THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5. 2013
PAGE.58
FOOTBALL
After losing season. Kansas looks to improve in 2014
CONNOR ORERKROM
coberkrom@kansan.com
JITY
This marks the 2013 recap of the Kansas Jayhawks football season where Kansas tripled its win total from just one season ago and Charlie Weis" "transition year" is now over and will respectively return for his third year.
MVP-
Kansas fell to Kansas State 31-10, giving up 208 rushing yards and 160 passing yards. Kansas' defense was ranked 96th nationally, giving up an average of 432.6 yards per game and 31.8 points per game.
It's not pointing to a bright future when you can count the options for this selection on one hand. But without James Sims' gashing of West Virginia, the daunting streak would be nailed to Charlie Weis' resume for good and the talks of him being ousted by another coach is delayed for one more season. But Sims' effort was stunning and while he struggled behind a mostly makehift offensive line, he still performed valiantly for a Jayhawk football player these days. He finished third all-time in Kansas Jayhawk rushing yards and grinded through some uncharacteristic performances. Despite the jigsaw puzzle that Weis failed to put together on offense, Sims thrived as best as he possibly could.
LVP:
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN
Highlight of the season:
Pointing to one player is unfair, It's really the offense in general, which was a colossal disappointment after high hopes for the likes of Rodriguez Coleman and Justin McCay. The hodge-podge offensive line was in shambles the whole season and both Jake Heaps and Montell Cozart never could gain any traction for the "offense. This isn't going to be an easy fix and it will make or break Charlie Weis in his third season.
Breaking the streak will forever be embedded in the scant memories of the 2013 season. Beating West Virginia gave at least some faint hope for the program moving forward, even with the abundant blemishes that occurred during the season. They dominated a Big 12 opponent and, while it may seem simple minded, competing and thoroughly beating an opponent in the Big 12 is at least not a negative sign.
Lowpoint of the season:
A week after riding an emotional high coming off the WVU win, it was essentially torn apart 34-0 by Iowa State in Ames and got crushed in every aspect. Not only was it a dishheartening loss, the skepticism also regained its course for Charlie Weis and company.
Question Marks:
Is the offense going to get better? The offense isn't a few players away from being remotely competent. It's going to take significantly more than that. The receivers and offensive line have to get better before anything will change, before we can even judge the quarterback play, and that's a little worrisome. The positive is that with one more season under Weis' belt, the system could possibly pay dividends for next season. The offense affected how people judged the defense, as the offense did a tremendous disservice to the defense by keeping them on the field for long periods of time. The defensive unit was probably a little better than advertised.
Coaching:
Charlie Weis didn't impede the process by any means, but he didn't do it any favors either. The receivers he brought in that were supposed to shine faltered once they hit the field, which includes Rodriguez Coleman and Josh Ford to name a few. The in-game decisions didn't necessarily cause any losses, but there were some low moments including the botched fake punt that Kansas is now infamous for. He kept the games a little closer in the last year and had a stretch where they won the first quarter for three Big 12 games in a row. Whether it's fair or not, Weis deserves a third year considering the remnants he took over.
Final Verdict of the Season:
While the season probably wasn't
a success, now comes the question of whether one of the three quarterbacks - Jake Heaps, Montell Cozart, T.J. Millweard - can play competently for an entire season. The quarterback play failed miserably as did everything around it and it can't happen next year. The defense developed some core players that will play an imperative role for next season, and the secondary's ceiling is on the verge of
bursting through. This season was about transitioning into that next year and the road was extremely shaky. The pressure will continue to mount on Weis heading into the 2014 season.
Edited by Ashleigh Tidwell
NCAA BASKETBALL
Ross scores 20,leading Ohio State to beat Maryland 76-60
ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio — LaQuinton Ross scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, hitting his first four 3-pointers, to lead No. 5 Ohio State to an early lead and a 76-60 victory on Maryland on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Sam Thompson added 14 points, including four rim-rattling dunks, and Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 12. Aaron Craft created havoc on defense and chipped in with 10 points as the Buckeyes (7-0) controlled the game at both ends.
Ex-Xavier guard Dez Wells had 19 points, former Michigan swinger Evan Smotrycz scored 15 and Charles Mitchell added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Maryland (5-3), which had won four in a row after losing two of its first three.
This is Maryland's last ACC/ Big Ten Challenge — well, at least as an ACC team. Next year, the Terrapins join the Buckeyes in the new 14-team Big Ten.
Down by 17 at halftime, Maryland stayed within shouting range of the Buckeyes for part of the second half before Ohio State pulled away behind a 9-0 burst that pushed the lead to 70-45 with just over 6 minutes left.
The Terrapins have lost their last 13 road games against ranked
opponents, while Ohio State has won its last 73 home games against unranked teams.
Both teams were coming off their best offensive games of the season. Maryland shot 62 percent from the field and had a season-best 26 assists, including six from freshman Roddy Peters, in an 89-62 win over Morgan State on Friday. The Buckeyes shot 69 percent — sixth-best in school history — in a 99-64 win over North Florida on Saturday.
Continuing that strong shooting, the Buckeyes made 60 percent of their shots from the field in the opening half Wednesday while building a 43-26 lead.
When they needed a bucket, they got it. When the Terrapins strung together a couple of baskets, the Buckeyes responded defensively and slammed the door.
The Terrapins regrouped to trade baskets and pull to 27-20 before Thompson had five points and Ross the other three in an 8-0 run.
Ross was the difference early, making those first four shots from behind the arc. After Maryland became more aware of him on the perimeter, Thompson scored on two high-flying, alley-oop dunks that shook the arena.
Behind Ross' 12 points, the Buckeyes broke out to an 18-9 lead.
Hanging onto a 35-26 lead head ing into the final 90 seconds of the half, Ohio State ran off eight more points in a row.
Craft, who had three steals and three assists in the opening 20 minutes, stole the ball in a scrum and passed out of it while on the floor in the final seconds. Thompson got the ball, spun in the lane on a breakaway and then banked in a layup just as the buzzer sounded.
The Buckeyes improved to 7-6 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They had won four in a row until blowing a big first-half lead to lose at No.2 Duke 73-68 a year ago. It was the first meeting between the teams since 1985. Ohio State is 4-2 in the series, winning four of the last five.
Maryland came in with 10 wins in the Challenge, including winning four of five on the road. The Terrapins won at Northwestern a year ago.
The crowd booed loud and long early in the second half when during a "celebrity look-a-likes" fan-cam segment, an Ohio State booster was shown who looked a lot like the football coach at archival Michigan. Brady Hoke.
The Buckeyes football team plays Michigan State for the Big Ten title on Saturday.
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