THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 2012
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GAMEDAY PREVIEW
KANSAS
OFFENSE
The Jayhawks are looking to correct a passing game that went 17-36 against South Dakota State. Quarterback Dayne Crist passed for 169 yards in a lackluster debut, as the run game did the heavy lifting for the offense. Both Tony Pierson and Taylor Cox gained 100-plus yards last week and will be relied on again.
Pos. NAME No. Year
QB Dayne Crist 10 Sr.
HB Tony Pierson 3 So.
FB Trent Smiley 85 So.
WR Kale Pick 7 Sr.
WR D.J. Beshears 15 Sr.
WR Daymond Patterson 86 Sr.
TE Mike Ragone 84 Sr.
RT Gavin Howard 70 Jr.
RG Aslam Sterling 77 Sr.
C Trevor Marrongelli 69 Sr.
LG Duane Zlatnik 67 Sr.
LT Tanner Hawkinson 72 Sr.
K Ron Doherty 13 Jr.
1-0 (0-0)
QUESTION MARKS
Will Weis utilize both sides in the run game?
Against South Dakota State, Charlie Weis called the majority of the run plays to the left side. Weis liked the combination of experienced of the left side of the line, and used that to his advantage. Rice, undoubtedly, knows this by now. Will Weis keep the run game productive on the left? Or will he place his trust in the right side of the line and alternate run plays to both sides throughout the game?
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
BY THE NUMBERS
216
25
Yards gained by Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp in 2007 against Central Michigan, the last time Kansas had two 100-yard rushers in one game before Tony Pierson and Taylor Cox accomplished the feat last week.
Years since the last Bluebonnet Bowl was played, Kansas defeated Rice 33-7 in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl — the only previous match-up between the two schools.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Charlie Weis gave Dayne Crist's performance last week a grade that Crist would be embarrassed to take home. Crist graded himself even harder. Anxiety and rust may have gotten to him in the Jayhawks' opener, but it will be hard to use that excuse two weeks in a row.
AT A GLANCE
Kansas did enough to earn a win against SDSU, but will need better execution against Rice to stay undefeated. The Jackrabbits' 99-yard touchdown run occurred because one defender was out of position on the play. The offense struggled because senior quarterback Dayne Crist overthrew his receivers and some of the receivers admitted to running incorrect routes. The Jayhawks want to correct the mental mistakes and force Rice to stop them.
MOMENTUM
The Jayhawks are riding the wave of their first win in almost a full calendar year and the fan support is on board with them. More than 46,000 fans packed Memorial Stadium last Saturday and the excitement continues to build. On the field, running backs Tony Pierson and Taylor Cox are looking to follow up their 100-yard games and continue being the foundation of the offense.
COACHING
Dave Campo's defense will be facing a much bigger offensive line on Rice than they did against SDSU. Multiple players over 6-foot-6, and 300 pounds protect Owl quarterback Taylor McHargue. Campo will need to come up with a way to get through the line and put pressure on their quarterback to avoid getting burned in the passing game.
STARTING LINEUP
DEFENSE
Kansas forced five turnovers against the Jackrabbits, but can't rely on that against stronger teams. Defensive coordinator Dave Campo will need a better showing from his line. Kansas gave up over 200 yards both in the air and on the ground on Saturday.
Pos. NAME No. Year
DE Josh Williams 95 Sr.
N Jordan Tavai 9 Jr.
T Keba Agostinho 96 Jr.
RE Toben Opurum 35 Sr.
SLB Tunde Bakare 17 Sr.
MLB Ben Heeney 31 So.
WLB Huldon Tharpe 34 Jr.
CB Tyler Patmon 33 Jr.
CB Greg Brown 5 Sr.
FS Lubbock Smith 1 Sr.
FS Bradley McDougald 24 Sr.
P Ron Doherty 13 Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ron Doherty has been solid with his punts, but coach Charlie Weis would still like someone to take over on kickoffs. This week Weis added freshman Nick Prolago to the depth chart to try and slip him into the role. After Rice blocked UCLA on three PATs, Weis also made an emphasis to get the ball high in the air on field goals.
—Edited by Ethan Padway
PREDICTION 31-21, KANSAS
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF ...
Kansas makes it two consecutive weeks with a victory. It's still too early to paint this team one way or another, but as long as the Jayhawks keep winning it won't matter. There are still kinks to be worked out on all sides of the ball, but as Charlie Weis said, it's easier to coach a team that's winning.
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF ...
The Owls' defense stops the Hawkys' offense. Kansas left many points on the field early in the game and allowed the Jackrabbits to keep it close in the first half. Defensive ends Cody Bauer and Jared Williams must invade the pocket and force Dayne Crist to throw ill-advised passes into the Owls secondary.
RICE
OFFENSE
The right side of the line is Rice's biggest strength on offense. Jon Hodde is 6-foot-7 and weighs 305 pounds. Ian Gray stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 325 pounds. Expect Charles Ross to run the ball behind Hodde and Gray. The Owls' offense will provide some lanes for Ross, giving him the space he needs to break free. The concerns surround junior quarterback Taylor McHargue. His consistency was an issue in 2011 and has carried over to this season, but he connected with Sam McGuffie eight times last week and will look for him early and often again this Saturday.
Pos. NAME No. Year
QB Taylor McHargue 16 Jr.
HB Charles Ross 28 Jr.
WR Sam McGuffie 2 Sr.
WR Donte Moore 81 Jr.
WR Vance McDonald 88 Sr.'
TE Luke Wilson 82 Sr.
RT Caleb Williams 74 Fr.
RG Drew Carroll 76 So.
C Nate Richard 53 Jr.
LG Ian Gray 72 So.
LT Jon Hodde 79 Jr.
K Chris Boswell 9 Jr.
QUESTION MARKS
Rice's loss to UCLA in Week 1 was a frustrating one for the Owls defense. They gave up 35 points in the first half, as UCLA went on to score 49 points. Rice's offense managed play above average, but they received no help from their defense throughout the game. Rice can move the football offensively, but its defense must learn to create turnovers and stop the Jayhawks' offense to give their team a chance at winning.
Can Rice's defense limit their opponents after a poor performance last week?
0-1 (0-0)
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
BY THE NUMBERS
17
Number of Rice players that made their debut for the team last week against UCLA, including six true freshman.
Number of seniors on the Rice roster, tied with Indiana and Colorado for the smallest senior class in the FBS.
PLAYER TO WATCH
WR Sam McGuffie —McGuffie was Taylor McHargue's top receiver last week, pulling in eight catches against UCLA. McGuffie was a highly touted recruit that spent his freshman year at Michigan before transferring to Rice. The Owis' offense is still trying to come together, but McMargue and McGuffie have a chemistry on the team that could spark the offense against the Jayhawks.
AT A GLANCE
Rice's offense is built around their quarterback, junior Taylor McHargue. McHargue threw 28 passes and scrambled 22 times last week against UCLA. Despite his position, he still led the team in rushes, yards and touchdowns on the ground last Saturday. Defensively, the Owls don't have many playmakers who can make a difference on the field. Their defense was disappointed after letting UCLA walk on them the entire game.
MOMENTUM
COACHING
Rice finished 2011 with a 4-8 record and are starting off the season on a weak note. However, their offense, win or lose, has found a way to score. Since the start of the 2011 season, the Owls have scored at least 20 points in 11 of their last 13 contests. Bailliff knows what to expect out of his offense, which has performed at a high level each game.
David Bailiff is in his 6th season as the head coach of Rice and has a 17-30 record since joining the team in 2007. He served as the Texas State coach from 2004 to 2006. Before earning a head coaching gig, he spent three years as the defensive coordinator of TCU before becoming the defensive coordinator of Southwest Texas State for four years.
STARTING LINEUP
DEFENSE
Rice is looking to do what South Dakota State did last week against Kansas and hope to exploit their weaknesses. Cameron Nwosu led the Owls in tackles last year and is already off a solid start this season with nine tackles and an interception. Nwosu is a key part of the nickel defense that the Owls run. Rice will run a 4-2-5 base formation, with four down linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs. Their defense will be the key, if they seek to pull off an upset.
| Pos. | NAME | No. | Year |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| DE | Jared Williams | 97 | Sr. |
| NT | Jamael Thomas | 98 | Sr. |
| NT | Christian Covington | 56 | Fr. |
| DE | Cody Bauer | 90 | Jr. |
| LB | Cameron Nwosu | 57 | Jr. |
| LB | Kyle Prater | 44 | Sr. |
| LCB | Bryce Callahan | 29 | So. |
| RCB | Phillip Gaines | 15 | Jr. |
| FS | Corey Frazier | 20 | Str. |
| KAT | Paul Porras | 24 | Jr. |
| SS | Malcom Hill | 11 | So. |
| P/TE | Tyler Cook | 3 | Sr. |
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior kicker Chris Boswell is off to a rocky start after going 17-of-21 field goals last year. Boswell made a 53-yard field goal, but missed a 43-yard attempt later in the game against UCLA last week. The Owls know that Kansas did a good job of stopping South Dakota State's offense last week and that the same thing could happen to them. If so, Boswell will have to be ready to help the Owls get on the scoreboard as much as possible.
Edited by Ethan Padway