4B
KU 13 - USF 7
THE UNIVERSITY OF BAKY KANSAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2006
Kansas 13 South Florida 7 September 23,2006
South Florida QB new to losing
Matt Grothe, usually calm under pressure, throws two interceptions in Saturday's game
BY SHAWN SHROYER
Pressure situations were nothing new to Matt Grothe. Losing was.
With games on the line this season, Grothe, South Florida's freshman quarterback, had excelled. Held already thrown three game-deciding touchdown passes this season. His last two game-winning touchdown passes on what could have been his team's final drives. So with South Florida down six with 66 seconds to go, Grothe didn't expect his last pass of the game to be an interception.
"There was a couple plays on that last drive, where if I would have thrown it just a little bit shorter — a completion here, a completion there
Grothe's numbers on Saturday didn't live up to the ones that made him the best freshman quarterback in the nation, going 17-for-32 for 196 yards, and an interception at the end of each half. But he had moments that showed his performance against
— but it's over," Grothe said. "It's over."
On five of South Florida's 10 drives, Grothe took at least four snaps without facing a third down, exhibiting his knack for forcing defenses to stay on their toes.
Kansas was an exception, not the rule.
He also converted on eight of 15 third down plays, converting seven of 10 in the second half, proving his ability to maintain drives.
Grothe even displayed his scrambling ability. While sophomore running back Benjamin Williams managed just 10 rushing yards, Grothe went off for 66 and a touchdown.
However, the lasting impression Grothe left was that if there's time remaining on the clock, he has a chance to lead his team down the field. At the end of the first half, he took the Bulls 39 yards in a little more than 20 seconds. At the end of the game, he carried the offense 34 yards in less than a minute. Both times he put South Florida in scoring position, but savvy scouting on Kansas' side led to two interceptions.
"We watched film of him every day," Kansas freshman cornerback Anthony Webb said. "We noticed with this quarterback here, he likes to stare down' one side. When he looks at one side, he's going to go to that side."
Not only did Kansas discover Grothe's tendency to stare down receivers, they found he usually locked in on the same receiver, senior Ean Randolph, who entered Saturday's game as South Florida's leading receiver. This knowledge came in handy for Kansas throughout the game, especially on South Florida's last drive of the game.
Grothe began the last drive with two straight incomplete passes. The second was in Randolph's direction and was nearly picked off by sophomore linebacker Mike Rivera. Grothe went to Randolph again to convert on third down, but they wouldn't connect again. Of Grothe's last three passes, only Kansas freshman free safety Justin Thornton caught one.
"We definitely moved the ball on
them, but we just couldn't capitalize on a couple things." Grote said.
In addition to learning Grothe's tendencies, Kansas learned what defensive alignment to use to prevent him from claiming his third fourth-quarter comeback.
"They won a game-winning touchdown in a similar situation, but we lined up in a different defense than the team lined up in last week," Kansas sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib said. "It would have been a little bit harder for them to run the vertical stuff because we had two people over the top."
quotable
Game film worked against Grote this week, but he'll use that same tape to critique himself and make sure he succeeds in his next pressure situation.
Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@ kansan.com.
Edited by Catherine Odson
"I feel like I am just another piece of the puzzle."
Adam Barmann
"He just saws wood and he does his job, and obviously he did his job tonight." David Ochoa, on Barmann.
"I thought we were going to score on the last drive. We came in here expecting to win and we didn't."
—USF coach Jim Leavitt
FOOTBALL
Barmann starts as Meier stands on sideline
FOOTBALL
Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier sat out Saturday's game after suffering an undisclosed injury in the loss to Toledo. Prior to Saturday's game against South Florida, senior quarterback Adam Barmann took all the snaps with the first-team offense. Meier took the field, in uniform, moments before kickoff, but stood on the sidelines wearing a baseball cap the entire game. He is currently listed as "day-to-day."
Coach Mark Mangino said he decided late Thursday night that Meier would not play against South Florida.
Following Saturday's game, Mangino said Meier would be reevaluated later this week.
Ryan McGeency/KANSAN
Agib Talib. sophomore cornerback, narrowly falls to intercept a pass intended for South Florida's S.J. Green in the first half of the Jayhawks' Saturday night victory against the Bulls, 13-7.
"He just couldn't go." Mangino said. "He just couldn't throw the ball."
Last week, Mangino said Meier was injured early in the fourth quarter of the Toledo game after having his right arm driven into the turf.
Ryan Schneider
layhawks tackle Keeley Dorsey, freshman running back, during Saturday night's 13-7 victory against the South Florida Bulls
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
Game ball goes to... Adam Barmann. The senior quarterback came in and played well in relief of the Injured Meier. Barmann threw for a career-high 273
Kansas 13. South Florida 7
Game ball goes to...
South Florida 0 0 7 0 — 7
Kansas 0 0 3 10 — 13
Tucker averaged only 33 yards on his three punts. He booted a critical punt into the end zone, instead of pin-
KU- Scott Webb 37 vd field goal
USF – Matt Grothe 7 yd run (Mike Benzer kick)
KU – Jon Cornish 2 yd run (Scott Webb kick)
KU – Webb Webb 4 yd field goal
KU - Scott Webb 42 yd field goal
Individual Statistics:
PASSING — KU: Adam Barmann. 25-35-273.
from the press box
Junior punter Kyle Tucker has had a rough start to the season and that trend continued Saturday.
yards passing and maintained his poise throughout the game.
PASSING — RC: Adam Bamthman, 23-53-273.
USF: Matt Gattel, 17-12-196; Team 0-2-0.
Game to forget...
RUSHING — KU: Jon Cornish, 26-105; Brandon McAnderson, 2-8; Jake
Sharp, 2-6; Adam Barnum, 5-(1).
If Meier isn't healthy, look for Barmann to once again get the starting nod in the conference opener against Nebraska.
Johnson dropped a pass that would have put the Bulls in a position to score, with nearly 30 seconds left in the game.
It was over when... South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe's pass to Taurus Johnson fell incomplete inside the five-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
USF: Matt Grothe, 18-66; Ean Randolph, 1-22; Benjamin Williams, 2-10; Amarrl Jackson, 2-10; Keeley Dorsey, 4-4; Walt Smith 2-1.
ning USF deep in their own territory.
RECEIVING — KU: Brian Murph, 6-75; Jon Cornish, 6-14; Marcus Henry, 5-66; Dexton Fields, 3-58; Derek Fine, 3-25; Jonathan Lamb, 1-22; Marcus Herford, 1-13.
USF: Ean Randolph, 5-47; Marcus Edwards, 4-52; Taurus Johnson, 3-47; Amarri Jackson, 2-21; S.J. Green, 1-12; Will Bleakley, 1-11; Amp Hill, 1-6.
Tucker, a Ray Guy Award preseason nominee, has averaged 38 yards a punt this season.
Kansas had 10 penalties for 70 yards against USF. After having a combined six penalties in its first two games. Kansas now has 22 penalties in its last two games. The Jayhawks are the fifth most penalized team in the Big 12.
Stat of the game...