THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 2009
KANSAS 34, UTEP 7 7B
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Weston White/KANSAN
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BALL REWIND
an interception after the pass was tipped Saturday evening against UTEP. The Jayhawks defeated the Miners 34-7 and held them to just 208 yards of offense.
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Weston White/KANSAN
Junior receiver Dezman Briscoe attempts to break loose of a UTEP tackler Saturday evening in EL Paso, Texas. Briscoe led Kansas with 154 receiving yards in his first game after being suspended for the season opener.
urday evening. Patterson led the defense with six
Weston White/KANSAN
COLUMN (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
16 carries were complemented Saturday by a career-best six receptions for 29 yards and a score — the only passing touchdown of the night. Sharp added two rushing touchdowns of the short variety, temporarily halting notions that freshman Toben Opurum's larger frame would receive more goal-line looks.
pound Opurum presents a tantalizing 1-2 punch that was surely lacking a year ago. When defenses become gassed at the hands, er, legs of Sharp, Opurum — 16 carries, 62 yards and another late touchdown — bruising forward will be a nightmare.
But that's a story for another day, perhaps during Big 12 play when the two have a few more
To be fair, the 6-foot-2, 235-
Today we have the story of a small but speedy kid from Salina who appears poised to end his college career in a special way.
games of working together under their belts.
The kickoff party that the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Sharp has staged this year has infinitely more punch to it than his non-conference start last season. In concert with a maligned backfield, Sharp rushed just 26 times for 86 yards before exploding during conference play.
Oh, Sharp will put up some numbers on the ground and through the air, all right. But as evidenced by Saturday, he'll do a whole hell of a lot more.
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing attempted twice as many passes against UTEP than he did the week before. He was surprisingly less effective than usual, attempting several ill-conceived throws and getting picked off once.
He'll be there when nobody else is open. He'll get you that burst you needed for a first down. He'll make you say, "Wow."
No matter. So long as this team has a healthy Sharp, even Reesing can be afforded a rare off day.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Quote of the Game
On the status of kicker Jacob Branstetter... "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."
Mangino
Game Balls
3. Dezmon Briscoe: Briscoe wasn't always sharp — he stepped out of bounds at Kansas' three-yard line after receiving the second half's opening kickoff. But he still significantly improved the offense: he caught eight passes for 154 yards.
2. Jake Sharp: Once again, Sharp turned in a solid performance. He rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns. It's to be expected, but it's still a good sign for Kansas' offense.
1. Kansas'defense: Penalties didn't help UTEP's cause. But Kansas' defense never allowed UTEP's offense to get going. The Miners totaled just 32 yards in the first half.
Delay of Games
3. Dezmon Briscoe: In his first game this season, Briscoe played well despite dropping a couple of passes he usually catches and also stepping out of bounds at Kansas' three-yard line after receiving a kickoff
2. Todd Reesing: Reesing wasn't bad; he just wasn't Reesing-like. He missed open receivers throughout the game, was flagged for an intentional grounding and threw an interception deep in UTEP territory.
1. Jacob Branstetter: Branstetter missed a 38-yard field goal as the first half expired. He then missed a 33-yard field goal. Coach Mark Mangino said Branstetter was woozy during the game, but those are kicks he still has to make.
On Kansas' second offensive play of the game, quarterback Todd
Play of the Game
Reeing flipped the ball to wide receiver Kerry Meier deep in the backfield. With UTEP's defense focusing on the trickery behind the line of scrimmage, Meier floated a pass to wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe for 56 yards.
Game Notes
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL ...
THE GLASS IS HALF EMPTY...
Kansas' defense looked impressive against a team that scored almost 33 points per game last season. The defensive line finished with six sacks, the secondary recorded one interception, and the Jayhawks simply didn't allow the Miners to move the ball effectively.
UTEP's offense scored just 17 points against a Buffalo team that allowed 54 points to Pittsburgh this week. Maybe the Miners' offense isn't as high-powered as originally thought.
LINEBACKER SITUATION...
Coach Mark Mangino continued to rely on senior Arist Wright and junior Drew Dudley at the two linebacker positions. Against spread-heavy offenses, those two will see most of the playing time. Freshman Huldon Tharp once again rotated heavily.
D-LINE DOING ITS JOB?
This was exactly the type of performance needed from Kansas' defensive line. The line finished with six sacks and never allowed UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittate to fully settle in the pocket. That noticeably affected his pass attempts.
In his first game, Dezmon Briscoe showed that he hasn't lost a step. Briscoe caught eight passes for 154 yards on Saturday. He made some mistakes but he still was Kansas's biggest playmaker against UTEP.
BIGGEST ANSWER...
STILL QUESTIONING...
How good UTEP's offense really is. Sure, the Jayhawks looked impressive in holding the Miners to seven points. But penalties hindered any chance for UTEP to move the ball.
LOOKING AHEAD...
After trailing early in the game, Duke rallied past Army for a 35-19 victory on Saturday. Still, it's we're talking about football: Duke lost to Richmond in the season opener. The Jayhawks shouldn't have a problem with the Blue Devils at home.
GOOD, BAD OR JUST PLAIN STUPID?
Original prediction: Kansas 38-17. Actual score: 34-7. UTEP's offense wasn't nearly as good as expected. The Miners committed penalty after penalty and they never managed to get in a flow. Again, like last week, I'm going to grade my prediction as so-so.
FINAL THOUGHT...
While Kansas' offense scored 34 points, Todd Reesing and company were relatively average. It's a good sign the Jayhawks still walked away with a relatively easy road victory. The defense — and especially the defensive line — looked impressive.
Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
Schedule
Date Opponent Result/Time
9/5 Northern Colorado W, 49-3
09/12 at UTEP W, 34-7
09/19 vs. Duke 11 a.m.
09/26 vs. Southern Miss 11 a.m.
10/10 vs. Iowa State TBA
10/17 at Colorado TBA
10/24 vs. Oklahoma TBA
10/31 at Texas Tech TBA
11/07 at Kansas State TBA
11/14 vs. Nebraska TBA
11/21 at Texas TBA
11/28 vs. Missouri TBA
12/05 Big 12 Championship TBA