KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 2010 / SPORTS
5B
TATE 6, KANSAS 3
BALL REWIND
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Chris Neal/KANSAN
Junior wide receiver Daymond Patterson breaks away from North Dakota State defensive back Brendin Pierre during a 51-yard run in the first quarter. Patternson was KU's leading rusher with three carries for 63 yards.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN North Dakota State line backer Matt Anderson grabs an interception in the end zone in front of sophomore wide receiver Bardley McDougald. The Jayhawks turned the ball over three times in a 6-3 loss to the Bison.
Quote of the Game
"This was a huge game. We don't have an NFL team in Fargo and football is huge. These people are here for us and we brought them home a nice victory."
North Dakota State sophomore quarterback Jose Mohler, on what the win means for their fans.
Mohler
Game Balls
3. Senior cornerback Chris Harris: Harris made his 30th consecutive start for the Jayhawks, the longest active streak on the team. The captain sacked sophomore quarterback Jose Mohler on a critical third down hitz
2. Junior linebacker Steven Johnson: Johnson recorded a career-high nine tackles in a pleasantly surprising performance. The defense made all their tackles and did everything defensive coordinator Carl Torbush asked of them.
1. Sophomore receiver Daymond Patterson: Patterson's 51 yard rush on a reverse was the longest carry for the Jayhawks since Kale Pick ran for 55 yards on a play against UTEP on Sept. 12 last season. Patterson led all receivers with 66 yards on six receptions. It is not often a player on offense can be called electric when their team scores only three points, but Patterson was just that.
Delay of Games
3. Senior running back Angus Quigley and freshman running back DeShaun Sands: The duo averaged 2.1 and 1.7 yards rushing, respectively. They were outclassed on the ground by a wide receiver. With sophomore linebacker and last season's leading rusher Toben Opurum standing on the sideline, the decision to convert him is already being second-quessed.
2. Johnathan Wilson: Wilson finished with zero catches. Not a great start to the season. But Wilson will put up bigger numbers as the season progresses.
1. Junior tight end Tim Biere:Biere dropped three passes and fumbled his only two completions.The crowd roared in approval when he was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter.Biere is a big target and was wide open several times, partly due to his sneaky-fast speed,but if he cannot catch it is all for naught.
Play of the Game
Sophomore quarterback Kale Pick's third quarter interception in the Bison end zone on third and goal was a momentum killer. North Dakota State senior linebacker Matt Anderson had the pass deposited right in his breadbasket. Pick took care of the ball all game, but losing possession so deep in enemy territory had a lot to do with his subsequent benching.
Game Notes
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL ...
THE GLASS IS HALF EMPTY ...
As coach Turner Gill said several times, it is only one game. If the Jayhawks defeat nationally ranked Georgia Tech at home this Saturday, the team will stand at 1-1, a record many pundits had them at after two games. They will just have to do it the hard way now.
Toben Opurum, perhaps the team's best pure athlete, stood on the sideline for most of the game, watching his former running back comrades average about two yards per carry. Jayhawk fans seemed to lose confidence in the coaching staff late in the fourth quarter as the boo birds poured in for the first time in the Gill administration. The thinness at linebacker had to be resolved, but the Opurum decision will define the coaching staff's first season for better or worse. And if Saturday's defeat was any indication, things will only get worse.
BIGGEST ANSWER
Sophomore kick returner D.J. Beshears took the ball and ran with it - literally. He recorded two returns for 84 yards, including a 49-yard run in the third quarter. Not bad for someone returning kicks for the first time in their career.
STILL QUESTIONING
When coach Gill benched Pick in the fourth quarter, he reopened a can of worms thought to be closed during fall camp. Successful teams never have quarterback controversies, but the Jayhawks once again find themselves looking for a starter. Will it be Pick? Will it be Webb? Whoever is named the started for Saturday's game, they will undoubtedly have a short leash.
The potent Georgia Tech offense brings their nationally ranked option show to Memorial Stadium this Saturday. The triple option is almost an art form for coach Paul Johnson, but his defense does have exploitable holes. Yes, losing to North Dakota State was a disaster, but it would have been a worse sign of things to come had the defense given up 40+ points to a FCS program. The defense looks ready for the Yellow Jackets.
GOOD, BAD OR JUST PLAIN STUPID
Original prediction: Kansas 37, North Dakota State 17. Actual score: North Dakota State 6, Kansas 3. Wrong in just about every meaning of the word, but nobody could have predicted this outcome. It is surprising enough that the Jayhawks lost to a school once labeled Division II, but how often do college football games contested in perfect weather end with a combined nine points?
FINAL THOUGHT ...
Kale Pick is not the problem. Given the deficiencies of his offensive line, the lack of productivity from his running backs and the historically-bad performance from his tight end, it is hard to envision a scenario where anyone would be successful, even Todd Reesing. Yes, Pick made a bad throw in the red zone, but for the most part he was accurate and efficient under heavy pressure. Pick deserves another shot this Saturday.
— Matt Galloway
Schedule
Date Opponent Result/Time
9/4 vs. North Dakota State L, 6-3
9/11 vs. Georgia Tech 11 a.m.
09/17 at Southern Miss 7 p.m.
09/25 vs. New Mexico State 6 p.m.
10/02 at Baylor TBA
10/14 vs. Kansas State 6:30 p.m.
10/23 vs. Texas A&M (Homecoming) TBA
10/30 at Iowa State TBA
11/06 vs. Colorado TBA
11/13 at Nebraska TBA
11/20 vs. Oklahoma State TBA
11/27 vs. Missouri TBA