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| Source: KU Sports |
Speaking of true fandom, if Saturday, with all the
elements (the rain, the wind, the thunder, the hour and a half delay), wasn’t a
test of character, then I don’t know what is. Few students braved the weather for the first quarter,
and even fewer stayed to the end as the crowd dwindled during the premature
intermission and throughout the course of the game, but even after the
scoreboard read zeros, and the team had come and gone after singing the alma
mater, students stood proud, singing the Rock Chalk Chant in unison. Although
small in number, the group matched the passion of a full student section.
Kansas fell 20-14 in a hard fought comeback, but the game wasn’t without gain.
We learned two things on Saturday: there are
passionate diehards here, and Kansas is making some serious headway in
becoming a Big 12 contender. Does it carry over in Norman, Oklahoma? I wish I
could say something with any certainty, but at least this good feeling will
last throughout the week.
Vegas had Kansas at near 28 point underdogs for
Saturday’s game. Kansas lost by 6, and had a legitimate shot at winning the
stinking game. Charlie Weis continues to say that this is not a moral-victory
based profession, but a performance-based profession, but it is darn near
impossible to come away unimpressed. As I have said before, and not that it is
a novel concept, but Kansas needs to learn to crawl before they walk, and walk
before they run, much like they need to learn to battle before they compete, and
compete before they win. Kansas has battled all year long, and finally started
to compete on Saturday.
As encouraged as I am by how well Kansas played on
offense and defense, it wouldn’t be professional of me to ignore the special
teams. It would be forgiving, but it wouldn’t be objective. It amazes me how
Charlie Weis, Dave Campo and company can gameplan each week against Big 12
competition without a kicker. Honestly, the depth chart is a lie. Each position
has 2, sometimes 3 candidates for the starting job. Kicker should be vacant. Kansas
doesn’t have a single Division 1 caliber kicker on its depth chart! It’s like
Weis has been bringing a pocket knife to a gunfight—a dull blade at that, and
he still manages to keep the game within shouting distance. Points are being
kept off the board, and only a successful offseason can fix it. Thanks, Turner.
Here is my coulda, shoulda, woulda segment that you all have become accustomed to and probably deathly sick of, but had
Kansas been able to trade kickers with OSU, I might be singing an even more
cheery tune. Quinn Sharp punted 5 times for 265 yards, including a 73 yard bomb
that pinned Kansas back, and resulted in a short field for J.W. Walsh and the
OSU offense. Kansas punted well, pinning OSU back a few times, but the offense
didn’t get short fields because of Sharp’s kicks.
Sharp also place-kicked for the Pokes. He made a 49
and 42 yard kick, and nailed a 52 yard kick that was annulled because of a
Charlie Weis timeout. He missed as the clock expired at half because of an
errant snap. That said, it still had a chance to split the uprights… from 52
yards out…
Kansas, on the other hand, did not attempt a field
goal because of its troubles in that department, and ended up turning the ball
over on downs from the OSU 35, 16, 20, 28, and 42. Sure, a few of the 4th
downs were inches to go, but if Charlie had a reliable placekicker (Sharp), or
a girls soccer player, or anyone who could kick a 30 yard field goal in his
back pocket, Kansas would have won this game.
But Kansas’s special teams played well outside of
that. Tre Parmalee gave Kansas good field position on the few kickoffs he did
return (that weren’t bombed out of the stadium by Sharp). Bradley McDougald
gave Kansas some nice returns on punts, and the coverage units made good, quick
tackles on punts and kickoffs. Sean Huddleston and the punt coverage pinned OSU
inside the 25 four times, and inside the 10 twice. I’m seeing improvement week
to week, and man, if Josh Ford could catch a pass, he would be dangerous. The
kid has a motor and is a great athlete.
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| Source: KU Sports |
This may have been the best defensive performance
that the Jayhawks have played in a little better than 3 years. Oklahoma State’s
22 game streak of scoring 30 points or more in a game ended on Saturday, tying
Hawaii for the most ever NCAA history. Although they have lost some firepower from the team that beat Kansas 70-28, leading them 56-0 at the half last year, the Cowboys led the country in offense going into the game. Kansas shut OSU out during the 1st
and 4th quarters, and aside from one missed tackle by newcomer Jake
Love on a 72 yard curl route to wide-receiver Charlie Moore, Oklahoma sustained
only two scoring drives from inside their own 40 yard line. The first touchdown
drive came off great field position, just inside their own 50, and the two
drives that actually showed any promise were halted and held to field goals. Kansas
forced Oklahoma State to punt 5 times, and turned them over on downs 2 other
times, and Lubbock Smith came away with an early interception that wasn’t
capitalized on by the offense.
When they needed to make stops, they did. After
Kansas scored its first touchdown to trim the lead to 20-7, the defense got
itself off the field immediately, forcing a 3 and out. Kansas scored 2 minutes
later, and Kansas forced two more punts before the game ended. The defense did
its job, and then some.
Oklahoma State’s running back, Joseph Randle, came
into the game averaging 7.12 yards per rush and 6 touchdowns through the Cowboy’s
first four games. On Saturday, Randle was limited to 2.8 yards per carry on 28
totes and no touchdowns, well below his season average. Kansas contained Randle
throughout the game, and when he did break through the front four, linebackers
Ben Heeney and Jake Love swarmed and wrapped him up. Tunde Bakare was sidelined
with an injury, but Love stepped right in and filled his shoes admirably. That
doesn’t happen last year. Kansas would have been terribly exposed. Instead,
Kansas combined for 6 tackles for a loss (3 from Love). Bradley McDougald and
Toben Opurum gave spirited efforts, and that is what you would expect out of
your senior leadership.
J.W. Walsh was 18 for 29 for 255 yards, but
remember, 72 of those came on one play, a short button-hook. Walsh was limited deep
down-field by 4 pass-breakups by Greg Brown and Tyler Patmon (2 each).
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| Source: KU Sports |
James Sims rushed 27 times for 142 yards, including
several key runs down the stretch, including a 30 yard touchdown run, and a few
catches out of the backfield for third down conversions. Sims is simply a
warrior, and if he can keep this pace up for the rest of the schedule, he could
be getting some hardware from the Big 12.
The offensive line did a solid job at sealing
blocks, and Sims used his patience and quick cutbacks to expose the OSU
secondary and linebackers. Tony Pierson was sorely missed, but Sims picked up
the slack for the time being. Hopefully Tony can come back soon, because he
could be a major piece in the puzzle.
And as for the elephant in the room, you know I have
to talk this one to death—the quarterback controversy—well, it gives fans some significant
intrigue for the rest of the season, doesn’t it?
Dayne Crist probably had his most clean game of the
season on Saturday, but at this point, and with the pro-style offense that
Charlie Weis chooses to run, Kansas needs a little more than clean. They need
to be able to get some plays out of the quarterback position, regardless of
down or distance. Crist was 10 of 22 for 136 yards and no interceptions, but no
touchdowns. His season completion percentage still dips below 50 percent, and
he takes too many sacks and throws too many passes away. Mike Cummings simply
gives the Jayhawks another dimension with his feet. He can move in the pocket,
avoid sacks, and gain some yards if the play goes to crap. Sure, he was 5 of 10,
missing Brandon Bourbon on a game-breaking screen pass and a wide open Tre
Parmalee alone on an island slurping a Piña
Colada in the end-zone, but he threw for 75 yards and hit Jimmay Mundine for a
21 yard TD. The offense was dead until he came in, his arm strength is obvious,
and he just gives Kansas a much needed jump-start.
Animated Drive Chart brought to you by Gameday Depot.
Don’t hold out too much hope for the Oklahoma game,
but after watching football on Saturday, I think Kansas has a fighter’s chance
in each of its last 5 games. A fighter's chance if they keep playing defense like they did
Saturday, keep running the ball down defense’s throats, and keep playing
spirited, passionate football for all four quarters. Rock Chalk.
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