| |
|
 |
 _ |
||||
| National | Conf | Actual | Category | Actual | Conf | National | |
| Advantage | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank | |||
| Kansas | 17 |
235 |
Rushing Offense | 184.67 |
38 |
||
| Texas Tech | 72 |
212.67 |
Passing Offense | 338.67 |
9 |
||
| Texas Tech | 30 |
447.67 |
Total Offense | 523.33 |
9 |
||
| Texas Tech | 27 |
37 |
Scoring Offense | 48 |
7 |
||
| Texas Tech | 120 |
282 |
Rushing Defense | 225.67 |
111 |
||
| Texas Tech | 120 |
184.32 | Pass Efficiency Defense | 116.29 |
35 | ||
| Texas Tech | 120 |
550 | Total Defense | 410 |
95 |
||
| Texas Tech | 120 |
44 |
Scoring Defense | 19 |
31 |
||
| Kansas | 11 |
42.2 |
Net Punting | 37.11 | 55 |
||
| Texas Tech | 117 |
0 |
Punt Returns | 11.33 |
30 |
||
| Texas Tech | 72 |
20.86 |
Kickoff Returns | 26.55 |
16 |
||
| Texas Tech | 57 |
0 |
Turnover Margin | 1.67 |
8 |
||
| Texas Tech | 102 |
268 |
Pass Defense | 184.33 |
28 |
||
| Kansas | 5 |
181.67 |
Passing Efficiency | 179.4 |
6 |
||
| Texas Tech | 82 |
1.33 |
Sacks | 2 | 48 |
||
| Texas Tech | 57 |
6 |
Tackles For Loss | 6.33 |
46 |
||
| Texas Tech | 54 |
1.67 |
Sacks Allowed | 1.33 |
44 |
||
It's not a pretty picture. For all the improvement and all the positives on the offensive end and in the special teams department we are still well behind a Texas Tech team that is probably going to finish in the 5-8 range in the conference. Granted they have had a bit of a soft schedule but my point is that we're facing an uphill climb right now and something is going to have to give.
There are definitely some great things to be taken away on the offensive side of the ball. The run game is there, Jordan Webb has truly looked like a different quarterback and the passing game is very efficient. On special teams we're no longer talking about an area and a unit that hurts us.
The biggest problem is the defense and that's never more apparent than when you look at this chart and see four consecutive rankings of 120 and it's in the four key indicators of defensive success. Add in the complete lack of big plays and turnovers on the defensive side of the ball and we have to start hoping that the defense comes along in a similar fashion as it did a year ago or we could easily be staring a 2 win season in the face.
All that aside we're talking about this game and there are things working in our favor. It is a home game and Kansas does well offensively in areas that Tech struggles defensively. This feels like the type of game where the best thing Kansas can do is try to grind it out, eat up clock and play a little keep away. Shorten the game, limit possessions and hope your defense can step up to the plate a few times and keep Tech out of a rhythm. A little wishful thinking perhaps but at least executing a similar gameplan and remaining competitive in this game would go a long way toward restoring some of the momentum and goodwill that was built up during the first two weeks.
I've seen some calling it a "must win" and I'm not sure you can go that far with any game on the schedule but it's hard to deny that there isn't a huge sense of urgency in terms of how Kansas shows in this one.