6B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
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KU
KICKOFF
AT A GLANCE
Kansas enters its first road game of the season after surviving a serious scare against Louisiana-Monroe. If this, team hopes to get back to a bowl game, it must find a way to win games away from Memorial Stadium. The good news for Mark Mangino is that his team played fairly well on the road last season, but made a few mistakes that cost games. The key on the road is staying focused in a hostile environment and limiting mistakes. If Kansas can do that, it has a good shot against an experienced Toledo team.
5 QUICK FACTS
3 — number of road wins in four seasons under Mark Mangino.
7 — number of total touchdowns, passing and throwing, by Kerry Meier this season.
11 — number of games, out of the last 14, that Kansas has held an opponent under 100 yards rushing.
12 — ranking of Kansas' pass defense among other Big 12 teams.
160.5 — average number of all-purpose yards by Jon Cornish per game this season.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior running back Jon Cornish set a goal of at least 1,000 yards this season, and he's certainly well on his way. Through the first
two games, Cornish has nearly 250 yards, putting him one-quarter of the way there. When most of the offense struggled at times against ULM, Cornish was one of the lone bright spots. With an experienced offensive line and Cornish's ability to make plays, expect the senior running back to have another big game against the Rockets.
QUESTION MARKS
Secondary — Kansas' secondary now ranks last in the Big 12, after giving up nearly 400 yards passing against ULM last week.
Suspended cornerback Aqib Talib should be available to play tonight, but Mangino said he's yet to reach a final decision. With Talib back, Kansas regains its starting secondary and can begin to work building the chemistry that made last year's defense among the nation's best.
Without Talib, Toledo's pass-happy offense could have a big night.
Kerry Meier — The freshman quarterback had difficulty at times finding open receivers in last week's victory against ULM. When he did find them, Meier often stared them down, tipping off defenders. No question, Meier has steadily improved during his first two games. However, last Saturday's game showed indications this offense will rise or fall on Meier's right arm.
FIGHTING HISTORY Kansas tries for road victory
KANSAS VS. TOLEDO 7:06 tonight, Toledo, Ohio, ESPN2
Kansas
Offense
While struggling at times against Louisiana-Monroe, Kansas' offense has steadily improved during the first two games at home. Tonight, quarterback Kerry Meler and the offense look to continue that progression and ruin Toledo's nationally-televiised home opener. For Kansas to come out with the victory, Meler must remain poised and in control, as he's shown in the first two home games. If Toledo's fans can get in his head and start to rattle the usually confident Meier, this offense could revert back to last season's form.
Defense
While Kansas's secondary has struggled through much of the first seven seasons, Nebraska
While kansas secondary has struggled out much of the first two games, its rush defense has picked up where it left off last season. Despite losing a combined six linebackers and defensive linemen from last season's rush defense, the Jayhawks have held both opponents this season under 65 yards. If Talib is back in the secondary for
Kansas it should go a long way towards stopping Toledo's passing attack, which completes nearly 75 percent of its passes. Tonight should be a good indication of how much the secondary learned from last week.
Toledo
Offense:
Momentum
Despite owning the Big 12's second longest winning streak, Kansas players feel like they have something to prove tonight. After narrowly avoiding an upset at home last week, the Jayhawks are out to prove that last week's close call won't start a trend this season. The good news for Mangino is that his team has played fairly well on the road in the past, but made enough mistakes to cost them the victory. Winning on the road has been a point of emphasis by players and coaches throughout the summer and training. Whether that added focus pays off will be seen tonight.
Through its first two games, Toledo has shown it can move the ball through the air and on the ground. Against Iowa State, sophomore quarterback Clint Cochran passed for 367 yards and three touchdowns. Cochran threw for about 150 fewer yards against Western Michigan, so junior running back Jalen Parmele picked up the slack, rushing for 113 yards while sophomore running back Richard Davis reached the end zone for the Rockets' only touchdown of the game. Cochran should find success against a Kansas pass defense that has allowed 944 passing yards in two games. The Toledo offensive line will have its work cut out for it, trying to make holes for its running backs. Although Parmele is averaging 91.5 yards a game, the Kansas defense has allowed just 113 rushing yards in two games.
Ryan Schneider
Defense
The Toledo defense is strong where the Kansas offense is weak, but weak where the Kansas offense is strong. Despite giving up 45 points to Iowa State, Toledo
is this season. Freshman cornerback Barry Church leads the team with 20 tackles, but someone in the front seven will need to lead Toledo in tackles tonight, because Kansas is going to run the ball. If the cornerbacks and safeties are making the tackles, that means Kansas is making first downs. The Toledo defense must also help
causing some turnovers, because it has yet to force one this season.
Momentum
Outside of the Vegas odds, not much is in Toledo's favor heading into tonight's game. The Rockets are 0-2 to start a season for the second time in three years and are 0-2 all-time against the Jayhawks. However, there's no reason for Toledo to panic just yet. The Rockets haven't lost a home opener since 1999 and haven't started a season 0-3 in nearly 20 years. They are also 26-2 at home under coach Tom Amstutz. Toledo should also be encouraged by its performance in week one when it took Iowa State, which was picked to finish second in the Big 12 North, to triple overtime on the road. Now Toledo will get to play host to Kansas, which was selected to finish fourth in the Big 12 North.
Marcus Herford
— Shawn Shroyer
TOLEDO KICKOFF
AT A GLANCE
Kansas fans might be familiar with 0-2 Toledo teams, because the last time Toledo started a season 0-2 was in 2004 after failing to Kansas 63-14. History is on Toledo's side, though. The Rockets haven't lost a home opener under coach Tom Amstutz and tonight's game is their 2006 home opener. Despite the Rockets' record, it's hard to blame the offense, which has outgained its opponents the first two weeks. Turnovers paralyzed Toledo last week in a 31-10 loss to Western Michigan. Trailing 14-10, but driving down the field, sophomore quarterback Clint Cochran threw an interception that was returned 92 yards for a touchdown. The Rockets had four turnovers in the game and didn't force any of their own.
5 OUICK FACTS
0 - Victories Toledo has against Kansas after two tries. Toledo lost 63-14 in Lawrence in 2004 and 30-7 at home in 1991
2 - Home losses under coach Tom Amstutz
39 - Senior wide receiver Steve Odom has caught at least one pass in all 39 games of his career.
9-4 - Toledo's record in 2004, which was the last season the Rockets started 0-2. Toledo won the MAC Championship that season.
1988 - The last year Toledo
1988 - The last year Toledo start ed a season 0-3
PLAYER TO WATCH
Sophomore quarterback Clint Cochran, who is averaging just less than 300 passing yards a game, must be salviving at the
thought of facing a Kansas passing defense that allowed another sophomore quarterback to pass for 377 passing yards last week. Cochran had 49 passing attempts in Toledo's first game and 30 in its second; his attempts tonight should fall somewhere in between those two numbers. To take advantage of a shaky Kansas secondary, he will have to be more accurate than he was last week when he completed 60 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions.
QUESTION MARKS
Turnovers - Toledo had just one turnover against Iowa State and gave the Cyclones a run for their money in Ames, Iowa. Four Toledo turnovers last week allowed Western Michigan to walk away with a 31-10 upset. At the same time, the Toledo defense has yet to force a turnover this season.
NATIONAL GAMES OF INTEREST
No. 11 Michigan at No. 2 Notre Dame,
Saturday 2:30 p.m. on NBC
These rivals haven't met while being ranked in the top 12 since the 1994 season, when No. 6 Michigan beat No. 3 Notre Dame 26-24 at Notre Dame Stadium. Michigan leads the all-time series 18-14-1, but Notre Dame has the better 2006 resume, having beaten a dangerous Georgia Tech team and a ranked Penn State squad compared to Michigan's victories against Vanderbilt and Central Michigan.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, hasn't had the luxury of holding anything back on offense. Heisman hopeful, senior quarterback Brady Quinn has completed 48 of 74 passes this season for 533 yards and three touchdowns.
Having to play lesser opponents before Notre Dame, Michigan has so far run a conservative offense, ranking 48th in the nation in yards per game. Nevertheless, the Wolverines are averaging 34 points a game and are 10th in the nation with 249 rushing yards a game.
No. 6 LSU at No. 3 Auburn
Saturday: 2:30 p.m. on CBS
This game could ultimately decide which team wins the SEC title. In five of the last six seasons, the winner of this game has reached the SEC Championship game. LEU leads the all-time series 21-18-1, but Auburn leads the series 8-5 when playing at home. These Tiger teams have more in common than their mascots — their offensive numbers are very similar.
LSU is averaging 26.5 more yards per game and eight more point-a game than Auburn thanks to its aerial assault. Junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns.
Auburn junior quarterback Brandon Cox's stats aren't quite as good as Russell's with a 64.4 completion percentage, 440 passing yards and three touchdowns, but senior Kenny Iron has proven himself as one of the top running backs in the nation.
No.19 Nebraska at No.4 USC, 7 p.m.on ABC
Saturday will mark just the third meeting between these two storied programs and the first visit Nebraska has paid Southern California since 1970. USC won the first meeting in 1969, 31-21, in Lincoln and the schools tied 21-21 the next year in Los Angeles.
Nebraska comes into the game ranked second in the nation in scoring average - 52 points a game - and third in the nation in total offense - 541 yards a game. Unlike past years, the Cornhuskers are producing yards and points through the air, but like the days of old, the Cornhuskers are still running over defenses with their rushing attack.
USC has taken the field just once this season, but was dominant, defeating Arkansas on the road 50-14. The Trojans posted nearly 200 ronde yards of total offense than the Razorbacks and forced five turnovers while having none of their own.
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