THE UNIVERSITY DAILY-KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2013
PAGE 9
FOOTBALL
Running back James Sims (29) runs past a defender in a 45-34 loss against Texas Tech in 2011 during his sophomore season. The Jayhawks face Texas Tech this Saturday.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Young Texas Tech team rightfully turns heads
CHRIS HYBL
chybl@kansan.com
It turns out that, like Kansas, the Texas Tech football program wasn't too fond of the preseason Big 12 rankings put out this year. Looking back, getting picked to finish seventh in the league was downright disrespectful.
What the Red Raiders are more fond of is the No. 20 spot they hold on the AP poll's most recent college football ranking. Tech's stats will let you know why. The Red Raiders are third when it comes to most passing yards per game in the FBS at 408.5 yards per game (more than any amount given up as a total by the Kansas defense this season).
The defense doesn't mess around either. The squad is tenth in the nation in fewest points allowed per game (13.3). A conference-untested Kansas defense and offense will have their hands full Saturday; maybe even overflowing.
What makes Texas Tech's statline even more eye-popping is the lack of experience doing it.
First, Texas Tech's new 34-year-old coach Klugs Kungswain is in his first year as a head coach. But it's not his first time in the black and red. Kingsbury quarterbacked the
early, former pass-minded Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's offense from 2000 to 2002. Kingsbury was 2002 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and practically rewrote the school's record book, setting 39 records in his tenure. Not to mention, Kingsbury was drafted by the Patriots in 2003, going to work every day with a more locally well-known man: Charlie Weis.
For Kingsbury's grand entrance, he chose to start quarterback Baker Mayfield for the team's season opener against SMU because presumed sophomore starting quarterback Michael Brewer was sidelined after a preseason back injury. Mayfield is believed to be the first true freshman walk-on to ever start a college football season opener. In the opening 41-23 win against SMU, Mayfield threw 413 yards with four TDs. Mayfield also helped route Stephen F. Austin 61-13 in Tech's second game with 367 yards and three TDs in the first half.
But a three interception performance against TCU in Tech's conference debut triggered warning signals. Tech's other option at quarterback, Davis Webb, another freshman, got plenty of reps in the TCU game and started in Tech's
33-7 win over Texas State last week. Webb finished with 43 pass attempts, and Mayfield finished with 20.
It's a coin toss guessing who Kansas will see start on Saturday, but it is safe to say that Kansas will see both quarterbacks at some point. That's because together, the two quarterbacks have thrown eight interceptions in just four games. If one throws an interception, they're in the substitution hot seat. Even with the third most productive passing offense in the nation, things have gotten a little wild.
"We've got to do a lot better with that position overall," Kingsbury said after Tech's win over Texas State. "I told them both they're probably going to play the rest of the year. Two freshman quarterbacks, that's what you get early on and we'll continue to get better."
And just to make things a little crazier, Kingsbury told reporters Monday that sophomore quarterback Michael Brewer will begin to do "on the field stuff" this week at practice. The Kansas secondary has a lot of different scenarios to prepare for.
— Edited by James Ogden