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Monday, September 3, 2007

Keegan

Keegan: Kansas offense different

By Tom Keegan

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College football fans all over the map invest emotions in believing this is the year the offense will look different, feature the vertical passing game and keep the defense in a constant state of retreat. Then the season starts, and it's the same old, same old. Safe and boring.

Saturday night, the Kansas University offense really did look and feel way different.

Ed Warinner, first-year offensive coordinator at KU, took with him from Illinois a no-huddle offense that blew away Central Michigan, 52-7, and an announced crowd of 46,815 at Memorial Stadium.

It not only is more pleasing on the eye, it's more to the liking of those who execute it.

"We're keeping the pace of the game how we want it, getting the plays in faster, and it's a little more vertical compared to last year," said Marcus Henry, who set career highs with seven catches and 103 yards.

Young basketball players prefer an up-tempo style, and it's no different for football players.

"On some of the plays we have four verticals, and I think all the receivers like that," Henry said. "This year our offense is more of an attack mode compared to last year, and if we keep attacking like we did tonight, we're going to win a lot of games."

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'Hawks rout Chippewas

Kansas football fans finally received some answers to their questions.

Warinner watches from the press box, tracks the opponent's defensive personnel and sends a play to the sidelines, where two coaches and third-string quarterback Tyler Lawrence make like third-base coaches, flashing hand signals, most of them decoys.

It takes a quick-thinking quarterback who both has an abundance of self-confidence and does not question authority to execute it. In Todd Reesing, KU has that. He knows the offense so well and so believes in his abilities that no matter what audible is flashed from the sidelines, he believes he will make the play.

Football coaches can be such control freaks that even when they know with their heads they need to develop a deep passing game, their hearts never are into it. Too much can go wrong.

KU Football

It was on Reesing to avoid getting sloppy with the football, just in case any doubt crept into the coach's mind. The offense did not turn over the ball once. So far, Mark Mangino has no reason to question the aggressive approach. He sounds as if he'll stay behind the idea.

Five different players caught touchdown passes. Three different receivers had catches for 34 yards or longer.

"We've made a commitment to having a vertical passing game here," Mangino said. "Put pressure on the defense every play. The fact that they opened up, we wanted those things to happen. We planned for them. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. Receivers were able to get open. He was able to deliver the ball in timely fashion. We want to be able to attack the field."

Passing so aggressively, so efficiently, put linebackers into retreat mode, which helped Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp combine for 216 yards on seven yards per rush.

The offensive line, with three new starters and more size than a year ago, dominated the weaker Mid-American Conference Chippewas.

KU's blockers are bigger, their skill position players faster. The system fits the personnel. Even when the opposition isn't worth watching, which is most of the time at Memorial Stadium, the KU offense alone can make it worth the trip.

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Comments

kevbo (anonymous) says...

Keegan, not gonna lie man...let's send these columns to an editor before we print them...

"It takes a quick-thinking quarterback who both has an abundance of self-confidence and does not question authority to execute it. In Todd Reesing, KU has that. He knows the offense so well and so believes in his abilities that no matter what audible is flashed from the sidelines, he believes he will make the play."

"Passing so aggressively, so efficiently, put linebackers into retreat mode, which helped Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp combine for 216 yards on seven yards per rush."

September 3, 2007 at 2:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

Hey guys, I know its a little off topic, but check this youtube video out and go Moutaineers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syweVq...

September 3, 2007 at 5:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kylecisnum1 (anonymous) says...

i dont really see the problem with those quotes kevbo???

September 3, 2007 at 5:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kevbo (anonymous) says...

subject-verb agreement

September 3, 2007 at 10:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kylecisnum1 (anonymous) says...

yea, o well. cant really complain about something like that. not much LJW can do... lol

September 3, 2007 at 11:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jacobpaul81 (anonymous) says...

Except expect Keegan to use proper english. I've yet to read a Keegan article, where I said, "Oh boy! This was really worth reading". Most of the time, it's just opinionated fluff, burdened by bad grammer and a lack of professionalism.

September 4, 2007 at 8:38 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Oh lighten up!!! I will never understand why people complain about articles not using 'proper english' like it was a personal attack on them or something. Honestly, the LJW is a hometown paper--take it for what it's worth. It usually contains informative stuff--if you at least get the gist of the articles that should be enough; if there is an error or two, so be it.

And really, if you are going to bitch about proper english make sure you know how to spell grammAr

September 4, 2007 at 9:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

LAJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...

I agree. Shut up and read about the hawks football team!

7-0 start!!!!!!!!!!!

September 4, 2007 at 4:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

BadAssterson (anonymous) says...

I think ol kevbo and Jacobpaul should go play mad libs and show off their mad English speaking/writing/reading skills!

September 4, 2007 at 5:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

Hey everybody, lets go eat our tea and thin biscuits, and discuss how terrible englisssh Keegan has. (Pinky up!)

Rock chalk

September 4, 2007 at 7:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kevbo (anonymous) says...

I totally agree that it is a hometown paper, and it is a great avenue to read about the 'hawks. I wasn't knocking on the guy's writing (though the ratings thing is ridiculous in my opinion...). I only want him to consult an editor before printing. We all make mistakes. :)

September 4, 2007 at 8:05 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Sparko (anonymous) says...

Weak tea, Kevbo. If you want to complain about anything, perhaps it would be his lapse into idiom. This being a Sports article, I doubt anyone was unclear as to his meaning. . .Perhaps you should recraft his prose for more impact.

September 5, 2007 at 6:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

Or maybe provide constructive criticism. All you did was copy and paste his text into your message. If you're the english rock star, show your stuff. Otherwise, it is just fluff and a waste of space. There's probably bad english in there also - grammar was always so annouing, but then that's why I'm an enginerd and can enjoy sports articles by marginally competent writers. I do #'s.

September 6, 2007 at 2:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )