But again, it wasn't really a 'must win' game. Just a game that we really needed to win to maintain any semblance of hope for a Big 12 North title. And hey, look at what happened; a Kansas victory, a Missouri loss at the hands of a very capable Okie State game (just wait for the MSM to freak out over us missing out on the Cowboys this year) andnd, all of a sudden, we are in first place in the Big 12 North, alone. But we can discuss our Big 12 North aspirations at a later time, most likely some time in November. For now, here are some assorted thoughts on the game.

• Jake Sharp looks to be the long-term answer at RB. 31 carries, 118 yards (the first 100+ yard performance of the season), mostly on runs to the outside and option-type plays. Which, despite Todd Reesing's less-than-deal quciks, works pefrectly with the shiftiness of Sharp. He is a good, maybe even great running back, when afforded open spaces to dodge, dive, dip, duck and doge his way through defensive backfields. He can't create his own holes, he can't power through the 'big uglies' on draws up the middle, can't muscle through Brandon McAnderson-style. He just isn't that kind of running back. What he can do, however, is make plays when given room to wiggle. As long as we try and get him the ball on the perimeter, he can be a major contributor. Of course, when facing off against speed-heavy teams (like, for instance, this weekend against Oklahoma) much of that advantage is likely to be negated. Still, if Jake Sharp can still figure out a way to get over 100 yards this Saturday, are chances of winning go up exponentially.
• Kerry Meier. Little more has to be said. Even on one leg, he is one of the best receivers in the country and, quite possibly, the most valuable player on this offense. Without him, our offense becomes a helluva lot more pedestrian; and it is simply the let's-see-what-Todd-Reesing-can-cook-up show. He needs to be 100% this weekend for us to have a shot.
  
• The most encouraging part of the game, to me, was the semi-emergence of the two pass-rushing ends; Jake Laptad and Max Onyegbule. Now, obviously the primary example of this was the safety, where both got significant pressure and Laptad was able to take Cody Hawkins down in the endzone. But both managed to squirm their way into the backfield a handful of times, forcing Cody Hawkins to roll out and throw on the move. And while you can't exactly equate that with a Dwight Freeney coming off the edge, it is a significant upgrade over simply having all day-and-a-half to throw in a perfect pocket. We all saw, at least most of us did, how poorly Chase Daniel threw the ball while on the move; sometimes, all it takes is to make the QB move. Hopefully, that is what Laptad and Max O can provide.
• Overall, it was a pretty solid performance from our Jayhawks. Not a tremendous start, but a pretty good finish as we slowly played up to our talent. Our secondary needs to improve, sure, but overall, I'm happy.

We will focus more in a fairly substantial post tomorrow, analyzing each of the positions at the seasons' halfway point.

A look at news and notes about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

• A Few housekeeping notes on the Jayhawks.
• Un-Special Teams changes on the way.
• No Movement in the polls for the Jayhawks after the win.
• KU Sports recap.
• Kansas City Star game recap.
• Jake Sharp again helps the running game get on track.
• Kansas City Star Game Summary.
• Box Score.
• Kansas gained an offensive tackle committment for the 2009 class.
• Post game press conference quotes...and some highlights...

Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino Quotes:

On Defensive Performance:

“Our defense played really well.  We got a safety, got them backed up, and got a key interception, actually two interceptions, but one was key right before the half.  I think our secondary is improving. We’re putting more pressure on the quarterback, which is a positive for us for the pass defense, so the overall performance of the defense I was very, very pleased with.  Things are starting to come together. Some guys have been banged up, some of the younger guys are coming along, and we’re a little thin in a couple of areas.  We are concerned we may have gotten thinned out a little bit more on defense, but that’s okay.  We have some young, enthusiastic guys that want to play.”

Junior Defensive Back Darrell Stuckey

On the play of the defense:

“Defensively I felt that we went out there and ran on all cylinders. We executed a lot of our plays and came out with mental toughness that has been in and out of our defense this year. I think that we want to grow together as a team and go out there and have fun and run to the ball and get our heads on the ball. There are a couple of things that we can always improve on, but this is probably one of the better games of the year.”

Sophomore Defensive End Jake Laptad

On his sack resulting in a safety:

“The play was 16 yards out and I wasn’t expecting a safety on that play. I just fired out and I wasn’t expecting to get past the running back who was trying to block me inside. For some reason the quarterback tried to get to the outside and Max (o) was pressuring from the backside, and I got a safety.”

Junior Running Back Jake Sharp

On the running game:

“The more carries I get, the more confidence I get. Confidence and rhythm is everything.  It gives me the confidence that we as an offense collectively can run the ball, and we can pound it when we need to or run around the outside. We have a lot of things to work on. There is room for improvement.”

Junior Quarterback Todd Reesing

On field position:

“A lot of the reason we couldn’t get things going in the first half was because our field position was so poor. It isn’t something that we can control as an offense. We would like get a little more help there on special teams.”

On the running game:

“We always knew it would (come together). We had confidence in our running backs and offensive line. We got Jake going last week and he got some confidence back. He is running the ball hard and hitting the holes. As it showed today it complements our passing game well because we are able to mix it up and throw the defense off balance.”

My Thoughts...Well I made it back to Lawrence and sat in the stands for this one so I would love to hear from those of you who got to watch the game a little more closely than I.  That said here's what I think...

Special Teams isn't the most common place to start a recap but the play of the special teams qualifies the play at every other spot on the field.  This area of our football team needs serious improvement and it is the special teams units that are putting both our offense and defense behind the eightball in most games.  Now there were some highlights with Alonso Rojas' 77 yard punt and also Dexton fields return late in the game but as a whole we were losing the field position battle for most of the game and that makes everyone's job tougher.

The Defense stepped up big time.  Despite having to handle a Colorado offense that seemed to be playing on our side of the 50 most of the game they held them down for only 14 points.  We won the turnover battle thanks to some great ball hawking by the secondary and were close on a third.  It was nice to see us play some man but I'm not sure that will continue as we will be playing some more talented teams in the near future.  Also great to see us be a little more aggressive, not giveup a 10 yard cushion every play and once again Jake Laptad makes a big play. 

The Offense did as good as could be expected considering in this situation we seemed to start from our own 10-15 yard line every possession.  Todd Reesing showed a little more willingness to run.  We didn't make any mistakes and Jake Sharp got in a groove and the running game started working.  Watching the game I really felt like we finally wore another team down and physically beat them. 

Overall, could have been a more impressive win but as we now see a win in the Big 12 is a win and we should be happy with it.  I think Todd hits the nail on the head in his quote on field position above when he says "we would like to get a little more help their on special teams."  Next up OU 2:30pm Saturday and right now things are wide open and we are also currently first place in the Big 12 North.  Also I would love to hear thoughts from those who got to take a closer look than I.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

This is a big game. A large game. A huge game.

Well, not really. It is, however, a must-win game of sorts, as we absolutely must win games like this to even feign competing for a Big 12 North title. Our remaining schedule is incredibly difficult, and we've gone over all that. So, for us to even sniff 7-5, we basically have to win this game.

So, not to create any undue pressure or anything, but we have to win. Have I made that clear? If we don't win, the season isn't a complete loss or anything; we will just have to upset a Top 10 team at some point to get to 7 wins; and that assumes a win in Lincoln.

Our schedule is a beast. And even though the Buffaloes are a pretty good football team, and could conceivably win the game and should be bowl-eligible, we have to win.

And, on a more positive note, isn't it nice to be at this point? The point where, even though we are facing a quality team, we are fully expected to win. We have to win, even. Colorado is no Florida International, people. And yet, were we to lose, the nation would freak out; we are fully expected to beat a solid football team.

As you can tell, I'm in a reapeat-myself mood right now, so I just have one more thing to say.

We've got to win. But isn't it cool that we have to?

My pick? I'll take the Jayhawks, duh, by, well, let's say 17 points. 31-14. We can't really run the ball, but a couple of untimely Cody Hawkins INTs and another spectacular showing from Hot Toddy allow us to pull away in the second half.

ROCK CHALK!

A look at news and notes about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

The Good Guys...

• Talk softly and carry a big stick...Dezmon Briscoe.
• Linebacker Mike Rivera talks about his renewed focus.
• Jake Sharp exploded back onto the scene last weekend.
• Another Mike Rivera feature...this guy is the next Mother Teresa.
• Kansas defense will look to rattle the CU QB's.
• A look at Todd Reesing from the opponents perspective.
• Football was natural for redshirt freshman Jeremiah Hatch.
• Surprise freshman tackle Ben Leuken.
• Place your vote for Todd Reesing for the Davey O'Brien.
• KU looks to improve the kick return game against CU.
• Another look at the upside of Jeremiah Hatch.
• Don't forget to be a part of the live game thread if your available.

The Bad Guys...

• Dan Hawkins searches for teams identity.
• CU might have a quarterback controversy.
• Check out more from the CU perspective at The Ralphie Report.

A full list of the supplemental notes released by the athletic dept...and here are a few highlights...

A Kansas win would...

Be KU’s 20th win in its last 23 games.

Be its third straight against Colorado, the first such streak since 1962-64.

A Kansas Loss would...

Be less good than a win.

Individual...

Reesing (5,785) needs 104 total offense yards to pass Chip Hilleary (5,888) for second on the KU career total offensive yard chart.

WR Kerry Meier has caught at least seven passes in every game this year and at least two in 13 consecutive games dating back to last year.

Kerry Meier...

61 percent (27 of 44) of his receptions have been for first downs.

41 percent (11 of 27) of his first-down producing receptions have come on third or fourth down.

25 percent (11 of 44) of his receptions have come on third or fourth down (all for first downs).

Did you Know...?

KU has scored at least 30 points in 10 of its last 11 home games with the exception being a 29-0 win against Louisiana Tech earlier this year.

My Thoughts...Another game and another week of hoping the pieces fit together for 60 minutes.  KU has yet to put together a complete game but at their best this team is more talented and more experienced than the Buffaloes. 

We had some great Q&A sessions this week and it seems clear that Kansas needs to avoid letting CU run the ball and make the Quarterback(s) beat them.  KU will be the first road test and the most potent passing attack that CU has faced this season and I expect Todd Reesing to once again be the Buffalo killer that he has been twice already in his career. 

The biggest risk is if Kansas comes out and puts together a lackluster performance in the first half like they did against ISU.  If that is the case and CU can manage an early lead they have the backs and the scheme to run the ball and control the clock which could create problems for the Jayhawks.  Defense needs to come out with the intesity they displayed in the second half in Ames and all will be fine.  The line was 13.5 to open the week I said early on this game would be 10 or less but I'm feeling good this morning as I head to the hill for the game so I'm going to say Kansas 38 Colorado 17.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk and if anyone's in town I'll see you at Louise's West.

		VERSUS
National				National
Rank	Actual	Category	Actual	Rank
96	118.6	Rushing Offense	120.6	92
6	347	Passing Offense	205	72
14	465.6	Total Offense	325.6	89
25	35.2	Scoring Offense	24.2	77
17	95.2	Rushing Defense	171.4	89
26	104.75	Pass Efficiency D	114.1	44
39	322.8	Total Defense	354.2	61
38	18.8	Scoring Defense	26.4	75
91	32.65	Net Punting	34.36	65
18	16.17	Punt Return	10.79	48
119	13.23	Kick Return	22.32	53
T-52	.2	Turnover Margin	0	59
84	227.6	Pass Defense	182.8	36
11	160.66	Passing Efficiency	124.77	61
T-36	2.2	Sacks	2	46
29	6.6	Tackles for Loss	5.6	T-60
54	1.6	Sacks Allowed	2.2	T-91

Nice feature I borrowed from our friends at the Ralphie Report...Next week I'm going to start including conference rank as well for perspective against our opponent.  Full Stats also available from the NCAA...

Again, in case you missed last week's, this is essentially a question-and-answer session with the best Kansas blogs out there. Both KJ-IBT and Hawk Digest are well worth your time to read.

Without anything else to discuss, here are this week's questions. The answers are after the break:

1) Considering both the first half and the end result, are you happy with Saturday's overall performance?

2) Is Jake Sharp the answer at RB, if there is one at all? Or do you still prefer either Angus Quigley or Jocques Crawford?

3) Given the weekend's results (particularly Colorado's poor showing against Texas and Kansas' roller-coaster-of-a-game), are you more or less confident going into the Colorado game? What is the thing that scares you the most about the game?

4) What is your take on Cody Hawkins? Overrated, shouldn't be starting, underappreciated, what?

5) And, finally, a little off-the-wall question: Five years from now, who is the better team? Kansas or Colorado?

6) Big 12 Picks! Obviously, the interesting one is the Red River Shootout; between two Top 5 teams and all.

Oklahoma versus Texas
Nebraska @ Texas Tech
Iowa State @ Baylor
Oklahoma State @ Missouri
Kansas State @ Texas A&M

Again, answers follow the jump...

Continue reading this post »

The Jayhawks and the Buffaloes take the field Saturday in a game that is critical for both teams in terms of how the season might end up. 

With a tough remaining schedule Kansas has to win this week because this is a team that on paper they should beat and they don't have many of those games left.  CU needs this game because they are on the ropes after two lackluster performances and confidence could continue to nose dive if they can't put something together. 

So what should we expect from the offensive units/defensive units/special teams when facing eachother this week and who wins the battles?

A tip for viewing tables and graphics...change your view to wide in SB Nation

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Colorado?
Kansas wins this one because of Todd Reesing.  This will be the best passing offense that CU has faced this year and while they have a decent front seven I don't think they are enough to get consistent pressure and force Todd into mistakes.		KU Offense vs. CU Defense		CU can win this if they keep Kansas one dimensional.  Kansas will again try to run in order to create balance and if CU can keep the run out of play and then contain Reesing they have a chance here.  I still think this passing offense is going to be hard for them to contain but at least this will give them a shot.
Kansas defense seemed to be developing an attitude in the second half of Iowa State.  Richard Johnson and Jake Laptad played well on the line and our linebackers looked as angry as they have all year.  CU needs to run to be in this game and a Kansas defense hasn't been hurt by the run for several years now.  I don't expect Kansas to completely shut down CU but I think they win this battle as well.		KU Defense vs. CU Offense		CU can win this battle if they can control the clock.  The offense has been severely hurt by injury.  The line is pieced together, superstar recruit Darrell Scott has had a slow start because of his own injury issues.  If CU wants to win this they have to run the ball control the clock and let Cody Hawkins manage the game.  Hawkins has struggled and if they have to rely on him they will be in trouble.
Since Daymond Patterson exploded onto the scene it's been pretty quiet.  KU hasn't been hurt by special teams but it hasn't been a strength this year.  Our inability to flip the field in the Iowa State first half is a a prime example of our sub-par special teams play.		Special Teams		Josh Smith is an explosive returner if he makes good decisions and kicker Aric Goodman has made a game winner already this year.  Although he did miss three last week.  Stll CU gets the nod in the Not So Special teams column.
Mark Mangino is the National Coach of the year, what more can I say.		Coaching		Dan Hawkins might someday be national coach of the year.  He's creative and will take a chance if that's what it takes to win this game.

Final Thoughts...Kansas has the edge in most scenario's during this game but it's not a big enought edge that CU can't overcome it.  This will be CU's first true road test and present some unique challenges for them.  Kansas will see a team more committed to the run than anyone has been this year so that will be a change for them.  Overall,  I expect Kansas to win but I think this game is within 10.

This year's Kansas team is good. One could argue, and I did prior to the season, that this year's team is actually more talented than last year's 12-1, Orange Bowl Champion team. Whether it is or isn't is of little consequence, the facts clearly show that this team is better than nearly all of the teams in Kansas football history, and is nothing to be ashamed of. If last season would have been more of a gradual step up to, say, 8-4 or so, we would all be quite enthused by this 3-1 start, despite the heartbreaking loss in Tampa. And, realistically, we are likely expecting what would be another 4-loss season as the very best possible finish to this season, with a 6-6 step back not being entirely out of the question.

Entering the year expectations were at an all-time high for Kansas football. While there was no National Championship talk, and even winning the Big 12 was largely considered out of the question, we all expected, based off of last season's tremendous ride, for the Jayhawks to make some noise in the national picture, have a chance to win the Big 12 North and, hell, maybe even sneak into a BCS Bowl if everything were to fall just right. My preseason predictions pegged us at roughly 9-3, with 8-4 being the relative worst to expect and 10-2 being the ceiling.This, while considered a down year, even a potential fireable one, at plenty of schools nationwide is a newfangled idea in Lawrence.

However, the four games that we have seen since those expectations were showered on this team have not, well, let's just say they haven't exactly been achieved. A loss in Tampa was a setback, sure, but the actual loss in itself isn't too big of a concern. In all seriousness, while expecting a win against the Bulls, it wasn't a terrible shock to lose in such a hostile environment against such a good, talented team. How it happened, however, and the problems it gave rise to weren't so expected and weren't part of the equation that spat out a 9-3 regular season record in July and August.

And now here we are, sitting out a crossroads, unsure just where we will end up when all is said and done. However, while we just could improve enough to keep our preseason expectations a realistic goal, 9-3 seems to be a near impossibility at this point. Of course, that has as much to do with our Big 12 slate as it does with the offensive line and defensive line problems.

Just for fun, take a look at the most recent AP Top 25. And then, in case you have yet to engrain it into your brain, take a gander at Kansas' schedule. We still have a trip to the current #1 team in the entire country in Oklahoma. Then, the very next week, we will take on the current #7 Red Raiders of Texas Tech. A month-or-so later the 5th ranked Texas Longhorns pay a visit to Lawrence and then, in late November, we will take on the 4th ranked Missouri Tigers in Arrowhead.

But you knew all of that. But when put in such a way where half of our remaining 8 games are going to take place against teams currently among the Top 7 in the country, you kind of freak out. Not in a terribly, well, frightening way, sure, but in a sorta way that makes you seriously question, given our obvious holes, whether we can win even one of that set of four games.

While this likely goes without saying, I think we should be willing to accept a 7-5 year this year. Well, maybe not accept it, but at least be prepared for such a season. Sure, we could still, conceivably, find a way to win 9 games this year. Just to make things clear, I am, by no means, giving up on the season. I am looking forward to one of the most exciting conference seasons in Kansas football history and for our program to continue to rise up and reach the top of the college football ladder. We are, without a doubt, a program on the rise and a near-surefire contender for a Big 12 North title each and every year.

And now, just to close out this unnecessarily long post (I got carried away; sorry if it became unbearable), here is my revised prediction for how all of the conference games will fare:

@ Iowa State - WIN

vs. Colorado - WIN

@ Oklahoma - LOSS

vs. Texas Tech - WIN

vs. Kansas State - WIN

@ Nebraska - WIN

vs. Texas - LOSS

vs. Missouri - LOSS

Sorry, that is just how I see things shaking down. Discussion and disagreement is certainly allowed, and considering that I will actually get to attend the Kansas vs. Texas game (YAY!), it is depressing to currently mark it down as a L. However, they have looked substantially better thus far. But I digress. More on the UT Longhorns a little later on.

For now, just remember one thing: even if we go 8-4 (or hell, even 7-5), it doesn't mean we are on the downturn. In fact, it may be a positive, given the relative youth of our impact players and the treacherous schedule.