+
SPORTS
KANSAN.COM
7B
They also know that all four of them also aren't going to be healthy for every game they play this season.
UDK: Defensively, who stands out? Is it just Jackson Dillon?
Schad: It has to be Jackson Dillon. We talked about Paxton Lynch's size at 6-foot-7, well, junior Jackson Dillon is 6-foot-6, 245 [pounds]. He's just this rangy pass-rusher, and he does a lot of things. He was the guy who recovered a fumble on the third defensive play from scrimmage in the first season opener. He had an incredible performance in the Beach Bowl last year. He's a guy that's started at the dawg linebacker position for two years, and this is his third year now. He's the key guy, and he's a guy — if you're Kansas — you have to try to neutralize, which can be difficult, because they shift him around, and he'll come at you in a lot of different ways at a lot of different angles.
The biggest thing is just kind of the pace of their offense, and that's something (Memphis) coaches have really hammered this week.
UDK: Is it hard to get a feel for a team after a game like last week, where Memphis won 63-7?
Schad: Coach Fuente, in his own self-evaluation said there was some good and some bad. Specifically of the defense, he said they did a good job for what they faced... It's hard looking back to tell the things that Memphis did really well, or the things that Missouri State didn't do so well. This week will be the first real test for them. This is — I don't want to say when the season actually starts — but this will
be their first true test of the year.
UDK: What have Memphis coaches talked about, and what has stood out to them?
the last quarterback to beat them was a guy at the University of Houston, [junior] Greg Ward, who was kind of a dual-threat guy. They've had problems with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past, so I'll be interested to see how they handle Cozart.
Schad: The biggest thing is just kind of the pace of their offense, and that's something the coaches have really hammered this week, just kind of preparing for the game. Any team that runs 90 plays on offense is going to present some problems, and especially given that Memphis doesn't have a particularly experiences group of defensive backs, or defense for that matter — they lost eight starters from last year. I'll be interested to see how this new group of defenders can handle that offense and can handle Cozart. Memphis hasn't lost since Oct. 25 of last year, they've won eight straight games, they ended last year on a seven-game winning streak, but
Coach Fuente also raves about [Ke'aun Kinner]. He just loves the running back and is worried about him, too.
UDK: The spread is about 13 or 13.5 points right now, which is up from when it opened. What's your pick?
Schad: I described it to somebody as a game that Memphis should win, but there's a definite possibility that they could not win it. It's not going to be a game where they're going to kind of stroll in and run away with it. They're going to have to play really well to have a shot. The
spread was really interesting to me, because Memphis, against Power 5 teams, has won four of its last 45 games. Granted, that's against a bunch of SEC teams, but historically, they haven't been very good against the Power 5. So, to be favored, on the road, I think it is really interesting, but I think it was fair given where Memphis is as a program, and given Kansas' struggles.
If I had to make a pick, I would say Memphis wins, but I think they're going to have a do a lot of things well, particularly on the defensive side of the ball to have a shot.
Edited by Dani Malakoff
BEST OVERALL LARGE FUND COMPANY<sup>2</sup>
The Upper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies' 2012 and 48 companies' 2013 and 2014 risk-adjusted performance.
*Source: LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute, Not-for-Profit Market Survey, first-quarter 2015 results. Average assets per participant based on full-service business. Please note average retirement account balances are not a measure of performance of TIAA-CREF retirement offerings. The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years' Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12, 11/30/13, and 11/30/14 respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked among 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 and 2014 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. ©2015 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. C24849D
Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors.
+