THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013
SPLIT POSSESSIONS
PAGE 7
FOOTBALL REWIND
Texas game slips away as quarterback quarrel continues
MAX GOODWIN AND CHRIS HYBL
a suicide ated he
mgoodwin@kansan.com; chybl@kansan.com
OFFENSE:D
The offense began the game with a drive that went deep into Texas territory, only to result in a missed field goal. It appeared Kansas would go into halftime scoreless until a 43-yard pass from Jake Heaps to Rodriguez Coleman set up a field goal. The Jayhawks turned the ball over just once, but it was a costly one, a fumble returned for a touchdown.
DEFENSE: C
Weis said after the game that he didn't believe the defense did what it needed to do to win, and it's hard to disagree. Texas quarterback Case McCoy completed 20-of-29 passes, and the Longhorns racked up 221 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The lone bright spot for the defense was Isaiah Johnson, who did have two interceptions on the day.
COACHING: C
It seemed like Jake Heaps was able to move the ball and complete passes in the first quarter, but freshman Montell Cozart was brought in at the start of the second quarter after those drives resulted in no points on the board for the Jayhawks. That's when the offense began to stall and lose rhythm.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Kicker Matthew Wyman missed a 31-yard field goal after the Jayhawks were able to put together a decent drive to start the game, and was benched for Ron Doherty. Punter Trevor Pardula had a punt of 63 and 68 yards, but also had one for 21 yards.
GLASS HALF FULL
As in many games this season, Kansas held its own and managed to let the game slip away with essentially two plays: a roughing the punter call that helped Texas to a touchdown and a Jake Heaps fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The two plays were huge blows to a Kansas team that looked to hold its own ground just enough to keep hope alive for a Big 12 win somewhere along the line this season.
GLASS HALF EMPTY
The offense was unable to find the endzone until the second team defense hit the field for Texas. Heaps and Cozart almost evenly split possessions, a sign that Charlie Weis is digging further into a quarterback controversy.
GOOD, BAD OR PLAIN STUPID
Back come the kicking problems. It was apparent that Matthew Wyman was still struggling Saturday when he missed a 31-yard field goal on Kansas' opening drive. Ron Doherty came on and laced his 21 and 27 yard attempts during the game. The two converted field goals will probably be enough for a little kicking controversy for the rest of the season, and is also likely to add a little more unneeded pressure between the two kickers.
VERDICT: BAD
DELAY OF GAME
After two solid offensive drives led by Heaps, Weis decided to go with backup quarterback Montell Cozart. Taking Heaps out after two drives won't allow him to get any comfort or confidence under his belt, much less into a rhythm to help Kansas try and win a game.
GAMEBALL
Montell Cozart. The game ball goes to Cozart because of one play. a 20-yard TD run where Cozart hit the hole and easily sped past defenders for the score. That play secured a 'big-minutes' future for the freshman quarterback and was his biggest step towards a starting spot.
LOOKING AHEAD
FINAL THOUGHT
As Cozart's playing time continues to grow, it is hard to pinpoint a time when it will stop. Heaps has shown he is not the quarterback who can come onto the field and consistently put scoring drives together. Kansas fans can start to look to Cozart as the future, because these two won't live in perfect harmony forever. Kansas is a team desperate for playmakers and Cozart that has edge on Heaps. If Kansas loses next week, they are officially ineligible for a bowl game and that's when fans can expect next year's starting quarterback battle to begin.
Kansas is taking on the identity of a team that can play with an opponent for most of a game. But that's not good enough, and two bad plays in this game (a roughing the punter penalty and the Jake Heaps fumble) managed to derail an attempt for Kansas to get an elusive Big 12 victory. Kansas is the closest they have been as a team to putting together a solid, complete game, but that final push for victory is apparently a lot harder than anyone estimated.
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Texas running back Joe Bergeron tries to outmaneuver Kansas safety Dexter Linton during the Nov. 2 game at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks lost the game 35-13.
STAT OF THE DAY
Edited by Casey Hutchins and Evan Dunbar
The 20-yard rushing touchdown by Montell Cozart in the 4th quarter. The touchdown should be enough to start calling it a quarterback quarrel between Cozart and Heaps. And since Cozart was the only Jayhawk to get the ball to the endzone on Saturday, it may be unspoken but more clear, the rest of this year and next year is setting up for a Heapes vs. Cozart battle.
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