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TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOTBALL
Standout players at the Kansas Spring Game
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Sophomore running back Tony Pierson celebrates senior wide receiver D.J. Beshears's touchdown in the spring game at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
The layhawks' spring practice regimen is done. The team's time listening to coach Charlie Weis and defensive coordinator Dave Campo has ended until practice starts again in August. The spring game marked the end of the spring practice period, and it was the team's first chance to show off its new components and improvements.
Here are the players who stood out in their first opportunity to show off their talents to the Kansas fanbase, along with quarterback Dayne Crist who had an impressive showing against a mostly second string defense.
SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK
TONY PIERSON:
Pierson, voted the game's most valuable offensive player, stole some of the hype surrounding quarterback Dayne Crist. And Pierson to that wipe when he blazed down the field for a 88-yard touchdown run that made most at Memorial Stadium gasp.
Weis said the running back should get carries in the mid-teens this year, and Pierson showed why he'll be such an important part to the Kansas offense on Saturday.
"Tony is dangerous in space."
Weis said. "It's pretty obvious, when he's in space, it's a problem."
SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER MICHAEL REYNOLDS:
Welcome to the show, Mr. Reynolds. The defensive MVP of Saturday's game showed off his potential in his first game with extended playing time. He finished with five tackles, four of which were four a loss and three sacks.
Reynolds will be a key player in improving a Kansas defense that desperately needs back up. He should be a big player for the Jayhawks this season.
"My whole coaching point to him is that he's going to be one of the guys to really help us and hopefully today is just another step in him turning the corner," Weis said.
THE KANSAS RECEIVING CORPS:
Last season without Daymond Patterson, the Kansas recievers struggled. Saturday was a different story.
The Jayhawks caught 21 passes for 281 yards (13.3 yards per catch), as many receivers, including Patterson, made plays that turned heads. Senior receiver Kale Pick had a big day, including an impressive catch on a 44-yard pass from junior quarterback Jake Heaps.
"Going into the offseason, I'm not going to lose any sleep about having enough contenders at wide receiver," Weis said. "We will have enough guys to catch the ball."
But it wasn't all positive for the Jayhawks. Here are some players that left more to be desired on Saturday:
FRESHMAN QUARTERBACK MIKE CUMMINGS:
Cummings had an opportunity to shine, as he was the starting quarterback of the white team. Instead of shining, he had a dull afternoon throwing for 18 yards off of two of seven passing.
Cummings did have the elements against him, as his white team didn't have as many key players as the blue team did. And the mobile quarterback could be tackled by touch, as the position is protected in the spring game.
"Him throwing the ball is not the issue," Weis said. "His experience is the issue right now, but he's a freshman. He's been here one year, so that's part of your process."
WIDE RECEIVER
JUSTIN MCCAY:
McCay saw limited playing time on Saturday, so his performance was not the issue. It was disappointing that McCay was left off the field, as Kansas fans will
have to wait to be able to see what he can do.
Coach Weis said he expects to hear about McCay's eligibility by May 2.
SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
TOBEN OPURUM:
Opurum was a part of the blue team defense that shut out the white队 offense. Still, Opurum's production of one solo tackle and two assists Saturday was underwhelming, as there were multiple opportunities to increase his statistics.
While Opurum's one tackle was for a loss, he still left more to be desired following the game. He'll have to be a leader if the defense is going to improve this season.
Edited by Max Lush