6B GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY JAILY KANSAN
Friday, November 14, 2008
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2008
KU
KICKOFF
ATAGLANCE
Kansas hasn't beaten Texas since a 19-18 victory in 1938, but don't let the numbers deceive you. The teams have met just eight times in history including 2004 when the Jayhawks lost on a controversial offensive pass interference call against Kansas late in the game. Mangino's BCS rant after the game helped turn around the program — Kansas was 11-23 before it, and 32-16 since.
(2008 Averages and National Rank)
BYTHENUMBERS
31st rushing defense (116.4)
116th
passing defense (276.30)
84th
84th scoring defense (28.2)
68th
rushing offense (143.70)
11th
passing offense (299.50)
21st
scoring offense (34.50)
PLAYER TO WATCH
Junior quarterback Todd Reesing
The Austin, Texas, native wasn't recruited by his hometown school, Texas, Kansas
Reesing
TEXAS ROUNDUP...
hasn't played the Longhorns since Reesing has been a member of the team, meaning Saturday's game will give him his first shot at getting him back for overlooking him. Reesing plays well with a chip on his shoulder, and could be in line for a big game.
QUESTION MARKS
Can Kansas slow down Texas QB Colt McCoy?
The Jayhawks will be facing a Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback for the third time this season in Texas QB Colt McCoy. Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech both lit up the Jayhawks for record-setting days. If the Jayhawks want to have any chance against the Longhorns, they must find a way to slow down McCoy.
Can Kansas limit its turnovers?
The Jayhawks have been turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Kansas will have to win the turnover battle to have a real chance against the Longhorns.
KANSAS VS. TEXAS 11:30 a.m., MEMORIAL STADIUM, FSN
This Saturday promises to bring a battle of the QBs.
Kansas
5-3,2-2 Big 12
OFFENSE
Todd Reesing became the school's all-time passing yardage leader during the 45-35 loss at Nebraska last Saturday — the 32nd school record set by the Austin, Texas junior. Reesing was just 15-for-30 but finished with 304 yards and three touchdowns. He was only 8-of-14 entering the fourth quarter before erupting as he tried to bring the Jayhawks back into the
Reesing
game. Reesing has passed for 2,942 yards this season but has thrown 10 interceptions — three more than he threw all of last season.
DEFENSE
The weak spot for the Jayhawks in 2008 has been the defense — hands down. After being one of the top defenses in the nation a year ago, the losses of Aqib Talib, James McClinton and defensive coordinator Bill Young seem to have had a bigger effect than expected. The Jayhawk defense is giving up an average of 28.2 points per
Holt
game after allowing only 16.4 points per game last season Tackling, poor pass rush,a young secondary and injuries have all contributed to the poor turnaround.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Jayhawks kick returning unit continues to be dead last, 119th out of 119 teams, in kick returning yardage. After being named a preseason All-American by several national publications, Marcus Herford inexclusively has struggled mightily in 2008. He is averaging just 14.7 yards on his 24 returns in 2008 and his replacement, Jocques Crawford, is averaging 18 yards
Herford
on seven returns. Punt returner Daymond Patterson took a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the season but has averaged just 12.4 yards in his 18 punt returns.
COACHING
You can't fault coach Mark Mangino and his staff for trying.
They have tried just about everything to fix the struggling Kansas defense but nothing seems to be working. They have tried to use James Holt as more of a pass rusher. They made personnel changes to the secondary. They have even tried rotating multiple guys in to keep everybody fresh. None of it has seemed to work, as the defense has given up 12 more points a game this year compared to last.
MOMENTUM
Kansas comes into this game knowing that they need a miracle to win the Big 12 North. Had they beaten Nebraska, they could have lost to Texas and it wouldn't have mattered. But the crushing loss to the Cornhuskers pretty much sealed its fate as runner ups in the North. They would have to beat both Texas and Missouri and hope Nebraska loses a game along the way to sneak into the Big 12 Championship game. Seems unlikely.
OFFENSE
9-1,5-1 Big 12
The Longhorns have scored fewer than 30 points just once this season, and that's coming against one of the best schedules in the country. The Longhorns run through junior quarterback Colt McCoy, who leads the team in rushing (449 yards) and completes 78 percent of his passes. Recently, running back Foozy Whittaker and Chris Ogbonava have balanced the
Shipley
B. J. Rains
offensive attack. However, the offense still thrives on McCoy's passing to wide receivers Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. A defense can only hope to contain these guys.
DEFENSE
Texas' secondary couldn't put the reins on Oklahoma's Sam Bradford or Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, but then again, who could? The Longhorns defensive passing numbers are atrocious, but that has more to do with the stellar passing attacks they've faced. Texas' front four is a menacing bunch that excels at getting to the passer. The Longhorns hit both Bradford and Harrell more than any other
team had before or since. They make up for any perceived deficiencies in the secondary.
SPECIALTEAMS
Top receivers Shipley and Cosby double as a dynamite tandem on kick returns; too. Cosby has 16 returns with an average gain of 21 yards, while Shipley averages more than 30 yards on his nine returns. The special teams highlight of Texas' season was Shipley's 96-yard kickoff return for touchdown against Oklahoma. It brought the Longhorns back into the game and proved they can
Cosby
strike at any time. Shipley has also returned two punts for 68 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown return. Kicker Hunter Lawrence is 9-for-11 on field goals.
COACHING
Since Mack Brown took over at Texas in 1998, no team in
the country has won more games. Brown's teams average 10.2 victories per season, and that's including this incomplete year. He won one of the most exciting national championships in the history of college football and he's a legend among legends in Austin. If you search for "University of Texas football" in Google, it takes you to the official UT athletics site, which is titled mackbrown-texasfootball.com. What more can I say?
MOMENTUM
No team faced a more brutal four-week schedule than the Longhorns. Texas played four consecutive games against top 12 opponents, and the Horns would have emerged unscatched if not for a dropped interception in the waning seconds against Texas Tech. As it stands, Texas needs help to reach the Big 12 title game. Oklahoma must beat Tech, but all that Brown's team can do is win its remaining games. They looked awfully focused in last week's 45-21 pounding of Boys
Darrell Stuckey
— Taylor Bern
@ KANSAN.COM
- Check out game updates with photos, and "The Hot Route" podcast tomorrow on www.kansan.com.
UT KICKOFF
ATAGLANCE
There isn't a long history
There isn't a long history between the two teams, but Texas does lead the series 6-2. The Longhorns have won six in a row starting in 1996. Kansas' two victories came at home in 1938 and 1901. That doesn't figure to change as Texas comes into Lawrence with a goal — the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns still have a shot at the Big 12 and National Championship, so Brown will likely tell his players that they need to not only win, but win with style.
BY THE NUMBERS
(2008 Averages and National Rank)
5th
10th
scoring offense (44.3 ppq)
passing offense (301.9 ypg)
37th
rushing offense (174.1 ypq)
109th
scoring defense (20.7 ppg)
6th
passing defense (266.9 ypg)
rushing defense (86 ypg)
Junior quarterback Colt McCov
PLAYER TO WATCH
He's the soft-spoken boy next door, but with a victory on Saturday McCoy will tie
McCov
Vince Young for most quarterback victories in school history. He beats teams with his arm or his legs and McCoy's machine-like efficiency is just one reason to keep an eye on him Saturday.
QUESTION MARKS
How often will Texas hit Todd Reesing?
The junior quarterback took his worst beating of the season last week, and Texas' pass rush is far better than Nebraska's. The Jayhawk offensive line will have to work really hard to keep Reesing upright.
Will Colt McCoy bump his Heisman status?
Most agree that a Big 12 quarterback will win the Heisman. This week, McCoy's contenders will watch from their couches. A big game combined with a sub-par performance from Harrell could vault McCoy back into the lead.
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Game
Time (CT) Channel
No. 3 Texas at Kansas
No. 12 Missouri at Iowa State
No. 13 Oklahoma State at Colorado State
Nebraska at Kansas State
Texas A&M at Baylor
11:30 p.m. FSN
5:30 p.m. FSN
7 p.m. ABC
2:30 p.m. Pay-Per-View
3 p.m. No TV
MEMORIAL STADIUM WILL ROCK IF ...
TOP 25 TELEVISED GAMES
Kansas can win the time of possession battle and not have any turnovers. If the Jayhawks can keep control of the ball and not turn it over, they might have a chance to hang with Texas. They also need a strong performance from the secondary, which has struggled in recent weeks.
GAIL SAYERS WILL WEEP IF...
The Kansas secondary has another poor performance and allows Texas QB Colt McCoy to have a big game. The Jayhawks pass defense ranks fourth worst in all of Division I and they must find a way to slow down the high scoring Texas attack. If they can't, it's going to be a long day for the Jayhawks and their fans.
Prediction Kansas 24, Texas 45
Game
Time Channel
No. 1 Alabama vs. Mississippi State 6:45 p.m. ESPN
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 25 South Carolina 2:30 p.m. CBS
No. 6 USC at Stanford 6 p.m. Versus
No. 7 Utah at San Diego State 7 p.m. The Mtn.
No. 8 Penn State vs. Indiana 11 a.m. Big Ten Network
No. 9 Boise State at Idaho 4 p.m. ESPN360.com
No. 10 Georgia at Auburn 11:30 a.m. ESPN360.com
No. 11 Ohio State at Illinois 11 a.m. ESPN
No. 16 North Carolina at Maryland 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 17 Brigham Young at Air Force 2:30 p.m. CBS College Sport
No. 19 Florida State vs. Boston College 7 p.m. ABC
No. 20 LSU vs. Troy 7 p.m. ESPN360.com
No. 23 Tulsa at Houston 7 p.m. No TV
No. 24 Wake Forest at 2:30 p.m. ESPNU
North Carolina State