-oiled machine.
Texas A&M
6-2, 3-1 Big 12 Conference
Long before the spread offense infested college football from coast to coast, the option was the trademark play of the game. In College Station, Texas, the option still reigns supreme. The Aggies run it arguably better than any team in the nation. It all starts with junior quarterback Stephen McGee. McGee has run for more than 88 yards per game in 2007. Big, bruising running back Jorvorskie Lane and lightning-quick running back Mike Goodson have combined to add 130 more yards per game. But last year against Kansas, McGee beat it by throwing the ball. Last year, he was one of the nation's most efficient passers with only two interceptions. This year he's struggled with accuracy and thrown only one more touchdown than interception. The offensive line is understandably bulky, led by All-American Cody Wallace.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
At a combined age of 51 years old, Misi Tupe and Mark Dodge are far-and-away the oldest duo of linebackers in the Big 12 Conference. But they don't need to reserve their rooms at the nursing home yet because they can both play. Tupe and Dodge lead the team in tackles with a combined 17 per game. Strong defensive line play keeps offensive linemen from getting to the second level and makes way for the linebackers to gobble up running backs. Up front, Red Bryant and Chris Harrington's size and talent instill fear in their opponents. But Texas A&M's secondary is about as scary as Minnie Mouse.The defensive backfield is giving up an average of more than 265 passing yards per game. It is the one vulnerability of an otherwise sturdy defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Matt Szymanski hasn't exactly had the year he expected. The Aggie sophomore kicker, who was ranked the nation's best kicker out of high school, is only 11-for-18 on field goals and has missed one
extra point. Justin Brantley's season is a different story. Brantley ranks second in the Big 12 with 42.6 yards per punt. Both the punt return and kick return teams are unspectacular but solid.
MOMENTUM
The Aggie momentum is a hard thing to measure right now. Coach Dennis Franchione
was caught illegally selling boosters personal information about his players three weeks ago. The question of the season was how his players would respond to the betrayal by their coach. Ss
far, the evidence is inconclusive. The Aggies pulled out a close win against Oklahoma State, were demolished by Texas Tech and destroyed Nebraska. No matter how horrendous Nebraska really is, Texas A&M must have taken some pride in beating a nationally renowned program by 21 points last week.
Franchione's actions are inexcusable. Barring a miraculous finish from his team this season, Texas A&M will likely cut ties with the coach as fast as possible in the offseason. The school has already publicly admonished Franchione for his newsletter. This isn't the first time Franchione has been linked to controversy. In Alabama, he's public enemy number one. Franchione abandoned the Crimson Tide after two seasons because of NCAA sanctions and made the announcement to his team via video conference.
Case Keefer
ATAGLANCE
BY THE NUMBERS
Texas A & M returns to Kyle Field with extra confidence following a 36-14 win against Nebraska on the road. Already bowl eligible, the Aggies focus switches to winning the Big 12 South title. They are currently in a three-way tie for first place but start a four-game stretch against top 20 teams with the Jayhawks Saturday.
(2007 Averages and National Rank)
32. 13 $ ^{ppg} $ - 38th scoring offense
154. 75 ypg—111th passing offense
260. 13ypg — 5th rushing offense
22. 75 ppg - 42nd scoring defense
265. 63ypg-100th
passing defense
134. 75ypg—42nd rushing defense
PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior defensive tackle Red Bryant
Kansas coach Mark Mangino has spent the week praising Bryant for his outstanding play in the middle of the defensive line. At 332 pounds, Bryant is not much of a factor as a pass
Bryant
rusher. He clogs the middle of the line, however, and makes it impenetrable for opposing running backs. Bryant could single-handedly
succeed at stopping Kansas running backs Jake Sharp and Brandon McAnderson and make the Jayhawk attack one-dimensional.
QUESTION MARKS
>> How can the Aggies slow down James McClinton? In each of Texas A & M's losses, the opposing team has penetrated the line and shut down the running game early. McClinton has done just that in all seven Kansas games this season and is the best defensive linemen that Texas A&M has faced.
>> What will Texas A & M do to make Todd Reesing uncomfortable? By all accounts, the Aggie defensive backfield is terrible. The defense also can't get to the quarterback with only nine sacks through eight games. If neither the coverage nor the pressure improves Saturday, the Aggies might be picked apart by the KU sophomore quarterback.
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Game Time Channel
Colorado at Texas Tech 11 p.m. ABC
Iowa State at No. 13 Missouri 1 p.m. NA
Nebraska at No. 17 Texas 2:30 p.m. ABC
Baylor at Kansas State 2:35 p.m. ABC
THURSDAY
No. 2 Boston College at No. 8 Virginia Tech
SATURDAY
Name Time Channel
No. 6 West Virginia at Rutgers 11 a.m. ESPN-GP
Mississippi State at No. 14 Kentucky 11:30 a.m. ESPN-GP*
No. 9 USC at No. 5 Oregon 2 p.m. FSN
No. 9 Florida vs. No. 20 Georgia 2:30 p.m. CBS
No. 11 South Florida at Connecticut 2:30 p.m. ESPN-GP
Minnesota at No. 19 Michigan 2:30 p.m. ESPN Classic
No. 21 Virginia at NC State 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
Ole Miss at No. 23 Auburn 5:00 p.m. ESPN-GP
No. 15 South Carolina at Tennessee 6:45 p.m. ESPN
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 24 Penn State 7 p.m. ABC
No. 18 California at No. 7 Arizona State 9 p.m. FSN
New Mexico State at No. 16 Hawaii 11:05 p.m. NA
- **EPSN-Gam Plan only available through Pai Per View**
***EPSN-Gam Plan only available through Pai Per View**
THURSDAY
TELEVISED GAMES
Wofford at Western Carolina Air Force at New Mexico
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Game Time Channel
Cornell at Princeton 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
Boise State at Fresno State 8 p.m. ESPN2
Game Time Channel
Michigan State at Iowa 11 a.m. ESPN2 (HD)
Ball State at Illinois 11 a.m. BTN*
Indiana at Wisconsin 11 a.m. BTN
Northwestern at Purdue 11 a.m. BTN
Delaware at Navy Noon CSTV
Howard at Norfolk State Noon ESPNU
Arizona at Washington 2 p.m. FSNW / FCS Pacific
Rice at Marshall 3:30 p.m. CSTV
UCLA at Washington State 5:30 p.m. FSN
Duke at Florida State 7 p.m. ESPNU
SUNDAY
Channel
Central Florida at Southern Miss 7 p.m. ESPN *Bla 10 Network not available on Sunflower Cable*