2008 KANSAS JAYHAWKS FOOTBALL
Missouri
Head Coach: Gary Pinkel (8th year)
2007 Record: 12-2 (7-1)
Key Player: Chase Coffman Sr-TE, Chase
Daniel Sr-QB, Jeremy Maclin So-WR, Sean
Weatherspoon Jr-LB
Key Losses: Will Franklin WR, Martin
Rucker TE, Tony Temple RB
Quarterback Chase Daniel led Missouri to a victory against Kansas last year, clinching a Big 12 North title for the Tigers. This season, the Tigers want to win the Big 12 and compete for the national championship.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
It's hard to believe how far coach Gary Pinkel's team has come in 12 months. Last year nobody was too sure what to expect, and 8-4 would have been a successful season. Now Missouri returns 17 starters, including a Heisman finalist, from a squad that scored nearly 40 points a game and only lost to one team all year. Amazingly, anything short of a BCS berth in 2008 would be a disappointment in Columbia. With Oklahoma off the schedule, the most important regular season games for Missouri will be its first and last, a pair of neutral site games with rivals Illinois and Kansas. Barring any injuries, the Tigers should be stellar on both sides of the ball which will help them push forward while
Coach's Take:"We certainly haven't arrived. We won the Big 12 North last year.
University of Missouri hasn't won a Big 12 championship yet."
Nebraska
Head Coach: Bo Pelini (1st year)
2007 Record: 5-7 (2-6)
Key Players: Joe Ganz Sr-QB, Marlon
Lucky Sr-RB, Ndamukong Suh Jr-DT
Key Losses: Courtney Grixby CB/KR,
Maurice Purice WR
Quarterback Joe Ganz will captain the offense for the Huskers again, after throwing for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns last year in limited time. His new coach, Bo Pelini, is known as a defensive specialist.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Rebuilding is a word Nebraska fans don't like to hear associated with their team, but they might as well get used to it. While the Tigers and Jayhawks have emerged as Big 12 powers, the traditionally powerful Cornhuskers fell to the wayside under Bill Callahan. Their defense was particularly atrocious in 2007, as it ranked in the bottom 10 in rushing, scoring and total defense. Enter Bo Pelini, the defensive coordinator at LSU and former defensive coordinator and interim coach with Nebraska. As interim coach, Pelini won the 2003 Alamo Bowl 17-3 before accepting the coordinator position in Baton Rouge. Pelini's Tiger squads were consistently one of the best defensive units in the country, and he'll need that experience to get the Cornhuskers back on the right track.
Coach's Take: "We try to have an offensive mentality on defense. We want to attack. We want to dictate to the offense as much as they're trying to dictate to us."
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KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Mascot Willie the Wildcat might be the best known face for Kansas State this year. Defensive end Ian Campbell and quarterback Josh Freeman are two of the few returning players among a large number of newcomers, including 19 junior college transfers.
Kansas State
Head Coach: Ron Prince (3rd year)
2007 Record: 5-7 (3-5)
**Key Players:** Ian Campbell Sr-DE, Josh Freeman
Jr-QB, Deon Murphy Sr-WR
**Key Losses:** James Johnson RB, Jordy Nelson
WR
What started as a promising season in Manhattan turned into a whopping disaster. Kansas State lost its final four games by a combined score of 198-112, including a 73-31 defeat at Nebraska. One win in any of those final four games would have made coach Ron Prince's team bowl eligible. Instead the Wildcats stayed home for the holidays and their defense should be blamed. To remedy the situation Prince brought in 19 junior college players, an unheard of number even at a school known for recruiting juco players. Shifting Ian Campbell from linebacker to defensive end should help the run defense, but the secondary is still in shambles. It's very difficult to judge how juco talent will translate into D-I, so Kansas State could be in for a wild ride up or down the polls.
Coach's Take:"The recruiting philosophy was to really do what Kansas State is best at and what they've always done, which is to really have a unique mix of high school players and community college players."
Thursday; August 28, 2008 www.kansari.com
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