Volume 124 Issue 31
Monday, October 3, 2011
kansan.com
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SOFTBALL TEAM WINS TWO AT HOME
A balanced pitching and hitting attack strengthens Jayhawks. PAGE 8
COMMENTARY
VOLLEYBALL LOSES THIRD STRAIGHT CONFERENCE MATCH PAGE 9
FOOTBALL
YANSA
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Statistics highlight weakness
A season ago Kansas averaged 17.1 points per game, 111 out of 20 teams. It was also 113th in total offense averaging 296.4 yards per game.
A box score doesn't tell the whole story, but it says a lot. And although numbers don't lie, they can be misleading.
The Kansas offense ranks 25th in total offense averaging 455.3 yards per game. Kansas also averages 36.3 points per game for 29th in the nation. Those aren't bad numbers considering the Jayhawks' opponents have outscooped them 76-21 in the third quarter.
Kansas' defense couldn't help those numbers. But this year is different. The offense is producing numbers that should be good enough to win ball games.
The offense can only do so much.
But the Jayhawk defense is bad As a snowy how bad is it?
Edited by Laura Nightengale
The Jayhawks' defense is so bad that giving up 530 yards of total offense to Texas Tech actually improved its yards per game allowed. Kansas now allows 545 yards per game, which is 119th in the Football Bowl Series. Rice is the only team that is worse, allowing 549.75 yards per contest.
Look on the bright side though basketball starts in 11 days.
Those aren't the numbers you want to see, especially when Kansas still has five games remaining against teams in the top 11 of total offense.
Kansas has already faced the second (No. 13 Georgia Tech, 587 yards per game, 51.6 points per game), seventh (Texas Tech, 525, 47.3) and 18th (Northern Illinois, 467.4, 37.2) ranked offenses.
Next week's opponent, No. 6 Oklahoma State averages 571.8 yards per game, good for third best in the nation. The team also scores 46.8 points per game. Not to mention Kansas will play that game on Oklahoma State's home field in Stillwater, Okla. The Cowboys open as a 29-point favorite. I wouldn't be surprised if Oklahoma State scores 70 points more.
Kansas' problem is easy to spot. The defense is bad at making tackles and poor in pass coverage. The Jayhawks haven't been horrible at stopping the run if Georgia Tech's 604-yard performance is taken out of the equation. The pass defense has given up 292.5 yards per game because of poor coverage and missed tackles. The Jayhawks take poor angles to the ball and try to tackle with the arms instead of wrapping up opponentswith their bodies.
The other teams Kansas will face include No. 3 Oklahoma (fourth, 555 yards per game, 42.5 points per game). No. 24 Texas A&M (ninth, 518.5, 37.5). No. 25 Baylor (fifth, 552.8, 47.3) and Missouri (11th, 517, 36).
NEW LOOK, OLD GAME
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson looks down in disappointment after losing the game Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Jay hawks had a three point lead at half but lost the game 45-34.
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
A second-half collapse paved the way for the Jayhawks' second loss of the season. After starting the game on a 20-0 run, Kansas fell 45-34.
For a start that couldn't have gone any better for the Jayhawks, the end couldn't have gone much worse.
Kansas opened the game with a 20-0 lead over Texas Tech. The Red Raiders then finished it by outscoring Kansas 45-14, in their 45-34 victory over the lawhaves.
Kansas got off to its successful start while sporting its retro, Columbia-blue, red-trimmed jerseys. Excitement over the new look appeared to carry over onto the field early in the game, as the previously struggling Kansas defense stopped a dangerous Texas Tech offense on its first three possessions.
"They were fired up playing on homecoming with the new uniforms and it seemed like we couldn't stop them," Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville said.
The first quarter belonged to Kansas, outgaining Texas Tech 218-82 yards and outscoring the Red Raiders 20-6.
Then, just one play into the second quarter, everything changed.
"It felt like we were definitely going to shut them out the rest of the game," junior linebacker
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb under threw his freshman receiver Jacorey Shepherd and was picked off by the Red Raider defense. Texas Tech scored two plays later to cut the Jayhawks' 20 point lead, to six.
The following Kansas possession, Webb responded to throwing his first interception of the season with his second, Kansas had let Texas Tech into a ballgame they never should have been in.
In the three-play span, the momentum had shifted 180 degrees.
Tunde Bakare said. "It took a different tide after they ended up getting a turnover."
Kansas took a three-point lead into halftime and when they returned to the field, the Jayhawks early enthusiasm had disappeared.
"I feel like there was a little energy drop. I think that some guys got their heads down," safety Keeston Terry said.
The drop in energy became clear with the Red Raiders scoring 21 unanswered third-quarter points and outgaining the Jayhawks 224-73 vards.
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson couldn't deny that the Jayhawks lost their energy, but he also couldn't pinpoint why.
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"I don't know what it was. I don't know if was the fans leaving or the turnovers," Johnson said. "It just felt like air was being let out of the room and we were trying to fight back, but at the same time, our backs were being put up against the wall"
Third quarter despair is nothing new for the Jayhawks who have been outscored a total of 76-21 in third-quarter play this season.
After the halftime break, it's clear the Kansas coaches haven't been able to make the necessary adjustments and keep the team's energy level up.
Coach Turner Gill couldn't deny that their third-quarter routines have got to change.
"We'll continue to talk about it as a staff, as far as what we're doing at halftime adjustments," Gill said.
After blowing a 20-point first-quarter lead, the Jayhawks missed out on a pivotal opportunity to open Big 12 play with a win and to build excitement around Lawrence. With No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 2 Oklahoma up next on the schedule, chances to get Big 12 wins will be slim, and the Jayhawks will regret not being able to seal this one.
Edited by Sarah Champ
SOCCER
Exhausted team outplayed by A&M
RYAN MCCARTHY rmccarthy@kansan.com
The Jayhawks' two-game weekend ended with a deflating 3-0 loss to No. 24 Texas A&M on Sunday at home.
With several soccer alumni returning for homecoming weekend, Kansas hoped to put on a good showing. However, it was clear on Sunday that the double-overtime win over Texas on Friday had worn down the Jayhawks.
Kansas' exhilarating victory on Friday came with a game-winning goal in the 115th minute from sophomore forward Caroline Kastor, which gave the Jayhawks their first conference win of the season.
"Whitney [Berry] had a great pass and she's obviously great at distributing to the perfect spot," Kastor said on Friday. "I kind of saw it coming in and I got away from my defender and just went for the header."
Even though the team seemed unusually tired after Sunday's game, Kansas did not use it as an excuse for how it played.
"Sunday games are always harder than Friday, but [Texas A&M] had a tough game against Mizzou too," freshman forward Jami Fletcher said. "I think it balanced it off."
The Jayhawks had plenty of opportunities near the goal against A&M getting off 16 shots, but they struggled for many of the attempts to stay on frame.
"We had some really good opportunities today, we just didn't finish them," coach Mark Francis said. "Friday, we finished our chances really well. Today, we didn't. It's probably the first game we had where we really haven't done a good job finishing opportunities."
The Aggies got off to a speedy start scoring in the 10th minute, when freshman
midfielder Katie Perry found senior forward Merritt Mathias on a pass. Mathias maneuvered around the defense before knocking the ball
a good job finishin opportunities.
Even though the Jayhawks gave up five goals in the two games this weekend, they feel like the defensive adjustments they made this weekend will help them in the long run.
"I think we still played pretty well defensively, sophomore defender Madi Hillis said. "I don't think the goals necessarily reflect how well we played."
goals better than us, but the score was 3-0," Francis said.
into the left upper corner of the net, giving the Aggies the early 1-0 lead.
Texas A&M came into this weekend leading the NCAA with the most goals scored. The team secured its ranking by adding two more goals in the 33rd and 83rd minutes of the game.
After breaking even on the home weekend the team hopes it can now refocus and
"It was disappointing. I didn't think they were three
COACH MARK FRANCIS
focus a start to work on some of defensive changes.
"We've got to work on the offensive part
of the game. Defensively, now, we're pretty sound." Francis said. "Offensively, we do a great job up to the attacking third, we just got to be more efficient."
Edited by Mandy Matney
ABBY DAVIS/KANSAN
Junior forward Whitney Berry steals the ball from Texas A&M. The KU soccer team sported pink jerseys in honor of breast cancer awareness.
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