New Year’s Eve 2008 marked the end of an exciting Kansas football season as the Jayhawks wrapped up their first ever back to back bowl wins in school history.  Already fans, media and players alike are looking toward 2009, but I thought I would take one last opportunity to look back at the 2008 Insight Bowl and discuss 2009 sometime next week.

Full story after the jump…

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#4

The 2008 Kansas football season had several question marks headed into the 2008 season.  How would certain losses impact the offense was  a big one and specifically how would the departure of Brandon McAnderson, Anthony Collins and Derek Fine affect the running game.  While those questions were not answered with resounding confidence early there was a time in the year where things finally seemed to click in a big way and Kansas fans saw a glimpse of what could be to come.

Once again performance #4 brings us to the Sunflower Showdown and the faceoff between the Jayhawks and in state rival Kansas State.  This time however the performance was a group effort.  While one player ultimately put up the big numbers, six Jayhawks were involved in performance #4.

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Obviously it's an important recruiting time for the coaches and a little bit of a slower time for the players.  Developmental practices are in full swing.  Players are wrapping up finals and getting ready to begin Bowl practices.

No Coach Mangino this week but some good press conference action from a lot of the players. Joe Mortenson and Adrian Mayes talk about their upcoming final game as Jayhawks.  Russel Brorson touches on some of the young guys that have impressed in workouts. Jeff Spikes talks recruiting and Dezmon Briscoe and Justin Thorton talk a little Missouri game and Bowl game. 

Jump into the post for the entire press conference transcript...

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The Big 12 Conference coaches selections for All Conference Honors were announced on Tuesday with Darrel Stuckey among 10 Jayhawks named to the teams. 

Stuckey was the only Jayhawk on a loaded first team but several others received either 2nd team or Honorable Mention honors including:

• Dezmon Briscoe (2nd)
• James Holt (2nd)
• Caleb Blakesly (HM)
• Ryan Cantrell (HM)
• Jake Sharp (HM)
• Adrian Mayes (HM)
• Jake Laptad (HM)
• Mike Rivera (HM)
• Kerry Meier (HM)

Obviously the glaring missing Jayhawk would be Todd Reesing but with a stacked Big 12 it's not totally unexpected.  Things will likely clear out this season paving the way for Reesing to have a banner Senior campaign and a possible mention on the All Conference Squad.

Huge kudos to Stuckey for a well earned and much deserved honor.  Also felt like James Holt was a huge contributor on this team and in any other conference both Briscoe and Meier would certainly garner 1st team attention.

Also worth mentioning the oft rumored to be injured Mike Rivera for a gutsy Senior campaign and Jake Sharp another local boy for resurecting a non existent running game.

Jake Laptad, several key plays in the year and the lone bright spot for a pass rush that is beginning to see improvement

As for the big boys, Cantrell, Mayes, and perhaps most of all Blakesly.  It wasn't always pretty but they got it done and Blakesly certainly earned a lot of my respect throughout the season.

Jump into the post for the full story and entire list of awards...

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Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“This Saturday we are preparing for our border rival, Missouri. It is a game that everybody in both states looks forward to and all of the fans look forward to. The players look forward to it as well. We have been off for a week and it seems like it has been a month since we have played a game. Our players are very anxious to get back on the field and play again. We have had about a week and a half of practice. The practices have gone very well and they have been very spirited. They have been very fast paced. Our players are looking forward to getting back on the field and finishing the season on a high note.”

“Missouri is a very good football team. They have a very explosive offense led by their quarterback, Chase Daniel. He has a lot of quality people around him, people like Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Derrick Washington and others. They can run the ball, as well as throw the ball. They haven’t changed much on defense. They have a good group up front, led by Stryker Sulak. He is very active against the run, as well as the pass. They have good linebackers, led by Sean Weatherspoon, who runs very well. He makes a lot of plays sideline to sideline. Their secondary is led by William Moore, who is one of the best safeties in our league. He is a sure tackler, a good cover guy and a very physical player.”

“This is a very good challenge for us. We look at it as an opportunity and we are looking forward to playing a very good Missouri team on Saturday.”

On the Missouri offense:

“They take their time and they are very patient. They will take the short pass or run the ball when it is there. One thing I noticed about them is that they have a lot of things taking place behind the line of scrimmage. They have quick screens, reverses, wide sweeps and play action passes. That means that they have faith in their offensive line, they trust their offensive schemes and they do a good job of executing those schemes. They are a very well-coached offense.”

On the KU-MU rivalry

“The people here in this region want this to be a big game. It is being promoted in the Kansas City area very aggressively. I think the fact that both programs have been playing better football in the last couple of years has helped out the rivalry. I think it has a chance to be a great national rivalry, but both schools have to do their share of coming in with winning records and programs that are having success. If both schools can do that over a period of time then I believe this rivalry can capture national attention.”

On former KU coach Don Fambrough’s annual speech before the MU game:

“I think he enjoys doing it and we enjoy having him do it. It is fun and the players enjoy listening to him. It is something that he really enjoys and he is a part of the program. He comes to practice nearly every day. He loves the program, he loves the players and we have embraced him. He gets really excited about this game and he has earned the right to say what he wants to say about it.”

On the mindset of the team coming into this game:

“This game is against our border rival. It is the last game of the year. We want to finish strong. Emotion will be a factor, but you can’t win a game just on emotion. You have to go out and play good, smart, tough football. Emotions are great leading up to the game, but you still have to play smart, aggressive football.”

Player quotes after the jump...

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Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino and KU Players...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“Looking back on last week, Nebraska made more plays than we did to win the game. We had opportunities and didn’t always capitalize. We didn’t make stops when we needed to make stops. We have got to improve our tackling. We have got to play a lot more sound in our inside run game. There were a few bright spots. Dezmon Briscoe had a big day and looked really good. Todd Reesing had a good day, although his numbers didn’t show that he did. James Holt is really playing good defense for us right now.”

“This week we have Texas, who is a very good, ranked, top-five program. They have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball and on special teams. Defensively they are very stout. They are only allowing 86 yards per game rushing. They have a very athletic defensive line with very quick, athletic guys who can move around. Their linebackers seem to be the heart of their defense. They are an outstanding group of linebackers. Their secondary is very athletic as always.”

“On the offensive side of the ball they run the ball with a number of different tailbacks. Their big playmaker is obviously Colt McCoy at quarterback, both running and throwing the football. He has a bunch of excellent receivers to throw to, led by Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Shipley is also a very dangerous player on special teams.”

“It is a very good Texas team that is coming here and we are planning on having a good week of preparation and getting ready to play them. It is an opportunity for us to play a top-five team here at home and we want to play well.”

More Coach and Player Quotes after the Jump...

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

• Jake Sharp runs wild behind the Kansas offense.
• Russel Brorson turns in a memorable performance.
• Notes including news on season ending injury to Justin Springer.
• KU Athletics game recap.
• Final Stats.
• Game Notes.

My Thoughts...The morning after and the win feels just as satisfying as the day of.  While it seems like our true football rivalry is Missouri this game was a big win for the Jayhawks and their fans.  My only question is why the hell are there empty seats after halftime when we are handing our instate rival who we clearly have on the ropes an absolute beat down.  Enjoy the journey and don't get so wrapped up in the destination Jayhawk fans. 

Enough of that tangent how about a look at the game.  There has been recent mention of Ed Warriner changing his offensive blocking scheme from a zone block to man.  Clearly that is the right move.  Yesterday, I saw our offensive line dominating man on man throughout the game.  K-State players found their faces buried in the grass and I can count more than a few times where Jeff Spikes and Jeremiah Hatch our two newbie’s were on top.  Jake Sharp used this to his advantage in a big way.  Many of his big runs were off the right side behind Spikes and Sharp made the right reads hit the holes aggressively, got to the next level and then made guys miss.  Not to mention his touchdown where he outran the Kansas State safety.  Fact of the matter is Sharp proved a lot yesterday, and with consistent blocking he can be a very effective back for us.  The shovel pass that he broke for long yardage was probably his best example of reading and cutting off blocks all year.  Overall, kudos to the running game for being the focal point and not an afterthought this week.

Defensively it was hard not to be very happy with the scheme and effort.  Josh Freeman is a very good quarterback with a pocket and with time.  Under pressure he sometimes tries to do too much.  Clint Bowen's zone blitzing along with the decision to utilize James Holt as an end was huge in applying pressure and allowing our secondary to provide solid coverage.  The scheme also allowed Russel Brorson to pick off his 2nd and 3rd Josh Freeman passes adding to his one from last year’s game against Kansas State.  In the backfield Justin Thornton and Daymond Patterson both looked much more comfortable in their positions this week, which might have something to do with not playing Texas Tech, but nonetheless both looked improved.  Another crew that made a difference was our defensive tackles.  Caleb Blakesly was a warrior in the middle, while Jamal Greene and Darius Parish did an excellent job filling in for Richard Johnson and tied up blockers allowing our linebackers to run free.  Finally the leaders of this defense Joe Mortenson, Mike Rivera and Darrell Stuckey used their freedom to roam and stifle the running game holding Kansas State to a minimal 91 yards rushing. 

Even the special teams were improved.  Daymond Patterson had room to work on returns, Herford and Crawford looked more decisive on kickoff returns, Branstetter put a few in the end zone, knocked through a FG and made some great tackles.  The only low point was the blocked field goal, but then again Kansas State doesn't lead the nation in that statistic for nothing. 

From a mental standpoint Kansas definitely recovered from the haymaker that Tech threw their way a week ago.  The players showed they aren't done yet and next week against Nebraska, the Jayhawks have a chance to break a streak, lock up a seventh win and probably creep back into the Top 25 before facing a tough Texas Longhorn team in Lawrence.  Big win this week, another huge and difficult game next week but fans can rest easy as Kansas for the third year in a row defeated rival K-State in the sunflower showdown.

Press conference highlights after the Jump...some good stuff this week...

                                                                   Image Source: KUSports.com

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                                                                                   Image Source: KUsports.com

Last week following the game Kansas fans did a little venting...this week we'll to a little gloating.  Kansas came out and beat Kansas State in convincing fashion during the 106th edition of the rivalry game between these two schools.

A few things that stood out for me and are worth a little discussion.  First the running game.  The Kansas offensive line for the first time all year dominated.  Granted K-State has had trouble against the run all season but Jake Sharp was going untouched into the secondary frequently during this game.  I recall multiple replays where Sharp was shaking tackles in the secondary while some unfortunate K-State defender was planted into the grass by a Kansas offensive lineman in the background.  Excellent job by the coaching staff to focus on this weakness and kudos to the players for playing with a physical nastiness that we haven't seen consistently throughout the year.  In terms of Jake Sharp he looked to be seeing the blocks and making the right reads all day long.  It's been a while since Todd Reesing's numbers have been dwarfed by the rest of the offense and today was one of those days and it was impressive.

Secondly how about James Holt on the defense.  Clint Bowen put this guy in a 3 point, on a pass rush and he created havoc in the K-State backfield all day.  His versatility and speed was as good a weapon as Kansas has had on the defensive line all year.  Remember Kansas State was third in the country in terms of sacks allowed and Kansas got to Josh Freeman and as I said in the team analysis if that happens he will make mistakes. 

Russel Brorson...what more can you say this guy may not be the fastest, strongest etc. but he just keeps "sawin wood" and it paid off for him today.

 I am also a little more sold on the moves made in the secondary for the most part.  Justin Thornton looks to be an effective corner and comfortable in the role.  Daymond Patterson was rarely seen which as a corner that is a good thing.  When he was I thought he made some great open field tackles.  Lastly Stuckey with 9 tackles was very effective at keeping the run at bay for Kansas State.

Overall, huge kudos to the players for showing a passion and fire that I desperately wanted to see after last week, and also to the coaching staff for developing an outstanding gameplan in every phase of the game. Offense, defense and special teams all seemed to click.  Things are once again looking up in Lawrence Kansas and onward to Lincoln where a streak is in need of breaking.

No matter the team, no matter the league, the offensive line is immensely important. NFL, FBS, FCS, Division 3, jayvee high school ball, whatever. In order to protect your QB, you need a passable offensive line. Want a running game? You better have a good O-Line. For evidence, look back through the immense history of football; or, for a recent-and-local example, simply look at the Kansas City Chiefs, version 2007. A Top 10 RB in the NFL, a Top 2 TE, a Top 20 WR and a host of other, capable skill position players all were on the team last year. A single average offensive lineman (except Brian Waters) was not. And thus, one of the worst offensive seasons in NFL history, and the worst in Chiefs history.

Last season, Kansas rode a tremendous offensive line, highlighted by two offensive tackles, to a 12-1 season and an Orange Bowl. You know that. You also know that both of those offensive tackles, one of them a First Team All-American and NFL Draft choice and the other a three-year starter, have since departed. Add the two together and you get the biggest hole on the team; replacing two of the best offensive linemen in school history in one offseason. Some positive reports out of fall practice sessions seemed to indicate that the problem seemed to be solved, at least at left tackle with Jeff Spikes. Right tackle was still up-in-the-air, although Jeremiah Hatch had quite a fall himself.

However, all of this blew up when Jeremiah Hatch couldn't play against FIU. And then, the supposed strength of not only the O-Line but of the entire offense, the interior threesome of Adrian Mayes, Ryan Cantrell and Chet Hartley, didn't perform up to expectations. This is how you struggle in the running game against, statistically, one of the worst defenses in college football last season. If we are to have a chance against some of the better teams on our schedule, and maybe even some middle-of-the-road type of teams such as Louisiana Tech, we have to have improved offensive line play.

My solutions for how we can get this done after the jump...

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Entering 2007, the biggest question mark (this side of the QB race) was the interior offensive line, which was replacing three starters. Our solutions to the holes? Adrian Mayes at LG, Ryan Cantrell at C and Chet Hartley at RG. While successful as a group and part of an incredibly successful unit, the three individually had very different results.

Mayes was a mild success, a walk-on that provided decent stop-gap play. He could very easily be replaced sometime this season, although his main competition moved to RT (Jeremiah Hatch), so he just as well could be the starter throughout the entire season.

Cantrell was the biggest success of the group, playing well enough to be a fringe preseason All-Big 12 player. He is almost guaranteed of playing the entire year as the starter, with Sal Capra the odds-on favorite to succeed him.

Hartley, a JUCO transfer, was a good-but-not-great offensive guard who should have little trouble holding on to his job. However, he certainly isn't All-Big 12 worty. In essence, more of a success (and better lineman) than Mayes, less of a success (and worse of a lineman) than Cantrell.

However, since they all return as starters, senior starters I might add, this year the interior offensive line is being taken for granted. Right or wrong, nobody is mentioning the interior three as either a plus or a minus, they seem to be perfectly alright and acceptable to nearly everyone; voiced in nearly everyone's season preview of the Kansas Jayhawks.

With all of that said, here is a look at the depth chart over the next three seasons:

--- Italics denote projected redshirt year

--- Bold denotes EMPTY space in depth chart

Now, there are a couple of guesses on here. For one, I doubt that Capra will serve both as the primary reserve at LG and the starter at C, but I'm not sure which one he will be (if not the starter at LG, which is also a possibility), so I just put him at both. For another, I don't really know whether Williams will play LG or RG (I don't think anyone knows for sure, at this point) and Marongelli may or may not even end up making a guard. However, I figure he will be good enough to warrant getting on the field, and unless Spikes or Hatch drops off, they don't figure to be replaced next year.

Player-by-player previews after the jump...

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