4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007
FOOTBALL
'Cream Puff' prediction
Easy early schedule could put KU in postseason
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
The lajahawks football team has never finished in the top half of the Big 12 North. The national media's picks are in, and a consensus has emerged: KU fans will probably have to wait another year.
Every outlet surveyed for this story predicted the Jayhawks to finish either fourth or fifth in the North.
"Kansas will be competitive enough to beat just about anyone but inconsistent enough to lose to anyone, too." Athlon wrote.
Since the Big 12 Conference's inception in 1996, the Jayhawks' highest finish in the six team north division was fourth, in 1999, when the team went 3-5 in conference play.
Chris Stassen, who compiles the accuracy of preseason predictions after each season, considers Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine the most accurate preseason magazine of the last eight years. Steele predicted a fifth place finish for KU this year.
"KU should jump off to a 5-1 start this year and achieve bowl eligibility for a third straight year, but finish in the lower half of the Big 12 North standings." Stwele wrote.
The quick start would come courtesy of soft non-conference match-ups. The media has noticed Kansas's conservative preseason schedule. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabb called
Kansas' schedule the easiest in the country.
"The Jayhawks' non-conference schedule includes more cream puffs than your favorite bakery! Central Michigan, Division I-AA Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International," Schlabch wrote.
Kansas finished 6-6 last year.
Steele wrote that Kansas "could have easily been an 11-2 team last season," in response to the team's new
infamous string of second-half collapses: overtime losses at Toledo and Nebraska, an 21-18 loss against Texas A&M, in which Kansas blew an 18-7 fourth-quarter lead, a 36-35 loss to Baylor, after Kansas
held in San Antonio's Alamodome this year. The Big 12 media collectively took the role of contrarian, choosing Missouri to represent the North against Texas in the conference title game.
"Considering the easy non-conference schedule, and neither Texas or Oklahoma on the Big 12 slate, the Jayhawks should land a bowl bid."
Despite these predictions, the media does believe the Jayhawks will be able to handle the weak non-conference schedule, with an improved defense, and earn postseason eligibility. Kansas last played in a bowl game
held a 35-17 halftime advantage, and the 42-23 nightmare against Oklahoma State, when KU allowed 22 second-half points, including 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns to Cowboys receiver Adarius Bowman.
LINDY'S MAGAZINE College Football Preview
The majority of media outlets predict a Texas-Nebraska Big 12 Championship Game, which will be
A common theme in those meltdowns was a breakdown in the secondary late in games. Not surprisingly, Kansas finished last in the nation against the pass last year.
following the 2005 season, when it defeated Houston 42-13 in the Fort Worth Bowl.
"This is an important season for the Jayhawks to establish their place in the postseason." Lind's
wrote. "Considering the easy non- conference schedule, and no Texas or Oklahoma on the Big 12 slate, the lashawks should land a bowl bid."
The expectations within the KU Athletics Department remain considerably higher than the projections of the press.
Kansas Athletics Director Lew Perkins told media outlets this summer that he expected the football team to win between seven and nine games this season.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior cornerback Agib Talib speaks loudly with his game and with his comments. Talib led the team with six interceptions last season and was named a second-team All-American. This season, he's aliming for a double-digit interception total.
TALIB (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
A LEADER
Mid-August Kansas heat can be oppressive enough to muffle almost any sound. Songbirds retire to nests and noisy kids head indoors. But the August sun stands no chance against Talib. Bounding along the sideline to offer encouragement and advice to less experienced Jayhawks, Talib sounds like a coach in shoulder pads.
Talibs leadership could be important for a Kansas secondary short on Division I experience. The other cornerback spot is up in the air because of an undisclosed injury to junior Kendrick Harper. The safeties are sophomore Darrell Stuckey, who has only four starts under his belt, and junior Tang Bacheye, recently converted from running back.
"P-A-T! You've got to come up big!" Talib shouts at Resby during a two-minute drill. "You've got to play!"
Kansas may have a few question marks on defense, but Talib is not one of them. Having a surefire NFL prospect shutting down one side of the field is the first step toward improving a pass defense that finished 2006 ranked last in the nation in yards allowed per game.
The next step is letting Talib's wisdom and advice soak in among his teammates in the defensive backfield. If his teammates' words are any indication, they are learning a lot.
"Aqib and leadership go hand in hand," Stuckey said. "Sometimes he'll be yelling, but you know he'd never tell you to do something he couldn't do himself. His actions speak louder than his words."
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
》BIG 12
Difficult schedule may slow young Wildcat team
Kansas State sophomore quarterback Josh Freeman is expected to surpass the results of an inconsistent freshman season. Freeman threw six touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2006.
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Orlin Wagner/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Head Coach Ron Prince's tenure at Kansas State was a successful two-point conversion away from a disastrous start last season.
K-State slipped past Division I-AA Illinois State in their 2006 opener by a score of 24-23. Two months and one public endorsement from Bill Snyder later, Prince engineered one of the biggest wins in Wildcat history, a 45-42 victory over fourth-ranked Texas.
Prince's expectations will rise significantly in 2007 with a Big 12 leading 15 returning starters.
OFFENSE:
Freshmen infiltrated the starting backfield last season. Prince's own recruits, quarterback Josh Freeman and running back Leon Patton, received limited playing time early but were starters by the end of the season. Freeman's performances were erratic, ranging from 5-for-19 with two interceptions against Missouri to 19-for-31 with four touchdowns against Texas. Freeman is one of the most talented signal-callers in the Big 12 and should become more consis-
2006 recap
Record: 7-6 Overall, 4-4 Big 12
Bowl Game: Texas Bowl,
vs. Rutgers,
lost 37-10
Points Per Game: 22.8
Opponents' Points Per
Game: 23.8
Case Keefer
ent this year. Consistency was not a problem for Patton in his freshman campaign. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Two of Freeman's favorite targets return in senior wide receiver Jordy Nelson and senior tight end Rashaad Norwood. Nelson was Kansas State's leading receiver last season and is known for his lethal speed. There are no standouts among the offensive line but together they make a solid unit. The Wildcats also added three junior college transfers to strengthen the depth along the line.
DEFENSE:
The Wildcats, who had the seventh-ranked defense in the
Big 12 last season, lost their two leading tacklers. But they do return two of their biggest playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Senior free safety Marcus Watts led the Wildcats with three
interceptions last year, and Junior defensive end Ian Campbell led the Wildcats with 11.5 sacks. Campbell will draw more attention and double teams this season.
Kansas State could overcome a tough schedule to compete for a Big 12 North title but it's going to take a few upsets along the way.
toughest schedules in the Big 12. They play two teams that won bowl games last season, Auburn and San Jose State, and end the season at Fresno State. It is highly unlikely that Kansas State.
which should enable senior defensive end Rob Jackson to get to the quarterback more easily. The strength of the Wildcats' defense is without question the defensive backs. Senior cornerback Justin McKinney and sophomore cornerback Joshua Moore each started last year and join Watts to make a talented group. The linebackers are inexperienced but the Wildcats hope depth and competition for starting spots will give way to success in 2007.
SEASON OUTLOOK:
Kansas State has one of the
will escape
its non-conference slate
unscathed,
but conceivable that it could lose two
non-conference games.
The Wildcats'
Big 12 schedule isn't much
easier. They have road games at Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Kansas State could overcome a tough schedule to compete for a Big 12 North title but it's going to take a few upsets along the way. With a young team, it's important to build confidence early in the season. The Wildcats' first game is at Auburn in front of 87,000 Tiger fans — not the ideal location to accomplish this.
PREDICTION:
6-6, Independence Bowl
—Edited by Tara Smith
*Offer requires in-store purchase only at the KU Bookstores location, activation of a new line of service and a two-year subscriber agreement. Additional terms and restrictions may apply.
THE OFFICIAL BOOKSTORES OF KU