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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOTBALL FILM REVIEW
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: JIMMAY MUNDINE
The senior tight end didn't score a touchdown, and didn't have a long reception. But two of his six catches came on third down, which helped the Jayhawks convert two touchdowns after both of those third-down conversions. Mundine finished the game with a team-high 67 yards receiving.
Central Michigan's wide receiver only had three catches for 54 yards. Kroll made three tough catches, and one was a long 29-yard reception, which Kroll fought with senior cornerback JaCorey Shepherd for the ball. Kroll was the only Central Michigan threat the entire game.
A closer look at Saturday's Kansas-Central Michigan matchup
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: JAKE LOVE
Junior linebacker Jake Love didn't have a great week against Duke, but rebounded against Central Michigan. Weis said after the game that Love was the only player he called out because of how well he played. In the fourth quarter, Love sacked Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush and made four tackles for a loss of yards.
PLAYER KANSAS STRUGGLED TO CONTAIN: JESSE KROLL
Collectively, the offense had an efficient game. Sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart threw one interception that wasn't his fault — Tony Pierson fumbled a pass, which was caught before it hit the ground. Beside that one interception, the Jayhawks didn't turn the ball over, and they scored on three big plays over 30 yards a piece. The most impressive stat was the nine third-down conversions.
OFFENSE SUMMARY
DEFENSE SUMMARY
This game was the best performance by the Kansas defense all season. After giving up 515 yards to Duke, the Jayhawks held Central Michigan to 279 total yards and 101 yards rushing. The Jayhawks only gave up one touchdown and ten total points, while sacking the quarterback three times compared to zero sacks last weekend against Duke. The Jayhawks forced three turnovers on two forced fumbles by senior linebacker Ben Heeney and sophomore Ben Goodman and an interception by JaCorey Shepherd.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUMMARY
The kicking game had its ups and downs against Central Michigan. Field goal kicker Matt Wyman hit one of two field goals — the first field goal was a 27-yarder, and the second was missed from 35 yards. Senior punter Trevor Pardula had a shaky game, as well. Pardula punted six times for an average of 41 yards. Although two of Pardula's punts went inside Central Michigan's 20 yard line, the other four punts were shanked to give the Chippewas the ball at midfield.
PLAY OF THE GAME
On the very first play of the game, senior receiver Tony Pierson took the handoff from Cozart and went 74 yards for a touchdown. Pierson beat the Michigan linebackers to the edge, and Pierson sped past the rest of the Chippewa defense.
QUARTER SUMMARIES
First Quarter - After the Pierson touchdown, the Jayhawks and the Chippewas didn't score. The Kansas defense forced Central Michigan to two three-and-outs, and a Ben Goodman stripsack gave the Jayhawks their first turnover of the game.
Second Quarter - Cozart and
the offense couldn't get anything going, and Cozart threw an interception inside the Central Michigan red zone. Following the interception, Central Michigan was able to put three points on the board before halftime with a 37-yard field goal by Brian Eavey.
Third Quarter - Central Michigan's opening drive ended with a forced fumble by Ben Heeney, which was recovered by junior defensive lineman TJ Semke. The following Kansas possession, Matt Wyman put the Jayhawks up 10-3 with a 27-yard field goal. The Chippewas responded with a seven-play 75-yard drive that endowed with a 15-yard walker.
Fourth Quarter - Going into the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks and Chippewas were tied at 10. The first Kansas possession, Cozart found senior receiver Justin McCay for a 60-yard touchdown catch and run. The Kansas defense held Central Michigan to three three-and-outs in the fourth quarter, and the Jayhawks raised their lead to 24-10 after a 30-yard touchdown catch by freshman running back Corey Avery.
MOVING FORWARD
The Jayhawks were held to only seven points in the first half, which won't work next weekend against Texas. Kansas hasn't defeated the longhorns since 2008, and its losing streak will continue if the Jayhawks can't find a way to score early. The Kansas defense showed that it's able to hang in games, but will have a tougher matchup next weekend.
— Edited by Ben Carroll
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Senior wide receiver Justin McCay escapes a Central Michigan defender on his way to a touchdown, his first for the season. Kansas passed for 231 yards in their 24-10 victory in Lawrence.
Cowboys erase 21-point deficit, beat Rams 34-31
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUISE — Dez Bryant had so much distance on the closest defender, it was pitch and catch. Blown coverage made it the easiest play the Dallas Cowboys made in a comeback that matched the biggest in franchise history.
"No one ever comes that wide open," quarterback Tony Romo said of the 68-yard touchdown pass that was among the big plays that helped the Cowboys erase a 21-0 deficit and stun the St. Louis Rams 34-31 on Sunday. "You want to make sure you don't do anything stupid."
The Cowboys (2-1) had
plenty of time to chip away, and no one panicked about the cushion they'd spotted the Rams.
JEFF FISHER Coach for St. Louis Rams
"We never blinked, I can honestly say that," Bryant said. Romo has 21 comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime, a franchise best.
"Tony went out there and did what Tony do." Bryant said. "He was poised and he knew what he wanted to do."
Terrance Williams scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and Bruce Carter returned an interception 25 yards for a TD on the next snap, capping the rally.
DeMarco Murray's 1-yard run late in the first half began the rally.
Dallas also rallied from a 21-point deficit in 1984 against New Orleans and 1999 against Washington, although both of those wins came in overtime.
It tied the second-largest lead
blown by the Rams (1-2), who slowed Murray but got burned everywhere else. Among other breakdowns was a flubbed snap by center Scott Wells, who didn't realize Austin Davis was in the shotgun, resulting in a lost fumble, and a dropped touchdown pass by Jared Cook that could have put the Rams up 28-21. They settled for a field goal.
"I feel like I let this game slip through my hands and it's my fault," Cook said.
St. Louis is 0-2 at home and was whipped 34-6 by Minnesota in the opener. Coach Jeff Fisher said Davis played well, but that Shaun Hill would be the starter after the upcoming bye week.
said. "They played very, very hard. But they didn't play very smart."
Murray had 100 yards on 24 carries and lost a fumble for the fourth straight game dating to last season, even after switching from carrying the ball on his left side to the right. Three of his 10 career 100-yard games are against the Rams and all leading to victories, with a franchise-record 253 yards in 2011 and 175 yards last season.
"So, we've got some work to do and some time to look at what we're doing." Fisher
Janoris Jenkins' 25-yard interception return, the fifth defensive touchdown in his three seasons, put the Rams up 21-0 with 6:06 to go in the first half.
Davis cut the Cowboys' lead to three points on a 4-yard pass to Austin Pettis with 2:36 to go, but Morris Claiborne's interception clinched it with
"We were able to execute under pressure or whatever you want to say, blah, blah, blah." Romo said. "We got it done."
Penalties and a turnover late in the first half helped the Cowboys close the gap.
Romo was 4 for 5 for 40 yards and scrambled 16 yards on third-and-13 on the go-ahead drive. His second-half play overshadowed a third costly INT of the year.
Murray's 1-yard run came a play after rookie Lamarcus Joyner's interference call in the end zone. Henry Melton recovered a fumble on Scott Wells' flubbed shotgun snap, and a roughing-the-passer call on Eugene Sims got Dallas closer for Dan Bailey's 29-yard field goal.
Modern Classics.
1:02 left.
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AP PHOTO
Tony Romo smiles after the Dallas Cowboys' game against the St. Louis Rams. The Cowboys came back from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Rams 34-31 on Sunday.
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