Friday, August 31, 2007

Mayer

Mayer: Saturday crucial for KU

By Bill Mayer

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Oddsmakers say Kansas is due to open its 2007 football season with a one-touchdown victory over Central Michigan while Kansas State is likely to lose by two touchdowns at Auburn. Both need to do at least that well to set the compass for the kinds of seasons they think they're capable of.

Central Michigan will give KU all it can handle Saturday. The Chippewas were 10-4 last season, with the losses to major-leaguers Boston College, Michigan and Kentucky, then Northern Illinois. CMU won eight of its last nine games and whipped Middle Tennessee in the Motor City Bowl. Mid-America Conference teams like Toledo, Kent State, Bowling Green and Ohio have embarrassed KU before, and their teams often feature players Kansas would love to have.

With good fortune and no injuries, KU conceivably could fashion a whopping 7-0 start before going to Texas A&M. An upset by Central Michigan would belabor the Jayhawks with great self-doubt and ruination of that 4-0 express KU wants to help derail Kansas State's Wabash Cannonball on Oct. 6.

Colleague Tom Keegan recently wrote that, in the eyes of a lot of the faithful, KU coach Mark Mangino is behind the eight-ball, with a lot of followers expecting at least seven victories and many thinking Mangino needs eight to really reflect progress.

If the Jayhawks get careless and let Central Michigan prevail, there'll be massive uneasiness.

Then there's Kansas State, with high hopes for a good showing at Auburn despite all the question marks. Wildcat fans keep talking in terms of "a moral victory" if the Purples wind up with no worse than a 14-point deficit. What they need to face up to is that the death knell could ring in four touchdowns or worse in a losing effort, along with injuries.

If you haven't been to games at hotbeds like Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida or Tennessee, you have no idea of the intimidation that can unsettle a marginal club like K-State, with Josh Freeman still iffy at quarterback. We Big 12'ers see intense crowds and atmospheres at Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M, but they don't come close to those southern schools, which annually feature such mobs as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

KU hoping to contain Central Michigan on Saturday

In 2006, a proficient-passing QB on the opposite sideline meant big problems for the Kansas football team. The Jayhawks finished 119th among Division I schools in pass defense last year and hope to turn things around this season, starting with Central Michigan this Saturday.

Kansas knows the feeling; Auburn drove it home twice. In 1987 Bob Valesente took the Jayhawks to face the Tigers. A 49-0 drubbing before 65,711 set the stage for a 1-9-1 season. In 1988, Glen Mason's KU team was slaughtered 56-7 before 55,700 screeching the "War Eagle" battle cry in that Alabama madhouse and wound up with a 1-10 season mark. But big money was made, like $400,000.

All well and good that Kansas State carries the league banner into Auburn, Ala., with confidence. But the Wildcats may not be totally conversant with how that joint jumps and how the involvement of a crowd there can undress a visitor. Truth is, KSU may justifiably claim a moral victory if it loses by only 14.

Kansas is heading into a pivotal 2007-08. It must win at least seven football games; basketball boss Bill Self needs a banner season with so many good men engaging in a last hurrah; Bonnie Henrickson has to start winning enough basketball games to justify the huge outlay for her program.

The stage is set for some great things by Jayhawk jocks and halter-tops between now and May. A shaky start in football would not be reassuring. Central Michigan is fully capable of committing a dastardly anti-KU deed.

KU Football

Comments

fabio (anonymous) says...

Kansas Athletics....We ready!

August 31, 2007 at 8:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

troutsee (anonymous) says...

Central Michigan will not win. KU by 14 at least.

August 31, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

What a great start to a great year for Kansas Athletics--it looks like mother nature will be taking it easy on us 'Hawk Football fans by turning down the temperature in the blast furnace that is also known as Northeast Kansas in late summer, we will be honoring Willie Pless with a spot on the ring of honor, and we will be watching another 'undersized' HS stud that we took a chance on knife thru the CMU defense.

i. cant. wait!!!!!!!!!!

August 31, 2007 at 9:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

PeteJayhawk (anonymous) says...

A good, lucid column by Mayer? Now I've seen everything...

August 31, 2007 at 10:02 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

shelleysue (anonymous) says...

I totally agree with bncmich1!! In a mere 24 hours we'll be on the road heading to Lawrence. These past nine months have gone much too slow, but now six of the next seven Saturdays will be filled with KU football - YES!!

I have enough confidence in our guys that I'm going to call for a KU win by 20.

August 31, 2007 at 10:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

The KU football really needs to assert itself and beat these clowns by two touchdowns ...

Iowa State losing at home to Kent State ... ouch!

August 31, 2007 at 12:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

leikness (anonymous) says...

Hawks by 35.....

August 31, 2007 at 1:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Cmill1221 (anonymous) says...

I can promise you an 8 win year and a big 12 north championship. I moved to vegas and now that im 1000 miles away KU sports programs will take off! its my curse. how ever i will be back from school for the KU vs MU game, so we wont go undefeated sry but i got to go to that game!

August 31, 2007 at 4:18 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Cmill, i feel your pain but if i could think of any place I'd rather be than Lawrence when the 'Hawks take off it's Vegas baby!! You could stand to make some serious coin bettin on our boys to win the North--y'know, since you're out there and all...

August 31, 2007 at 5:04 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

Look for KU to completely dominate the line of scrimmage.

Their offensive line only averages about 285 or so, so our DT's should blow them off the line hard, their starting tight end is only like 212 lbs., just not big enough to block a 250 lb. Mike Rivera on a blitz. We're going to spend more time in their backfield tomorrow than LeFevour.

As for their defensive line, one of their starting DT's is only around 250, the other around 285. Their DE's aren't bad sized (averaging around 250) but our OT's are our strength so they shouldn't pose a threat. Look for us to be able to completely blow these guys off the line every time we run the ball, and once we're back there, we'll run into CB's that are only in the 5-11 180's range that won't be able to tackle a guy like B-Mac.

I look for this one to be over by the end of the first quarter.

KU 56, CMU 14

August 31, 2007 at 5:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

troutsee (anonymous) says...

Burtin, I love your optimism!!! We need more guys like you.

August 31, 2007 at 6:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

Burtin seems like he had the crystal ball working on this one. Good call.

September 4, 2007 at 1:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )