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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#3

Performance #3 on the 2008 countdown comes from our fearless leader.  Two years ago in a game against the Colorado Buffaloes in Lawrence a short kid out of Austin Texas took the field at quarterback and provided a much needed spark for the Jayhawks leading them to a win and changing the course of events for Kansas football.

Todd Reesing would never fully be implemented as a starter until 2007 but on that Saturday in 2006 we saw a calm and cool true freshman lead a team to a victory and wonder what might be to come.  In 2007 Reesing exploded onto the scene and has never looked back since gaining the starting spot over Kerry Meier.  Passing records have fallen, season scoring records, yardage records, an Orange Bowl and for the first time in school history back to back bowl games.  So which of his many strong performances earned him a spot at #3?

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#9

Checking in at #9 in our Top 10 Performances of 2008 Countdown we have our first duo.  We head to a longstanding area of demise for Kansas fans and perhaps what was the best chance to break a streak that’s been around since the 1960’s. 

In case you haven’t figured it out I’m referring to Lincoln Nebraska and the sea of red.  Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks headed into Nebraska fresh off a big win over instate rival Kansas State.  The ship appeared to be headed in the right direction following that victory and Kansas fans and players had high hopes for their first win in Lincoln in years. 

An up and down offensive battle ensued and two Jayhawks led the charge for Kansas through the air. 

Jump into the post for a performance and game recap…

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

• A look at early reports from the Sharp and Meier injuries.
• Talk of the Insight Bowl begins at Kansas.
• We talked about the biggest losses here earlier in the season and it looks like Mangino would have voted for Talib.
• Kansas regroups and prepares for Missouri.
• OT: Derek Fine feature on his career with the Bills.
• Showdown draws near.
• Border War notes...

My Thoughts...Well I wouldn't be able to consider myself a Kansas fan if I ever picked against us in the Border War so don't expect an unbiased opinion on this one. 

Against Texas the Kansas defense came out inspired and performed admireably against an impressive and balanced attack led by Colt McCoy.  This week in the final Border War for this linebacker corps I expect and equal showing but what will make this week different is the offense will be there to support it. 

Missouri's defense is by no means the Longhorns and Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks will get back on track, back up their defense and give them the support they need to maintain a strong showing throughout the game.  Make no mistake your not going to shutdown Chase Daniel but Kansas needs to find a way stop the big play and create a couple turnovers. 

All said and done Kansas is a better team than their record indicates and they put together their first complete four quarter performance of the year upsetting the Missouri Tigers.

Final Score: Kansas 35 Missouri 31

Full List of Supplemental Notes and Quotes after the jump...

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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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This week brings the 117th edition of the Border War.  This unique and historically rooted rivalry puts longtime foes in the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers against one another in a battle in Kansas City.  This years version again has two strong teams in this rivalries history and this year pride is a stake for both teams.

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Missouri?
Kansas and Todd Reesing will have an opportunity to redeem themselves in a matchup against the 111th ranked pass defense in the country.  Look for Reesing and the receiving corps to have a strong game against the Missouri defense and expect a possible Jocques Crawford siting from time to time.		KU Offense vs. Missouri Defense		Missouri can win this matchup in a few instances.  First, if it's poor weather.  Reesing has struggled in cold or rainy weather and hopefully we don't have a repeat of last years forcast.  Second, Kansas was disrupted by Texas and if Missouri keeps Kansas down early doubt could creep into the huddle resulting in another poor performance.
The inspired Senior day performance was impressive, but with little help from the offense it couldn't last.  If the KU defense plays equally inspired and get's some help from the offense, even an early lead, they could force Daniel out of his normal groove and win this matchup.  At least somewhat.		KU Defense vs. Missouri Offense		Different week, same story.  Another top 5 offense on the agenda for Clint Bowen and the Jayhawks.  Chase Daniel and company will be highly motivated in this final Border War appearance and I expect the Missouri offense to ulimately win this matchup.
Kansas needs to put some serious emphasis on this area in the offseason and look to regroup in 2009.		Special Teams		Two names:  Jeremy Maclin and Jeff Wolfert
I still say Mangino is a great coach because he has done more with less than anyone and that certainly includes Pinkel Mangino does have a knack for these rivalry type games.		Coaching		Even with my biased view of coach Mangino I sitll had to call this matchup a draw because Missouri does boast two of the most sought after Coordinators on the market this year

This anlaysis looks very familiar as all year it seems Kansas has been prepared to handle the game from an offensive standpoint but not from a defensive or special teams stance. 

This game will come down to how well Kansas can contain Chase Daniel on offense, Jeremy Maclin on special teams and if the offense can get back on track after struggling to score against a stout Texas Longhorn squad.

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

• KU athletics game recap
• Game Notes
• Press Conference Quotes
• Kansas Senior Linebacker Corps wraps up a home career
• KUSports recap
• KC Star recap
• Whitlock Column talks about keeping things in perspective.
• KC Star Game Report
• Great Article on some of the Seniors

My Thoughts...The unthinkable happened yesterday, Kansas lost a football game because its offense was inept.  Todd Reesing appeared flustered and incapable of making the plays that we all know him for.  The pass protection was more than acceptable in many cases and there has been a clear improvement over the year with Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes, yet Reesing couldn’t seem to pull the trigger and couldn’t seem to keep the ball out of the dirt.  I say it again, the Kansas offense lost this game and it’s been awhile since I’ve had to say that.

A Senior day inspired defense came out and did everything they could in the first half forcing several punts by the potent offense of the Texas longhorns.  The unit forced a turnover, the defensive backs seemed to continue to get more comfortable in their new positions, and even the defensive line put some token pressure on Colt McCoy.  The problem this week was we couldn’t capitalize from an offensive standpoint.  The longer the game went without us turning the stops into our momentum the more hopeless the cause and eventually it all broke down. 

This was a frustrating game yet again for Kansas fans and it’s clear we still have work to do in the talent department before we take the next step and beat these big time opponents at home.  I talked about it a little yesterday but it’s worth mentioning again, Kansas needs some more time to improve recruiting and development based on the recent success.  This senior class committed to Mangino on the heels of a 4-7 year so while one of the greatest senior classes in terms of on field success ever at the University they probably weren’t the most talented to ever walk through the door.  Hopefully that class is yet to come and when they do on a more consistent basis we’ll begin to turn the next corner.  Nonetheless, we will see a 2^nd straight bowl, we are bowl eligible for the fourth straight year and I believe we’ve got a good shot at Missouri in Arrowhead.

A couple of guys on this team do deserve special mention after yesterday.  Kerry Meier, this guy is a warrior and all hear, we need a few more healthy versions of him on the field.  Dez Briscoe, amazing catch, another great game, and he continues to develop into a star.   Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes, no they aren’t there yet and no they didn’t have the greatest game, but they have shown marked improvement and if we could play South Florida with this current version of these two I think we win the game.  The defensive line, the unit that has been frustrating all year got some pressure and didn’t get pushed around against a usually dominate Texas O-line.  Thornton and Patterson both seem to be developing and getting more comfortable at their new spots and while I hope we get Patterson back on offense, he looks like a serviceable corner. 

Those are a few of my thoughts for positives looking ahead now it’s an extended Missouri week and maybe this team can put together their first full complete game in this one and make us all feel a little better.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

This week the Mark Mangino led Jayhawks welcome their 2nd top 10 team of the season to Lawrence.  The Texas Longhorns are very much in the mix for a national title bid this year and at this point the Jayhawks are looking to play the spoiler role.

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Texas?
Once again the running game has dissapeared for the most part and if the Jayhawks are going to take this mathcup Jake Sharp will need room to run early and often affording Todd Reesing the luxery of not having ends tee off on every play.  If Kansas can balance the offense and get a quick start the offense could be effective this week.		KU Offense vs. Texas Defense		This will be the toughest defense Kansas has faced all season.  Yes OU is a good team but Texas managed to shut down Chase Daniel and the Tigers and despite the loss gave the Texas Tech machine it's most trouble all year.  Yes they have some youth in the secondary but don't look for this defense to show any signs of weakness against the Jayhawks
The Jayhawk defense has given up 37 points per game in conference play and the 500 yards of offense let up against Nebraska doesn't instill a lot of confidence.  If Kansas can get inspired play from the entire D, a couple of turnovers and avoid major breakdowns they might be able to gain an advantage against Colt McCoy and the Longhorns.		KU Defense vs. Texas Offense		Colt McCoy is as dynamic a duel threat quarterback as Kansas has faced and they haven't faired well against them period.  I expect McCoy, Shipley and Co. to effectively negotiate this Kansas defense that clearly still needs a different type of player at some key positions to compete against the current spread happy Big 12.
I'm not really in the mood to dignify why Kansas might gain an edge here.  This has been a very frustrating unit all year and I don't look for that to change this week because we've been asking for it all year and nothing happens.  No way Kansas gains and advantage here.		Special Teams		I started to do some research here then I thought what's the point.  #2 in net punting, #26 in punt return, #23 in Kick return, need I say more.
Mangino is the reigning coach of the year but has lost a little luster of late due to what seemed a poor game plan against a beatable Husker team.  Not to mention this week the opponent is coached by an coach that owns a NC.		Coaching		If there is one thing we can respect at Kansas it's success and in the case of Mack Brown he is to Texas what Bill Self is to Kansas a National Championship head coach and that gains you an edge any day of the week.

Unfortunatly there aren't a lot of areas if any where Kansas looks to have an advantage in this one.  I'm a glass half full type of person when it comes to the Jayhawks but I find it very difficult after last weeks loss to the Huskers.

Kansas might come out and shock the world but I look for what I hope to be a competitive game with Texas ultimately winning due to superior talent and coaching.  That said Rock Chalk Jayhawk I'll be ready and waiting in front of the TV fully prepared to cheer to victory.  Give em hell.

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...

• How costly a setback was the Nebraska loss.
• Big 12 North hopes begin to fade with the loss.
• KC Star Game Report.
• KU Athletics Recap.
• Final Stats and Box Score.
• KU Athletics game notes.

My Thoughts...Normally in a situation like this I would prefer to be a half full type of person but this morning as it all sinks in I would just assume get the negative out there.

Start with the offense.  Once again we regressed to our earlier habits offensively and an inability to establish a multi-dimensional offense.  The first half saw Todd Reesing as our most effective running option and that leads to injuries.  Clearly we weren't able to get a push in the middle as we did last week and that was apparent to nearly everyone watching very early on.  The blame lies with the lack of adjustment by the coaching staff to what would become an effective outside running game until the second half.  All that said we did get to halftime at 14-14 but with the turnovers we should have had a lead.

Positives on offense continue to be the same story line week after week.  Todd Reesing has a ton of heart and now stands alone as the top passer in Kansas history.  Jake Sharp quietly had a solid game, I think any struggles he may have seemed to have were more a result of poor playcalling than him.  Dezmon Briscoe is establishing himself as the playmaker we need and now sits atop the KU career touchdown reception list with 18 and he's only a sophomore.  I pains me to say but I think Kerry Meier is hurt more that we know, he seems a bit hampered out there and not nearly as effective as early in the year.

Defensively we just aren't there yet.  Kansas doesn't have the athletes or the players to compete against the pass happy Big 12.  The linebackers a group which I have long enjoyed watching were built for a different Big 12 and even more dissapointing yesterday is they didn't seem able to stop the run which has long been their strength.  Anytime a quarterback has 7 seconds to throw the football your not going to cover everybody and that's the frustrating reality of Kansas on defense this year.  Giving up 500+ yards isn't going to win a lot of games and the final two have some juggernaut offenses lining up.

One Positive is clearly James Holt.  A smaller, leaner, quicker linebacker that has shown the ability to rush the passer, play traditional linebacker and cover the pass.  This guy might be the mold for what we need to see in the future. 

Special teams...well I don't even want to talk about this one.

Overall this game stings a bunch.  I've never felt good about this one and always felt it would be a very possible stumbling block but it had become so much more critical for us that I had hoped as well.  Kansas will still be bowling this year as the country is short on even mediocre teams.  Still this is 4 years in a row without a losing record in Kansas football so if I can just keep it in perspective and avoid the sky high expectations that I think were so tempting after the Orange Bowl there is still a lot to look forward to with Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks in the future.  If there is one thing that is clearly different now from in  our past it's that this school and the athletic department are committed to making this a viable program and we can all rest a little easy when you think about the fact that we are angry because we didn't beat Nebraska in Lincoln.  I say that again, when in my lifetime did I expect to be angry about not beating Nebraska in Lincoln...Never!  We have still come a long way from the first 2-10 season under Coach Mangino, but I'm sure he'd be the first to say we have a long way to go.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

                                                                                     image source: KUSports.com