Volume 126 Issue 10
kansan.com
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
COMMENTARY Weis should rely on team strenths
It's a phrase your mother has told you ad nauseum. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Grammatical errors aside, that old adage should dictate the manner in which Charlie Weis decides to coach the rest of the season.
Here's what ain't broke: the running game and special teams.
Weis would be wise to rely on these strengths for the rest of the year. The running game and special teams allowed Kansas to control both the clock and the battle for field position. If Kansas is in control of both of those facets of the game, it will mask their deficiencies elsewhere.
The Jayhawks employed five running backs on Saturday night, James Sims, Darius Miller, Tony Pierson, Taylor Cox, and Brandon Bourbon. None rushed for more than one hundred yards, but that is because none of them got enough carries to do so. However, each did have at least thirty yards and averaged more than five yards a carry.
When one back got a little tired, Weis put in another. When the Coyote defenders felt they might have one back figured out, Weis turned the tables on them. A twelve-play touchdown drive in which all plays were runs demonstrated this commitment. The drive took six minutes off the clock and kept the tired South Dakota defense on the field. Almost as important, it kept the South Dakota offense off the field. Kansas' defense was not a liability against South Dakota, but there was nothing to suggest it will be able to match up well with Big 12 offenses going forward. Keeping those offenses on the sideline is a must.
In addition to the running game, the special teams proved to be an asset. Matthew Wyman made a 45-yard field goal, which at Kansas is almost as rare as a Kendrick Perkins smile. Connor Embree racked up 23 yards per punt return, and Kansas held South Dakota's return units in check. When a team is teetering the line between contender and pretender, special teams can make or break a season. Here, it gives Kansas' offense better field position and provides its defense with more cushion behind it.
That is not to say Weis can ignore the other facets of the game. Jake Heaps needs to improve his vision, the receivers have to stop emulating Sprint service (dropping everything), and the defense must tighten up its run support. It will be tempting for Weis to change his game plan if these things improve, especially the passing offense. Weis has been deemed an offensive guru, and a system built around a running game is probably as boring to him as British Art History is to you.
However, even if the passing game improves, Weis needs to realize the running game is the foundation of the team. He also needs to realize a pinpoint punt or successful long-distance fied goal can be desirable. The passing game should exist to complement his smorgasbord of running backs rather than vice versa.
If Weis puts aside his ego and realizes that, Kansas football may still be relevant in December. If not, well, there's always basketball season.
Edited by Ashleigh Tidwell
ROAD TO VICTORY
THE MORNING BREW PAGE 5
Joach Ray Bechard speaks with his team during the game on Saturday against Arkansas. He said the team needed quality raod wins and they will get a chance at one Tuesday in Omaha
JAYHAWKS AIM TO EARN
Kansas travels to Omaha hoping to knock down Creighton
BRIAN HILLIX
bhillix@kansan.com
In his preseason press conference, Coach Ray Bechard said the team needed to win quality road matches this season in order to become significant in collegiate volleyball. The Jayhawks will have the chance to earn a quality road win on Tuesday.
Coming off their second loss of the season, the Jayhawks (4-2) head to Omaha, Neb., to take on the Creighton Bluejays. It will be Kansas' sixth road match in its last seven contests.
Three Jayhawks set career highs in that contest. Redshirt senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc recorded 22 kills, senior setter Erin McNorton totaled 67 assists, and sophomore outside hitter Tiana Dockery logged 15 kills and digs.
In one of several rematches from last season for Kansas, Creighton (4-1) will try to avenge last year's five-set loss to the Jayhawks in Horesji Family Athletics Center. Kansas won the match 27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 15-13.
Creighton, who was ranked No. 19 in last week's American
"A couple of sets didn't go our way," Carmichael said. "But that's what volleyball is about. We fought back and fought them off." Two days later, Kansas dropped its home opener against the Razorbacks. With both teams tied 11-11 in the fifth set, Arkansas won the last four points of the match to escape with the win. Jarmoc and junior outside hitter Sara McClinton led the team with 18 kills apiece.
Kansas is coming off two five-set matches against Arkansas. On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Jayhawks rallied from a 2-1 set deficit on the road to claim the victory. The Jayhawks won the second set after trailing 11-3.
Volleyball Coaches Association poll, are coming off a second place finish at the Bluejay Invitational this past weekend. The Bluejays fell to unranked California in three sets in the championship match.
Redshirt senior Outside hitter Catherine Carmichael set a career high with 19 kills and led the
team with a .295 attack percentage.
In its first season with the Big East, Creighton was picked in
the preseason to finish first in the conference by the teams' head coaches. Three Bluejays were named to the preseason All-Big East team, including the preseason co-Big East Player of the Year, Kelli Browning, a junior middle blocker. Creighton won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championship last year.
Both Creighton and Kansas fell in Round 32 of 2012 NCAA Tournament.
FOOTBALL
Edited by Heather Nelson
Missing defensive players can't stay away
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Most fans noticed a big piece of the newly rebuilt Kansas defense missing on the field Saturday against South Dakota. Defensive lineman Marquel Combs, the top ranked junior college prospect by ESPN, didn't appear on the Kansas line.
Sophomore Ben Goodman (93) and Junior JaCorey Sheerd (24) make a tackle during Saturday's game. Kansas beat South Dakota 31-14.
Charlie Weis was asked about Combs in his weekly Big 12 media teleconference on Monday morning.
"He knows that the sky's the limit for him and he's going to have to work his way up the ladder." Weis said of Combs. "Right now, he's behind the guys that are playing ahead of him."
Combs was moved from first string defensive end to second string nose tackle on the depth chart released before the South Dakota game, but on Saturday he never appeared on the field.
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSA
"Marquel looks more comfortable inside and Kevin Young has been the most productive of the defensive ends." Weis said last
Young played on the line for the majority of the snaps on Saturday.
Weis said he was as impressed with Young's performance in training camp as he was with anybody.
week of that move.
"You have to just go by what you see," Weis said. "The best guy plays."
One junior college transfer who didn't suit up for Saturday's game against South Dakota is cornerback Kevin Short, who could potentially be a starting cornerback at some point this season.
A press release by Kansas Athletics distributed before the game said that Short would not play for personal reasons, and that he wouldn't suit up. Weis would not go into detail about the situation after the game but said it was not for disciplinary reasons, it involved personal matters.
talent as any player on the roster.
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"There's a number of these new juco guys, that although they're not playing much right now, we see potential for them going forward," Weis said.
For the guys that were on the field, Weis has found it easier to criticize some of the mistakes from the game after a win than it is after a loss.
Both Combs and Short will be needed on the field at some point this season for the defense to improve from the 36 points and 481 yards it allowed last season. We believe that Short has as much
"I mean, from the volume of penalties, to dropped balls, to quarterback runs." Weis said. "there's a volume of things we can use to get better from that game."
The outside runs by South Dakota quarterback Josh Vander Maten hurt the Jayhawks at times, and that is definitely a question going forward this season.
"We need to do a better job on the edge with the quarterbacks because we'll see that more and more as the season goes on."
Weis sees the Rice Owls as a physical rushing team with power running backs, but quarterback Taylor McHargue has already
There hasn't been any indication of whether Short will wear his helmet and pads for the first time as a Jayhawk yet, or how many snaps Combs will play, but the Jayhawks will need to use all of
shown his ability to keep the ball and run for big gains, as he rushed for 78 yards against Texas A&M in the first game of the season.
the talent they can to win on the road -- something they failed to do all of last season.
"We came close a few times," Weis said, "but close doesn't cut it. Rice is going to be a formidable opponent."
Edited hy Ashleigh Tidwell
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