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Thursday, April 5, 2007

Potential vs. potential

KU's second-year QBs both have shown promise

By Ryan Wood

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Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino insists that he has no choice to make when it comes to a starting quarterback.

"I'm not picking anybody," Mangino said. "Somebody's going to win the job sooner or later."

Kerry Meier and Todd Reesing seemed to split duties evenly on Wednesday, when KU opened practice for the general public. And even though Meier might be considered the frontrunner, nobody has taken control of the job yet.

"I don't know," Mangino said, asked when he expects to have a starter emerge. "I really don't know."

So once again, the highest-profile position on offense is clouded in uncertainty, though that's not exactly a bad thing this year.

Both Meier and Reesing played as freshmen in 2006, both showing signs of great potential but also having freshman moments. Though Meier was the starter when healthy the whole year, Reesing received some meaningful snaps late in the year even when Meier was playing.

This spring, both quarterbacks are readjusting to a tweaked system and a new assistant coach, Ed Warinner. And Mangino likes the results so far.

"Progress is being made," Mangino said. "We're learning a lot of new things everyday, and I think that every day we add something new to it and keep building on it. They do a pretty good job with the things that we're repeating from the past and they're working on the new things. So far, I'm pleased."

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KU football spring practice

The quarterbacks, who haven't been made available to the media this spring, are strikingly different though neither is considered a strict pocket passer.

Meier, at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, plays more like a running back when flushed out of the pocket, often tucking and running for gains. He executed an option read play perfectly on Wednesday, running up the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown against the first-team defense.

Reesing, meanwhile, is just 5-11 and 190 pounds and doesn't have the running ability Meier has. Reesing's best moments in 2006, though, came when he was flushed out of the pocket and was forced to improvise. Instead of tucking and running, Reesing kept his head up and found receivers for big gains multiple times.

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2006-07 April 4 open practice

And so the competition continues. A year ago, Mangino insisted on having an answer by the end of spring ball to a similar competition, and he did by naming Meier the starter over Adam Barmann.

Publicly, there's no such timetable in place this year. Teammates instead are getting comfortable with both of them.

"They're both explosive with their legs. They're both smart. They both know the plays," junior Aqib Talib said. "It doesn't matter to me which one's in there. They both bring about the same thing to the table. They're both two explosive quarterbacks."

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Comments

JayViking (anonymous) says...

"Reesing, meanwhile, is just 5-11 and 190 pounds and doesn't have the running ability Meier has."

Did no one see this kid play last year? Am I the ONLY one in the universe that thinks Reesing is a lightning bolt of a runner?

April 5, 2007 at 8:24 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

McGuzzo23 (anonymous) says...

I don't know if he's a lightning bolt, but I think his best work was out of the pocket. He had the best half of football against Colorado I had seen out of a quarterback since Wittemore. I know Meier is the prototypical quarterback, but he consistently threw short passes and didn't read the defenses at all. I'm a Reesing fan anytime you have a quarterback come in when you are down and out and brings you back instantly. That's a good option I like to have. He also seems to bring life to the team when he is in there. I not the one getting paid the big money so I will let Mangino do that.

One more thing I have to say is Get Jake Sharp the Ball the Kid scored 63 Touchdowns his senior year of High School Ball. He knows how to get to the End Zone just let him do it.

April 5, 2007 at 8:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawk0507 (anonymous) says...

I agree that Todd Reesing looked amazing in the second half against Colorado. I also agree that this kid is more of a runner than he is being given credit for. Should be interesting to see who wins the job!!

April 5, 2007 at 8:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

At 5'11'', Reesing's best work HAS to be out of the pocket because he can't see passing lanes over his lineman. Scrambling is where he will get almost all of his success because it allows him to see downfield. He is extremely quick and has great escapability--a must at the college level. That Colorado performance was awesome last year, and proved he can provide a spark whenever we need it.

Meier is also a good QB, but he is too quick to tuck and run when under pressure. That is a tactic that no doubt brought him a lot of success in HS, but it will ultimately get you hurt at the D-1 level. We all saw the effects last year when he threw more than his fair share of ducks and lollipops. That wasn't necessarily because he has a limp noodle for an arm; it's because he was probably still smarting from a wallop he received from some 6'0'' gorilla of a linebacker. He's got to be more patient and be a throw first, run second kind of guy to stay healthy and contribute all he can to this team.

All in all, this year's QB quandary is one you want to have if you're going to have one. In Reesing and Meier we have two people who are each more than capable of running our offense. I'll take this any day over the days of Zac Wegner and Matt Johner!

April 5, 2007 at 9:54 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kufan1975 (anonymous) says...

I am wanting to see if Meier actually has an arm. While in high school all we heard about was his great legs and rocket arm. Hey Kerry, throw the ball don't limp wrist it. What I like about Reesing is that he reminds me of Whittemore. Tough, smart adn takes what the defense gives him. So he isn't 6'3", who cares he gets the job done. I would be comfortable with either of them being the starter. What I am not comfortable with is 6-6 with more talent then has been in Lawrence since the days of the shady Glenn Mason. If KU doesn't go at least 8-4, 9-3 then he isn't going to get it done ever at KU. If he doesn't get it done then Boise State, Peterson, would fit quite well in Lawrence. Don't you think?

April 5, 2007 at 12:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

nddhawk (anonymous) says...

Not to be nitpicky, but isn't Ed Warriner the OC, not an assistant coach?

April 5, 2007 at 12:56 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ACraig11 (anonymous) says...

give the ball to sharp!

April 5, 2007 at 1:09 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

HoosierPride (anonymous) says...

Meier is a terrible QB. Did Mangino not watch as Meier stared down receivers last year? Was he too busy eating a sandwich on the sideline to notice that Meier never once looked at his second or third options? That Colorado game was a joke until Reesing came in and took it over. Give the man the job and leave Meier on the bench.

April 5, 2007 at 1:59 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

ndd

If you're not the head coach, then you are an assistant coach. OC just more specifically describes the work being done. OC & DC could be a role filled by the HC or assistants.

OC & DC are usually in charge of a specific part of the team as well; QB's, OL, DL, LB, etc.

April 5, 2007 at 2:09 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

prairie_dog (anonymous) says...

I like the competition itself. It's got to make both of them better. May the best man win.

What I really want to see is Little Jake popping out from behind Anthony Collins and the boys and going for 40.
Reesing/Meier off play action. touchdown!!

i'm getting fired up thinking about it.

April 5, 2007 at 2:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Me too prairie dog--September can't come soon enough!

April 5, 2007 at 3:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

Reesing and Sharp FTW.

April 5, 2007 at 3:56 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kylecisnum1 (anonymous) says...

this isnt about this article at all, but hahahahaha!!!! huggy is leaving ksu!!!!

April 5, 2007 at 4:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhawker137 (anonymous) says...

I'm on vacation in PA and had to find a libray to make fun of the fact that Higgins ditched to go to West Virgina, I know he graduated their, but what a laugh to think that K-state could actually get a top quality coach!!!! I have not stopped laughing since, my side hurts!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, big breath!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! You get the point.

April 5, 2007 at 5 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

HoosierPride, I dont like your comment about mark mangino eating a sandwich on the sideline. How old are you, 12? Grow the hell up! Also, Meier has more experience than does reesing, so thats a bonus in his favor. Also, we all know how tough he is when he played with a messed up throwing hand, which probably attributed to some of the "ducks and lollipops" he threw. Give him a healthy season to see what he can acheive. Yea Reesing had a great half, but can he sustain it for a whole season? Who knows................Everyone, lets just pray to god that we never have to hear about Adam Barman ever, ever again. I would take meier's hurt hand or Reesing's inexperience ANYDAY before I would take a healthy Adam Barman.

April 5, 2007 at 8:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

notabandwagon-I think your argument for Meier is weak at best. You mentioned that Reesing only had 1 good half. Well, I was in Ames when we had a 7-3 lead in the first quarter and it was 4th and 6 at the ISU 30 yard line. Reesing was in and we went for it. What happened? a 30 yard touchdown reception to Derek Fine. If you havent been to Ames, thier fans really get into it, but Reesing quited them. Something Meier could not do to the Toledo fans. Everytime Reesing has been givin an oppurtunity he has shined.
You say give Meier a chance. He had his chance against Louisiana Monroe who we almost lost to (21-19) against Toledo(5 turnovers) and our 2 biggest games of the year, K-State and Mizzou. We are lucky we got out of that with a split. Against K-State he threw 3 picks and he threw a 4th easy pick but 2 K-State Dbacks colided knocking the ball loose. Mizzou, well that was probably the worst performance of all.
Mangino was patient with Meier, like you need to be with freshman and gave him his chance. Unfortunately, he showed absolutely no improvement as the season progressed.
Todd Reesing in 2007

April 5, 2007 at 9:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

greatabu (anonymous) says...

While Reesing may be the better passer than Meier, people need to recognize that he is still very inexperienced. I saw him throw an interception on a shovel pass at Iowa State. Let that soak in for a minute; he was picked off by a DT on a 2 yard underhanded toss. The only thing I've seen that was stupider was when Talib grabbed Brad Smith's option pitch in Lawrence 2 years ago. Also, he had a couple of great tosses and a great run against Colorado, but he also coughed up the ball on the next play that the Buffs ran back 95 yards for a TD that left the game in doubt until the clock ran out. I think that we will see plenty of both quarterbacks next year.

April 5, 2007 at 9:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

greatabu-great point, and you know what will help fix those silly hickups. Yep, you guessed it- more snaps. Did you really think he would come into that Colorado game at halftime, 9 weeks into the season and be flawless. Iowa State was his first road game and he made a couple mistakes but in the end got the job done again.

April 5, 2007 at 9:58 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

greatabu (anonymous) says...

True that fabio. At least we were up 30 at that point, so it was good for a chuckle. Either way, I feel comfortable knowing that no matter who starts we have a good backup in case of injury or ineffectiveness.

April 5, 2007 at 10:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

weak at best? Redshirt freshman vs. true freshman.........little more experienced starter vs. seldom used backup. I will agree he provided a spark in the colorado game, but you, nor I, have been at spring ball to see what goes on behind the scenes. No, i have never been to ames, and I dont ever plan on it. You got me there. Playing against Toledo and Iowa st. are 2 different games, so dont even compare them................................. Reesing stats vs. Iowa st. 3-5, 35 yards, 1 td, 1 int. Kerry Meier stats vs Iowa st. 17-22, 199 yards, 1 td. That is a 77% completion percentage. You know what that tells me? One big 30 yard play, and then 2-4 for 2 yards! By the way, Meier didnt even play in the Colorado game, so you cant blame him for the inefficteness of the offense.

April 5, 2007 at 10:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

Louisiana-Monroe, second game of the season..........2nd career start............also, Meier threw 2 picks agains k-state. not 3. Talk about a weak argument. The only game they both played in together besides Iowa St. was Missouri........Todd Reesing stats....4-8, 63 yards, no tds, 1 int. Kerry Meier stats.....8-15, 99 yards, no tds, no ints............compare that!

April 5, 2007 at 10:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

CasperCorps (anonymous) says...

I vote Reesing, dude's a winner and comes from a winning program in highschool. The next Doug Flutie..

April 5, 2007 at 10:41 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ophawks (anonymous) says...

Meier doesnt air the ball out enough. If I remember right, they mainly had him just throw little crosses or outs for maybe 5-10 yards. Every time he would throw it deeper than 20 yards, it wouldnt be a close play. They are both good but its too bad Reesing had to lose his eligibility that late.
However, Meier has everything it takes to be a good QB if hes healthy. I saw him totally take over a state game at my high school even though our team was far better than his. Him and Sharp, if they both stay healthy and get the ball, will get us to a good bowl and beat the crappy teams like we lost to last year.
Also, hopefully the defensive backfield can actually do something unlike last year (Oklahoma state game).
Heres to beating Kstate and getting into the top 25 for once.

April 6, 2007 at 1:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

ok caspercorps, if Todd Reesing was the next Doug Flutie, there wouldn't be a qb controversy. That was a dumb comment.

April 6, 2007 at 9:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

I still think you give Meier chances--one year is not enough time to truly gauge his ability. The reason why it appeared that he can't throw the deep ball is because he was hurt a lot of the time last year. That's a coaching problem because it is their job to know the status of their QB--he's sure as hell not gonna tell them he can't go. Yes, Reesing provides a heck of a spark, so why not throw him in when we need one? If Meier really isn't the one after the first couple, three games, then yank him in favor of The Todd. Meier, in my mind, still has too much upside to give up on him right now.

As for defense, I really hope that the D-Line improves exponentially. A great D-Line pressures the QB and baits him into making poor throws--that would take a TON of pressure off the D-Backfield. A lot of blame fell on the D-Backs last year, and I'm not saying it wasn't well deserved but a great pass rush will make their job much easier in'07

April 6, 2007 at 9:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

I saw all I need to see out of Meier last year. Reesing saw less than half the time on the field as Meier and still showed that he's the better QB. Why waste time with this dumb argument. It's obvious that Reesing is the better QB, but for some reason Mangino has this same infacination with Meier that he did with Barmann.

April 6, 2007 at 11:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

ok fabio, a player can prove to everyone in that amount of time that hes going to have a better season......not! You have no idea what he is going to do during the whole season. Mangino knows qb's, and knows offense.....ala kansas st. and oklahoma. Also, there wasn't another qb to compete with barmann, as sadly as that sounds.....you argument is weak, and when somebody tells you how it is, you back of and say I dont want to waste time with this dumb argument. Dont open your mouth if you cant take it.

April 6, 2007 at 2:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

hawkandtigerfan (anonymous) says...

We always seem to favor the underdog . . . . This year its Reesing. There was probably a reason Meier started in the first place and there's definitely a reason we all like Reesing. Why don't we let Mangino make a good decision. The only beef I have with Mangino is something I don't necessarily know, but is something that seems to happen every year . . . he seems to let all this quarterback controversy get to our QBs heads. We all know both of these guys are great players. If neither of them play well this year though, its definitely a psychological thing. I hope people stop getting in our QBs heads and I hope the team and coaches can keep the QBs' heads up.

April 6, 2007 at 6:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

You'R comment is weak bandwagoner to say that Meier's stats were better than Reesing's at the Mizzou game. Reesing got one drive to work with. The reason Meier didn't throw any pics is because he wouldn't throw it period. He just stood there and stared down his #1 reciever all day.

April 6, 2007 at 7:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

What do you mean that Mangino didn't have any other choices than Barmann. You ever heard of these guys, Brian Luke, Jason Swanson, Todd Reesing. All of those guys have won at least one big game in their career. Barmann played more games than all of them combined, and still never had a major victory in his career! Don't cry bandwagoner.

April 6, 2007 at 10:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

Sorry to say, but Adam barrman was better than brian luke. Swanson was a juco player, and led us to the bowl victory against houston. Todd Reesing just came in this season, so we cannot compare him to 2005. Or maybe you can, but an intelligent person cant. Anyways, Mangino didnt have any other choices last season, since we are talking about last season........dumbass! Also, we shouldnt compare anybody's stats during the missouri game, seeing as in how our offense was on the field for 52 plays, 29 of those being runs. 6 punts, and 2 turnovers, our offense couldnt get anything going. So to say if you are going to compare Meier to Reesing in that game, you are completely retarded.

April 6, 2007 at 10:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

its funny you both call me bandwagoner. Did you create an extra name so that you could bash me twice? Must feel nice to know that noboby agrees with you. And I hope you can get over that Todd Reesing fetish that you seem to be having.

April 6, 2007 at 10:49 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

"The only game they both played in together besides Iowa St. was Missouri........Todd Reesing stats....4-8, 63 yards, no tds, 1 int. Kerry Meier stats.....8-15, 99 yards, no tds, no ints." -notabandwagonfan

"Also, we shouldnt compare anybody's stats during the missouri game, seeing as in how our offense was on the field for 52 plays, 29 of those being runs. 6 punts, and 2 turnovers, our offense couldnt get anything going. So to say if you are going to compare Meier to Reesing in that game, you are completely retarded."-notabandwagonfan

notabandwagonfan-........dumbass!

April 7, 2007 at 6:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

notabandwagon- first of all I need to tell you I didnt log out after my first rebuttle to your argument and my brother came in and hijacked my name. He has since been sacked. I apologize for the personal attacks that were made under my name but as far as the gridiron goes he is dead on.
The reason I brought up my first hand experience in Ames was not to "get you". I know since not many KU fans were there that it was likely you werent at the game and I wanted to make sure you could appreciate the hostility Reesing was up against in his first road environment.
How could anyone say Barmann is a better QB than Luke. Luke destroyed Mizzou in Columbia in 04 and in 05 came in late in the Iowa State game when we were down 14-6. They were #25 in the nation. He got us 2 game tying touchdown drives and a 2 pt conversion and got us bowl eligible. Brian Luke might not be any more talented than Barmann, but he has a killer instinct that Barmann never showed us in his 4 years here. Do you really think Barmann could have done either of those things. I dont like bashing Barmann because he seems like a good kid but Ive got to give Brian Luke credit where it is due.

April 9, 2007 at 2:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

You make some good points about Luke, fabio, and I think of him as an enigma--give him the start and he STINKS (one glaring example: the OU stinker in KC), throw him in as a backup and he SHINES (one glaring example: the Iowa State game you mentioned, which BTW was one of my most favorite Memorial Stadium experiences). I agree with you in that you can't say that Barmann was better than Luke because Barmann had his "dare to be great" situation against Nebraska last year and couldn't get it done--Luke had his against Iowa State and did, getting us to a bowl game in the process. That alone gives him the nod over Barmann in my mind.

April 9, 2007 at 3 p.m. ( | suggest removal )