ANSAN
2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2. 2009
KANSAS21,TEXASTECH425B
TBALLREWIND
sandwiched by two Texas Tech safeties. Meier had only three catches for 32 yards Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
Weston White/KANSAN
scores again
bole return for a touchdown,
well Onyegebu recorded his
he returned an interception
against Duke earlier in the
end Brad McDougald th sides of the ball
safety Brad McDougald layer to record a reception and game since Agib Talb did 2007 season against Kansas the interception 38 yards to
e to kick deep
Tech personal fouls late in job Branstetter teed up the yard line.
opportunity for an unortho reasons.
ain ten yards on a failed with a relatively easy Branetter guided the kick into a arms could have tackled the je 20 yardline.
Weston White/KANSAN
said that Branstetter was quib kicks!
ing the ball off the tee deep," p
d,"Let's make sure they get it
ing stupid"
Senior defensive end Maxwell Onyubehley picks up a loose ball before running it in for Kansas' first touchdown against Texas Tech Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas. Kansas gave up 28 points in the fourth quarter to lose 45-21.
d for catch record
an senior receiver Kerry
non Briscoe tied Meier for
his history with 189.
ties for 110 yards and a touch-
stult three passes for 32 yards.
than four balls since the
— Clark Goble
COLUMN (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
game was tied at halftime as well as with a little more than 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
In the second quarter, Reeing took on Texas Tech's Jamar Wall, absorbed a tackle that sent him backwards and, in a move reminiscent of a play in last year's Nebraska loss, stayed upright and finished a 12-yard run.
Late in the third quarter, Reesing spun out of what seemed a sure sack before zipping a pass to a completely uncovered Dezmon Briscoe in the end
For as refreshing it was to see those plays after the last two weeks of shaky starts and troubling performances by Kansas' offense, any relief was short-lived.
zone. It put Kansas up momentarily.
It was also the last time Kansas would
score.
See, for as tenured as the players on billboards and media guides promoting the team are, inexperience still troubles the offensive line. It's why Reesing is constantly under pressure, oftentimes
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But as coach Mark Mangino alluded to in his post-game remarks, it's not only Todd who has been afflicted. Saturday's game became Hell on Halloween for everyone. Kerry Meier — who entered the game averaging 8.9 receptions-per-game (second in the NCAA) — didn't catch a pass until a key third-down grab
on the receiving end of a crushing hit by a man twice his size. It is also why a (listed) 5-foot-11 quarterback is suddenly getting passes tipped by 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 defensive linemen.
You can't get that on the outside.
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more than halfway through the third quarter. But with Pick later behind center — after Reesing, trying to lead a comeback, fumbled a snap that extended the Red Raiders' lead — he dropped a key third-down pass. Meier also fumbled with the score tied earlier in the quarter to later relinquish his team's gridlock.
And Briscoe's drops continued.
And Jake Sharp is a step slower than what he was at the season's start. And the running game overall averaged just 2.2 yards per rush. And so on.
Kansas will likely be the underdog when it travels to Manhattan this Saturday. There's been nothing to suggest that it shouldn't be. The Wildcats dropped 30 points on a Sooners defense that nearly held Kansas without an offensive score Oct. 24.
Maybe it's time we readjust our expectations.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Quote of the Game
Coach Mark Mangino on replacing senior quarterback Todd Reesing with freshman Kale Pick in the fourth quarter. "I don't think it was a big deal. On the last series he was in there he short-armed two passes and had a fumble. More than anything, I thought that Kale would give us a little bit of a jump. I just didn't feel good about the offense as a whole. And to be honest with you, I was concerned about the protection. I didn't want him to take another hit."
Mangino
Game Balls
Alonso Rojas. Rojas, who was called on early and often, averaged 48 yards on eight punts, including a long of 72 yards. On a day when Kansas' offense severely struggled to move the ball, Rojas kept the field position battle even with a solid day of punting.
Jake Laptad. Laptad recorded six tackles, including two tackles for a loss. But his biggest play occurred in the final minutes of the first half. Laptad sacked — and stripped — Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege and the result of the play set up a touchdown that tied the game at halftime.
Max Onyegbule. Onyegbule's numbers are solid: He had two tackles, a sack and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. But Onyegbule also continually pressured and knocked down Texas Tech's quarterbacks. His performance goes beyond simply his stats.
Delay of Games
Jeff Spikes. It's hard to fully and accurately characterize the play of an offensive lineman. But one thing is certain: Texas Tech created a lot of pressure and Spikes was pulled mid-series late in the fourth quarter. That's never a good sign.
Kerry Meier. Meier finished with a season-low three catches for just 32 yards. He also had a costly fumble deep in Kansas territory that Texas Tech recovered.The Red Raiders capitalized with a touchdown on their ensuing possession.
Todd Reesing. Not to pile on but Reesing has simply struggled in his last three games. He has seven turnovers in that stretch and many of those miscues resulted in points for Kansas' opponents. He finished with just 181 yards and two fumbles against Texas Tech, and he was benched with seven minutes left in the game.
Play of the Game
In the final minutes of the first half, junior defensive end Jake Laptad stripped Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege from behind, setting off an unusual scramble for the ball. Senior linebacker Arist Wright initially picked up the bouncing ball before it slipped out of his hands. Freshman safety Lubbock Smith then scooped and returned the ball to Tech's two yard line.
Notes
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL...
Kansas' defense has proven that the unit has fully turned the corner after a disappointing performance against Iowa State on Oct. 10. In their previous two games, the Jayhawks played well enough to grab a victory. Against Texas Tech, the defense kept Kansas in the game. The Jayhawks scored a defensive touchdown and limited the Red Raiders offense for three quarters before fatigue set in.
THE GLASS IS HALF EMPTY...
D-LINE DOING ITS JOB?
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing is still stuck in the worst slump of his career. For the third consecutive game Reesing had costly turnovers and simply missed open receivers. It was bad enough on Saturday that coach Mark Mangino replaced Reesing with backup quarterback Kale Pick with seven minutes left in the game. At that point Kansas only trailed by two scores.
This looked more like the relentless defensive front that played so well during the nonconference season. The Jayhawks recorded five sacks and forced two fumbles. On one of the fumbles, senior defensive end Max Onyegbule scored a touchdown. On the other, the Jayhawks returned the ball to the Red Raiders' two yard line.
BIGGEST ANSWER...
The offensive line isn't nearly as good as the unit played against Iowa State on Oct. 10 - a performance Mangino characterized as "one of the finest jobs of pass protection I think I've been associated with in a single game." The offensive line has certainly regressed since that point.
The cause of Reesing's slump isn't simply a couple of fluky performances. But other than that it's hard to tell what exactly is going wrong. After the game Reesing couldn't pinpoint the root of his struggles, and that could be part of the problem. Simply put: Something isn't right with Kansas' senior quarterback.
STILL QUESTIONING...
LOOKING AHEAD...
At the beginning of the season, this week's game at Kansas State certainly didn't seem to be a toss-up. Not anymore. K-State played Oklahoma close on the road, letting the game slip away late in the fourth quarter. Kansas, meanwhile, enters on a three-game losing streak.
FINAL THOUGHT...
GOOD, BAD OR JUST PLAIN STUPID?
This one certainly stung. There's no shame in losing on the road to Texas Tech. But Kansas wasted a solid defensive effort and a chance to take a step forward in the Big 12 North race. Instead, the Jayhawks title hopes seem closer to a distant memory than a realistic goal.
Original prediction: Texas Tech 42, Kansas 27. Actual score: Texas Tech 42, Kansas 21. While the scores were relatively close, Kansas played — and deserved — much more than a 21-point loss. This one calls into the category of so-so.
Jayson Jenks
Schedule
Date Opponent Result/Time
9/5 Northern Colorado W, 49-3
09/12 at UTEP W, 34-7
09/19 vs. Duke W, 44-16
09/26 vs. Southern Miss W, 35-28
10/10 vs. Iowa State W, 41-36
10/17 at Colorado L, 30-34
10/24 vs. Oklahoma L, 13-35
10/31 at Texas Tech L, 21-42
11/07 at Kansas State 11:30 a.m.
11/14 vs. Nebraska TBA
11/21 at Texas TBA
11/28 vs. Missouri TBA
12/05 Big 12 Championship TBA