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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KANSAS 2-8
STARTING LINEUP
The Kansas offense showed some life for the first time in its last two games, after scoring 30-points against a lowly Baylor defense. After scoring 17 first-half points, the Jayhawks could only muster 7 in the second half, helping Kansas blow its 21-point, fourth quarter lead. The offense goes as the run game goes, so Kansas will have to hope for a big ground performance against a stout Texas A&M rush defense that ranks 20th in the nation.
OFFENSE
Pos. NAME No. Year
QB Jordan Webb 2 So.
HB James Sims 29 So.
FB Nick Sizemore 45 So.
WR Daymond Patterson 15 Sr.
WR D.J. Beshears 20 Jr.
TE Tim Biere 86 Sr.
RT Tanner Hawkinson 72 Jr.
RG Duane Zlatnik 67 Jr.
C Jeremiah Hatch 77 Sr.
LG Trevor Marrongelli 69 Jr.
LT Jeff Spikes 74 Sr.
K Alex Mueller 10 Fr.
DEFENSE
Holding Baylor, the nations second best offense, to just three-points in the game's first three quarters is no small feat. But the Kansas defense still sits firmly in last place in the nation in points and yards allowed per game. Led by dual-threat, senior quarterback
Gray
Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill and senior running back, Cyrus Gray, the Aggies have the sixth best offense in the nation. The defense will have to show its side that held Baylor to three-points for the first three quarters, and not the side that allowed 21-points in the fourth quarter.
Pos. NAME No. Year
DE Toben Opurum 35 Jr.
DT John Williams 71 Jr.
DT Kevin Young 90 So.
RE Keba Agostinho 96 So.
OLB Steven Johnson 52 Sr.
MLB Darius Willis 2 So.
OLB Tunde Bakare 17 Jr.
CB Isiah Barfield 19 Sr.
CB Greg Brown 5 Jr.
FS Keeston Terry 9 RFr.
SS Bradley McDougald 24 Jr.
P Ron Doherty 13 So.
BY THE NUMBERS
11
The number of times Kansas has played Texas A&M. No. 12 will most likely be its last for a while, as the Aggies are headed to the Southeastern Conference.
189
The number of points Kansas has been outscored by all season.
FOOTBALL GAMED PREVIE
AT A GLANCE
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Sophomore punter Ronnie Doherty assumed the role of field goal kicker in the Baylor game, sinking a 37-yard attempt early for the Jayhawks' first score. Freshman Alex Mueller, who was pulled from the role against Iowa State, continued to kick point-after attempts, and Gill has said nothing about whether that will change or not.
Coming off a devastating 31-30 overtime loss to the Baylor Bears, the Jayhawks missed their best chance at taking a Big 12 game. It doesn't get any easier for Kansas now, with its two remaining games against Texas A&M and Missouri. Traveling to one of the best football stadiums in the country in Kyle Field, the Jayhawks will have their hands full. With Turner Gill's future in question, the Kansas football team doesn't have anything going for it right now, and there will have to be an extreme reverse in fortune to come away with a win this week.
COACHING
Doherty
SPECIAL TEAMS
At this point, Turner Gill cannot catch a break. His team took a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter and decided to hand the game over to its opponent. Mixed in with two questionable calls that changed the nature of the game, the ball just did not fall Gill's way. Now 5-17 in his two years at Kansas, Gill and most of his staff could very easily not be returning to Lawrence next season.
Currently the team's second leading tackler, junior safety Bradley McDougald has emerged as a defensive leader this season. He's recorded double-digit tackles in the layhawks' last three games all games in which Gill said the defense was a positive aspect. Senior linebacker Steven Johnson said that when McDougald plays well, the entire defense plays well around him, so he'll have to have a big-time performance Saturday.
McDougald
PLAYER TO WATCH
Gill
MOMENTUM
Giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter and losing by one point in overtime to Baylor would normally be a crushing blow to any college football team. But this Kansas team has taken hit after hit and gotten back up and played hard every week. The Jayhawks don't have any momentum, but they're used to that at this point.
QUESTION MARKS
prove himself on the road?
With his uncertain future, this may be Gill's last shot at getting a road win while he's at Kansas. While the Jayhawks last road game was a three-point loss to Iowa State, the next closest road game for Kansas was a 42-point, blowout loss at Georgia Tech suffered early in the season. Gill will have the chance to prove that Iowa State was no fluke if his team performs well. The only problem is that Kyle Field may be the toughest venue in the Big 12.
49-21, TEEX
The rushing attack has a successful day against A&M's tough run defense. Freshman running back Darrian Miller had 147 rushing yards against Baylor and the Kansas offense scored the most it had in its last six games. If the environment at Kyle Field doesn't throw the team out of whack and the defense plays like it has the last two games, Kansas will once again have a shot to win its first Big 12 game of the season. A lot of "ifs" there.
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF ...