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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Ready to rumble

'Thunder' McAnderson eager to bring noise

By Matt Tait

Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had 31 carries and five touchdowns last season for Kansas University. He likely will get more touches this fall.

Photo by Nick Krug

Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had 31 carries and five touchdowns last season for Kansas University. He likely will get more touches this fall.

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August isn't known for producing storms in Kansas, but the beginning of football season is here, and with it comes Kansas University's version of "thunder."

"People say that. They said the same thing in high school," senior fullback Brandon McAnderson said. "But I don't know what thunder is, actually. If I'm a big sound, then I'm thunder."

After averaging 12.5 carries per season during his first two years with the program, McAnderson saw his production boom last fall.

In 12 games, "B-Mac," as he's known to teammates, carried 31 times and scored five touchdowns. Despite career highs in both categories, McAnderson's main contribution came as a blocker as he paved the way for Jon Cornish's single-season rushing record.

But Cornish is gone now, and talk around camp suggests a larger role for McAnderson.

As a senior at Lawrence High, B-Mac ran for more than 1,500 yards for the Lions. While it's not likely that he'll break Cornish's record of 1,457 yards, McAnderson is ready to play a larger role.

"It's very exciting," McAnderson said. "That's what I came here to do when I committed here, and I was sure that it was going to happen. It just took a little longer than I would have expected. But I'm still excited about it, and if the opportunities come, I will embrace them."

First-year offensive coordinator Ed Warinner has all but guaranteed the opportunities will be there. But instead of being slotted as the No. 1 tailback, McAnderson joins Salina sophomore Jake Sharp, red-shirt sophomore Angus Quigley and true freshman Carmon Boyd-Anderson on the list of those most likely to take Cornish's carries.

"If it's committee, that's fine with me," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "If one guy proves he can do everything in the package all the time, that'd be great. I don't foresee that happening, early in the season at least."

Neither does Warinner, the architect behind the Jayhawks' new offense. He plans to utilize all of the running backs, but admits that McAnderson and Sharp appear to be the most reliable options.

photo

Photo by Nick Krug

Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had 31 carries and five touchdowns last season for Kansas University. He likely will get more touches this fall.

"We have a lot of different types of guys at the running-back position," Warinner said. "Jake Sharp has great speed and the ability to do some things in the open field, and he's developing as a pass receiver, as well. Brandon McAnderson is a little bit more of an inside runner, but still can do some things on the perimeter and in the passing game. He provides a big-back approach in there at 235 (pounds), so we like him. And he's a real smart player, a veteran player. We kind of have a 1-2 punch there with a bigger back and a quicker, niftier, change-of-direction guy."

Call it KU's version of thunder and lighting, the two-back approach the New Orleans Saints used with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush to make it to the NFC title game.

While McAnderson and Sharp provide the Jayhawks with known commodities at running back, the team isn't changing its offensive approach.

"Our offense is an offense that provides opportunity to run the ball because we throw the ball well," Mangino said. "That's going to be our philosophy."

And that's fine with McAnderson. He's used to working hard without receiving much fanfare.

As a junior, McAnderson quietly created lanes for Cornish and earned an All-Big 12 second-team nod from league coaches. He also landed a couple of team honors. Along with tight end Derek Fine, McAnderson received the Gale Sayers Award, given annually to the team's most courageous player. He also won the Bruce Kallmeyer Award, which goes to the top special-teams player.

As a senior, McAnderson's honors have come early. His hard work and leadership earned the respect of teammates, and he was named one of KU's four captains.

"I've always considered myself a leader, but to be elected a captain is something even bigger, and it gives you some more responsibility, that this win or this loss is something you have more of an impact on," McAnderson said. "That's all you can ask for as a college player, is to have an impact on the outcome of the game or the success or failure of the team."

Reader poll

Now that Todd Reesing's the opening day starter, how many games will he have started when 2007 is over and done with?

  • 1-3 3% 48 votes
  • 4-6 15% 191 votes
  • 7-9 31% 384 votes
  • 10-11 14% 173 votes
  • *gasp* all 12 34% 413 votes

1209 total votes.

The honors don't stop there. A series of team polls published in this year's media guide conveyed that McAnderson was one of the team's most popular players. In addition to receiving votes for the "nicest player on the team" and "most likely to succeed," B-Mac was voted the top comedian.

It's a title he has no idea how he earned.

"I'm a different kind of funny," McAnderson said. "I'm a little more subtle, and I think they like that a little bit.

"It's definitely the greatest honor," he added, flashing a taste of his dry humor. "I might become a comedian now just because I have the confidence of my teammates."

That confidence doesn't stop with cracking jokes. With Cornish gone, McAnderson knows that his leadership, experience and ability will be more important, and he couldn't be more excited about being asked to deliver.

"I wouldn't call it pressure, I call it opportunity," McAnderson said. "Any opportunity, you're going to take advantage of. If it's three or four (carries), and you get four yards, then how can you ask for 30? You get whatever you get, and you have to take advantage every time you touch the ball. That's all I'm looking forward to."

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Comments

jhwkfan162515 (anonymous) says...

"August isn't known for producing storms in Kansas". Try telling that to some folks west and south of here. A lot of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were scrolling across the TV set last night and playing nonstop on NOAA Weather Radio

August 21, 2007 at 8:16 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

HawkFanEddie (anonymous) says...

B-Mac is going to tear it up this year! Brotha' is a beast!

August 21, 2007 at 8:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

redshirt Boyd-Anderson, we have too many backs as it is!

August 21, 2007 at 9:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

I feel like breaking into song ...

(to the tune of Stand Up & Cheer)

Stand in your beer,
stand in your beer and cheer for Kansas!

Slam - the - next one down,
and we'll forget about the score this afternoon ...

So then we'll drink - a whole lot,
it doesn't matter Coach Self lost ...

So grab a beer - stand up and cheer,
because football will soon be here!!!

August 21, 2007 at 10:16 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Displayhawk (anonymous) says...

Rivals came out with their All-American teams and Aqib Talib didn't make first OR second team!!!
what a joke!!!

August 21, 2007 at 12:33 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...

Speaking of Cornish, he has yet to carry the ball in 8 games.

August 21, 2007 at 1 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

That is a complete crock of $h!t--the guy is being projected as a top 5 draft pick in '08 and is up for or has already received numerous accolades at this point. Rivals should just stick to speculating where HS kids are going to go.

August 21, 2007 at 1:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Displayhawk (anonymous) says...

I wrote an e-mail and told Olin Buchanan from Rivals that Aqib Talib was number one in the country in passes defended on a defense that was ranked near the bottom against the pass. The kid did more with less help!
To his credit he did reply back to me, but I am still not convinced that these other cats are better than Talib!

August 21, 2007 at 1:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

doctorWho (anonymous) says...

In all the '08 draft projections I've read (which are useless at this point) Talib shows up anywhere from top 10 to not in the first round. Usually he is in the 20's.

None of it means crap. Talib will show it to us on the field - if anyone is cocky enough to throw a ball in his direction.

August 21, 2007 at 1:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

klong (anonymous) says...

I hope they are dumb enough to throw at him!! If he gets some better help from the other secondary guys than he did last year, look out! Is the D line going to be ok this year??

August 21, 2007 at 2:02 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

It's not so much help from the other secondary guys he's gonna need--he's gonna need more help from the D Line! If they do their job and pressure opposing QBs into making bad decisions, THEN look out...

August 21, 2007 at 2:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

CasperCorps (anonymous) says...

B-Mac, folks, is gonna be the talk of the town if he gets his carries.

August 21, 2007 at 4:58 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

madmangine (anonymous) says...

Does anyone have any rational explanation for the fact that so few Jayhawk football games are even televised? What the f@@@ is this about? I get to see the lesser squad take on Pluto A&M in the preseason, but will miss an intriguing opening day match up between two bowl eligible teams from last season. Ugggh.

August 21, 2007 at 11:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

KU has a long and painful history of getting blown out on National TV games. The program has been down for a long time. National TV is a very close nit family and it is hard to break into the cozy family!

August 22, 2007 at 6:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

Also blame the conference for doing a horrible job of negotiating a television rights contract ...

Mountain West has their own deal through CSTV, Big Ten is getting their own network after dominating ESPN for years.

There's been some success with FOXSports and TBS, but the league should be more agressive, look at how the former Big XII commissioner high-tailed it to the Big Ten after not doing much for our own conference.

As Kansas gets better and there's more demand, maybe someone in KC will work a deal with Lawrence Channel 6 to pick up or rebroadcast the games (38 the Spot anyone?)

August 22, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Yes we've gotten blown out our fair share of Nat'l TV games, but it's unfair to paint the picture that that is ALL that we've done on Nat'l TV--One or both Aloha Bowl wins as well as the Ft. Worth Bowl win were televised Nationally. I'm sure at one time or another everyone in the 'cozy family' of televised teams has gotten blown out, so to say that is the sole reason why we aren't getting air time on the tube is pretty narrow-minded and downright stupid.

The BigXII is at a point where they can and SHOULD allow for every single game played by a member of the conference to be seen nationally, whether it be pay-per-view or whatever. Take for instance KU--we have a pretty large alumni base nationally that for the most part would love to go to the nearest KU bar and watch 'Hawk Football. I'm assuming every other school in the BXII has a similar situation. We are at a point in time technology-wise where there is no reason why an alum should be punished for leaving the region his/her school is in. Something surely can be done to air every single BCS Conference team's games. The BXII and ESPN are more than capable of doing something like that. I think that the alums would be more than willing to pay for them.

That is my take as far as alums being able to watch games across the nation--it doesn't necessarily have to be nationally televised but every city should be able to get regionally televised games. Which brings me to our KC Area region: why on earth can't the local ESPN affiliate televise every KU Football game like they do with Basketball games? If that was the case, everyone in the area could watch, and alums living in Chicago, D.C., NYC, etc...could order a plan thru DirecTV or something that would enable them to watch every game. why why why?????

August 22, 2007 at 11:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

bmc ...

you've just scratched the surface about the national KU alumni fan base ....

I once lived in Florida and found more than I expected.

Outside of Kansas City, Dallas/Fort Worth is second only to Chicago in total alumni or so it seems.

I was at the Northwestern game, there were at least six to eight thousand Jayhawks there ... I believe we caused not one but TWO false start penalties on the opposing HOME quarterback.

In Fort Worth, Kansas had more alumni there than Houston which was only a couple hours away ... I told many Cougars that they should be ashamed of that.

I also have friends who live in California, and they say that they are always surprised by the numbers of Jayhawks they encounter.

Maybe a new conference commissioner will be more aggressive (and the members as well) in getting a better television package ... until then, there's always Jayhawk radio via the Internet!

August 22, 2007 at 12:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

FlaHawk-Dont forget the nationally televised game in Norman, Oklahoma in 95.
#7 Hawks 38
#16Sooners 17

August 22, 2007 at 2:54 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

fabio,

I believe that was the last time we beat Oklahoma ... is that correct?

August 22, 2007 at 3:20 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Nope, we beat 'em the next year in Norman 52-24 and then again in '97 (TA's 1st year) 20-17 in Larry. That (1997) was the last time we beat OU.

August 22, 2007 at 4:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

bmc- you know the reason that rivals doesn't have Talib as a first or second teamer (AA). Cause they had him rated as a two star coming out of high school. So they're trying to stick to there guns....pretty dumb.

August 22, 2007 at 9:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

their*

August 22, 2007 at 9:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

I ashamed to admit that I don't recall that 20-17 victory ...

We beat ou three years in a row? holy cow!

Guess I'd better go study my media guide ...

I've admitted before that I wasn't much of a KU football fan while I was in college, but that is just awful that I'd forgotten that.

August 22, 2007 at 10:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )