A Losing Epidemic

Source: KU Sports

There are a lot of different ways to lose a football game, and in the 10 or so years that I've been watching Kansas Football, I can honestly say, without much reserve, that I have seen...ehhh... just about all of them. I could really go as far as saying in the past 4 seasons, I've seen all the ways a team can possibly lose a football game. Early blowouts, late-game chokejobs, and everything in between. Hey, variety is the spice of life, right? Even variety in losing football games? No? It's not? Yeah, you're probably right...


Well, the plot is always different. Sure, we always go from point A to point B, but how we get there is the real thrill of it all. We know all too well that our destination is another loss, but how we get there is the suspenseful part. By jet, by car, by fumbling into the endzone, or by dropping 5 third down conversions? There are so many variables. But yes, when the tension is resolved, the ending is always predictable: the guy always gets the girl, the villain makes a crucial mistake, and KU football always loses.

Sure, it's always something new on Rock Chalk Saturdays, but at the same time, it's also always the same flipping result. Loss. Loss. Loss. Loss. Blowout. Almost upset Texas, but still lose. Loss.

At least I can still relish the suspense of: how's KU going to blow this one this time? I know they aren't going to win, but they are up 24 right now in the third quarter and have the ball on the opponents two yard line, this should be interesting--how will the Hawks be able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory tonight?

KU's 23-14 flop in Houston, Texas against the Rice Owls was no different--just another one of those typical Jayhawk meltdowns. Up 14-13, 8 minutes to go, you've got the ball and one of the best running games in the conference-- winning teams finish those games with execution and pure grit-- a "don't take no for an answer" attitude.

All I heard all off-season was how "well conditioned" this team was and how much "harder" they worked than every other team in all of college football. Well, if that's the case, why in God's name are you being outscored by RICE 10-0 in the fourth quarter? Kansas should be winning these type of games on name alone. A Big 12 school has advantages out the wazoo over a Conference USA team in recruiting, facilities, and--newsflash-- uhh... everything else! If you are up 14-13 going into the final quarter, and a) you are the best-conditioned team in the land, or b) you are playing the Rice freaking Owls, you should be licking your chops and ready to step on some fowl throat.

The sad truth of it is that Kansas isn't, and hasn't been, a winning team in a long while. And even sadder, Charlie Weis is not delivering, so he is starting to talk with "coach-speak". The players' quotes will continue to feel empty until they actually start producing. 'We're getting better every week'; 'our defense is improving'; 'those ______ are a tough team'; 'yada yada yada.'

When the offense needed to make plays, passes were dropped. When the defense needed to make plays, Rice cut through the front seven like a knife through hot butter. When the special teams needed to make a play, Rice partially blocked a kick and took over near mid-field.

Rice, on the other hand, put the final nail in KU's coffin with a late touchdown drive, got defensive stops before and after taking the final lead, and nailed a 56 yard field goal with the game on the line. There is a losing epidemic inside that Kansas locker room, and it doesn't show signs of weaning.

Jimmay Mundine is example A of the curse of talent. "Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising"-- Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise. He has, and has always had, what coaches call "untapped potential". He has basically everything you are looking for in a tight-end: speed, leaping ability, big-play potential, outside of actually catching a football and being able to hold a block for a second or two.

Look, dropped passes, especially on third downs, are essentially turnovers. When a quarterback throws a pass and it crosses the line-to-gain and hits you in the hands, you had a legitimate shot at converting and moving the chains, keeping the drive alive. But dropped pass force you, instead, to punt the ball, when you otherwise would have had four, fresh downs to play with. It's a lot like the long interception Jake Heaps threw intended for Justin McCay late in the first half. Change of possession when you could have done something else with the ball.

Now, we've gotta give credit where credit is due. Tony Pierson gave max effort all game long like he always does. His near-acrobatic catch trying to keep the Jayhawks alive on the final drive was gut-wrenching. You could see how badly the young man wanted to win on that play, sacrificing himself for the team, and almost pulling through.

Despite not being able to haul in the miracle pass, Pierson had 4 catches for 95 yards, including a six-yard button hook route that he caught out of the slot, bounced off the defender, turned up-field and down the sideline, and outraced everyone to the end-zone. Those five dropped passes on third-downs could have been less time for the Owl offense, and more time and touches for Tony Pierson to steam some rice.

Two more words: Ben Heeney. Ben Heeney played football like a heat-seeking missile would if it had a chance to suit up on Saturday. Heeney was quite literally everywhere and doing everything: 18 tackles (2.5 tackles-for-loss), a sack, and 2 pass breakups. As much as this loss hurts, I wouldn't trade this kid for anybody.

What's even more encouraging, was the secondary was equally as good as Mountain Man Heeney. I saw Dexter McDonald, a Kansas cornerback(!), jawing with Rice receivers all game and...wait for it... he actually had the ability to back it up... 3 pass breakups and an interception.

JaCorey Shepherd has made wonderful strides opposite of McDonald, adding 3 pass breakups of his own and three solo tackles.

Aside from a few communication errors in the secondary, and being late a few times to the alleys on the speed option, the Kansas defense impressed. KU brought the Rice offense back down to earth, and a little farther beneath the surface after how they played against Texas A&M. Taylor McHargue was even benched at one point in the game because the offense went stagnant after half.

Yes, the defensive shredded like a wet napkin on the last drive, but outside of that, they essentially held Rice to 16 points (minus the ominous pick-six that Jake Heaps threw on KU's initial possession of the game), and were victim to the foot of Chris Boswell yet again. I'll give them a gold, maybe silver, star for today.

Speaking of Chris Boswell, the Kansas defense comes out after a punt is partially blocked, a few minutes into the fourth quarter, and the rock lands just inside the Rice 50. They surrender just about 10 yards of offense, and then stop Rice in its tracks. Rice sends out its kicking team, and Boswell promptly proceeds to nail a 56 yard field goal. What can you do? That series of events is Kansas Football writ large.

I'd almost go as far to say that not only was the pick-six on the offense, but the 56 yard field-goal was on the special teams. So the Kansas defense really only gave up 13 points to a Big-12 caliber offense.

Sadly, though, the KU offense was equally as bad as the defense was good.

Charlie Weis talked about buying K-Mart hands for the KU receivers last week after the South Dakota win, and at the time, everyone was in relatively good spirits after the game, so we all got a good, hearty chuckle out of it. Not today. 'K-Mart hands' was tongue and cheek last week; it's all serious now.

Jimmay Mundine needed to be benched after Saturday; he has been. Justin McCay couldn't get an inch of separation; in steps Rodriguez Coleman. The performance from the wide-receivers on Saturday set a poor precedent for the rest of the team, that losing football is tolerable, but hopefully the roster changes this week will change that.

The lone bright spot was Tre' Parmalee who caught a huge third down pass from a scrambling Heaps that put KU in position to take the lead on a Jake Heaps plunge. Tre' gave me some respite from a receiving core that otherwise gave me pause.

The offensive-line was about as useful as a plastic umbrella with cute little green ladybugs on it in a torrential downpour. The right side of the line gave Heaps little time to throw, and frankly I've never seen James Sims get hit in the backfield so many times. Sims still gained 109 yards on 19 carries, but it was never consistent. Heaps was sacked three times and pressured all night long.

Source: KU Sports

KU has got a long way to go still. Yes, this team will probably be playing its best football in a long time by the end of the year, but who is to say that they won't still be dropping passes against K-State in the final game of the year. Only time will tell.

As always, no matter how much this one stinks,

Rock Chalk.