kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, September 23, 2011
COMMENTARY
Wildcat stunts offense
Jayhawk fans typically hate anything Wildcat related. It's like second nature. But when it comes to the gimnicky formation of the same name being run by the Kansas football team this season, that hate is more than justified.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb's fans can call it something else; unfair
The Wildcat formation features a running back taking a direct snap with three options. He could carry the ball himself, pitch to another runner, or, if he's feeling lucky, pass to an often wide-open wideout. It's similar to the Yellow Jackets' triple option formation, only in this case less effective.
The coaching staff would prefer fans call it "the Jayhawk". Given the formation's tameness against Georgia Tech in last Saturday's historic 66-24 loss in Atlanta, perhaps "the house cat" is a more fitting name.
Webb, in his second season as starter, faced several third-and-long passing scenarios as a direct result of the failures of the Wildcat formation. The second half was Murphy's law in action, so for the purposes of this column, let's just focus on the first half.
Kansas (2-1) ran eight plays out of the Wildcat in that half. They totaled 17 yards, a 2.125 yards per carry average and zero first downs in those eight snaps. None of the Wildcat plays mixed in passing to catch the defense off-guard. Saturday's Wildcat formations were the definition of predictability.
Complaining about the offense in the Georgia Tech loss is like saying the rocks at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean damaged the Titanic. The defense was the true iceberg here, yielding enough records to Georgia Tech that the school has actually started selling t-shirts commemorating the curb-stomping. But to focus on the defensive shortcomings might sweep some lingering offensive problems under the rug. The lajawhacks need to address those problems if they want to play another competitive game this season.
Edited by Ben Chipman
Webb won't be able to keep this third down success rate up. Nobody could. The Kansas coaching staff has something special in the sophomore quarterback, but by disrupting his rhythm and constantly putting him in third-and-long situations, they risk stunting his growth.
To his credit, Webb handled the scheme's shortcomings wonderfully in the first half. He converted six of eight third down passing attempts, with an average first down difference of 6.125 yards. And one of those third down incompletions came on a drop by freshman wide receiver Marquis Jackson. Of the eight third down passing attempts, four were preceded by plays out of the Wildcat while Webb was on the sideline.
Webb finished the game 11-for-19 with 148 passing yards and, miraculously, no interceptions. The primary Wildcat carrier, senior running back Rell Lewis, finished with 10 carries and 26 yards on the ground.
Perhaps the most jarriving examples of the Wildcat's ineffectiveness and Webb's excellence came on the Jayhawks' fourth drive. On third and five, Webb completed a 17-yard pass to junior wide receiver Kale Pick. Then came two consecutive Wildcat plays, each gaining two yards. Webb trotted out for another third down needing six yards, and he delivered again, zipping a pass to senior tight end Tim Biere for eight yards and another first down.
CATCHING ON
RECEIVER ROLL CALL
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior wide receiver Daymond Patterson runs down field Saturday against Colorado. Patterson had 8 catches for 85 yards
19.
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
The spectacle that was supposed to be senior receiver Daymond Patterson's final year was pushed back one season.
Three receptions, 34 yards, and one touchdown into Patterson's senior season, he had to be taken out of the game because of a groin injury. A little more than two weeks later, Turner Gill announced he would be done for the year.
Patterson will take a medical redshirt this year, and will still be eligible for his senior year next season. Gill said the groin injury wouldn't have kept Patterson on the sidelines the whole season, but the coaches and Patterson both decided it would be best to let him have a full and healthy senior season.
While no one is happy about losing Patterson for the rest of the season, the idea of him coming back next year with the majority of the jayhawks' offensive players is an exciting thought for coach Turner Gill and his staff.
"It's nothing but good having a guy with that kind of experience come back for another year," Gill said. "We're obviously going to miss him, but it's an opportunity for someone else and it will definitely make us stronger as we move forward to next season."
Losing Patterson certainly removes a chunk of the Jayhawks' depth and experience at receiver, but they have other young players who can step up to fill the void.
Junior receiver D.J. Beshears has been the player to step in since Patterson's injury. He has fast become the top target for sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb, catching 12 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games.
Freshman receiver JaCoey Shepherd, who sat out the Georgia Tech game because of an injury, will also play an integral role stepping up at receiver. Shepherd caught three passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as a Jayhawk against McNeese State.
knows the future of the program will be better off because of the injury.
It's an unfortunate delay in Paterson's final hurrah at Kansas. But sometimes things happen for a reason. Gill said the Jayhawks will obviously miss his presence, but even he
"It will make us stronger definitely in the next season," Gills said.
Another freshman receiver, Marquis Jackson, was a candidate for taking a redshirt year,
mations in case these things hap pen."
- Edited by Josh Kantor
before stepping in for Patterson in the Georgia Tech game. Standing six feet tall and running a 4.4 forty, jackson provides a big play threat.
"Coach Beaty has done a great job of moving guys around," offensive coordinator Chuck Long said. "Were getting guys around the for-
prepared by wide receiver coach David Beaty to handle multiple roles at receiver.
Along with a full set of receivers who can come in and play in Patterson's place, the Jayhawks have been
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Take two: Kansas ready for another test
Kansas sits on the field during halftime reflecting on the first half of the game. The score at the half was 5-0 Florida and Kansas ultimately lost to the No. 8 ranked Florida 2-7.
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
The players stand in an awkward silence, staring at the ground. The match is replayed in their heads as they wait for the coach to discuss any problems.
After any devastating loss, the mood is uncomfortable.
The Kansas soccer team suffered such a loss against Florida last Sunday, but now the Jayhawks have buried the game and are focused on another formidable opponent. No 4 Oklahoma State on Friday.
"Florida was a big wake-up call for us," freshman forward Jamie Fletcher said. "This week we're trying to get back and build up our confidence again. This game is really important for us because for one its our first conference game."
The most evident improvement this week was the communication in the back line.
Coach Mark Francis said that his entire rotation of defenders needed to play with more cohesiveness. He
reminded them to play as one unit.
After Kansas allowed five goals in the first half against the Gators, Francis knew changes needed to be made.
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"We've gotten better," Francis said. "We've changed things a little bit. That won't happen again. We were able to address it."
made them to play as
Prancis also said the midfield
players must rotate backwards to
help Kansas' defenders.
"This is a really great opportunity to show everyone out there that we're not the same team as we were last year," sophomore forward Amy Grow said.
Kansas also wants to avoiding getting in a deficit in the first half. Through nine games, Kansas has given up 12 goals in the first half compared to the five goals in the second half.
In order to accomplish this, Francis said the Jayhawks need to make their defense more compact and then create good scoring opportunities.
Francis said. "Doing a good job defensively, not allowing them to get in behind us"
"For us, it's a collective effort,"
If those two things can happen.
the Jayhawks think there's a chance they can pull off the upset of a ranked opponent.
"Our main focus is playing together as a team," Grow said. "Hopefully we play like we know how to play."
Edited by Jayson Jenks
MEN'S BASKETBALL
If you aren't one of the 16,300 fans lucky enough to be in attendance for Saturday's Legends of the Phog, don't worry. The alumni game will be televised on Metro Sports with Max Falkenstein calling the action with Dave Armstrong, Falkenstien, a member of the College Athletics Hall of Fame, called his first Kansas
Falkenstein to broadcast Legends of the Phog game
Falkenstein
game in 1946,
after a stint in
the Army.
He graduated
from Kansas
in 1948 and
continued to
call games
until 2006.
60 years in to
tal. He also called Kansas football games throughout the years, and was named the "Best College Radio Personality" in 2001 by the Sporting News. His name and number "60" are honored on the south wall of Allen Fieldhouse.
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Kory Carpenter