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8A SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
Play of the non-conference season: Briscoe, Reesing and a little bit of trickery
Kansas has used a handful of trick plays this season but none have been as creative or as perfectly executed—as the one used against Southern Mississippi.
Quarterback Todd Reesing faked a handoff to running back Toben Opurum and then darted outside in what appeared to be an option with wide receiver Kerry Meier.
With the defense shifting its eyes to focus on the interaction between Reesing and Meier, wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe flashed into the picture, hauling in Reesing's pitch for a 20-yard reverse touchdown. It played out exactly as it was conceptualized.
Weston White/KANSAN
Biggest surprises
1. Maxwell Onyegbule.In his previous three years,Onyegbule played sparingly and usually without making much of an impact. That hasn't been the case this season.Onyegbule is second in sacks and tackles for a loss while also returning an interception for a touchdown. He's proven to be a capable playmaker.
2. Defensive line. Entering this season Kansas' defensive line was filled with more question marks than answers. Nobody, it seemed, knew what to expect. But through four games the defensive line has been a pleasant surprise, consistently generating pressure while clamping down on the run game.
Biggest disappointments
1. Dropped passes. Kansas' offense has been solid this season, piling up yards and points against lesser teams. Yet the
yankees have left plenty of both stil on the field. Kansas's receivers, including junior wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Johnathan Wilson, have dropped passes throughout the nonconference season. Some of those drops easily could have resulted in touchdowns.
2. The fans. The Jayhawks have posted "sell-outs" in each of its first four games this season. But fans have continued an alarming trend: Show up to games late and leave early. Against a talented Southern Miss team, the student section wasn't even full.
Offensive MVP
Offensive MVP Senior quarterback Todd Reesing
Maxwell Onyegbule
Senior running back Jake Sharp was on pace to win this award before an injury sidelined him for almost two games. In his place steps Reesing, Kansas' quarterback, who is putting together a solid senior campaign. He's thrown for 1,137 yards, passed for nine touchdowns and is completing what would be a career-best 67.1 percent of his passes. Not a bad career-capper.
Reesing
Defensive MVP
Junior defensive end Jake Laptad
Junior defensive end Jake Lapta
Throughout his career Laptad has been a steady performer along the defensive line. And he's only continued improving. He leads the Jayhawks in sacks and tackles for a loss while also turning in big plays: He sacked Southern Miss' quarterback for a 10-yard loss to seal Kansas' victory last week.
Laptad
3. The general feeling when watching Kansas' offense is this: The Jayhawks have played well so far, but the unit could — and should — play even better. That's a scary thought.
2. Kansas has used a variety of trick plays this season. Players say they love running them and they sure are entertaining to watch unfold. Here's to hoping we've seen only the tip of the iceberg.
1. Let's be honest This non-conference season has gone almost exactly as expected. Kansas has rolled through lesser opponents and handled its one challenge in Southern Miss.And there haven't been too many surprises along the way.
The numbers...
837
Kansas' rushing yards this season
Noted...
237
Opponents'rushing yards against Kansas
511.5
Kansas' average yards per game
52
Percent of third downs Kansas converts
28
Percent of third downs converted by opponents
15
Sacks by Kansas' defense this
"I feel like we're at a good point right now. For us to come in the locker room and not be celebrating our third win — we're not really hanging our heads but we feel like we left points on the field."
Best lines
Junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe after Kansas 4-4-16 victory against Duke
"Branstetter got the crap knocked out of him. I'm not sure he's in this universe with us right now. I looked in his eyes after that last attempt and he didn't look like he was in El Paso."
Briscoe
— Coach Mark Mangino on the health of junior kicker Jacob Branstetter
Mangino
"That's a big gut check. It's going to tell the tale of what's going to happen the rest of the season. That was big to show that we had the mental toughness to get that stop."
Junior cornerback Chris Harris on stopping Southern Miss in the fourth quarter
Harris
What we're still wondering...
How good can this offense be? Kansas ranks third in total offense and ninth in scoring offense in the nation. Still, there seems to be a sense that the unit could be even better. After games this season, players have talked about leaving points on the board. Can the offense really get that much better?
What we learned...
The defense, as a whole, struggled last season. So far, this year's unit appears to be improved and more polished. Kansas completely shut down its first three opponents while making key stops against a capable Southern Miss team. Plus, with a better pass rush, the secondary is playing better this year.
Down the road
Kansas' conference schedule opens with two winnable games against Iowa State and Colorado. After that, though, there isn't much wiggle room. The Jayhawks need to start 6-0 to give themselves breathing room for when Oklahoma and Texas pop up on the schedule.
Texas Tech
Game to keep an eye on
Sure, Kansas' matchup against Nebraska could very well decide the Big 12 North. But Kansas' game at Texas Tech will really show how far along this team is. Can the Jayhawks slow the pass? Can they win in a hostile environment?
- Edited by Jonathan Hermes
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech breaks Hawaii's winning streak
BY CHRIS TALBOTT Associated Press
RUSTON, La. — Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley wrote an open letter to fans urging them to attend Wednesday night's game against Hawaii to see something special.
The senior rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns, moved up the charts on three career rushing lists and helped the Bulldogs to a dominant 27-6 win Wednesday night.
Turns out that something special was tailback Daniel Porter.
"I got my mojo back tonight,"
Porter said, adding, "I'm not going to say I was in a slump, but I wasn't getting my yards."
Porter kept Hawai on the chase the entire game. The senior surpassed his season total of 145 yards rushing, as did the team with 352.
The Bulldogs entered the game ranked 103rd of
"The problem with the run was it was the worst exhibition of tackling in football."
reached that number in the first half and continued to make big runs as Louisiana Tech pulled away
GREG MCMACKIN Hawaii coach
120 FBS teams with 97.3 yards
rushing per game. Porter nearly
in the second half for its ninth win in its last 10 home games.
"The problem with the run was (it was) the worst exhibition of tackling in football," Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said. "We were diving and not tackling the way we teach. We're not
that kind of football team?" The Louisiana Tech defense had
QL
no problem tackling and was dominant as well, snapping Hawaii's 62-game streak with at least one touchdown. The Bulldogs held the No. 7 offense to minus-7 yards rushing and 301 total yards, well below its average of 515.3.
Theove the
"The sacks are just devastating." Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said.
Tech defenders kept the Warriors out of the end zone with a goalline stand late in the second quarter and sacked quarterback Greg Alexander five times before knocking him from the game late in the third, and finished with seven.
TF
Enjoy a short stack for a tall cause Applebee's flapjack fundraiser breakfast
A:
who goa
Oct.3,8-10 a.m.
$5 tickets
25th & Iowa
Contact a member of Sigma Delta Tau to purchase tickets or e-mail KUsigdelt@gmail.com.
TONIGHT 18+ PARTY $1 NIGHT ABE & JAKE'S 8 EAST SIXTH STREET LAWRENCE, KS LANDING
PC
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