6A
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY AUGUST 28 2007
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2007
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Defensive tackle returns to practice, may start Saturday
BY ASHER FUSCO
afusco@kansan.com
INJURY UPDATE
The injury status of junior defensive tackle Todd Haselhorst is still up in the air. On Monday, coach Mark Mangino said Haselhorst recently resumed on-field workouts and would practice at full speed today.
"We think that he has a great opportunity to play — our medical staff does — so we just have to see, with a little bit of a workload this week, how he handles it," Mangino said.
If healthy, Haselhorst most likely will start alongside senior James McClinton. If Haselhorst does not start, sophomore Caleb Blakesley is the leading candidate to fill in.
RUNNING BACKS
Kansas' most recently released depth chart included a few surprises. Sophomore running back Angus Quigley was the most notable absentee from the chart. Quigley looked impressive in preseason practices but failed to make the three-deep position, which includes sophomore Jake Sharp, senior Brandon McAnderson and freshman Carmon Boyd-Anderson.
Mangino said Boyd-Anderson had a realistic shot at a major role in the backfield.
"Carmon Boyd-Anderson is running number three, and that's just because he's a freshman and he's learning." Mangino said. "Every day he gets better and better out on
the field, so he will play."
OFFENSIVE LINE
From the looks of the depth chart, junior guards Chet Hartley and Adrian Mayes held onto their starting jobs. Junior Rameses Arceo is listed as the backup at right guard and junior Jason Hind is second at left guard.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Junior Raymond Brown, a converted defensive back, cracked the depth chart as a starting wide receiver. Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Brown was one of the fastest players on the team, and junior cornerback Aqib Talib praised his preseason play. Brown and senior Marcus Henry are the starters at wideout, and junior Dexton Fields is the team's No. 1 slot receiver. The reserve receivers are freshman Dezmon Briscoe, sophomore Raimond Pendleton and junior Marcus Herford.
CORNERBACKS
The defensive side of the depth chart looks more settled but just as youthful. Freshman Chris Harris will start at cornerback across the field from Talib. Harris is replacing junior Kendrick Harper, who could return from an injury by the conference season. Freshman Drew Dudley is the No.2 option at middle linebacker and redshirt freshman Phillip Strozier is listed second at cornerback.
Edited by Matt Erickson
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BIG 12
Oklahoma State wide receiver Adarius Bowman fighters for one more of his Big 12-12 record 300 receiving yards against Kansas last October in Lawrence. The Cowboys defeated the Jayhawks 42-32, scoring all their points in the second half and gaining more than 600 total yards. Bowman will return as a senior this year and lead Oklahoma State's powerful offense, but the Cowboys' defense may lack talent.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Cowboys'offense explosive
Oklahoma State must improve defensively to contend
BY CASE KEEFER
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Kansas fans witnessed the explosiveness of the Oklahoma State offense firsthand last year when the Cowboys scored 42 second-half points and gained more than 600 total yards.
The nation was next to notice the Cowboys when coach Mike Gundy's dream of bringing a high-octane offense to Stillwater, Okla., was becoming a reality.
2006 recap
Not much will change this year as the Cowboys' offense is littered with NFL talent. The only concern is whether the defense has enough talent to compete wit
**Record:** 6-6 overall; 3-5 Big 12
**Bowl game:** Independence
Bowl vs. Alabama, won 34-11
**Points per game:** 35.2
**Opponents' points per**
**game:** 25.6
again be the quarterback throwing to Bowman. Reid threw 24 touchdowns in his sophomore season, but he can also beat teams outside of
Any discussion of Oklahoma State's offense starts with senior Adarius Bowman, who is one of the nation's best wide receivers.
to compete with other college programs.
OFFENSE
Junior Bobby Reid will once
Any discussion of Oklahoma State's offense starts with senior Adarius Bowman, who is one of the nation's best wide receivers. Bowman is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and combines his size with stifling speed and perfect hands.
the pocket. He rushed for more than 500 yards.
The danger doesn't end there for opponents. Oklahoma State also returns senior running back Dantrell Savage, who
would likely have been the Big 12's leading returning rusher if he hadn't missed two games last season. Savage still averaged 6.5 yards per carry last season and adds yet another dimension of blistering speed for the Cowboys.
The offensive line should also improve. All five starters have sufficient experience and junior center David Washington and senior tackle David Koenig are
two of the Big 12's best.
DEFENSE
The hope is that with seven starters returning, the Cowboys' defense will be improved. Make that much improved, because only Baylor's and Iowa State's defenses ranked lower than Oklahoma State's in the Big 12 last year.
The linebackers are where the ascent to respectability must start. The Cowboys return senior middle linebacker Rodrick Johnson and sophomore outside linebackers Chris Collins and Patrick Lavine. Johnson also will see some playing time at defensive end to bring a new
intensity to the pass rush.
Lavine recorded seven tackles per game his freshmen season and should improve this year. Collins may miss some time because of legal troubles and could possibly be suspended, which would be devastating to this unit.
has the size and athleticism to cover the Big 12's best receivers.
The secondary also returns all four starters from 2006, including the defense's leading tackler, sophomore strong safety Andre Sexton. Senior cornerback Martel Van Zant
This could be the year the Cowboys rise to become one of the best teams in the Big 12 South.
SEASON OUTLOOK
This could be the year the Cowboys rise to become one of the best teams in the Big 12 South. They first must get through their nonconference schedule, which features the toughest first game of any Big 12 team. Oklahoma State travels to Athens, Ga., Saturday to take on the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC.
Oklahoma State also plays at Troy,which is a tougher game than it seems because Troy is the best team in its conference and upset Missouri three years ago.
The Cowboys have tough Big 12 road games at Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Oklahoma State is capable of pulling a couple of upsets and having its best season under Gundy.
PREDICTION
8-4, Alamo Bowl
Edited by Matt Erickson