Skip to content

Skip to navigation

advertisement

Blogs

The Greene Room

Live - KU-Virginia Tech

By Ryan Greene
January 3, 2008 | 49 comments

1:01 a.m.: First things first, gathered by Ryan Wood in the KU locker room...

Kansas University offensive tackle Anthony Collins said after Thursday's game that there will be a press conference, probably on Monday in Lawrence, with he and cornerback Aqib Talib regarding the two's decision on the NFL.

The two, both juniors, are contemplating skipping their senior season to go pro, and both could be high draft picks.

"I was supposed to go home to Beaumont (Texas), but I decided I was going to have a press conference," Collins said. "I'll let you know then."

...now onto some other postgame nuggets...

Happy and jubilant, just like you'd expect. That was the mood downstairs as KU coach Mark Mangino, flanked by Justin Thornton, Aqib Talib, Todd Reesing and Joe Mortensen, made it to the podium. Reesing was like a school kid who had just aced his report card, holding an ear-to-ear grin while donning a KU floppy hat. Talib couldn't stop yelling 'We just won the Orange Bowl' to his teammates in the one-on-one area.

This was the highest point in Joe Mortensen's life, he claimed while on the stand at the mic.

And to think, it's only going to get better for the Jayhawks, who return the better part of their starting lineups on both sides of the ball.

Virginia Tech receiver Justin Harper was quick to call Aqib Talib the best cornerback he's ever faced, name-dropping guys such as teammate/future NFLer Brandon Flowers and Arizona Cardinals/former Miami Hurricane stud Antrel Rolle.

Talib certainly earned his MVP trophy and facetime with FOX's Chris Rose, and I would think this performance cemented his place in the first day of the April NFL Draft.

One lasting thought from tonight...

When Talib picked off Tyrod Taylor in the first quarter for his TD, it was a one-time two-star high school cornerback picking off a one-time five-star high school quarterback. It was symbolic of how this team was built, with hard work to develop talent, rather than recruit out-of-this-world talent. The Jayhawks will continue to build their program in this fashion, because it is what has worked. This win probably gave KU a spot in next season's preseason Top-10, and could be the start of something wonderful...

It's been great blogging with you all on football Saturdays this fall, and I look forward to doing it again in a year. Talk to you Saturday from Boston...for those of you who still follow KU hoops.

12:05 a.m.: "I felt like Deion!" - Aqib Talib....greatest quote ever. Be back in a bit with locker room stuff.

11:54 p.m.: Aqib Talib, in perhaps his final game as a Jayhawk, has been named Orange Bowl MVP. I'll be back in awhile after postgame interviews with nuggets.

11:23 p.m.: If you're a KU fan, you have to love the scene in the end zone as Todd Reesing spilled in for a two-yard touchdown to put KU up 24-14 with 10:57 to play. He forced the KU student section behind the end zone to absolutely erupt, throwing his arms in the air in jubilation.

The Jayhawk defense has without question been the unsung hero of this game, having only allowed seven points so far, with three interceptions and five sacks. Sean Glennon appears to be rattled, as Tyrod Taylor has taken over at quarterback on this drive. At this point, he is simply the lesser of two evils in the two-quarterback system.

While the two-QB thing has worked most of the time for VT, this tonight is an example of what happens when all of that just goes flat-out wrong.

11:04 p.m.: If KU doesn't pull this one out, there's no way that first-and-goal at the one which resulted in a second-and-goal from the 29 and an interception is not the turning point.

KU has dipped into the bag of mo-flo tricks a couple of times now on special teams. There may be one more needed.

Sidenote: KU has 18 yards rushing on 19 carries. That has made a huge difference.

10:25 p.m.: That return was something else, as Virginia Tech - true to form - finally struck on special teams. The Hokies now, following Carlton Powell's huge takedown of Todd Reesing, have seized the momentum, despite Kyle Tucker's booming 62-yard punt.

Something cool in the stands is the Hokie fans' tradition when their team is returning a punt. The fans clasp their right hand over the left - proper technique for blocking a punt - and wave the arms up and down.

The onus is on the KU defense now. If VT scores a touchdown on this drive, momentum might be too great to grab back. This would be a good time for James McClinton to make his name heard, as he's been pretty silent all night.

10:15 p.m.: One more quick halftime note....it's raining again.

10:13 p.m.: I really wanted to hear 'Cheap Sunglasses.' Damn...

9:51 p.m.: Before watching flowing facial hair move along with spinning guitars, here's a question:

Why did KU sit on the ball with :30 to go and the first down marker at midfield? Why not take a couple of 10- or 15-yard shots to try for a late field goal? I know that KU gets the ball to start the second half, but points are clearly at a premium for both offenses. Your guys' thoughts?

9:43 p.m.: Like it or not, folks, but we have a ballgame. Some may say that Frank Beamer going to Branden Ore 11 times on VT's last drive was waaaay too old school, but it worked, as neither Hokie quarterback has looked serviceable so far.

Ore looked like he did as a sophomore on that drive, and now the Hokies have an in, as long as the defense can stay strong.

Also, sorry I forgot to do this earlier, but a crowd assessment: It's about a 50-50 split, and there are I'd say about 2-3,000 open seats in the upper bowl.

9:33 p.m.: Congratulations to Marcus Henry. His seven-yard catch on fourth-and-one gave him 1,001 hashmarks for the year, and his 13-yard TD catch came moments later.

In a game of this nature, a 17-0 lead is pretty dominant. Especially now that Virginia Tech seems to have stopped throwing the ball for awhile. Branden Ore ran the ball six straight times to start this drive.

8:56 p.m.: Talib's Devin Hester impersonation in running out a missed field goal by Jud Dunlevy from the back of the end zone gives Todd Reesing a good opening here.

The light rain has ceased, and KU has the ball at its own 39. A nice drive and score here could be huge, as the Jayhawk defense has shown it can buckle down when need be so far in this one.

No sign of Talib on offense yet, though. KU, however, is running all kinds of odd formations and seems to have VT on the ropes early.

8:42 p.m.: Sorry for the slow updates to start, as I was having some web difficulties, but we're back now...

Not a bad opening drive for the Jayhawks. Especially considering what Aqib Talib just pulled off.

Of course, it wouldn't have been an Aqib Talib bowl game touchdown without a penalty flag, which just like Raimond Pendleton's in the opener against Central Michigan was pretty ticky-tack. Talib high-stepped into the end zone and drew a 15-yard flag enforced on the ensuing kickoff. Something tells me Mark Mangino didn't mind. That play, too, might have put Aqib in the NFL for sure.

7:16 p.m.: The J-Wers up here in the press box have made our picks for previously unsung hero most likely to make an impact...and the winners are...

Wood: Kendrick Harper (has been battling injuries most of the year)

Keegan: Jake Sharp (only one carry against Missouri)

Greene: Derek Fine (going out on a high note?)

Who are your picks?

6:47 p.m.: Just a few short minutes ago, junior left tackle Anthony Collins made his habitual pregame lap around the field. Collins all season has been the first Jayhawk on the field to warm up with a jog.

Another note: KU will be wearing red tonight, as the special teamers just emerged from the tunnel in crimson uniforms. The only time KU donned red this season was in its 55-3 win over Florida International. All-time, KU is 5-0 in its red uniforms, wearing them in '06 against South Florida and Colorado, then Louisiana Tech and Missouri in '05.

5:31 p.m.: Just sat down, tucked into the corner of Dolphins Stadium behind the Kansas end zone.

As for the trip up here? To steal a phrase from Aqib Talib: 'One word....ballin'!'

(Or, as Robert Smith called him on ESPN News earlier, 'Taliq Alib' (tal-EEK all-EEB)

The media shuttle had its own police escort to make the 25-mile or so trek down here to Miami Gardens. It was great because the couple of times a car decided to merge in front of the bus and behind the state trooper vehicle, the driver was not hesitant to lay on the horn.

The stadium is looking gorgeous...or, at least the field. Not that the rest of it is unattractive, but the field looks very nice. Here's my photos from the other day when we toured the grounds. It pretty much looks the same now, just a few randoms milling around on the turf.

I just found out some green dye has been used on the grass to make it pop even more on your TV screen. So, if you're asking yourself, no, that lawn color does not exist in nature. It's as fake as a KU sorority girl's tan in February.

2:57 p.m.: First off, if you need a pregame dinner tonight and you're in the Ft. Lauderdale area, hit up the Aruba Cafe. And for postgame? After last night, I'm highly recommending the Hard Rock hotel and casino, if for nothing more than to see Rick Springfield's Fender hanging on the wall...

-Anyways, I look outside of the hotel room today, and all I see are palm trees blowing straight to the left in wicked winds, backdropped by grey skies.

The ones I feel bad for in all of this are the fans who showed up late on Tuesday or early Wednesday and have yet to see happy Florida weather. The Jayhawks, I'm sure, could care less. They had nice conditions for five days down here, and while the locals here may be stockpiling the canned goods and bottled water given the temperatures, weather like this is nothing new to either KU or Virginia Tech.

The thing weather-related that could play the biggest factor is the wind. Given that this is more likely to be a low-scoring grinder rather than a shootout, field position will be key all night. According to the current weather report at Dolphins Stadium, the winds are NNW at 15 mph. There's also a 30 percent chance of rain.

-One interesting note in this game for KU is how many NFL scouts are sure to be watching, especially with this game being the only show in the nation in terms of college ball tonight.

On SportsCenter this morning, ESPN college football analyst Todd McShay, who's a pretty good source in terms of projecting guys to the next level, said the one guy he's really going to be watching in the Orange Bowl will be KU receiver Marcus Henry.

Of course, everyone knows the pro prospects of juniors Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins, who may be playing their final games in crimson and blue tonight, but Henry might be the most feel-good story of any potential NFLer on the KU sideline.

A one-star recruit out of high school who was a late signee in 2004 and played right away, Henry's numbers have improved every season he's been at KU. This year, the senior has 52 grabs for a team-high 994 yards and nine touchdowns.

The numbers are nice, but the total package might matter more. 1) He's 6-foot-4. 2) He's 6-foot-4. 3) He can run in the 4.3 range in the 40. 4) He can go deep or over the middle (where he's not scared to explore).

McShay said he could see Henry going as high as the fourth round, which for a guy who's having his breakout year as a senior is pretty good. Over his four seasons, Henry's body has grown, and he's a lot like Brandon Rideau (physically) was as a senior in 2004. Though, in Henry's favor, he's faster and had a more productive final season.

If Henry wants his best shot in the NFL, a big game tonight would go a long way, as both of Virginia Tech's corners (juniors Brandon Flowers and 'Macho' Harris) are future pros, too.

-Finally, not to get too off-topic, but I feel like last night's Fiesta Bowl blowout by West Virginia is just another chip into the stack supporting the need for a playoff system.

Yeah, yeah, too much money involved, blah, blah, it'll never happen, I know, I know.

But think about it. Absolutely no one gave the Mountaineers a chance to cover an eight-point spread, not to mention win the ballgame, given the choke job to end all strangulations against Pitt in the regular season finale. Then they go out, do what they've done best all year and tear apart one of college football's hottest teams. I'd rather they advance somewhere after that instead of just fly back home. That's just my opinion, though.

We're going to head to the stadium at about 4:30. I'll talk to you once inside the friendly confines.

• More from