Losing Streak Ends, So Naturally: We Want Bama

Source: KU Sports

Funny story: So I started officially keeping this blog, The Rock Chalk Rant, on Blogger in the Fall of 2011, during KU's 2-10, 2011-2012 season. What most don't know, though, is that I actually first considered writing a game recap following KU's 52-45, 28 point comeback on November 6th, 2010. I was, and still am, enamored by the twists and turns of a college football game, especially that one, and I thought, as I sat there thinking about all the variables that impacted that game in that post-game delirium, that people would find it interesting to read game-recaps like they would a story. Because I think football games are stories, in a sense, (some better than others, and some, as we have seen, are the same old same old story) full of little occurrences that often go overlooked, but actually have a substantial impact on the game and season's outcome. I don't want to get too sappy, but like life, the little things add up over the course of time and add up to something pretty sizable...

I guess I held off on writing my first post after that bizarre November Saturday in 2010 because I figured starting with the 2011 team made most sense chronologically. And, so ironic it's quite nauseating, because I figured that KU would win several conference gameS in 2011. I boldly, naively, heedlessly assumed with complete and utter insouciance that that wouldn't be the last time until this past Saturday, November 16th, 2013, a year and ten days later, that I would witness a KU conference victory. I can't say that thought even crossed my mind.

See, it was year 2 of 2 during Turner Gill's coaching run here, and it was just presumed by everyone that that 2011 team had a lot of solid pieces on the offensive side of the ball, and a better understanding of Chuck Long and Turner Gill's system. The offensive line returned big names like Jeff Spikes, Jeremiah Hatch, Tanner Hawkinson, and Duane Zlatnik. James Sims returned at tail back after amassing 742 yards as a true freshman, and Jordan Webb was coming along at quarterback with D.J. Beshears and Daymond Patterson returning as viable receiving options. You figured that the defense was going to have some growing pains, but Stephen Johnson would help solidify the heart of the defense, and as long as the defensive line could be serviceable, they would hopefully be off the field enough thanks to a strong ball-control offense.

Long story short, I was sorely mistaken. This Saturday provided the first time ever, EVER, in the history of The Rock Chalk Rant, that I was able to write about a KU conference victory. I'd like to thank the academy, my mother, and Charlie Weis, and on a side note: Lew Perkins can stick it.

Source: KU Sports

The Jayhawks came into this game against the West Virginia Mountaineers as 7 1/2 point dogs. As documented earlier, the Mountaineers were coming into Lawrence limping. This wasn't only on the scoreboard, having lost 4 of their last 5 games, but quite literally. The team was playing without their starting quarterback and a healthy portion of their defensive stars. Those that played were banged up, and if you look at a team a few hours south of us, TCU, you'll see some of those same problems, which speaks to both the physicality in the league and the grind that is the Big 12 schedule.

Yet WVU came into the game 4-6 (2-5) with wins over Oklahoma State and TCU (in Fort Worth) and close losses to Oklahoma (in Norman), Texas Tech, Kansas State (in Manhattan), and a heart-breaking overtime defeat to the Texas Longhorns, so this was no slouch of an opponent. Charles Sims was putting up all-conference type numbers out of the backfield, and the Mountaineers had some shifty slot receivers that could attack the Achilles heel of the Kansas secondary, short-intermediate crossing routes. Also worth mentioning, the defense, in spite of its injuries, had improved. Aside from an ugly waxing at the hands of Maryland in September and an otherwise expected Baylor blowout, West Virginia was in every contest to date, which makes this even crazier to say: they weren't really in this one!

Well, it was a blustery fall day. Winds gusted upwards of 30 miles per hour. Kansas won the toss, and like so many times this year, deferred to the second half. This time, though, they took the wind to start.

After Trevor Pardula booted the ball well through the end-zone, West Virginia took over from the 25. On the first play from scrimmage, Charles Sims, a redshirt senior transfer from the University of Houston, gashed the KU defense for 26 yards, showcasing some elite speed for a big guy. 2 plays later, Paul Millard hit Mario Alford on a screen pass and he carried it down the KU 17. KU was victim to the screen pass early because their secondary sagged off so far, but made some great in-game adjustments later.

On a 3rd and 5 from the KU 12, Millard sent Sims in motion out of the backfield and wide left, he took the snap and fired one over to the halfback, who toted it into the end-zone practically untouched. The drive took less than 3 minutes, and Kansas already trailed by the spread. It was the first time an opponent had scored against Kansas on the first possession of the game all year.

Montell Cozart took over for his first start on the KU 27. Sims started his day off strong with a 10 yard rush on the first play from scrimmage. Sims had three more runs, gaining 17 more yards straight up the gut for a first down. After another strong Sims carry, Cozart rolled right on a play-fake and hit Andrew Turzilli on a comeback route. Cozart added 2 runs to move the chains inside the 10 yard line.

A holding penalty on Aslam Sterling really killed the momentum on the drive, and Kansas had to settle for a field-goal. Darwin Cook was roughed up on the drive, though, and we saw him struggling to play for the rest of the game. 7-3 West Virginia.

West Virginia moved the chains on the second drive with a few completions, but a holding penalty negated a good first down play on the third play of the drive. KU forced a third down and brought in some wholesale changes with pass rushers, something we haven't seen the past couple of years, and Millard was forced to make an inaccurate pass.

On KU's second drive, a holding penalty on Ngalu Fuismalohi brought back a potential first down run by Sims.

Jordan Thompson muffed Pardula's punt, and the ball bounced back to the West Virginia 5, where he recovered it, but gave KU a major victory in the battle of field position. Millard and Sims made a few plays, and the time ran out in the first quarter.

Cassius Sendish made a solid tackle on Kevin White, holding WVU short of the first down and mid-field.

Brandon Bourbon went for 16 yards on first down, but Kansas stalled after trying to go outside on 3 straight plays. This was one of the frustrations from the game: things were working so well straight up the gut, but when they tried to kick it outside, it didn't go for much.

Mario Alford broke a Dexter Linton tackled on a looping comeback route and went for 46 yards, but Linton made up for it with his 8th pass break up of the season a few plays later. Millard hit Daikiel Shorts on an out route to move the chains, but stiffened, after a Kevin White pass interference call, and on a third down play, KU and Kevin Young recorded a coverage sack of Millard, forcing a punt.

KU took over at its 11 with 7:47 left in the half. Cozart hit Justin McCay on a slant, an old Bishop Miege connection, and McCay nearly brought it to the 30. McCay dropped a first down pass on the next play, but James Sims took the second down run, made a man miss in the backfield, and followed strong blocking up the left sideline for a 62 yard run. Cook came up gimpy on the play.

2 plays later, Sims bulled his way into the end-zone, grabbing the lead that they wouldn't lose for the rest of the game. 10-7 Jayhawks.

Wendell Smith's kickoff return was brought back on a holding call, keeping the momentum with KU, and pinning the Mountaineers back inside the 10. Dexter McDonald made a great play on a pass, separating receiver from ball, and Ben Goodman sacked Millard.

After KU punted, Michael Reynolds made an excellent play on Paul Millard to hold him just short of the first down, giving KU the ball with a little under 1 minute. I was calling for a timeout, but apparently Charlie Weis knew exactly what he was doing.

On the first play of the drive, with just 39 seconds left in the half, James Sims took a pitch right and cut it upfield, past a limping Darwin Cook 68 yards for a touchdown. Kansas 17-7.

West Virginia completed a few passes down the field, and kicking a 42 yard field goal with the wind, Josh Lambert's kick was blocked by Keba Agostinho as the half ended. Kansas stormed into the locker room with all the momentum.

There was a pretty ugly turn of events that signaled business as usual for the Jayhawks. KU took the second half kick and went three and out. Trevor Pardula was forced to punt into the wind, and when he got it caught up in that jet-stream, the ball went out of bounds at the Kansas 43, a ten yard punt.

WVU took over in tremendous field position against a KU team that had played very well, but was still very vulnerable.