Volume 127 Issue 25
kansan.com
Monday, October 6, 2014
COMMENTARY Quarterbacks can't find a rhythm
The problem wasn't the Kansas defense.The problem wasn't the Kansas special teams. The problem wasn't the Kansas offensive running attack. The problem was Kansas' passing game.
The lackluster play by the three Kansas quarterbacks who entered the game Saturday impacted the 33-14 loss to West Virginia. Senior panter Trevor Pardula punted 14 times for 621 yards, which is nearly six times more than the three Kansas quarterbacks cocomined.
Sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart, who has started the previous four games, was pulled from the game after completing just four of his 10 passes for 42 yards. Cozart's accuracy wasn't there, and he was missing on all of his deep routes. Cozart threw one pass for 30 yards to junior wide receiver Nigel King, but didn't complete a pass over 5 yards from there on out. Under Cozart, the Jayhawks failed to cross the 50-yard line in the first half.
Interim coach Clint Bowen said Cozart wanted to give his team any chance to win even if it meant Cozart being benched.
"Montell [Cozart] is a tremendous young man," Bowen said. "He's all about what's best for this team and what gives us a chance to win. Obviously, he wanted to play. That what's the kids are here for, and it would make him happy, but he was on board."
After the Kansas offense was shut out for its sixth consecutive quarter, Bowen and offensive coordinator John Reagan gave the ball to senior quarterback Michael Cummings to start the second half. Bowen and Reagan wanted to see if Cummings could help Kansas turn its offensive struggles around.
"I came in at halftime and talked with the offensive coaches, talked with Montell [Cozart], and at that point in time just made the decision," Bowen said. "As I told the team, and as I told Montell, I wanted to see if Michael could go out there and give us a spark."
Cummings barely did anything with almost double the pass attempts Cozart had. Cummings was under center for the whole third quarter and half of the fourth. He was 8-of-17 for 65 yards. Cummings was able to get into West Virginia territory only once.
The only offensive touchdown for the Jayhawks came when Kansas started at the Mountaineers 18-yard line after a West Virginia fumble. Cummings had nothing to do with that score, and he didn't give the Jayhawks a threat. Halfway through the fourth quarter, sophomore quarterback T.J. Millweard became the third Kansas quarterback to play. Millweard threw only one pass for four yards. He didn't look as if he would be considered to start next week because Reagan didn't give Millweard a chance to throw the ball. Bowen did say after the game the quarterback position would be re-evaluated this week.
Edited by Emily Brown
Freshman forward Eli Mayr dribbles the ball in front of a Missouri State defender at Saturday's game. Kansas defeated Missouri State 2-1, bringing their conference record to 3-0-0.
MAKING IT COUNT
Kansas defeats Missouri State in annual Kick for a Cure match
LIZ KUHLMANN
@LizKuhlmannUDK
Rock Chalk Park welcomed a wave of pink for Sunday's Kick for a Cure game against Missouri State University (5-7-1, 1-1-0). Despite a slow start, the Jayhawks pulled off a 2-1 win and improved to 13-1-0, 3-0-0.
While the Jayhawks normally pride themselves on scoring early to set the tempo, the entire first half went scoreless by both teams. Kansas dominated possession and shots in the first half, but lacked intensity in the attacking third. Coach Mark Francis said this lack of intensity is what made the game so close in the end.
Despite the Bears getting off a few quick attacks, the Jayhawks took the pitch for the second half with a new sense of urgency. Ten minutes into the half, junior midfielder Liana Salazar sliced a neat pass to sophomore midfielder Tayler Estrada at the top of the box. Estrada promptly crossed it into the bottom right hand corner of the net for her first career goal, and gave the Jayhawks the 1-0 lead they'd been searching for.
going at them. There was no change in tempo in the attacking third; there has to be a point where you're like, 'OK, I'm going,' when you're preparing to score ... the game could've been over at halftime if we'd come out like that."
"We were keeping the ball really well; we just weren't penetrating," Francis said. "When we got in wide positions, we weren't just
"It it was amazing; it was great," Estrada said. "Liana kicked it to me, and I just looked at the goal and shot it
in that general direction, and it somehow found the net."
Kansas wasn't looking to make it a close game by any means, and mere minutes later it was awarded a corner kick that the Jayhawks promptly converted. Sophomore defender Kaley Smith fired a pass to sophomore midfielder Jackie Georgoulis who headed it to junior forward Ashley Williams to put into the back of the net for her sixth goal of the year, giving the Jayhawks a comfortable 2-0 lead.
"Second half was a lot better," Francis said. "We created some opportunities and finished some of our chances that came mostly from just going at [the Bears] relentlessly."
MSU wasn't about to be counted out of the game, however, and quickly took advantage of its own granted corner kick. Lauren Fussel
found the ball after a badly placed clearance and fired a long shot toward the goal past a diving senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Stroud that landed in the back of the net. The Jayhawks' lead quickly diminished to one.
"You've got to give the kid credit; it was an unbelievable goal," Francis said. "We didn't clear it well after the corner, and she made it, and suddenly it was a one goal game. We've been giving up a lot of corners and defending them really well, but I thought we could've done better on that one."
Kansas defense locked up after this mishap and prevented the Bears from spending hardly any time in their attacking third. The Jayhawks made sure to remain in possession for the majority of the remaining time, and tallied off another few shots to keep the Bears on their
toes before the final buzzer sounded, signaling another Kansas victory.
Estrada said each win is important to the team.
I think it's great we've won 13 games," Estrada said. "I mean, last year we only won seven, so to have already won 13, that's huge. It gives us confidence."
"Our kids will be ready, and hopefully we'll get some people back that we've been missing who have been hurt or sick, so that will be nice," Francis said. "We'll be operating with mostly a full squad."
The Jayhawks will travel to Texas Friday to take on a tough Longhorn team at 7 p.m. Francis said the team has five conference games left, and none of them will be easy.
- Edited by Emily Brown
Defense digs in against West Virginia
@UDK_Dan
Kansas' JaCorey Shepherd (24) knocks down a pass intended for West Virginia's Mario Alford (5) during the fourth quarter of the Jayhawks' game in Morgantown, W.Va., on Saturday. West Virginia won 33-14.
I DAN HARMSEN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senior punter Trevor Pardula had a career day in the Jayhawks' 33-14 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers, but it was the Kansas defense that helped keep the defeat misleadingly respectable.
Even with two of its four games against defensive powerhouses Alabama and Oklahoma, West Virginia (3-2,1-1) entered the rematch of last year's 31-19 Kansas upset victory averaging 37.5 points, 551.5 total yards and 28.5 first downs per game. Kansas coach Clint Bowen raved about how potent the Mountaineers' offense was going into the matchup.
The Jayhawk defense held the Mountainers at about or below their season average in those three categories: 33 points, 557 total yards, and 25 first downs.
"I've been talking about it all week," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "These guys (Kansas) are good on defense."
After allowing 16 points in the first quarter and another 10 in the second, the Kansas defense clamped down and held West Virginia scoreless in the second half. The Mountaineers' lone score after halftime came on Mario Alford's 94-yard kickoff return.
While Kansas did not have the horses to win at West Virginia's Homecoming, the team fought valiantly for their interim coach over a full four quarters, winning the second half 14-7.
"I think at the end of the game, our boys were still into it." Bowen said.
And on the day, six Mountainineers had at least one carry of over 13 yards.
As was the case in the Duke game, the Kansas defense allowed too many big plays. Senior defensive back Dexter McDonald had to come to the sideline for a play late in the first quarter, and the Mountaineers took full advantage. West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White got loose for a 63-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Clint Trickett over freshman cornerback Matthew Boateng, filling in for McDonald.
But because the offense didn't turn the ball over — as it did four times last week — the Kansas defense faced less daunting starting field positions.
Pardula also helped pin the Mountaineers inside their 20-yard line three times, while kicking four touchbacks. It was a career-high punt attempt for No.16, who has given the Jayhawks incredible value all season, but particularly Saturday by averaging 44.4 yards per boot.
But against a hefty Mountaineer offense, a
If you look at their tapes, they give up big plays every now and then," Holgorsen said. "They get put in bad situations by their offense. Defensively, they held their own a lot."
Yet Kansas kept the score decent, forcing four West Virginia punts and five field-goal attempts. The unit also forced a fumble and junior safety Isaiah Johnson intercepted a pass.
caliber of opponent that Kansas will face weekly through the rest of the Big 12 slate, the Jayhawks didn't get enough assistance.
"It's hard for us to call plays when they change their defense a lot," Holgorsen said. "They are good against the run. They mix things up."
Kansas (2-3, 0-2) has a lot of questions to answer, starting with an offense that consistently puts up nominal numbers and a quarterback position that is starting to, once again, look like a merrygo-round. But the Kansas defense, barring big plays, should give Kansas a chance as Oklahoma State comes to Lawrence on Saturday.
Edited by Drew Parks