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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
BY JONATHAN KEALING AND RYAN COLIAMI
sports@kansan.com
KANSAN TEAM WRITTEN
Kansas faces Oklahoma's Heisman double-threat
For the first four weeks of the season, the Kansas defense was fed a steady diet of outstanding quarterback.
The next two weeks brought a continuous stream of dynamic running backs.
This week, Kansas is going to face a quarterback who already has his first Heisman Trophy, and a running back who is in the lead to grab one this year.
Kansas' defense has been its foundation this year, but when faced with an offense with so many weapons, the defense will have a hard time stopping the run and the pass.
No. 2 Oklahoma and Kansas have not met in the Mark
Mangino era, however a new coach is not going to snap this two-game losing streak.
Edge: Oklahoma
Quarterback
After a week of suspense, Kansas coach Mark Mangino announced that sophomore Adam Barmann would be starting quarterback for the Iavhawks.
Barmann was replaced in
the fourth quarter by junior Jason Swanson against Kansas State.
Swanson then led Kansas to its first victory against Kansas State in more than a decade.
Barmann is clearly the bigger quarterback with the better arm strength, but he has struggled
with accuracy all season, Swanson, who is quicker, may be able to create an effective option running game.
may an sea Swanson, who isicker, may be able to create an effective option running game. but is not the same threat t h a t Barmann whe n throwing deep. Mangino has said that it is likely that both of these quarter backs will play.
tomorrow, Oklahoma matches up with Barmann and Swanson with last year's Heisman Trophy winner, senior Jason White.
White has not put up the kind of numbers he did last year, but that is because of the
emergence of freshman Adrian Peterson at running back. White is certainly a threat, especially with the wide receivers he has to throw to.
Running Back
Edge: Oklahoma
Kansas' John Randle, sophomore, has developed into one of the best young running backs in the Big 12 Conference.
Unfortunately for Randle, his accomplishments will be eclipsed by an even better, and younger, running back at Oklahoma.
Freshman Adrian Peterson did not start the season, but ever since posting triple digits in a reserve-role in the season opener, Peterson has held the job.
In Peterson's six games, he's netted 901 yards. Randle has gained just 458. Peterson averages 5.8 yards per carry. Randle, a respectable 4.1
The Sooner's have arguably the best wide receiver in the nation in senior Mark Clayton. Clayton was an All-America selection last season and this season, he has caught 30 balls
Wide Receiver
Edge; Oklahoma
for 391 yards.
Mark Simmons
Photos by Jeff Jacobson/KUAC
players who have caught a pass this season, which shows the ability of White to spread the ball around to different receivers. Kansas has six players who have caught 10 or more passes led by senior Brandon Rideau who has 31 receptions for 287 yards with four touchdowns. Whoever is throwing the ball to the Jayhawk receivers, the Kansas receivers will be ready.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, has an offensive line which has performed remarkably well.
Injuries and inexperience have plagued the line all season, however. So far this season, the offensive line has given up eight sacks, fifth worst in the Big 12. Kansas' paltry 615 yards rushing per games earns them third worst in the Big 12.
marily Jason White, have
That's good for first in the Big 12.
figured to be able to prevent sacks and create running room.
With last season's Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, senior Joe Vaughn, anchoring at center the line
my jason White, have gone back to pass 179 times. On only three occasions have they be e n sacked
The offensive line at Kansas was supposed to be one of its strengths this season.
The Kansas secondary suffered injuries against Kansas State, but with the bye week, Mangino expects cornerback junior Theo Baines to play.
offensive line is getting better, but don't look for signs of that against Oklahoma's big, physical defensive line, which is second in the Big 12 in rushing defense.
Edge: Oklahoma
Edge: Oklahoma
Sophomore cornerback Charles Gordon, who was also shaken up against Kansas State, has three interceptions in the past two games, and leads a defensive unit that has 12 interceptions on the season.
Offensive Line
The Oklahoma secondary has not produced nearly as much, with just three intercep-
They are allowing teams to pass for over 220 yards per game while the Jayhawks are allowing 227 yards passing.
With Kansas' ability to make big plays and force turnovers, the edge goes to the Jayhawks.
Edge: Kansas
Defensive Line
The Oklahoma defensive front is led by senior Dan Cody. He leads the team in sacks with four on the season. Also on the defensive line is senior Jonathan Jackson who has recorded three sacks.
Oklahoma has 16 sacks thus far and does a great job of getting pressure on the quarterback and forcing him to make poor throws.
Kansas is not that far behind the Sooners in the sacks category, with 12 on the season. The Jayhawks have four players with two sacks.
The defensive unit improved from last season and like Oklahoma have been forcing opposing quarterbacks to hurry their throws.
Edge: Oklahoma
Linebackers
Many schools can have one exceptional linebacker, and then several fair linebackers.
They're not extraordinary, but as a group they do extraordinary things.
Kansas' top three linebackers have a total of 125 tackles an average of 20.8 per game. Included in that number is the Big 12's leading tackler, junior Nick Reid.
Oklahoma's top three line-backers have just 98 tackles, an average of 16.3 tackles per game.
While Oklahoma's linebackers are good, Kansas' four line
backer keep each other fresh and they perform every game.
Special Teams
Edge: Kansas
Oklahoma and Kansas have similar kicking situations in that their place kickers have not shown the ability to kick field goals of longer than 40 yards.
Oklahoma's junior Trey DiCarlo is 6-9 on the season, but has a long of just 35 yards.
The Jahawks on the other hand, have senior Johnny Beck, who has connected on just 1-5 from 40 yards or more.
Beck has been a little more consistent in recent weeks as he has connected on three straight field goals in the past two games.
Beck has the stronger leg compared with DiCarlo, however his accuracy has not been good this season.
Edge: Kansas
Coaches
Mangino and Oklahoma's coach Bob Stoops share a special bond.
Both coached at K-State as assistants, then Stoops brought Mangino to Oklahoma as his offensive coordinator.
Stoops has a 34-1 record at home since becoming the coach at Oklahoma.
He's won a national championship, and has the best nonconference record in the Big 12, having lost just one game.
Mangino is still trying to turn this Kansas team around, and the team has gotten better.
Next time the Jayhawks go to Norman, Okla., they'll have a chance if Mangino's turnaround continues.
For now, however, Stoops has the drop on Mangino.
Edge: Oklahoma
Edited by Neil Mulka
Coaches have history beyond Sunday's football game
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
It turns out Sunday's clash between Mora's surprisingly good Atlanta Falcons and the venerable Vermeil's unexpectedly bad Kansas City Chiefs will not be the first time the two have met.
in this business who has looked out for me.
"We've become and remain extremely good friends," said Mora, who was an entry-level errand boy loading sodas into the pop machine and paper into the copying machine when they met 20 years ago in San Diego. "You make a lot of friends in this
"He was moved somewhere else," said a smiling Vernell, who still can't stop calling his 42-year-old opponent "a kid."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If Jim Mora is upset about being kicked out of his bedroom to let Dick Vermeil get a good night's sleep, then maybe this is a revenge game.
Oddly, the Chiefs' defensive coordinator is also an older man who is a close friend. After he was given the Atlanta job last year, Mora tried to hire Gunther Cunningham away from Tennessee as his defensive coordinator. Instead, Cunningham elected to return to Kansas City.
A good day for Mora's Falcons (5-1) in their first trip to Arrowhead Stadium in 13 years could elevate them to 6-1. The Falcons are led by peerless quarterback Michael Vick, who engineered a stirring fourth-quarter rally in last week's 21-20 victory over the Chargers.
"I kicked young Jim out of his bedroom and slept in his bed," Vermeil said. "When I came back to recruit there again, I stayed in his room again. I've known this guy since he was 6 years old. I'm proud of him. I just hope he doesn't have a good day against his real old friend."
But defensive end Patrick Kerney, who already has seven sacks, gives much of the credit to Mora.
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"I don't think on Sunday's he's going to be looking out for me anymore. It's going to be different."
"He's one of my coaching idols as well as a good friend of my family," Mora said. "He's always been a guy since I started
"He's just so energetic," said Kerney. "It's trickled down. You leave here flying around like a Tasmanian Devil because of him. He helped everybody."
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For the Chiefs (1-4), every outing has become a must win if
When Mora was just a precious youngster, Vermel came to Boulder, Colo., on a recruiting trip for UCLA. Because Vermel had just hired Mora's father, also Jim, as an assistant coach, he was a welcome guest and even given the youngster's room.
business. But there's not a whole lot of people I'm closer to than Gunther."
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The memory also brings a smile to Mora, who has revitalized the Falcons in his rookie year with five wins in six games, already matching their victory total of 2003.
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they're to return to the playoffs following last season's 13-3 campaign.
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They might seem especially vulnerable to quick-stepping quarterbacks such as Vick because in losses to Denver and Houston, they were repeatedly burned by quarterback draws and bootlegs.
Defensively, the Falcons could present Priest Holmes with his biggest challenge of the year. Although bedeviled by injuries, Atlanta has been giving up an average of only 74.5 yards
"He's the most rare animal in the NFL to defend," said defensive end Eric Hicks. "He's a guy who can beat you with his legs and his arm. We really have to be disciplined and try to match his athleticism."
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rushing and fewer than 15 points a game.
"It's an overall attitude," Kerney said. "We don't have any specialty players on this defense. We've got linemen who are willing to chase the ball downfield. Everybody is always working for the greater good."
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Considering what these teams did last year, not many figured the Chiefs would have only one win at this point in the season and Atlanta would have five.
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"We are 1-4," said Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson. "That's the reality. But we really feel we're a better team. We played some pretty decent ball. We just have to continue to stay our course and keep the faith, believe in what we're doing."
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