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| Source: KU Sports |
Homecoming 2011 featured an 11 AM start for the Kansas Jayhawks, a start that appeared a little too early for the visiting Texas Tech Red Raiders. The 6 point favorites appeared to be wiping the sleep from their eyes while the Jayhawks executed to perfection.
The Hawks, dressed in their new retro powder blue uniforms (a salute to the winners of 1961 Poinsettia Bowl), fired on all cylinders from the get go. D.J. Beshears took the opening kick to the Texas Tech 42 yard line, and in just 4 plays, 1 minute and 52 seconds, the Hawks were out to a 6-0 lead. Although, D.J. Beshears would later fumble on a punt return, the offense would score on the next two possessions, in just 5 plays apiece. Unlike any other game to date, the defense stupefied the home crowd with not 1, not 2, but 3 scoreless possessions, including a pick-me-up interception by safety, Keeston Terry, making an excellent break on a Seth Doege pass. After Beshears coughed up the ball in Hawks territory, the Red Raiders salivated at the opportunity to trim the 13-0 game to one score, but for the first time all season, the defense showed resiliency, much less a backbone, and forced a turnover.
The Hawks, dressed in their new retro powder blue uniforms (a salute to the winners of 1961 Poinsettia Bowl), fired on all cylinders from the get go. D.J. Beshears took the opening kick to the Texas Tech 42 yard line, and in just 4 plays, 1 minute and 52 seconds, the Hawks were out to a 6-0 lead. Although, D.J. Beshears would later fumble on a punt return, the offense would score on the next two possessions, in just 5 plays apiece. Unlike any other game to date, the defense stupefied the home crowd with not 1, not 2, but 3 scoreless possessions, including a pick-me-up interception by safety, Keeston Terry, making an excellent break on a Seth Doege pass. After Beshears coughed up the ball in Hawks territory, the Red Raiders salivated at the opportunity to trim the 13-0 game to one score, but for the first time all season, the defense showed resiliency, much less a backbone, and forced a turnover.
Week 5
Box-Score Courtesy of: KU Athletics
Texas Tech (4-0,1-0) vs. Kansas (2-2,0-1)
Date: Oct 01, 2011
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Texas Tech.......... 7 17 21 0 - 45
Kansas.............. 20 7 0 7 - 34
The Jayhawks charged out to an early 20-0 lead with just 9 minutes gone in the first quarter. All the promises that had been made by Kansas (players and coaches, alike) after the Georgia Tech shellacking were being lived up to. The team had a pulse, they took it to the visitors, and they looked good doing it. Turner Gill had dressed his team in the new uniforms and they were stylish. It was a little difficult to recognize the Hawks in the Carolina Blue jerseys, but it was especially tough to recognize their tremendous play… until the tides changed.
I have found the analogy. In a stream of consciousness, an image of my little cousin running for the first time, rushed through my head. After crawling for quite some time, Kyla decided that walking on two feet was far better than scurrying around on all-fours. Think of all the places she could explore, now! So she began her gait with slow, unsure steps. She nearly fell, but regained her balance, and a small smile crept across her face. Greedily, she began to run, but before she knew it, she would trip, what had been laughter was now enveloped in tears.
The Kansas Jayhawk Football team is not ready to run off with a 20-0 lead, yet. The biggest obstacle in their way on Saturday was themselves (4 turnovers). Last season, as bottom dwellers, the Jayhawks did a lot of crawling. Later in the year there was marked progress, and they began to hold their own in competitive ballgames. This year, they need to continue that competitive trend, and learn to stay competitive for entire ballgames. Learn to crawl before you walk. Learn to walk before you run.
It’s easy to take shots at the Kansas defense, once again. The defense gave up 530 yards of total offense and 45 first downs. Jordan Webb continued to complete passes at a blistering pace (16-22 for 239 yards and 3 TDs), but three costly and unfortunate interceptions really cost the defense some points and breath. With Kansas up 20-7, Webb threw an ill-advised pass into triple-coverage and the ball was intercepted and returned to the Kansas 25. On the very next drive, Webb was picked off on a ball that ricocheted off WR Chris Omigie’s hands. A very catchable ball, Omigie got away scot-free, Webb heard the birds. Tech returned the ball to the Kansas 45, and scored 6 plays later. Even punter Ron Doherty joined in on the fun of blowing away a three score lead. Doherty would punt the ball 27 yards after the Hawks went 3-out on their next drive. Twenty-seven yards. 27 whopping yards. Tech would capitalize with a field goal. 24-20 Tech. And finally, with Kansas trailing 38-27, Jordan Webb was intercepted on a would-be touchdown-fluke-interception that Chris Omigie dropped. This pick was returned for nearly 40 yards. Take 7 points off the board, add 7 for Tech and to their 11 point lead, and Tech is up 45-27, with 2:49 left in the 3rd quarter. Accredit nearly 24 points to reasons other than the defense. Those are 24 points that could have gone the other way. Chris Omigie: I am speechless.
The defense, itself was not as bad as it may have appeared. Greg Brown slipped on a play where Tech hit Eric Ward on a 1st and 25 and Ward turned and scampered in the end zone from 40 yards out. Keba Agostinho and Toben Opurum had pressure off the end, the linebackers had their zones locked down, but Bradley McDougald was grossly out of position, and the entire defense was booed because of it. Even when ten players execute on a play, there is no guarantee that the defense will be successful. 7 points charged to McDougald. Bradley McDougald: I am speechless.
Even a tough no-fumble-call on the Kansas 1 yard line resulted in a 14 point swing when the game was still in question. Not to bring the pinstripes into the equation, but had the officials overturned that play, the Jayhawks could be sitting pretty in first-place in the Big 12.
Also, in his Tuesday Press Conference, Turner Gill emphasized some improvement on the defensive side of the ball. For starters, the defense faced 3, 3 and outs against Texas Tech. In the 3 games previous, the Jayhawks forced 3, 3 and outs. So they tripled their season average of 3 and outs. Receivers were not wide open like they were against Georgia Tech. On an 18 yard fade pass to Tech receiver Eric Ward, Kansas cornerback Greg Brown was locked up on Ward, but the ball was tipped in the air and in an acrobatic move, Ward snatched the ball and brought it to his gut for a touchdown. Brown played the ball extremely well, but the pass took a terribly unlucky bounce. Kudos to Ward, but good for Brown, nonetheless.
Granted, history repeated itself like the 2004, 31-30 debacle, where Texas Tech stormed back from 25 points down and won in Lawrence. The defense folded like a lawn chair once the Tech offense went no-huddle just like they had 7 years prior, but they sure did not catch any breaks from Omigie, McDougald, Doherty, or the refs.
Who is going to question Jordan Webb? Any takers? Webb had been flawless all year, and in the game where he threw 3 picks, he made 2 tackles. The guy is a warrior, and he led with his head for those tackles in Reesing-esque fashion. Webb was visibly frustrated, but we all know that there is a fire in his gut, a burning desire to rid this program of terrible football.
Chuck Long learned his lesson from the Georgia Tech game. The “Jayhawk” formation was absent from the game plan, and Rell Lewis was used perfectly in passing situations (he caught a wonderfully drawn up 19 yard touchdown on a 3rd down screen pass with just 47 seconds left in the fist half)! I salute you, Chuck! Brandon Bourbon got 10 carries in the absence of bumped up Darrian Miller, and gained 101 yards incuding a 51 yard touchdown. And although he only got 85 yards, Sims got 24 carries, and had he not slipped on a statue-of-liberty play, the Jayhawks might have made this game really winnable late. More Bourbon, Sims, Pierson, Miller in the running game, more Lewis (the best pass blocker and receiver) in the passing game.
Fans may point to second half statistics because they are blatant and easy to make assumptions with. Obviously, when Kansas trailed by a combined 4 points, 48-44, against the Tech’s (Georgia and Texas) in the first half they had something going right. “But the halftime adjustments by Turner Gill were terrible because they were outscored 63-14 in the second halves.” This is far too narrow-minded. Lack of talent, depth, and luck are major components, as well.
The Georgia Tech game was a barrage of problems, but Texas Tech was a simple case of Murphy’s Law. Anything that can possibly go wrong, does. For more on the Jayhawks bad luck, check out the link below:
There were plenty of positives to take from the game and it bodes well for the future, but maybe not for the near future.
Kansas has not played a team with a loss, yet. The Iowa State game in early November will be, as of now, the first game in where KU will face with a tarnished record. Officially one quarter of the way in to this season, the Jayhawks are 2-2. If nothing else, the most modest expectations have been met (Sports Illustrated predicted one measly win). Unfortunately, wins could be sparing in the near future. It is safe to say that the Kansas Jayhawks are entering the toughest stretch of their season (possibly the toughest stretch any team in the country might face.) To this point, the Jayhawks opponents are a combined 40-10, a .800 winning percentage. The first four foes: vs. (3-1) McNeese State, vs. (2-3) Northern Illinois, @ (5-0) No. 13 Georgia Tech, and vs. (4-0) Texas Tech, combined for a 14-4 record. The next four: @ No. 6 Oklahoma State, vs. No. 3 Oklahoma, vs. No. 20 Kansas State, and @ Texas, combined for a perfect 16-0. To date, Kansas has a total of seven AP top 25 teams on its schedule! Four of them are coming hot, but on the farther horizon the last third of the season features a 10-6 combined record. The Jayhawks will have to weather the storm for now, but the last third of the season could make for some interesting ballgames.
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