Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 26, 2009

Briscoe focusing on MU, not NFL Draft

At some point in the next few months, Kansas University receiver Dezmon Briscoe realizes, he’ll have to decide whether to return to KU for this senior season or enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

He’s just not quite ready yet.

“I’m focusing on Missouri right now,” said Briscoe, KU’s career and season receiving yardage leader. “That’s after-the-season-type-stuff.”

Briscoe, who said Wednesday he’s been generally pleased with his play so far this season, is projected as a second-round pick by cbssports.com and is ranked among the best receivers nationally in the Class of 2011.

“We’ll research it, we’ll study it, we’ll find all the data that we can possibly find, and help Dez and let him and his family make the decision,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “We’ll support Dez whatever he does. That’s how we do it here.”

Briscoe said Wednesday that, with the exception of his mother, he has managed to keep his feelings on the matter private, a statement backed up by KU junior defensive back Phillip Strozier.

Said Strozier, smiling. “I’m as clueless as you guys.”

Fambrough prepared for KU to play naked

It is common knowledge that former Kansas coach and noted Missouri antagonist Don Fambrough does not like a single thing about the University of Missouri, and on Wednesday he indicated that this sentiment stretches to uniform choice.

News that Missouri will debut a new line of Nike uniforms in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game against the Jayhawks — the new duds are white, black and gray and emblazoned with the phrase “Beast Mode” — sent Fambrough into his own personal beast mode following an evening football practice at Memorial Stadium.

“They gonna wear their new uniforms and all?” the coach asked. “That’s great. We’ll play ’em naked.”

Mangino responds to Leach support

In last week’s 41-13 victory over Oklahoma, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach implored his quarterback, Taylor Potts, to replace his usual “Potts” uniform nameplate with one that read “Nick.”

Following the game, Leach indicated that “Nick” represented Nick Reid, a former Kansas player who came forward in defense of Mangino in the days following the announcement that the university would begin an internal investigation into the eighth-year coach’s treatment of players.

“Everybody’s got their way of stating things,” Mangino said Wednesday, before praising his former colleague’s intellect in and away from football.

During Monday’s Big 12 coaches teleconference, meanwhile, Leach called the KU investigation a “witch hunt,” mocking the public outrage over reports that Mangino abused players orally.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 25, 2009

Regents vice chair supports investigation

Kansas Board of Regents vice chair Gary Sherrer said Tuesday that — as long as it’s carried out in a fair and thorough manner — he supports Kansas University’s ongoing investigation into the actions of football coach Mark Mangino.

“Honestly, as long as it’s very public that a formal process is taking place, then — and I’m speaking for myself, I can’t speak for the other regents — I think that’s fine; that’s the way it ought to be,” said Sherrer, contacted Tuesday by the Journal-World.

“I believe it would be a terrific mistake if the Board of Regents made some kind of rush to judgement based only on preliminary information,” he added. “And I just have confidence in the Chancellor and I have confidence that the university has a process in place that will be fair and timely, and we’ll judge that when it’s completed.”

Will six wins be enough?

Mangino seemed confident Tuesday that a victory over Missouri in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. Border War matchup would be enough to propel Kansas (5-6, 1-6 in the Big 12) to its third straight bowl appearance.

“Everything I’m hearing from my sources, which I think are pretty credible, (tells) me that 6-6, for us in the Big 12, would qualify for a bowl,” Mangino said.

Mangino’s opinion of Arrowhead deal depends when you ask

Asked Tuesday whether he supported the athletic department’s recent trend of playing the annual Border War game at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, Mangino answered candidly.

“Here’s how it works,” he said. “When you win the game, you think it’s a good idea to play it at Arrowhead. And when you lose, you think it’s a bad idea. That’s the coach in all of us.”

Based on that logic, Mangino’s been equal parts pleased and frustrated since the neutral-site series began two seasons ago.

In 2007, the first year of the Arrowhead arrangement, the previously unbeaten Jayhawks lost to Missouri — a game that cost them a shot at a Big 12 title — but rebounded to win last year’s game, 40-37, on a last-second touchdown pass from quarterback Todd Reesing to receiver Kerry Meier.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 11, 2009

There are brains and there is brawn, and then there is Ndamukong Suh, the University of Nebraska defensive tackle who appears to possess a good amount of both.

While his size (6-foot-4, 300 pounds) is what jumps out at onlookers, the senior from Portland, Ore., also has developed a reputation as one of the game’s thinking men, a player who has used his head to dominate opposing offenses this season.

“You can’t fool him,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said of arguably the conference’s top defensive player. “People have tried to fool him with various blocking schemes, and he’s not fooled. He’s well coached, and he really understands the dynamic of the game and how it really works.”

He certainly seemed to against the Jayhawks last season, when he finished with 12 tackles (four for loss), 2.5 sacks and, for good measure, a two-yard touchdown pass while moonlighting as a tight end.

This year, he hasn’t slowed down much.

Through nine games, he has recorded 13 tackles for loss (five sacks), blocked three kicks and been a primary reason the Huskers defense is allowing just 10.3 points per game, second in the nation.

As it stands now, the responsibility for keeping Suh in check will fall upon Kansas University red-shirt freshman right guard Trevor Marrongelli, who is coming off his first collegiate start last week against Kansas State.

“At the moment, yeah,” KU offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. “We don’t have one of those guys walking around right now that you can throw in against him.”

The good news for Marrongelli is that, if he struggles to corral the future NFL Draft pick, he won’t be alone.

“He’s pretty disruptive in most games,” Warinner said.

Mangino not changing motivational tactics amid losing streak

Although he and his staff have carried out a number of positional switches over the past few weeks, Mangino said Tuesday that his motivational tactics have remained constant during the team’s recent four-game losing streak.

“When you take drastic measures during a tough time, the kids wonder, ‘Is the coach panicking? Do they not have confidence that we can pull out of this?'” Mangino said. “And we’ve always stayed the steady course because we believe we can pull out of it.”

Patterson slowed by injury, increased competition

Kansas cornerback/punt returner Daymond Patterson’s absence against Kansas State last Saturday was the result of injury, Mangino said Tuesday, though the sophomore also has been faced with competition at the left cornerback position.

“He’s not feeling well. There’s no question that’s part of it,” Mangino said. “And then other people are making a lot of improvement, too. The main reason is that he wasn’t 100 percent, and he didn’t feel up to it. But we’re also getting a lot of competition at that position that I was hoping it would play out that way, and it is.”

In Patterson’s absence, Anthony Davis took over the role of backup cornerback, and true freshman receiver Bradley McDougald handled punt returns.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 4, 2009

O-line struggling

For a while, it looked like the Kansas University offensive line might have been the program’s most overachieving unit this fall.

Despite returning only two starters from last year’s line, the team’s ground game was ranked among the best in the Big 12 through five games, and when quarterback Todd Reesing threw for a career-high 442 yards in a Oct. 10 victory over Iowa State, KU coach Mark Mangino called it one of the best pass-blocking performances that he’d been associated with.

But during the past three games — as Reesing has been sacked a combined 14 times and the team’s ground game has sputtered — members of the line are trying to make sense of the recent decline in performance.

“A lot of people didn’t expect a lot out of us,” junior lineman Brad Thorson said Tuesday. “And people started to praise us, and that feels good when you’ve kind of changed people’s opinions. Then to fall back, it’s tough.”

Theories as to why the group has regressed are plentiful. An increase in the level of competition. Defenses that have figured out a way to exploit a relatively inexperienced unit. The absence of a necessary mean streak.

“We just need them to have a more aggressive demeanor, and to play with a more aggressive attitude and really try to get after an opponent,” offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. “The one-on-one battles, to win those, to not just get in people’s way, but to try to create space and move people and be more dominant there — that’s something that we’ll challenge them to do.”

If nothing else, members of the struggling line can take solace in the fact that, for a significant stretch this season, they experienced success.

Now, with just four games remaining on the schedule, the key will be figuring out how to regain it.

“We’ve seen ourselves succeed playing as a group,” Thorson said. “We need to get back on the same page and really start clicking like five offensive linemen should.”

Rojas getting workout

The offensive struggles that have plagued Kansas in recent weeks have paved the way for an expanded role for punter Alonso Rojas, and the junior from Miami has made the most of his opportunity.

In the team’s past three games, Rojas has punted 19 times — more than in the team’s first five games combined — and is currently ranked fifth in the Big 12 in punting average (40.8 yards), having landed 13 punts within the opponents’ 20 yard line.

“When he first got here, he wanted to kick with all his might, and now he has learned you can drop it in certain spots,” Mangino said. “He’s got to be one of the best punters in the nation on sky kicks, dropping the ball inside the 20 and 10 and even 5 yard line.”

Defection not a concern

Although the Kansas State coaching staff features an assistant well-versed in the Kansas playbook — Joe Bob Clements served as the Jayhawks’ defensive line coach last season before leaving to join K-State coach Bill Snyder’s staff — Mangino is confident that Clements’ knowledge of the KU program won’t be an issue in the Jayhawks’ 11:30 a.m. matchup with the Wildcats on Saturday.

“I couldn’t imagine anything that he could possibly know that would give him an edge in the game,” Mangino said. “I just don’t see it. That’s not a factor at all.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 19, 2009

McDougald playing offense, defense

A day after Kansas University wide receiver Bradley McDougald made a short cameo at defensive back in a 34-30 road loss to Colorado, KU coach Mark Mangino said the true freshman from Dublin, Ohio, will play both offense and defense for the remainder of the season in an effort to add depth to a struggling secondary.

“He understands the mechanics of how the game’s played, and that’s why we’re able to give him time on both sides of the ball,” said Mangino, whose 5-1 (1-1 in the Big 12) team will host No. 25 Oklahoma next Saturday. “But we’re not going to overdo it, we’ll be careful with that.”

McDougald, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals.com, played running back and safety as a prep. Originally signed to play at Ohio State, he switched his decision to Kansas just before last spring’s signing day, at least partially because KU provided the opportunity to play on the offensive side of the ball.

Run game a concern

While Kansas’ final rushing numbers were certainly swayed by five Colorado sacks that resulted in a loss of 50 yards, the team’s running backs never managed to find a groove as the Jayhawks finished with -8 rushing yards in their worst ground performance of the season.

“Obviously, none of us are pleased the way the run game went last night,” Mangino said. “I think more than anything, our offensive line was not sharp. I don’t feel like we blocked some movements the way we’re capable of, and there were a couple of guys on the offensive line that did not play well, for whatever reason.”

In addition to giving up a season-high five sacks, the line failed to create holes for running back Jake Sharp, who was making his first start since the team’s Sept. 19 game against Duke. Sharp carried the ball 13 times for just 37 yards and didn’t record a run longer than five yards, while backup Toben Opurum finished with just three yards on two carries, despite the fact that Kansas entered the game averaging 189.2 rushing yards per game (fourth in the Big 12) and Colorado was giving up a conference-worst 4.5 yards per carry.

“That unit has been getting better and better every week, and it took a little bit of a step back (on Saturday),” Mangino said of the offensive line. “So we’ve got to get it back on track. We’ve got to give them a lot of looks and a lot of movement and a lot of different blitzes and let them go to work on it and get better.”

Mangino sees respect

Although he is in no rush to make it a common occurrence, Mangino said Sunday he considered the reaction of the Colorado fans — who rushed the field following Saturday night’s game — as a sign of respect for the progress his program has made in recent years.

“We’ve come a long way,” the coach said. “People want to beat us. We get everybody’s best shot now. We don’t sneak up on anybody. We’re circled on everybody’s schedule, and that’s good, we aspire to be that kind of team.

“Now, we’ve just got to prove that we can play at a high level week in and week out.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 14, 2009

Reesing flattered

Any time a college football coach starts nudging one of his players into the Heisman Trophy talk, it means the player’s obviously doing something right.

When coach Mark Mangino hops onto your Heisman bandwagon, it means you must be Superman.

“For him to go out of his way to mention that, which is kind of out of character for him, it’s pretty cool to see,” said Kansas University’s Todd Reesing, responding to Mangino’s assertion this week that the quarterback deserved to be in the discussion for college football’s most prestigious award. “Knowing that I have his support and he thinks highly of me enough to think that I deserve a mention … is pretty cool.”

Pretty cool and a bit shocking.

Mangino, a historically ardent proponent of the team-first ethos, apparently has softened his stance on a “No Heisman Campaigning” based on the quick start of his spunky senior quarterback.

A day after making an unsolicited pitch for Reesing to be included in the midseason Heisman discussion, the coach said Tuesday that he’d spoken with a university media-relations official about sending out some printed material on Reesing and added that he would consider the possibility of mailing out a DVD featuring some of the player’s most outstanding plays.

At the same time, the coach reiterated his stance that Heisman voters aren’t easily swayed by the niceties of campaigns, insisting the award comes down essentially to one thing.

“For Todd to make a true run at it, we’ve got to win,” Mangino said. “We’ve got to win a lot of games. It’s all on us as a team as much as it is in his hands.”

Reesing could have multiple opportunities to showcase his abilities in front of national television audiences, with Kansas’ remaining schedule featuring three ranked opponents (Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas) and a matchup with rival Missouri.

In the meantime, Mangino urged reporters to keep perspective on the whole thing — “We’ve played five games,” he said — even as he simultaneously fanned the Heisman flame.

“It would be awesome,” said Mangino, asked what a Heisman Trophy winner would do for his program. “… But we’ve got a ways to go. We’ve got a lot of wood to saw before we get there. A lot of wood to saw.

“But we’ll see,” he added. “If it happens, we’ll be some happy dogs.”

Missing James Holt

For the most part, Mangino says, his team hasn’t felt the sting of losing three linebackers — James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen — who were among the conference’s best before running out of eligibility following the 2008 season.

With one exception:

“The guy that we miss the most is James Holt,” Mangino said. “Because James could play out in space, and he could come off the edge, and we don’t have anybody that can do that.

“As far as the two guys in the box, I don’t think the performance of those guys is much different than what it was a year ago,” he added. “In fact, our record would be exactly the same this year with those guys as it would be last year with the guys we have now.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Oct 7, 2009

Sharp setback

As recently as Monday, Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino seemed confident that injured running back Jake Sharp, the Big 12’s second-leading rusher before the setback, would be ready to go in the 16th-ranked Jayhawks’ matchup with visiting Iowa State on Saturday.

A day later, however, the coach altered his initial prognosis.

“I’ll be real honest with you in the assessment of Jake’s injury,” Mangino said during Tuesday’s meeting with the media. “I think we all thought that he was going to get on the practice field today, and we were going to cut him loose. But it hasn’t developed that way, unfortunately.”

The undisclosed injury, which was suffered during a practice before the team’s Sept. 19 victory over Duke, severely limited Sharp against the Blue Devils (he rushed five times for 13 yards before being shut down in the first half) and kept him out of the following week’s game against Southern Mississippi completely.

On Tuesday, Mangino insisted he’d err on the side of caution when determining the player’s status heading into Saturday’s conference opener.

“By Thursday’s practice, if he’ll go out and execute everything full speed, 100 percent, we’ll play him,” Mangino said. “If there’s any sign that he’s not 100 percent, that he cannot play to the best of his abilities, then we will not use him.”

If Sharp is unable to play, the large majority of the team’s ground game again will fall upon the shoulders of true freshman Toben Opurum, who is coming off a 28-carry, 109-yard performance against Southern Miss. The team’s leading rusher this season with 320 yards and six touchdowns, Opurum has proven to be one of the program’s most pleasant surprises — particularly when considering his production during Sharp’s absence.

And Mangino appears more than willing to ride the true freshman one more week if necessary.

“I want (Jake) to be 100-percent functional, because he is a guy whose speed and quickness are his asset,” he said. “And if he doesn’t bring those to the field — he’s not a 240-pound running back. So we’ve got to have him feeling really good.”

Woods coming along

When Kansas signed defensive end transfer Quintin Woods last spring, it was largely viewed as a move that immediately could bolster a KU pass-rush that struggled during the 2008 season.

Instead, the Flint, Mich., native and former Michigan signee has gone largely unused this year as veteran defensive ends Maxwell Onyegbule, Jake Laptad and Jeff Wheeler have helped the Jayhawks to 15 total sacks — on pace to easily surpass last year’s season total of 29.

“I think he’s realized there’s a certain standard here for effort and work ethic that you must meet to get on the field,” Mangino said. “Not that he’s lazy, (it’s) just making that transition from junior college to here has been a little bit difficult for him.”

Following a productive past few weeks, however, which included a strong showing during the team’s bye week, Mangino said an increased workload isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“This past week, where he had a chance to work fundamentals and not worry about a game plan and worry about who we’re playing, I thought he made some big strides,” he said. “He has a ways to go. He’s a talented young guy, he’s a likable young guy. … But I look for him to contribute before it’s all said and done this year.”

Mangino confident in Branstetter’s ability

Although kicker Jacob Branstetter’s opportunities have been minimal this season — the Jayhawks have attempted field goals in just two of their first four games — Mangino said Tuesday that he’s comfortable sending his kicker in to attempt field goals from as far out as 48 yards if the situation calls for it.

So far this season, Branstetter is 3-for-5 on field-goal attempts — his two misses coming after suffering a roughing-the-kicker penalty against UTEP — but hasn’t attempted a kick longer than 38 yards as Mangino has routinely opted to keep the offense on the field in fourth-down situations.

“He can make it. He has the strength to do it,” Mangino said of a long field goal. “… I’m comfortable where he is. He works hard, he’s very dedicated to his craft, and I have great faith in him.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 24, 2009

Mangino addresses precautions

Following a highly-publicized two-day feud between members of the Kansas University football and men’s basketball teams — during which sophomore basketball player Tyshawn Taylor admitted to throwing a punch via his Facebook account — Kansas football coach Mark Mangino on Wednesday addressed the precautions taken by his team’s staff to prevent offensive material from being posted.

In addition to employing a staff member whose responsibilities include periodically monitoring the Facebook accounts of players, Mangino said that coaches spoke to team members during training camp about the potential hazards of the various social media outlets available today.

“You can embarrass yourself,” Mangino said. “You can embarrass strangers, you don’t want to put anything on there that’s going to make you look bad, your team look bad.”

While he admitted that it’s hard to keep an eye on all the digital actions of a 105-man roster, the coach said he’s been pleased with the online conduct of his team to this point.

“Anybody can read it,” he said. “And we do have an administrator that periodically goes through them, and we haven’t had any problems — nothing serious — and I think our kids have managed that pretty well.”

LB Wright expected back

Injured linebacker Arist Wright is expected to be back in the team’s lineup during Saturday’s game against visiting Southern Mississippi, Mangino said Wednesday.

Wright, a senior starter, left midway through last week’s victory over Duke with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return, paving the way for a 10-tackle day from backup Huldon Tharp, a true freshman.

“He practiced full speed today,” Mangino said. “He shows no signs of his injury. We’ve been kind of smart with him, but I think he’s going to be OK. I think he’s going to be ready to go.”

Biere returning to form

After being held out of the Jayhawks’ last two games with an illness, sophomore tight end Tim Biere returned to practice Sunday and will be available for this weekend’s game.

“He looks pretty good,” Mangino said. “He feels a lot better, and he’s getting his strength back, and I think he’ll be ready to go full speed come Saturday.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 22, 2009

Mangino pleased with Jayhawks’ resolve

It took about five minutes for Kansas to suffer its first deficit of the season Saturday, as Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis ran for a 21-yard score on the Blue Devils’ second offensive play of the game.

Much to KU coach Mark Mangino’s pleasure, however, it took the Jayhawks less than three minutes to get out of it.

“I thought our kids responded very well,” he said of his team’s reaction to its first dose of in-game adversity this fall. “They stayed focused, no signs of panicking or worrying or anything. The coaches did a good job on the sideline of just keeping them in the game.”

“You’re going to get behind in games,” he added. “And how you react to that is going to make a world of difference in whether you’re going to have a chance to win or not. And I thought our kids handled it well.”

Golden Eagles staying grounded despite start

At 3-0 this season, Southern Mississippi is off to its best start since 2004, with a chance to build on its early success on Saturday against the ranked Jayhawks.

But despite his team’s quick start, which has included a victory over Central Florida and a come-from-behind win over Virginia last weekend, second-year coach Larry Fedora isn’t concerned with the possibility of a letdown.

“As coaches, the way we coach them, they don’t have an opportunity to really get the big head, I’ll promise you,” said the coach, whose team has outscored opponents 115-53 this season. “We coach them pretty hard and they understand what we expect, and each and every week we talk about the games the same.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 14, 2009

As the swine flu has begun wreaking havoc on the locker rooms of various Div. I football teams in recent days, Kansas University coach Mark Mangino and his staff are taking precautions to limit the chances of a team-wide outbreak.

“(Director of sports medicine) Murphy Grant … I think he’s really on top of things,” Mangino said Sunday night. “He makes sure the locker room is kept clean, (and) we had a firm come in here about a week ago — they kind of smoked the whole room out and killed germs and things of that sort.”

Several prominent football programs have suffered recent flu outbreaks that have resulted in significantly depleted rosters. Nearly 30 Ole Miss players were forced to miss practice last week as a result of the flu, including starting quarterback Jevan Snead, and 40 Wisconsin players suffered flulike symptoms leading up to Saturday’s double-overtime victory over Fresno State.

The Kansas team would seem to be at a particularly high risk, due to the high number of H1N1 cases on campus. As of late August, 32 confirmed cases of the illness had been reported at KU, and, at one point, more than 300 students were exhibiting flulike symptoms.

So far, however, the Jayhawks have managed to dodge the bullet.

Kansas center Jeremiah Hatch was forced to leave Saturday’s victory over UTEP due to flulike symptoms (and subsequent snapping problems), but the coach said that with the exception of a small flu issue during training camp, the Jayhawks have avoided a significant outbreak so far this season.

“(Grant) was on the cutting edge of getting flu shots for our players a couple weeks ago,” Mangino said. “He was staying on top of when flu shots were coming out and how quickly he could get them for our players.

“But you can’t fight every strain of flu,” he added. “You just can’t.”

Branstetter, Hawkinson OK

Junior kicker Jacob Branstetter, who was hit on a roughing-the-kicker penalty in the first quarter of Saturday’s game at UTEP and later missed two field goals, has been evaluated by the team’s medical staff and is expected to be ready for Saturday’s game against Duke, Mangino said Sunday.

The coach also indicated that left tackle Tanner Hawkinson, who was injured on the final play of the game and spent a couple minutes laying on the field before being helped up, practiced Sunday with no issues and would also be ready to play this weekend.

“It was scary for a moment,” Mangino said. “But he’s OK.”

Switches please Mangino

Mangino lauded the play of the secondary against UTEP.

Featuring a starting lineup that had a few faces in new places — Justin Thornton played nickelback; usual nickelback Chris Harris was at cornerback in place of struggling sophomore Anthony Davis; and Phillip Strozier made his first start this season at safety — the Jayhawks held the Miners to just 204 passing yards and seven total points in the victory.

“I think some of our sacks in the game came from real good coverage and the quarterback not able to find people open,” the coach said. “We were really good at running seams and getting read progression, attacking the ball in the air, attacking the receiver right after a catch on the short game stuff, which you like.

“So I was really pleased.”

Jayhawks improve in polls

Kansas improved its position in both major polls Sunday, jumping two spots to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and up one spot to No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 9, 2009

Coaches working with CB Davis

While Clint Bowen was not exactly a fan of the penalty-prompting ways of sophomore cornerback Anthony Davis in last weekend’s season-opening victory over Northern Colorado, Bowen, the second-year Kansas University defensive coordinator, pointed out Tuesday that things could have been a lot worse.

“He came out in good position,” Bowen said. “It wasn’t like one of those where you’re rallying to catch up to a guy and cover your butt. The ones that discourage me are when the guy runs right by them, and they have to run to catch up, and they run into them. Those ones are like, ‘Holy cow, with a good ball, that should have been a touchdown.'”

In an unusual display last Saturday, Davis was flagged for three pass-interference penalties — two of which came on consecutive plays — and was eventually pulled in favor of transfer Calvin Rubles.

Coaches said that the issues would need to be improved before this weekend’s road matchup with Texas-El Paso, however, and that the necessary corrections were being made.

“You have to look at them from a technical standpoint, why they happen,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “And you break it down. Coaches sit with the players and go over it and then work on it on the practice field about what fundamentally broke down that created those situations.”

As Bowen pointed out, improvement also will come with experience.

“The kid hasn’t played a lot of (college) football,” Bowen said. “That’s why they say experience makes a difference. And that’s one of those deals. Experience does make a difference. He’s played it right a million times in his life, but when things happen, they happen quick, and they don’t always work out perfect.”

Stuckey fine after late-hit penalty

A post-play shot to the knee sustained in last week’s victory won’t limit KU senior safety Darrell Stuckey against UTEP, the player said Tuesday.

The incident occurred during the third quarter of the UNC game, when Bears lineman Alex Shapiro was flagged for a 15-yard personal-foul penalty after diving into Stuckey’s legs following a play.

“Sometimes you wonder what possesses players to do certain things,” Stuckey said. “It was the same guy that was trying to block me all game and couldn’t manage to get his hands on me, and then I guess he saw an opportunity and got really focused in, channeled in, and didn’t hear the whistle at all, obviously.”

“But it’s something that happens,” he added. “Its a part of the game. (I’m) just glad that nothing severe happened out of that.”

UTEP bouncing back from season opener

Things were a little rough around the UTEP football offices this weekend — “Sunday, you could hear a pin drop in our meetings,” said Miners coach Mike Price — but players and coaches said Tuesday that the team had moved past its disappointing season-opening loss to Buffalo, which ended when an apparent game-tying touchdown was negated in the final moments because of a penalty.

The Miners wound up losing 23-17.

“I’m looking at this in rose-colored glasses today, but it was definitely a bitter pill to swallow on Saturday night and Sunday, and even today when we got to work,” Price said. “I was disappointed in myself after the game and on Sunday for not preparing our team well enough to start the game really well. But after looking at the game tape several times, I realized that we started the game very well.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 2, 2009

Mangino lauds Capra

Meet Sal Capra, “Program Guy.”

On Tuesday, Kansas University coach Mark Mangino paid the offensive lineman what — in his eyes — is one of the ultimate compliment when he bestowed upon Capra the coveted “program guy” tag.

“He works hard, he’s dedicated to the program, he doesn’t get a lot of fanfare, not a lot of press,” Mangino said. “But he’s a guy that just works at it every day, and he’s really developed into a solid football player for us.

“We would be in trouble if we didn’t have him.”

After spending the previous two seasons as a backup — he played in nearly every game last season as a reserve guard — Capra begins the year as the projected starter at right guard, where the junior will become the longest-tenured member of a relatively inexperienced unit.

“The strength coaches rant and rave about him,” Mangino said. “His position coach says he’s just a hard-working guy. I watch tape of him, watch him practice every day: He’s not flashy, he’s not a huge guy, he’s not a very quick guy. But he’s smart, he’s resourceful, he knows how to play the game, and he plays it hard.”

Springer to play against UNC

Despite missing the second half of last season due to injury — and only recently returning to practice — junior linebacker Justin Springer is expected to play in Saturday’s 6 p.m. season opener against Northern Colorado.

Mangino declined to discuss the specifics of Springer’s injury, but linebackers coach Bill Miller indicated the player will be on the field against the Bears.

“He’s getting back to where he’s full speed,” said Miller, who will also work as the team’s co-defensive coordinator this season. “We’re going to get some snaps out of him.”

Special teams changes expected

Mangino has made no secret of his desire to improve upon last year’s special-teams performance this offseason, and the coach reiterated this sentiment Tuesday.

“There’ll be a lot of changes,” Mangino assured, adding that receiver Dezmon Briscoe will be the team’s starting kick returner. “Special teams has been highly competitive in this training camp. We have made it a high priority. We feel if we’re going to have a chance to be a real good football team, we’ve got to win the field-position battles in the special teams.

“There were some areas last year we weren’t happy about,” he added. “We’ll be better at special teams this year, top to bottom.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Aug 20, 2009

Nick Krug
Kansas' Kerry Meier tosses to the end zone in the spring game on April 11. Meier will not make the switch to full-time receiver.

Senior Thornton returning to safety

After a short hiatus, Kansas University senior Justin Thornton will return to the position in which he thrived during the Jayhawks’ 2007 Orange Bowl season.

Thornton, who tied for the team lead with five interceptions as a sophomore in ’07, was shifted to cornerback last fall as part of the team’s massive secondary overhaul. But on Wednesday, KU coach Mark Mangino said the St. Joseph, Mo., native has made the move back to safety.

“The reason we did that is because he kind of directs the traffic, he’s an old hand back there,” said the coach. “He’s been in a bunch of big games at that position, and we’re starting to feel more comfortable with him there because the corners are starting to develop really well.”

Thornton played the first seven games of last season at free safety before making a mid-season switch to left cornerback. He led the Jayhawks with 11 pass break-ups and finished with a career-high 63 tackles.

Meier won’t stop working at quarterback

Mangino’s plan to phase Kerry Meier out of the quarterback rotation and allow the Pittsburg native to work full-time at receiver has been scrapped — at least for the most part.

“After looking at it through training camp, I’m not sure that we’ll completely divorce him from that position,” Mangino said. “But his reps are extremely limited. I just want to keep him there in case the worst-case scenario would come about.”

Mangino, who said Meier has been working at receiver approximately 90 percent of the time, previously indicated that Meier would make a permanent shift to the position if backup quarterback Kale Pick emerged as a viable No. 2 quarterback during summer training camp.

Linebacker Brooks returns to practice

After leaving summer training camp last Tuesday to deal with a family emergency, transfer linebacker Vernon Brooks is back at practice and showing signs of promise, Mangino said.

“Vernon Brooks the last couple days has really come on strong, and he’s really making a statement,” said Mangino of the transfer from Texas’ Blinn College. “He’s a hard-nosed guy, and he just has to learn our defense. But he’s doing very well.”

Porter among running backs vying for snaps

A year ago, Daniel Porter was watching KU standouts Todd Reesing and Dezmon Briscoe from a box in his living room.

These days, he’s vying for a chance to play alongside them.

“I used to watch them on ESPN all the time,” said Porter, a running back transfer from San Mateo (Calif.) Junior College. “And I’m here now, so it’s pretty cool.”

The junior from San Francisco was a late addition to the Jayhawks’ roster this spring, but Mangino last week called him one of the team’s fastest players, and said he didn’t figure the back would have much trouble making the transition to Division-I football.

“I like his attitude,” Mangino said. “He’s a guy, like a lot of our kids, he’s super serious about his work.”

Linebacker Jones no longer with program

Mangino also said Wednesday that Julian Jones, a true freshman linebacker from Lawton, Okla., did not report to training camp and is no longer with the team.

“We talked to him and he wanted to just go somewhere to college close to home,” said the coach. “And I think he made a good decision.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Aug 12, 2009

Mike Yoder
Darius Parish (55) and Jamal Greene (99) gather with teammates from Kansas high schools during KU’s Media Day on Tuesday at Memorial Stadium. Parish is from Wichita North High, and Greene is from Kansas City (Kan.) Washington High.

Freshman LB to start?

Questions about how Kansas University’s coaching staff plans to replace three starting linebackers were answered Tuesday — at least in part.

Citing the limited availability of Justin Springer (injury) and the slower-than-expected progress of running back-turned-linebacker Angus Quigley, KU coach Mark Mangino all but guaranteed that one of the starting linebacker positions would go to Huldon Tharp, a true freshman out of Mulvane.

“You’re going to see Huldon Tharp play, there’s no question,” Mangino said during the team’s annual Media Day at the Anderson Family Football Complex. “… I think we’re just counting the days until he wins the job. We want to see him on tape in a scrimmage, and we think that’s just going to be a rubber stamp putting him at a starting position.”

Although Quigley and junior Drew Dudley worked as the first-team linebackers for the majority of Tuesday morning’s practice, Mangino made it clear that the 6-foot, 215-pound Tharp was on his way to earning a starting role in his first year in Lawrence.

He also issued an ultimatum of sorts to veteran players hoping to find a place in the team’s linebacking corps.

“They’ve got a few days here to buckle down and make a statement,” he said, “or (they) are probably not going to be in the mix.”

Briscoe to return kicks

Apparently, Dezmon Briscoe’s short tenure as a kick returner at the end of last season was enough to earn him the starting role at the position this fall.

Mangino said Tuesday that Briscoe — who averaged a team-high 27.4 yards in eight returns last season — will be the likely starter entering 2009, although he also highlighted the potential of true freshman receiver Bradley McDougald, a four-star recruit from Dublin, Ohio.

“We want to keep Dez healthy, but if he’s the best –and our special teams have got to be good if we want to have a good football team — then there’s a good chance that means he’s got to be a part of it.”

As for punt-returning duties, meanwhile, Mangino indicated that Briscoe, receiver Johnathan Wilson and cornerback Daymond Patterson would compete for the starting spot.

LB Brooks leaves camp for family emergency

Transfer linebacker Vernon Brooks, a junior college All-American at Blinn College in Texas, left training camp Tuesday to deal with a family emergency, and his immediate future with the team is uncertain, Mangino said.

“He’s got some family issues that he’s tending to, and I just can’t tell you what impact — if any at all — that he would have,” said the coach. “The more he’s out of camp … for a new transfer, it’s really difficult to get into the groove.”

Parish moved to OL

In the first significant position change since KU training camp began last week, sophomore Darius Parish has moved from defensive tackle to the offensive line.

Saying the 6-4, 314-pound Parish had offensive lineman “written all over him” since arriving in Lawrence last year, Mangino indicated that the use of the Wichita native at defensive tackle last season was the result of a lack of depth at the position.

“Out of necessity we had to use him there,” Mangino said. “But I think he’s found a home, and I think he’ll end up being a pretty good football player for us on the offensive line.”

Lueken looking for ‘fresh start’

Less than a week after the departure of sophomore offensive lineman Ben Lueken, Mangino said Tuesday that the player’s desire for a clean slate was the motive behind his decision to leave KU.

“He told me that he wanted to pursue other opportunities, for whatever reason,” Mangino said. “And I’m in favor of him doing that. … I think he just wanted to get a fresh start somewhere, and I think that’s fine.”

Lueken, who was hospitalized following an April incident outside of Jayhawker Towers that involved then-KU running back Jocques Crawford, played in nine of the Jayhawks’ 13 games as a true freshman last season and was expected to figure prominently into the team’s offensive-line rotation in 2009.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Jul 29, 2009

? Briscoe update

On Tuesday, during the second day of the Big 12 Conference’s media days, Kansas University coach Mark Mangino issued a vote of confidence in Dezmon Briscoe, saying he expects the recently suspended player to be eligible for the start of the upcoming season.

At the same time, Mangino made it clear that if the standout receiver fails to meet expectations, the team has no qualms moving on without him.

“I anticipate that he will (be there when practice starts in August),” Mangino said. “He has work to do (academically), and he’s not the only one. There’s several players that have work to do. I tell him, ‘It’s pretty simple: You get your work done, you’re with us in August. You don’t get your work done, you’re not.’ And we don’t cry about it, and we don’t feel bad about it — we go to the next player.

“But I don’t anticipate any issues.”

Briscoe, who set school records last season for receiving yards (1,407) and touchdowns (15), missed most of spring practice due to suspension, but has since been reinstated and is in the process of working his way back into Mangino’s good graces.

Briscoe emerged as one of the nation’s top receivers as a sophomore last season, thanks largely to his ability to gain yardage after the catch, and on Tuesday, teammates didn’t seem too concerned with the immediate future of the preseason all-Big 12 receiver.

“I’m pretty confident he’s going to be there and report Aug. 6,” said fellow receiver Kerry Meier. “He’s just like all the (rest) of us — he’s gone to take the summer classes and he’s come to the workouts to put the hard work in.”

Lueken’s status

The status of Ben Lueken, a sophomore offensive lineman who was recently hospitalized with undisclosed injuries, is currently up in the air, according to Mangino.

Lueken was injured in April during an early-morning incident outside Lawrence’s Jayhawker Towers, when he was either struck by or fell from the hood of a vehicle. Kansas running back Jocques Crawford, who has since left the program, was questioned immediately following the incident.

Mangino briefly alluded to the incident Tuesday, voicing his displeasure with off-the-field issues, but didn’t indicate what Lueken’s health concerns were or when he would make a final decision about Lueken’s return to the lineup.

“Anytime you have a situation where players are not conducting themselves the way they should, it’s disappointing,” Mangino said. “But Ben, his situation is such where he still needs attention (physically). His health, we’ve got to confer with our doctors and his family, and we’ll just see. We’ll do what’s best for Ben.”

As a true freshman last season, Lueken played in nine of the team’s 13 games, seeing significant action as a backup on the offensive line.

Meier’s positional fate

Mangino said Tuesday that he should know whether receiver Kerry Meier will be moving full-time to receiver shortly after the start of August training camp.

Meier, who set a school record for receptions last season in his first full year at receiver, has been splitting his practice time between quarterback and receiver, although Mangino has said he hopes the progress of backup quarterback Kale Pick and likely No. 3 quarterback Jordan Webb will allow Meier to be permanently phased out of his quarterback duties.

“I’m going to do that rather quickly,” Mangino said. “We’re going to get into training camp and we’re going to go about a week or 10 days and study that pretty carefully. If we feel good about Kale and Jordan, then we’re going to go ahead and make (Meier) a full-time receiver.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Mar 7, 2009

Linebacker philosophy

While he didn’t exactly open his defensive playbook to reporters during an afternoon press conference Friday, the Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino did divulge the basics of how he plans to approach the linebacker position this season.

“I don’t want to get too much into Xs and Os, but I will tell you that we’re playing less and less with three linebackers on the field because of the way the offenses have evolved in the Big 12,” he said.

What that means, in essence, is that the Jayhawks’ defense will likely feature a linebacker-safety hybrid, similar to the role played by former Oklahoma standout Nic Harris last season.

“Probably 80-percent of the time, we’re playing with two linebackers and an extra safety,” said Mangino. “What we feel like is we’re going to have a guy who’s a third linebacker, but he’s mainly going to be a safety type-of-guy that can play in space.”

Last season, Mangino said, Kansas got away with using a base defense featuring three linebackers because of the edge-rush ability of James Holt. But with the loss of Holt and fellow starters Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera to graduation, coupled with the heavily growing popularity of the spread offense, Mangino expects things to operate a bit differently in 2009.

“We are not overly concerned with that,” said Mangino. “But we do have to have people step up.”

Meier phased out of QB

Also discussed Friday was the team’s desire to phase backup signal-caller Kerry Meier out of the quarterback position permanently, giving him the opportunity to focus on playing receiver full-time for the first time in his career.

Mangino remained noncommittal about the situation, but implied that if players like Kale Pick, the team’s current No. 2 quarterback, and incoming freshman Jordan Webb progress at a desirable rate, Meier’s days of splitting practice time between multiple positions would likely be over.

“We will spot-use him (at quarterback),” said Mangino. “We’ll probably use him with the (second string) early in spring ball, just to get that unit going and having some continuity.”

“We’d like to use this time to help develop the quarterback position beyond Todd (Reesing),” he added. “So if everything goes according to the way we’d like for it to, (Pick) will get more (reps) as spring progresses.”

Reesing in better spirits

For the first time since the Jayhawks’ 2008 Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota, Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing was made available to the media Friday — and this time, he managed to remain a bit more jovial than his last outing.

During a bizarre post-game press conference at last December’s Insight Bowl, Reesing sarcastically answered a question from a reporter and declined to answer another. Talking among themselves in the press box later that night, bowl representatives expressed distaste at the junior quarterback’s patronizing press conference demeanor.

On Friday, asked about Reesing’s ability to deal with the national media attention sure to come during his upcoming senior season, Mangino attempted to explain the approach the quarterback takes in his interactions with media representatives.

“He’s not a big press conference guy, I think you know that,” said the coach, seemingly alluding to the Insight Bowl press conference. “He doesn’t like to sit there and be asked the same questions over and over. … He decides what he thinks is petty and what he thinks is important, and he kind of sorts that out in his own little world.”

D’Cunha to transfer

Kansas offensive lineman Nathan D’Cunha, a 6-foot-6, 307-pound Australia native, has decided to transfer to an undisclosed school, Mangino said Friday.

D’Cunha, who red-shirted during the 2008 season after transferring to KU from Santa Barbara Community College, arrived in Lawrence as a highly-touted recruit — earning a four-star rating from recruiting site Rivals.com — but struggled early on and did not appear in a position to earn significant playing time in the coming season.

“He wants to go where he has a chance to play right away, and I agree with him,” said Mangino. “I think it’ll be good for him.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Feb 5, 2009

Ex-Illini aide to join defensive staff

Tom Sims, formerly an assistant at Illinois, is expected to be named the Kansas University football team’s defensive line coach as early as today, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

He’ll replace Kerry Locklin, who was named the Jayhawks’ defensive line coach on Jan. 20 but is now expected to take a position with the NFL’s New York Jets.

Sims spent the past four seasons as the defensive line coach at Illinois, where the Illini went 9-4 and played in the Rose Bowl in 2007 before struggling to a 5-7 record last season. Before arriving at Illinois, Sims served as defensive line coach at Western Kentucky (1997-99), Eastern Michigan (2000) and Minnesota (2001-04).

Prior to coaching, Sims spent seven seasons as a defensive lineman in the NFL, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings.

Recruit McDougald picks Kansas

On Tuesday night, the day before high school football recruits were allowed to sign college athletic scholarships, Bradley McDougald represented an uncertainty for the Kansas University football team.

Having apparently made an oral commitment to Kansas last week, a development first reported by Rivals.com, the Dublin (Ohio) Scioto senior then balked, opting to spend the final days before National Signing Day reviewing his options before going public.

On Wednesday, however, McDougald made his decision official, becoming the 24th member of KU coach Mark Mangino’s recruiting class and putting an end to a somewhat frenzied final week of his recruitment.

“It’s the biggest decision a kid his age is going to make,” said Karl Johnson, head coach at Scioto High. “And even though he thought that’s what he wanted to do, he wanted to make sure he knew that’s what he wanted to do.”

McDougald, a four-star prospect, originally committed to play at Ohio State last summer, but later decided against the Buckeyes. Recently, he was considering Kansas, Wisconsin and Colorado, and after much deliberation — and a visit from Mangino — ultimately decided on the Jayhawks.

“We felt good about (the situation),” said Mangino, after announcing the team’s 2009 recruiting class during an afternoon press conference. “I was in his home last week. (Offensive coordinator) Ed Warinner recruited him. We felt good. Everything that he told us, his mother told us, the coach told us, was right on.”

Despite being listed as a defensive back prospect by Rivals.com, Mangino said McDougald will play receiver for the Jayhawks, eventually in the slot position that Dexton Fields occupied in his tenure with the team.

As a high school senior, McDougald played multiple positions — including defensive back, running back and receiver — and finished the season with 432 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 87 carries, in addition to catching eight passes for 135 yards and one score.

“A lot of people are talking about him being a safety,” Mangino said. “He probably could be a really good safety. But we’ve got him penciled in at inside receiver — slot receiver — for us. (He’s) very talented, good range, runs well. Very athletic.”

KU recruiting class Mangino’s best

This year’s class represents the highest-rated in Mangino’s career at Kansas — and features four four-star recruits, including two — running back Toben Opurum and defensive end Randall Dent — who selected KU over defending national champion Florida.

At the end of the day Wednesday, the Jayhawks’ ’09 class was ranked 31st nationally by Rivals.com, up from 40th last year.

QB leaving program

Mangino said Wednesday that backup quarterback Tyler Lawrence, a red-shirt sophomore in ’08, has left the program.

Lawrence, who played in three games last season while completing one of two passes for 11 yards, is planning on graduating this summer and will forgo his remaining years of athletic eligibility.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks signed two quarterbacks Tuesday — Christian Matthews out of Arlington, Texas, and Jordan Webb out of Union, Mo. — to give them a total of five heading into 2009.

Quarterback Club

The KU Quarterback Club today will hold an event at Zig and Mac’s Bar and Grill (southeast corner of Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa). The event, which begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public, will feature an introduction by Kansas recruiting coordinator Brandon Blaney and defensive coordinator Clint Bowen.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Dec 30, 2008

RB Sharp misses practice with flu

Kansas junior Jake Sharp, an honorable mention all-Big 12 running back this season, missed Monday’s practice with the flu and is currently being treated by members of the team’s medical staff.

“More than anything, we’re keeping him in his room,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “We have people tending to him. We’re just trying to keep it from spreading to the rest of the team because the flu bug that he has is very contagious.”

Despite the illness, however, Mangino made it clear that Sharp would be ready come game day.

“There’s no way you’re going to keep him out of Sun Devil Stadium on Wednesday,” said Mangino. “That’s not going to happen.”

Illness will keep Larson out of Insight Bowl

Backup defensive end John Larson, suffering from an undisclosed illness, will miss the final game of his collegiate career, the school announced Monday.

Larson, a three-time academic all-Big 12 selection, started three games for the Jayhawks this season, finishing with six tackles, including 2.5 that resulted in a loss of yards.

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Dec 11, 2008

Quigley working at linebacker

The Kansas University football team’s current season might still be three weeks from completion, but that hasn’t stopped coaches from looking ahead to 2009.

In preparation for a possible position change heading into next year, junior running back Angus Quigley — the team’s second-leading rusher in ’08 — has spent considerable time working at linebacker.

“He’s built like a linebacker,” said senior linebacker Joe Mortensen on Wednesday. “You guys have seen what he can do when he lowers his head and he runs and he hits people. I don’t know if (the position switch) is for sure — they still have him taking reps at running back — but coaches are experimenting with it.”

Quigley emerged this season as the team’s top running back early on, cracking the starting lineup against Sam Houston State and Iowa State and finishing the regular season with 309 yards and three touchdowns to go along with a team-best 5.2 yards-per-carry average.

However, the eventual emergence of fellow-back Jake Sharp, along with a pair of fumbles against Texas, limited Quigley’s snaps down the stretch.

The potential switch to linebacker, presumably, is a way for Kansas coaches to get the physically-imposing Quigley on the field more often, and Mortensen is doing nothing to dissuade his teammate from considering a switch to the defensive side of the ball.

“He’s got the nastiness about him,” said Mortensen, one of three starting linebackers that will graduate following this season. “I told him it’s fun, and I definitely think he can play linebacker.”

UM’s Decker two-sport athlete

Given his multi-faceted dedication to Minnesota University athletics, it would be hard to argue that Gophers standout receiver Eric Decker’s contributions to the school have come up short.

In addition to earning first-team all-Big Ten honors as a receiver this season, Decker is also a starter in left field for the Gophers’ baseball team, batting .329 with 11 doubles, four triples and three home runs last spring.

“He’s like a Bo Jackson, huh?” said Mortensen, told of Decker’s two-sport exploits. “Watching him on film, he can definitely make plays. He’s a great receiver, and it will be a great challenge for our defense to stop him.”

Of course, as KU junior cornerback Justin Thornton pointed out, a baseball skill set likely won’t do much good during the teams’ Insight Bowl matchup Dec. 31.

“Playing two sports at the Division I level takes incredible talent and time; it’s definitely great that he’s able to do that,” said Thornton, who also considered running track in college. “But I don’t think his baseball skills are going to help him in this game.”

Reesing not ready to evaluate season

Although the Kansas football team’s regular season concluded nearly two weeks ago with a victory over Missouri, quarterback Todd Reesing said he hasn’t yet gone back to evaluate his performance in 2008.

“I don’t worry too much about looking back or saying this or that happened, because it’s in the past,” said Reesing, who was left off the all-Big 12 team this year after earning second-team honors in 2007. “There’s not much you can do about it now. The only thing you can do is learn from it and watch the games that you did play and take away things from it.

“At this point, we’re looking towards the bowl game and just trying to improve ourselves and get better and look forward to a chance to get an eighth win.”

Dugan Arnett’s KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Nov 26, 2008

On the eve of Saturday’s Border Showdown at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, the second straight season the game will be played off-campus, much discussion has been centered on whether the schools will elect to keep the game in Kansas City, or return it to the respective teams’ home fields.

A final decision on the matter is expected to be reached in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, Kansas University’s players offered their thoughts on making Arrowhead the game’s home for the foreseeable future.

“It’s a good destination, because it allows more fans to come and it’s a neutral site, kind of like the Cotton Bowl with Texas and Oklahoma,” said junior safety Darrell Stuckey of Arrowhead. “It’s one of those things to where it allows it to be seen by more people, and it gives it a stage.”

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and Kansas coach Mark Mangino have both said that they’re open to the idea of extending the current deal — a two-year arrangement set to expire after Saturday’s game — although Mangino insisted he’d wait until after this year’s game to offer a final analysis on whether he’d be in favor of another stint at Arrowhead.

One of the primary issues with moving the game to Kansas City for the foreseeable future is that every year one team will lose a home game. Last year, for instance, the Jayhawks would have played the Tigers in Lawrence if not for the Arrowhead deal, which, theoretically, would have provided an advantage in their quest for an outright Big 12 North title.

At least one other player isn’t too distraught about the idea of a losing a home game, however.

“I like playing away,” said senior linebacker Joe Mortensen. “I kind of like being the hated person, the underdog. I loved playing at South Florida. So it really doesn’t matter (where it is). I love playing in Kansas City. I thought Arrowhead was awesome last year. It’s an NFL stadium, it fits 80,000.

“I’m just glad the weather’s going to be a little bit better (this year),” he added. “It was, like, sub-zero last year.”

Sharp not practicing

Injured Kansas receiver Kerry Meier is back on the practice field, injured running back Jake Sharp isn’t, and that’s about all Mangino has to say about his team’s injury report heading into the Jayhawks’ final game of the season.

“What I will tell you is that Kerry is out on the practice field (and) Jake has not practiced to this point,” said the coach. “I will not address injury situations the rest of the week. I’ll do it here today, but I won’t answer any questions because it doesn’t matter who’s playing and who’s not, we’ve got to be ready to go to beat Missouri.”

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