Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 12, 2008

‘Dollar signs’ non-issue

Just minutes into his weekly news conference Tuesday, Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino was posed the inevitable “dollar signs” question.

And just as quickly, the reigning national coach of the year shot it down.

“I’m not going to talk about 2004,” said Mangino, whose controversial comments following the Jayhawks’ 2004 loss to Texas in Lawrence are still a hot topic of conversation. “That was four years ago; that’s history. I’m not going to go there today. I understand in some quarters that would be a conversation piece, but we’re really concerned about Saturday, and that game that happened in 2004 has no bearing.”

Apparently, Mangino is content to forget the episode, even if – on the eve of the first KU-Texas matchup in Lawrence since ’04 – few others aren’t.

The particulars: Following a fourth-quarter offensive-pass-interference call against KU that helped spark a Texas comeback, Mangino unleashed an animated postgame rant, opining that the call was made to ensure Texas a spot in a BCS bowl game and thus provide the Big 12 Conference with a hefty monetary bonus.

“You know what this is all about, don’t you?” Mangino said at the time. “That’s right – BCS. That’s what made a difference in this game. That’s what made a difference in the call in front of their bench – dollar signs.”

The outburst resulted in Mangino being fined $5,000 by the Big 12.

“He was just standing up for us,” said senior linebacker Joe Mortensen, who was a freshman at the time. “That’s how coach Mangino is … people were getting mad because of it, but a lot of coaches speak out and protect their team (members) – Oklahoma State’s coach did.

“So we were glad he did.”

Reesing recovering

Kansas’ Todd Reesing has played in 26 games as a collegiate quarterback, but none, the junior said Tuesday, was as physically taxing as the Jayhawks’ 45-35 loss to Nebraska last weekend.

He was sacked a season-high five times and limped noticeably throughout much of the second half.

“That might be a fair assessment,” said Reesing, asked whether Saturday’s game was the most he had been roughed up during his time at Kansas. “I took quite a few hits. Some running, some trying to throw. It was a rough one, but I am no worse for the wear. I’ll be ready to go. I’m not going to sit this one out.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 11, 2008

KU-Texas game of ’04 not on Mangino’s mind

Kansas coach Mark Mangino was quick to dispel questions Monday about whether 2004’s near-miss against then-No. 6 Texas – a 27-23 loss that ended on a controversial call – would provide an added advantage or motivation heading into this year’s matchup.

The game, which helped Texas advance to the Rose Bowl later that season, left Kansas fans seething and sparked an animated post-game press conference from Mangino, who implied that the Longhorns’ reputation as a college football mega-power played a part in a fourth-quarter offensive pass interference penalty that sealed a Texas victory.

“That game was played in 2004,” Mangino said. “That was a while back. Most of the players are gone that played in that game on both teams. So, no, it’s history. We have to focus on preparing for an awfully good Texas team this Saturday that’s completely different from that one.”

Big 12 South picture murky

By this time next week, Mangino and his team will have faced each of the three Big 12 South teams – Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech – still vying for a spot in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 6.

However, asked who he thought would be deserving of the South title if a three-way tie were to occur, a scenario many experts say is a distinct possibility, Mangino decided to plead the fifth.

“I think all three are excellent football teams,” Mangino said, chuckling. “And I think … we’ll let the computer figure it out. That’s too big for me to figure out.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 5, 2008

Branstetter impresses with tackling

At a tiny 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Kansas University placekicker Jacob Branstetter is not expected to be his team’s on-field enforcer.

Apparently, however, no one has shared this fact with him.

In a 52-21 victory over Kansas State on Saturday, Branstetter did his best Brian Urlacher impression, tearing down-field after kickoffs and making three tackles – a couple of which appeared to be touchdown-saving. It was enough to earn the team’s special teams player of the week honors, and enough to make Kansas coach Mark Mangino issue a warning to the other members of his team’s kickoff coverage unit.

“I told the kickoff coverage unit he better not make a tackle the rest of the season, or I’m going to be ticked,” Mangino said.

Branstetter, who missed the first part of the season while an eligibility issue was being handled, is 8-for-11 on field goals this season. But he has drawn the most attention from teammates for the intense nature with which he goes after opposing kick returners.

“He just comes flying in,” linebacker James Holt said. “He’s almost down there with half the people after he kicks it. He’s saved a lot of kickoff returns for us, so I’m pretty glad he goes flying down there like that.”

And it’s not just in games. Branstetter approaches practices like a he’s auditioning for a job with the World Wrestling Entertainment, too.

“We start practice everyday on defense with tackling circuit, and he tackles better than some of the guys that have been in the circuit all year long,” Mangino said. “He gets his pads down, he wraps up. So who knows? If we have some problems at safety or something, we might put him in there.

“I don’t know if he can cover anybody, but I think he can probably make a tackle.”

MU-KU matchup still under discussion

KU associate athletics director Jim Marchiony said Tuesday that Kansas and Missouri have not yet decided whether to extend their contract to play the annual KU-MU game at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas senior associate athletics director Larry Keating has previously said the decision whether to continue to play in K.C. likely would be made toward the end of this season.

The final game in a two-year series contract, scheduled for Nov. 29, will kick off at 11:30 a.m. and be broadcast on FSN.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 30, 2008

Secondary starters still being sorted out

Despite spending much of last Saturday’s game against Texas Tech on the bench, senior cornerback Kendrick Harper is expected to be a factor for the Jayhawks throughout the rest of the season, according to KU coach Mark Mangino.

The coach said Wednesday that Harper’s benching was due in large part to his falling behind following an injury that forced him to miss multiple games earlier this year.

“We just wanted to give him a little break,” Mangino said. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, and we threw him in there, and we just needed to give him some breathing room. He’ll be a factor for us.”

In other secondary developments, former safety Justin Thornton will start at one of the cornerback positions against Kansas State, Mangino said, while the other starter at cornerback had yet to be determined. Recently converted receiver Daymond Patterson and cornerbacks Corrigan Powell and Chris Harris are also expected to factor into the team’s secondary rotation.

Johnson, Jr., unlikely to play Saturday

Defensive tackle Richard Johnson Jr., who was injured during the Jayhawks’ 63-21 loss to Texas Tech last week, will likely miss Saturday’s game against Kansas State, Mangino said.

“It looks unlikely unless he really feels great on Saturday,” said the coach. “The lack of repetition on the practice field would limit him anyhow. If there’s a chance tomorrow he could get reps, we’d be excited. But it’s not looking that way at this point.”

Fellow defensive tackle Caleb Blakesley, who didn’t play last week after sustaining an undisclosed injury against Oklahoma two weeks ago, is expected to play against the Wildcats.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 29, 2008

DBs struggling with new positions

Considering that Kansas University’s defensive shake-up against Texas Tech last week placed various players in unfamiliar positions, it should come as no surprise that, as of Tuesday, those players were still getting acclimated to their new posts.

During Saturday’s 63-21 loss to the Red Raiders, cornerback Chris Harris played safety, safety Justin Thornton played cornerback, and receiver Daymond Patterson was moved to cornerback for the first time since his senior year of high school – switches that are expected to continue in this week’s game against Kansas State.

“It was pretty hard trying to get the signals and trying to see what formation they were in,” said Patterson, a true freshman and one of the team’s top receivers earlier this season. “But the biggest thing was just the communication factor. Trying to make sure I was doing what I had to do, being new, and then also trying to communicate to the other (defensive backs) what I was seeing.”

Harris, who was named an honorable mention freshman all-American at cornerback last season, voiced similar sentiments.

“It wasn’t very comfortable,” Harris said. “I was thinking a lot. But I got comfortable when we got to man calls, where I could just (work) to my strengths, which is covering.”

“I was shocked,” he added of coach Mark Mangino’s decision to move him to safety. “It’s his call, you know what I mean? So I got to do whatever he says and do it to the very best of my ability.”

Players decline adding fuel to the fire

A day after Kansas State receiver/punt returner Deon Murphy made a number of bold statements about the team’s game Saturday, Kansas’ players on Tuesday declined to get into a war of words with the Wildcats.

Multiple players on Tuesday chuckled when told of Murphy’s comments – the Kansas State senior guaranteed he’d return a punt or kick for a touchdown against the Jayhawks, while also saying Kansas’ coaches would wish they had recruited all of the Wildcats’ players after this weekend – but refrained from adding fuel to the fire.

“He can do all his talking right now, we’re just going to do our talking on the field,” senior linebacker Joe Mortensen said. “That’s how coach Mangino brought us up, and that’s how we’re trying to play.”

Mangino also declined to offer a response to Murphy’s comments, although he did say that the Jayhawks coaching staff often uses such fodder as motivation for players.

“Everybody does,” Mangino said about posting derogatory comments on the locker room bulletin board. “But we’re not hung up on it. If there’s a good quote, we’ll put it up.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 27, 2008

Patterson switch likely to continue

True freshman wide receiver Daymond Patterson picked a bad day to switch to cornerback, as his debut at the new position Saturday came in the Jayhawks’ worst defensive performance of the season.

But he did enough to be invited back.

KU coach Mark Mangino said Sunday that Patterson, who has caught 12 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver this season, will continue to work at the cornerback position this week and could remain on defense for the foreseeable future.

“I can’t tell you that it’s permanent, but it’s based out of necessity,” said Mangino. “And he’s responded very well.”

Blakesley, Johnson Jr. could return against KSU

Injured defensive tackles Caleb Blakesley and Richard Johnson Jr. could be ready to play Saturday, when Kansas looks to rebound against rival Kansas State.

Blakesley left the Oklahoma game due to an undisclosed injury and missed Saturday’s game against Texas Tech, although Mangino said that, barring any unforeseen setbacks, he will be on the field against Kansas State.

Johnson’s chances of returning this week, however, were a little less certain.

“His status is kind of unknown,” Mangino said. “He’s kind of day-to-day here. Will he play Saturday? I’d say its 50-50 at best as I sit here right now.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 24, 2008

Mangino wooed Crabtree

If the idea of a Kansas University receiving corps of Michael Crabtree, Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier and Johnathan Wilson sounds out-of-this-world ridiculous today, two years ago, it was a legitimate possibility.

In the spring of 2006, Crabtree’s senior year at Dallas’ Carter High, Kansas coach Mark Mangino saw the current Texas Tech standout play live and immediately made a push to sign the four-star prospect.

“I watched him play one time in practice during spring, and as soon as I saw him, I said, ‘We have to offer him,'” said Mangino. “He did everything. He played quarterback, he played in the secondary, he played running back. He was quick, he was smooth, and he had good football aptitude.”

Kansas did make an offer. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, so did a great deal of other schools, including Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas State.

Crabtree eventually decided on Tech, a move that, by all stretches of the imagination, has worked out grandly. As a red-shirt freshman last season, he led the nation in receptions (134), receiving yards (1,962) and touchdowns (22) for the 9-4 Red Raiders.

Mangino endorses Phillies

While he can appreciate the Cinderella nature of the Tampa Bay Rays’ run to the World Series (it’s a tad familiar, no?), Mangino on Wednesday announced his allegiance to the Philadelphia Phillies in this year’s Fall Classic.

“I have to tell you, because of Ryan Howard, we’re all pulling for the Phils here,” Mangino said. “Plus, I’m a Pennsylvania guy, now. Not that I was a Phillies fan by any stretch, but hey, it’s the home state.”

Howard is the younger brother of Chris Howard, an associate athletic director at KU who works closely with the football program.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 22, 2008

Sharp not frustrated with limited usage

Through two and a half quarters of the Kansas University football team’s loss to Oklahoma last Saturday, running back Jake Sharp put together the best performance, arguably, from a Jayhawks running back this year.

The next quarter and a half, he watched mostly from the sideline.

While many in Jayhawk Nation have questioned the limited usage of Sharp late in last week’s loss, Sharp himself wasn’t voicing any frustration while speaking to reporters Tuesday.

“That’s nothing of my concern, to be honest with you,” said Sharp, who finished with 103 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. “That’s the coaches’ discretion, things like that. They know what’s best, and that’s how I see it.”

After a drive in which he carried the ball four times for 58 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown run that pulled the Jayhawks to within 31-24 early in the third quarter of last week’s game, Sharp didn’t carry the ball again until there was 6:32 remaining in the game and Kansas was trailing by three touchdowns.

Sharp, who went unused for three straight offensive series following his touchdown, carried the ball just three more times in the game, as Kansas coach Mark Mangino opted to use reserve backs Angus Quigley and Jocques Crawford for their pass-blocking abilities.

“We didn’t go away from him,” Mangino said. “We thought ‘Let’s call it like we see it. We’re having trouble stopping these guys. Trying to run the ball and eat up clock is not to our advantage.'”

Sticking to the basics

Heading into Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup with Texas Tech and it’s No. 1-ranked pass offense, there’s one thing you can count on: Mangino won’t be overhauling his defense in an effort to slow down the Red Raiders aerial attack.

“People that come up with these newfangled defenses and all kinds of different looks and things that they don’t normally do, they get in more trouble than people that just try to play the defense they’ve been playing all year,” Mangino said. “You’re teaching 11 guys all new, different things. I think it’s foolish to do that.”

Foolish and, for the most part, futile. Despite seeing a number of different defensive looks this season, the reality is that the Red Raiders have had little trouble piling up yards through the air. Through seven games, they’ve averaged 418.43 yards a game, including a 490-yard outing in a 58-28 victory over conference foe K-State.

Kansas not sleeping on Tech’s run game

While quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree have grabbed the majority of the hype surrounding the Red Raiders’ high-powered offense, the TTU running attack has fared well on offense as well.

The Red Raiders are averaging 138.6 yards rushing per game and have rushed for a conference-best 5.5 yards per carry with 20 touchdowns on the ground (third in the conference). In a 37-31 victory over Nebraska two weeks ago, meanwhile, they ran the ball nearly as many times (23) as they passed it (25).

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 21, 2008

Mangino not thinking about shootout

Although Kansas University’s 11 a.m. meeting with visiting Texas Tech on Saturday has all the makings of an old-fashioned shootout – two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in pass offense and bottom 20 nationally in pass defense – Jayhawks coach Mark Mangino made it clear Monday that he won’t be content with a lacking defensive effort from his team.

“We’re not giving up anything on defense,” Mangino said. “You got to get your defense ready to play, no matter who you’re playing. You can’t go into a game saying we’re going to try to out-score people. That’s not sound, fundamental football, (and) it gets you in trouble.”

Leach: I’m not a PC

Informed Monday that some of the computer calculations in the recently-released BCS standings do not look favorably upon his Texas Tech team, Red Raiders coach Mike Leach unleashed a humorous diatribe against technological advancement in American society.

“I try to avoid computers as much as I can,” said Leach, whose team is 7-0 (3-0 in the Big 12) and ranked eighth nationally. “Obviously, you need somebody around that knows how to run a computer, and your video is on computer. But to me, anything involving computers is very frustrating and so I ignore it every step that I can.”

Small world

For the second straight week and the third time this season, Mangino will find himself lined up across from a former colleague.

Having already gone against South Florida’s Jim Leavitt (who served with Mangino as an assistant at Kansas State in the 1990s) and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Mangino will now take on Leach, with whom he worked as a member of Stoops’ staff at Oklahoma in 1999.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 17, 2008

Old teammates to collide Saturday

In case Oklahoma University safety Lendy Holmes was under the impression that he could guard Kansas receiver Dexton Fields, the latter Wednesday was more than happy to set his friend and former teammate straight.

“He may think he knows how to guard me,” Fields said, smiling, “but he can’t guard me.”

The former middle school and high school teammates will take the field against each other for the first time as college starters Saturday and very well could find themselves matched up against each other on numerous occasions.

After graduating from South Oak Cliff High in Dallas in 2004, the two friends since have worked their way into starting roles on two of the country’s top teams. And on the eve of their nationally televised reunion at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Norman, Okla., Fields couldn’t resist a little good-natured ribbing.

“I just told him that I was going to take his draft stock down a little bit,” said Fields of his pal, the 20th-ranked cornerback in the 2009 NFL draft class by Scout.com.

Special teams up in air

For the majority of coach Mark Mangino’s career at Kansas, special teams have been an area of great pride for the Jayhawks – with the coach going so far as to say recently that his teams occasionally have beaten teams with more talent because of their strong special-teams play.

Lately, however, special teams have become a hindrance, and nobody’s quite sure why.

“It’s hard to say,” defensive end Russell Brorsen said. “Last year when we were at meetings, they’d be like, ‘If we would have blocked this one guy, we would have scored a touchdown.’ This year, we look at it and it’s like, ‘If we would have blocked these three guys, we might could have got a little farther.'”

Entering Saturday’s game, the Jayhawks’ hope to turn things around for good – although, as of Wednesday, there remained a number of unknowns.

Some starters may or may not see increased playing time on the units. Daymond Patterson or Fields might be fielding punts – both did it against Colorado last week. All-Big 12 preseason selection Marcus Herford may or may not be taking kickoffs.

“The difference this year, its hard to pin it down,” Brorsen said. “But we’ve just got to get it together.”

Stoops and Mangino face off

The coaching ties between Mangino and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops run deep. Both were members of Bill Snyder’s staff at Kansas State, and Mangino served under Stoops for three years as an offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach at Oklahoma.

Saturday, the two will line up across from each other for the first time since 2005, with Mangino hoping to get the better of his former boss for the first time in three chances.

“It’s a great relationship,” Mangino said. “We’ve played against each other before, and it’s going to happen again. I don’t want to stand here and talk about my relationship with him. He’s a very close friend of mine, and he’s a guy that I can count on, and he can count on me in life. But we’re both competitive. It has absolutely no effect on the competition that takes place on Owen Field on Saturday.”

Hawkinson switches to DE

True freshman Tanner Hawkinson, one of three tight ends in the Class of 2008 to sign with Kansas, has switched to defensive end, Mangino said Wednesday.

Hawkinson, a 6-foot-6, 245-pounder from McPherson, was also named last week’s scout-team defensive player of the week by Mangino.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 15, 2008

Jayhawks sport new look on special teams

In the wake of his team’s disastrous special teams showing last week against Colorado, Kansas University coach Mark Mangino didn’t waste much time making good on his promise to try to shore up the problems as quickly as possible.

At least two Kansas starters said Tuesday that they would be handling an increased special teams workload against fourth-ranked Oklahoma this Saturday. Linebacker James Holt, who typically plays on the punt and kick return teams, expects to also be handling kickoff coverage duties, while fellow linebacker Joe Mortensen said he’ll be making a return to the unit for the first time since having off-season knee surgery.

“I guess they were trying to give me a little rest break, but I’m back on it and I’m looking forward to it,” said Mortensen, who played on the kick return team a season ago. “I know we need to improve on that.”

Following Saturday’s victory over the Buffaloes, in which the Jayhawks’ special teams units struggled on all fronts, Mangino said multiple starters approached him after the game about joining special teams.

And facing a schedule that grows increasingly difficult over the course of the next six weeks, the coach didn’t hesitate to accept the offers.

“When you’re getting the ball on the 15-, 16-yard line and you’re backed up, that means there’s a reduction in the choice of offensive plays you have,” Mangino said. “And we need field position. There’s a lot of ways to gain field position, and one of them is great special teams play.”

Sooners scary good in opening quarter

There is starting a game strong, and then there is what Oklahoma has done to opponents so far this season.

Through six games, the Sooners have outscored opponents 110-6 in the first quarter of games.

“They’ll come out the first quarter and try to get some scores and get on top of you,” said Mangino. “And when they’re on top at home, they’re formidable. They’re tough to beat.”

Which should come as especially unsettling news to the Jayhawks, who in their past three games have been outscored 21-0 in the first quarter against less-than-stellar opponents Sam Houston State, Iowa State and Colorado.

Against the Sooners, who are 57-2 at home under coach Bob Stoops, a strong start might be a necessity if the Jayhawks hope to stay undefeated in conference play.

“You’ve got to get out of the blocks against OU,” Mangino said. “They traditionally jump on teams. They look to get that advantage early in the game, and that’s something that we’ve got to do, we’ve got to be ready on the opening kickoff and play at the same tempo, fast and ferocious, for four quarters.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 2, 2008

Meier keeps eye on playing in NFL

When not leading the nation in receptions per game and emerging as the Kansas University football team’s biggest surprise, junior quarterback-turned-receiver Kerry Meier has allowed himself – briefly – to ponder the possibility of a future in the National Football League.

“Right now, I’ve still got all this year and the entire season next year as well,” said Meier, whose brother Shad spent five years in the NFL as a tight end with the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints. “But that’s why I came to college football – the next level is NFL.”

With the swiftness in which he has seemed to master the wide receiver position, a professional future in the sport is becoming increasingly tangible.

Despite spending only a fraction of his practice time with the receiving corps – Wednesday, for instance, he spent two hours of a two-and-a-half-hour practice with the quarterbacks – he has been the team’s most reliable offensive weapon while earning the nickname “Old Faithful” from quarterback Todd Reesing (“I don’t know about the ‘old’ part,” Meier said, “but ‘faithful’ is good”).

Rest assured, Meier has no plans of leaving KU before his eligibility runs dry after the 2009 season, but he readily admits the NFL was an alluring proposition.

“If (the NFL) is not in your mind, I really don’t know why you’re playing the game,” Meier said.

Jayhawks set for first morning start

When Kansas takes the field for an 11:30 a.m. kickoff against Iowa State on Saturday, it’ll mark the first time this season the Jayhawks have played a day game.

This year, Kansas has never kicked off before 6 p.m., and Saturday’s game in Ames will mean a change in the team’s pre-game preparations.

“You just don’t have meetings and walk-throughs like you normally do for a night game,” coach Mark Mangino said. “We kind of like it. You get up, have breakfast, have a meeting and go play.”

Special teams return woes don’t worry Mangino

Despite the fact that his team ranks last in the Big 12 in kickoff return production – the Jayhawks have averaged just 12.2 yards per return, which ranks 119th in the nation – Mangino brushed off the early struggles as a by-product of opponents’ desire to prevent big plays.

“When you analyze it, we’re getting awfully short kicks, so there’s only been a few occasions where we haven’t actually gotten good field position out of it,” Mangino said. “The kicks are so short, the coverage is down on top of you, and there’s just not a lot of room to run the ball.”

The result is limited production out of Marcus Herford. Herford, who was a preseason all-Big 12 first team selection at kick returner entering the season, has averaged just 11.4 yards-per-return and ranks 12th in the conference in the category.

“I think he’s fine” Mangino said of Herford. “He just needs a little room. Nobody’s kicking the ball deep to him. So we have to adjust as a team, and Marcus has to adjust.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 1, 2008

CB Harper returns

Kansas University’s football team learned injured cornerback Kendrick Harper likely will be in the lineup for the Jayhawks’ 11:30 a.m. matchup with Iowa State Saturday in Ames, Iowa.

Harper, who hasn’t played since leaving the Jayhawks’ victory over Louisiana Tech following a head-first collision, has been practicing at full-speed since last week and likely will provide a welcome addition to the team’s secondary unit, which has struggled in the team’s past two games.

“It’s the type of thing with Kendrick where you have to see every day how he responds on the practice field,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “But do we expect him to play? Yes.”

Harper, who declined to discuss the details of the injury Tuesday, did say that he experienced blurred vision and became disoriented following a hit on Louisiana Tech running back Phillip Livas, the injury that led to his removal from Memorial Stadium on a stretcher.

“My body just started feeling woozy and crazy,” said Harper, who was held at a nearby hospital until the following evening.

Unfortunately for the 5-foot-9, 190-pound senior from Hartwell, Ga., this year’s injury isn’t the first that has kept him out of the lineup for a significant time. As a junior in 2007, his first season at Kansas after transferring from Butler County Community College, Harper missed the first four games of the season due to injury. He was out two more games later in the year, and entering Saturday’s game against Iowa State, he has competed in just 10 of a possible 17 games since arriving in Lawrence.

Starters still out

Of the multiple starters who had managed to find their way into their coach’s dog house two weeks ago, none had successfully worked their way out as of Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point in time, as I sit here today, nobody has,” Mangino said during his weekly meeting with the media. “That could change, but nobody has as I stand here now.”

Against Sam Houston State two weeks ago, Mangino declined to start a number of the team’s standouts – including receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Daymond Patterson and linebacker Mike Rivera – opting instead for little-used backups Raimond Pendleton, Raymond Brown and Arist Wright.

Afterward, Mangino cited a lack of production and consistency at the positions, although he made it clear that the players would have the opportunity to work their way back into the starting lineup by the start of the conference schedule.

“That doesn’t mean we’ve given up on anybody or anything like that,” he said at the time. “But you’ve got to do the job here. It takes no talent to give effort.”

What about Mike?

Perhaps the most surprising player to be kept out of the lineup against Sam Houston State was Rivera, a senior who had started every game since the start of his sophomore year.

Rivera, an all-Big 12 honorable-mention selection a season ago who was replaced against the Bearkats by Wright, eventually entered the game, but failed to record a tackle for the first time all season.

“I don’t critique players publicly – never have, never will,” Mangino said. “Mike understands what the challenges are. And I expect him to respond in a positive manner.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 23, 2008

Henry waived by Jets

Former Kansas University wide receiver Marcus Henry was waived by the New York Jets on Monday to make room for punter Ben Green.

Henry, a sixth-round pick by the Jets, led the Jayhawks with 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007, helping Kansas to its first-ever BCS bowl game victory.

Henry’s release leaves three Kansas players from the 2008 draft class on NFL rosters. Cornerback Aqib Talib, the highest-drafted Jayhawks player in the ’08 draft, recently recorded his first career interception as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while offensive tackle Anthony Collins and tight end Derek Fine are listed on the rosters of the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, respectively.

OL changes unlikely

Although the Kansas football team’s offensive line has been an area of concern over the course of the team’s first four games, coach Mark Mangino he had no plans to shake things.

“I do not anticipate any personnel changes, but I do not want you to hold me to that 100 percent,” Mangino said. “I want to get out on the practice field, I want to continue to watch our film.”

The Jayhawks currently rank 11th in the Big 12 in rush offense and sometimes have had trouble protecting quarterback Todd Reesing, who has been forced to do a great deal to compensate for the stagnant ground game.

Still, Mangino reiterated his desire to keep the starting offensive line intact, while simultaneously leaving the door open for a change.

“I don’t anticipate it,” he repeated, “but don’t hold my feet to the fire on that.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 17, 2008

Jayhawks get physical

Any worries Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino might have had about how his team would rebound from its 37-34 loss to South Florida last Friday were quickly dispelled during the team’s practice Sunday in Lawrence.

Normally a laid-back workout in which the team makes corrections and completes a basic walk-through, last Sunday’s practice had a certain edge to it.

“It ended up in a real battle,” Mangino said. ” … I mean, guys were knocking the crap out of each other. And that’s the way it ought to be. If you don’t like losing, you have to do something about it.”

The loss marked only the team’s second in its past 16 games and dropped the Jayhawks from a No. 13 national ranking to No. 19.

But Sunday’s response left Mangino confident that his team would bounce back against Sam Houston State this weekend before beginning conference play Oct. 4 against Iowa State.

“I think they reacted the way I would expect them to react, like a good football team does,” Mangino said. “They’re angry. They’re mad. And that’s the kind of reaction you’re looking for.”

The next Todd?

Luckily for Mangino, he doesn’t have to worry about replacing quarterback Todd Reesing anytime soon – the junior from Austin, Texas, and current NCAA leader in completions-per-game will be under center through 2009.

But it’s never too soon to begin discussing possible replacements, which is what the coach did Tuesday when asked about true freshman Kale Pick.

“He can run, because he’s big and strong, (but) he can throw the ball,” Mangino said of Pick, who this week was named the team’s offensive scout team player of the week after emulating South Florida’s Matt Grothe in practice. “He has great spin on it, great velocity. Very accurate, and he will sit in the pocket. Down on the scout team, they’re knocking him around down there, and he’ll sit in the pocket and deliver the ball.”

Pick, a Dodge City native who initially committed to Arkansas before signing with the Jayhawks, said Tuesday that, barring injury or some other unforeseen development, he’ll take a red-shirt this season before fighting for a spot as Reesing’s No. 2 next season.

Injury update

Defensive back Kendrick Harper, who was hospitalized after the team’s victory over Louisiana Tech with what appeared to be a head or neck injury, is scheduled to undergo some follow-up tests later this week, but isn’t expected to play against Sam Houston State.

“Kendrick will get on the practice field a little bit later in the week and run around, but he’s not ready yet,” Mangino said. “He’s having some follow-up work done. We’ll know a little more, I think, (after) the follow-up work is (done) Friday afternoon.”

Mangino added that injured receiver Dexton Fields, who has missed the past two games, is “day-to-day.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 11, 2008

Biere earns top tight end spot

True freshman Tim Biere this week replaced sophomore Bradley Dedeaux as Kansas’ No. 1 tight end, Kansas University offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said.

Biere, one of three tight ends in the Jayhawks’ most recent recruiting class, impressed coach Mark Mangino during preseason workouts, and eventually passed both Dedeaux and quarterback-turned-tight-end A.J. Steward on the depth chart.

“Tim’s doing well,” Mangino said. “He’ll get playing time this week, and he has a lot of ability. He’s young, but … he’s got good football aptitude, he has good feel out there on the field for a freshman.”

Starting RB for South Florida game unclear

Mangino, who said earlier in the week that Jocques Crawford and Angus Quigley would battle for the role of the Jayhawks’ primary running back this season, offered little insight into the situation heading into Friday’s game.

Asked which back had performed better in this week’s practice, Mangino said, “It’s hard on the practice field to separate yourself. You separate yourself on the game field; that’s where that takes place.”

Thorson eligible to play for Jayhawks

Transfer center Brad Thorson has been ruled eligible to play for Kansas this season and competed on special teams in the Jayhawks’ 29-0 victory over visiting Louisiana Tech last weekend.

Thorson, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound sophomore who was reportedly asked to leave the University of Wisconsin last spring following an incident in which a teammate was sidelined with a knee injury, was the Badgers’ No. 2 center before transferring to Kansas this season.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 10, 2008

Fields to miss South Florida game

Receiver Dexton Fields, who missed Kansas University’s game against Louisiana Tech after an injury in Week 1, won’t be available for Friday’s 7 p.m. game at South Florida, KU coach Mark Mangino said Tuesday.

“Dexton’s not going to play this week,” he said. “We’ve tried, and that’s not going to happen. We expect him back pretty soon, though.”

Fields, who led the team in receptions a season ago, appeared to hurt his left foot or ankle in the first quarter of Kansas’ 40-10 victory over Florida International. He was replaced in the lineup last week by true freshman Daymond Patterson, who caught eight passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Friday night game not ideal for Jayhawks

Truth be told, Mangino wasn’t giddy about the prospect of a Friday night game this week, which would leave the Jayhawks with a shortened practice week.

However, the trade-off – a chance to play on national television – made it worth his team’s while.

“To tell you the truth, we have to take opportunities as they come,” Mangino said Tuesday. “There had been talk about Thursday night, (and) there had been talk about Friday night. There was no talk about the game being televised on Saturday, so our options were Thursday or Friday.”

After discussions with both South Florida and ESPN, it was agreed that the game would be held Friday and broadcast on ESPN2.

And despite the crammed preparations, Mangino is well aware of the benefits that come with a national audience.

“It helps in many ways,” Mangino said. “It helps recruiting. It helps with people that make decisions about rankings later in the season. So there are a lot of positives with playing a game that will be watched by a national audience.”

Harper hospitalization cautionary decision

The hospitalization of Kansas cornerback Kendrick Harper following a head-first collision in Saturday’s game against Louisiana Tech was done largely as a precautionary measure, Mangino said Tuesday.

“They don’t take any chances,” said Mangino. “And I don’t want them to. If it was my son, I wouldn’t want a medical staff or a coach taking a chance.

“But it worked out pretty good in this case.”

Harper, who came off the field on his own power but later began displaying undisclosed “symptoms” that led the KU medical staff to call for an ambulance, was released from the hospital Sunday night and was doing fine, according to the coach.

As of Tuesday, Mangino didn’t have a timetable for the player’s return, although he said Harper would be back in uniform “not too far down the road.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Aug 16, 2008

Mangino reveals starting tackles

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino put months of speculation to rest Friday when he announced following the team’s open practice that redshirt freshmen Jeff Spikes and Jeremiah Hatch will start at the Jayhawks’ two vacant offensive tackles positions.

Hatch, listed at 6-foot-3 and 311-pounds, will take over the right tackle spot vacated by four-year starter Cesar Rodriguez, and Spikes, 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds, will replace all-American Anthony Collins at left tackle.

While the coaching staff’s excitement surrounding Spikes has been well-documented, Hatch’s ascension up the depth chart has been a bit more subtle.

“He is really one of the hardest-working guys and hardest-playing guys we have on the team,” said Mangino of Hatch, who sat out of practice Friday with what appeared to be a minor injury. “And what he lacks in some experience, he’ll make up for it with just grit and toughness and hard work.”

The placement of the two at tackle now gives the Jayhawks a projected starting offensive line of Spikes, left guard Adrian Mayes, center Ryan Cantrell, right guard Chet Hartley and Hatch.

“I have confidence in all five guys up front,” Mangino said. “The tackles are really developing, coming along. And I’m pretty pleased with that.”

Patterson likely to forego redshirt

Daymond Patterson, a true freshman who practiced Friday as the No. 1 punt returner and a second-string receiver, is in position to play immediately, Mangino said Friday.

“He has the kind of speed that can change a game around,” Mangino said. “He’s still learning. He’s picking up things. But I have to say that he’s a good student of the game. … So he’s putting himself in position where he’s going to play.”

Punt returning was widely considered the team’s biggest weakness a season ago, and the addition of Patterson – who earned first-team all-Texas honors as a kick returner at North Mesquite High School – might prove to be a solution to the problem.

Mangino said he was pleased with the performance of all three punt return candidates – Patterson, redshirt freshman Isiah Barfield and senior Dexton Fields – although he has yet to decide on a starter.

Running back depth not a concern

Despite losing two running backs to transfers earlier this week – and a third to eligibility issues – Mangino didn’t appear too troubled by the team’s perceived lack of depth at the position.

“Why?” he said, when asked whether he was concerned following the departure of reserve running backs Carmon Boyd-Anderson and Donte Bean earlier this week. “You got two guys who hardly ever played. You’re looking for quality, not quantity. We want quality players back there, and we’ve got three guys that we like, four, so I don’t have a problem with what we have, to tell you the truth. There’s no strength in numbers.”

The Jayhawks, who began summer workouts with seven running backs, still have their top three in juniors Jake Sharp, Jocques Crawford and Angus Quigley. Redshirt freshman Rell Lewis, who was listed as a receiver a year ago, is the team’s fourth running back.

Rojas likely Jayhawks’ punter

Mangino said two weeks ago that do-it-all junior Kerry Meier would battle for the role of the team’s punter, but as of Friday’s practice, transfer Alonso Rojas appeared to have the position wrapped up.

He handled nearly all of the team’s punting duties Friday, performing well, and afterward earned a vote of confidence from Mangino.

“He’s a little rusty, but everyday he kicks it better and better, and I think that by the time we’re ready to go he’ll be pretty smooth,” Mangino said. “We think we’re going to be OK there with him.”

The move should allow Meier – listed at three positions on the team’s preseason depth chart – the opportunity to focus primarily on his duties as a receiver and backup quarterback.

Wisconsin transfer on Jayhawks’ roster

Brad Thorson, a former University of Wisconsin offensive lineman who was asked to leave the program last spring, is now listed at the same position on the Jayhawks’ roster.

Following an incident during a practice last March in which a Wisconsin teammate was left sidelined with a knee injury, UW coach Bret Bielema told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Thorson would no longer be with the program.

“It was kind of (their) final straw for me,” Thorson told the paper in the spring. “It was decided for me that I would look elsewhere to find somewhere I’d be a better fit.”

A 6-foot-4, 295-pound sophomore, Thorson, who was listed as the Badgers’ No. 2 center before transferring, will miss the 2008 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

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