Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Oct 19, 2011

Players say hoops just hobby, for now

When news broke Friday that Kansas University freshmen Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor would be ineligible for the 2011-12 season, that left the KU basketball team with just eight players who were given scholarships when they were recruited.

In years past, college basketball programs across the country have looked to football rosters to bolster their lineups. That may not happen at Kansas, but the Jayhawks’ football team is not devoid of former basketball talent.

Several players on Turner Gill’s team starred as two-sport athletes in high school.

And although their main focus now is on football, the idea of playing basketball still stirs something inside them.

“I know there have been guys do it at certain universities,” junior safety Bradley McDougald said. “But my focus since I’ve been here has just been on football.”

McDougald, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, was an all-district selection in basketball at his high school in Dublin, Ohio.

Asked if he’d be interested, should KU hoops coach Bill Self come calling, McDougald did not hide his enthusiasm for the other sport he loves.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” he said. “I mean, I would definitely do it if the offer was there, I just haven’t really looked into trying it.”

McDougald first began being recruited in football as a sophomore in high school. Because of that, he told his coaches he was not interested in exploring basketball opportunities in college. Still, the sport remained one of his hobbies. McDougald said the KU football squad had plenty of basketball talent on its roster and he was not shy about naming the top player on the team.

“I’m gonna go with me,” he said. “Some of the young guys have been fairly impressive this year. JaCorey (Shepherd is) good and little (Tony) Pierson can play. A lot of the freshmen can play but a lot of that is because they’re coming right out of high school and in the winter they didn’t do anything besides play basketball. It’s going to be interesting to see how we hoop it up after football’s over.”

During the past couple of offseasons, McDougald’s intramural squads, which featured a few other KU football players, backed up the claim that football players have game.

“We definitely have some hoopers,” he said. “My team has played in the Fieldhouse twice. We lost both years in the championship. So I still get to hoop every now and then, but my main focus has been on football. In the offseason, it’s not really the offseason because we still come together and have all kinds of extra stuff we do as a team without the coaches, so I just don’t see having too much time for basketball.”

Injury update

KU coach Turner Gill said red-shirt freshman safety Keeston Terry and senior offensive lineman Jeremiah Hatch both are questionable for Saturday’s game against No. 12 Kansas State. In addition, senior running back Rell Lewis is out with a knee injury and red-shirt freshman running back Brandon Bourbon, who missed last week, is expected to be available. This year’s Sunflower Showdown will kick off at 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium and will be shown on FSN.

Every game important

One week removed from making it through back-to-back meetings against Big 12 teams ranked in the top six in the country, Gill was asked if the match-up with K-State provided his team with a chance to make a statement about how far his club had improved. Gill took the opportunity to praise the league.

“Every game that you play in right now in the Big 12 Conference can speak volumes for our program,” he said. “As you get the teams that are ranked, it becomes a little bit more visible. I think our guys are ready to play a great ballgame. You have the rivalry, obviously, involved in it, too. Our guys will be ready to play as far as that goes. It’s a great opportunity again for us, and our guys will be ready for the challenge.”

KU schedule a beast

One of the silver linings of KU’s 2-4 start to the season has been the fact that most of the games have come against top-tier talent. When the Jayhawks line up to take on the 6-0 Wildcats this weekend, it will mark the seventh straight game in which KU’s opponent was undefeated. Although the last four KU opponents have handed the Jayhawks a loss, the players remain upbeat about where they’re headed.

“We’ve played six undefeated teams in a row,” senior tight end Tim Biere said. “I don’t know if anybody’s doing that in the nation. We’ve been tested. And last week we really got some momentum going against Oklahoma. Even though we lost by 30, we saw that we could hang with them.”

Added Gill, when asked about the difficult schedule: “That’s the way it goes, but we have to go out and play. We’re doing some good things and we still have to make some good progress here. That’s the way the game is. We have a great conference, and I think that’s what it speaks toward. This conference is very good and talented. I’m proud to still be a part of it and I know we’re going to be successful here at some point in time.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 6, 2011

Nick Krug
Kansas running back James Sims cuts through a hole as he heads up the field for a big gain against McNeese State during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011 at Kivisto Field.

Running success a group effort

While realignment talk dominated Monday’s call, there was some football tossed around. Asked who deserved the credit for KU’s solid showing on the ground during Saturday’s 42-24 victory against McNeese State, Kansas head football coach Gill handed out gold stars to several positions.

“Our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage like we wanted them to,” Gill said. “So it was great to have that, but also our tight ends and our receivers, they were physical. We really believe we have very talented running backs. We have three or four guys who are going to help our football team be successful.”

Wanted: more turnovers

The KU defense created one turnover Saturday, but that came via a fumble on a fourth-down play late in the game in which the Jayhawks had stopped McNeese State short of the first down anyway. As the opponents get tougher, starting with Saturday’s 6 p.m. battle against Northern Illinois, Gill said he needed to see more.

“I think the biggest thing we have to improve on is, I would love to increase our take-aways on the defensive side of the ball,” Gill said. “That is something that we have not done. We really talked about it. We tried to emphasize it even more. We need to get more turnovers.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 4, 2011

KU vs. McNeese St.

KU celebrates season-opening win

RB Darrian Miller has dandy debut

Squares ruining athletics

Cowboys not too miffed by setback to Kansas

The Keegan ratings

Box score

Gill speaks of Fam

Preoccupied with preparing for his team’s 42-24, season-opening victory against McNeese State for most of the day Saturday, Kansas University football coach Turner Gill took time out after the game to comment on the passing of legendary KU coach and supporter Don Fambrough, who died Saturday at the age of 88.

“I want to give my condolences to the Fambrough family,” Gill said. “As I go into my second year here, I appreciate Don Fambrough and getting the chance to know him a little bit. I know he is well respected among former players, fans and people throughout the KU community.”

Gill said he talked about Fambrough’s passing with just a handful of his players prior to kickoff. Tim Biere, a senior who had been around Fambrough plenty during his time in Lawrence, remembered the KU icon well.

“That guy had so much passion for KU, and he hated Missouri,” Biere said. “I’m sure people in Missouri can sleep well tonight knowing that he’s not around. He was a great man.”

Defensive leaders

Earlier this week, senior linebacker Steven Johnson revealed that one of his goals was to lead the nation in tackles. He’s off to a great start. Johnson led all defenders with 15 tackles on Saturday, including nine solo and two for loss.

Not to be outdone, junior defensive end/linebacker Toben Opurum also had a big night, finishing with 11 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and one of KU’s two sacks on the night. Sophomore D-End Keba Agostinho was credited with KU’s other sack.

Patterson doubtful for Week 2

Gill said senior wide receiver Daymond Patterson, who left Saturday’s game and did not return after injuring his groin on a first-down catch in the second quarter, likely would be listed as doubtful for next week’s game against Northern Illinois.

Webb gem

Although the Jayhawks threw just 10 passes all night, starting quarterback Jordan Webb sure made the most of them. The second-year starter completed all but three passes he threw and finished with 146 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.

“What you saw today was what we’ve been seeing all along,” Gill said of his QB. “We definitely saw that we’ve got quite a few running backs who can do some things with the football, so (Webb) just needs to go ahead and manage the offense, make the throw that he has to make and I thought he did that. I thought he played extremely well.”

This and that…

The Jayhawks won Saturday’s opening coin toss and elected to receive… Attendance was announced at 41,068… Temperature at kickoff was 82 degrees, under mostly cloudy skies with winds of 8 mph out of the northeast… A pre-game extreme weather delay pushed the opening kickoff back to just after 6:15 p.m… Kickoff was preceded by a moment of silence for Fambrough.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Aug 31, 2011

Fast start key

All offseason, Kansas University football coach Turner Gill raved about his team’s improved speed and the impact that the new crop of faster players would have on his team.

Tuesday, at his first regularly scheduled news conference of the 2011 season, Gill said fans should not have to wait long to see it.

“On offense, defense and special teams we need to have a great start,” said Gill, looking ahead to Saturday’s 6 p.m. season opener against FCS foe McNeese State. “We need to have some guys making plays and getting some excitement for our team and our fans. That was one of the things we didn’t have as much of last year. I think we have some people that can do that this year.”

Statistically speaking, the first quarter was KU’s poorest in terms of putting points on the board during 2010. In 12 games, the Jayhawks scored just 43 points in the opening quarter, including 26 against conference foes. That number included five field goals and four touchdowns, and the Jayhawks scored more than 7 points in the first quarter just once, when they tallied 14 against Oklahoma State during the second-to-last game of the year. What’s more, opposing defenses kept the Jayhawks off the board altogether in the opening quarter five times.

As with most areas in which the Jayhawks struggled in 2010, the coaching staff put a premium on improving their first-quarter performance this offseason.

“What the coaches have really stressed is starting strong and finishing strong,” said junior defensive end Toben Opurum. “It’s something we do in practice. Right out of our stretch we go into a live period so we can get used to starting fast and coming out of the locker room and not being timid.”

3 players suspended

Gill announced Tuesday that three players had been suspended for violating team rules. Sophomore wide receiver Erick McGriff and red-shirt freshman tight end Jimmay Mundine will miss the next two games to serve their suspensions, while sophomore defensive end Tyrone Sellers will sit out Saturday’s game against McNeese State. In addition to those three players, the Jayhawks will be without senior defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey, red-shirt freshman linebacker Jake Farley and sophomore wide receiver Chris Omigie, who all will miss Saturday’s contest because of injuries.

Freshmen to be featured

Gill revealed the number of true freshmen he expected to play during KU’s opener.

“I can probably sit here and say six of them for sure are gonna play in this first ballgame,” he said. “There may be one or two that may play, and that’s why I can say 7-to-10 who would probably play in a two-game scenario. They’ve shown great progress and they can help our football team win games. That’s probably the ultimate deal, us saying, ‘This guy or that guy can help us win games, so let’s play him.'”

Though Gill stopped shy of naming names, he did single out running back Darrian Miller, of Blue Springs, Mo., as one of the true freshmen who would play this weekend. Others who also may be on Gill’s list include: running back Tony Pierson, place kicker Alex Mueller, long snapper Tanner Gibas, linebacker Colin Garrett and wide receiver JaCorey Shepherd.

D-end available

Red-shirt freshman Pat Lewandowski, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive end from Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, will be available for Saturday’s game. After moving to defensive tackle — and tearing it up — during the spring, Lewandowski was moved back to D-End at the beginning of fall camp. A few days in, on Aug. 8, he suffered a leg injury which forced him to miss the next couple of weeks. He returned to practice early last week and Gill confirmed Tuesday that Lewandowski would play on Saturday.

“He’s playing, he’s ready,” Gill said.

Gill talks captains

On Monday, KU announced seniors Tim Biere, Jeremiah Hatch and Steven Johnson, along with junior Toben Opurum, as the team captains.

“They have been good examples (of what our team’s about) in my full year, going on my second year here,” Gill said. “They have represented KU (well) on the field, off the field (and) in the classroom.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Aug 25, 2011

It’s still a little too early to predict how well Kansas University’s defensive line will perform this fall.

Injuries to key players and the grind of switching over to the 3-4 defense have contributed to the uncertainty surrounding KU’s defensive linemen. But while it might be difficult to gauge the unit as a whole, defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt said it had become easier to identify the top individuals as fall camp progressed.

One of the players at the top of the list is junior defensive end Toben Opurum, a former running back, who has emerged as one of the leaders up front. In addition to fine-tuning his leadership skills, Opurum continues to chisel his body into a pass-rushing weapon. Tuesday, defensive coordinator Vic Shealy said Opurum weighed in at 248-249 pounds — up from 240 last year — and was growing stronger by the day.

While Opurum, who technically will play outside linebacker in the Jayhawks’ 3-4 defense, is one of the most visible members of the D-Line, several others have started to make names for themselves, as well. One of them, sophomore defensive end Keba Agostinho, has even earned a nickname.

“I call him ‘The Technician,'” Wyatt said. “You know he’s gonna be in the right spot, doing the right thing and with the right technique. He’s been very consistent but our goal for him is to be more productive.”

Agostinho was one of the few freshmen who played meaningful snaps last season, though his season totals might not show it. While appearing in 12 games, the 6-foot-3, 253-pound lineman from Katy, Texas, finished with seven tackles — two unassisted — and was credited with one QB hurry and a half-tackle for a loss. Like Agostinho, Wyatt said the defensive line was starting to develop an identity.

“It’s still a work in progress,” he said. “We’re still trying to piece everything together. But I’ve been pleased with how hard they’ve been working.”

Sack race

One area of emphasis for the KU defense this August has been the importance of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Last season, the Jayhawks recorded just 14 sacks compared to 37 by their opponents. In a 12-game season, that boils down to barely one per game and that, according to the coaches, was unacceptable.

Beginning in the spring, and continuing into preseason camp, the coaches began keeping track of sacks and posting them for everyone to see. As was the case with KU’s wide receivers and knockdowns, the public grading lit a fire under the D-Linemen and the Jayhawks have been battling for as many sacks as possible ever since.

“That’s a big one,” Wyatt said. “You get what you emphasize, and our goal is to get a sack one out of every 10 pass attempts.”

The Jayhawks achieved that goal in each of their first two fall scrimmages but fell short last weekend.

As for the race for the title of sack master, that’s come down to a battle between Opurum and junior-college transfer Malcolm Walker. Both play the same position, and Wyatt said Walker was by far the loudest sack advocate and that he always was trying to make sure the coaches didn’t short him. He currently leads Opurum by a sack or two, Wyatt said.

Depth chart delay?

With a little more than a week remaining before KU’s season opener against McNeese State — 6 p.m. Sept. 3 at Memorial Stadium — and the promise of an updated depth chart coming early next week, Wyatt cautioned against getting too excited about what shows up in the early versions of KU’s two-deep look at defensive line.

“We still haven’t solidified it yet,” he said. “We’re still trying to get everybody back and get the kinks worked out. They’re still learning and I think it’s gonna be maybe a couple games into the season before anybody really solidifies a starting role or a back-up role or whatever. Guys have just missed a whole lot of time.”

Defensive linemen Patrick Dorsey, Pat Lewandowski, John Williams and Kevin Young all have missed time because of injuries this month. All except Dorsey are back practicing now, though, something that Wyatt said was a case of good timing.

“It’s been kind of frustrating because of the injuries and not having them there the whole time,” he said. “But we’re getting most of them back now and from the rest of this week into next week, we should be able to get ’em caught up.”

Lewandowski a D-End

Wyatt said Wednesday that red-shirt freshman Pat Lewandowski, a defensive end from Blue Valley West High who returned from injury Tuesday, was working at his original position of defensive end.

Moved to defensive tackle this spring because of a lack of bodies at the position, Lewandowski performed great inside despite having little experience on the interior.

“He really showed up well and it seemed like a natural position for him,” Wyatt said. “He does things really well instinctively inside.”

At the end of spring drills, head coach Turner Gill announced that Lewandowski was moving back to defensive end. Wednesday, Wyatt explained why in greater detail.

“Size and strength-wise, he’s still not where you want an inside guy to be,” Wyatt said. “And so that’s probably more the case than anything else for moving him back outside.”

As for the idea of Lewandowski adding weight to his 6-6, 265-pound frame, Wyatt said the coaching staff would take a wait-and-see approach.

“I tell him just let nature take it’s course,” Wyatt said. “Just make sure you’re eating properly, working out hard and you’re running hard. If you’re gonna be a 270-pound kid, then you’re gonna be a 270-pound kid. If you’re gonna be a 290-pound kid, then you’re gonna be a 290-pound kid. So we’ll let nature take its course and if he gets big then we know he can play inside.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Staff     Aug 9, 2011

DE to miss 2-3 weeks

Kansas defensive end Pat Lewandowski will miss two to three weeks because of a leg injury, according to head football coach Turner Gill.

Lewandowski, a red-shirt freshman from Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, had a fantastic spring. Most of that time was spent at defensive tackle, where the coaches moved him in hopes of providing depth on the inside. At the end of the spring, Lewandowski was shifted back to his original position, a move that Gill said was made because he believed it better fit Lewandowski’s strengths and size.

Lewandowski finished the spring second on KU’s depth chart at defensive end, behind sophomore starter Keba Agostinho and on the opposite side of junior Toben Opurum.

McDougald put on watch list

KU junior Bradley McDougald, a Dublin, Ohio native who played his first two seasons at KU at wide receiver but was shifted — for good — to safety during the final couple of weeks of the 2010 season, was one of 50 players named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List by the Louisville Sports Commission on Monday.

The award, given annually to the most versatile player in college football, was named for legendary Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung, who won the 1956 Heisman Trophy and played both offense and defense at Notre Dame.

McDougald is the only safety on the list.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Jul 26, 2011

Matt Tait
The 2011 Kansas University football media guide, first unveiled at the Big 12 media days in Dallas.

KU media guide revealed

Last year’s media guide featured a smiling Turner Gill with his arms folded and a few players kneeling around him.

This year’s guide, revealed for the first time Monday at Big 12 media days in Dallas, was a little more nondescript. Instead of using faces, the KU program has its “Believe” slogan as the focal point. The word, printed in bold, white block letters across the bottom of the guide, is set on top of a silhouette of KU players huddled together and underneath a close-up of the “Kansas” as well as the Jayhawk and the Adidas logo on the blue, mesh uniforms.

As for the back, it still has the mesh and the logos, but it also features the word “Belong” and a game-by-game look at KU’s 2011 schedule.

Berglund not pictured

It will take a while to flip through the entire media guide to pull out all of the best parts, but one interesting element that jumped out right away was the absence of Berglund’s photo.

KU officials said in June that Berglund had been in town to have his photograph taken for the media guide.

However, no such photo appears. Berglund’s entry is complete other than the missing picture.

Harris to Broncos?

Former KU defensive back Chris Harris is expected to sign a free-agent deal with the Denver Broncos Tuesday in Denver.

Harris, a four-year starter at Kansas who was one of the last contributing members of KU’s Orange Bowl championship team, has been forced to wait out the NFL lockout to get a shot with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. During normal years, players like Harris usually sign within a couple of days of the end of the NFL Draft in April. The lockout, which was lifted Monday, pushed back that timeline more than three months.

Although he still has a long way to go before earning a spot on the Broncos’ roster, scouts have said good things about Harris, who had an excellent showing at KU’s pro day in March.

He’s expected to have a legitimate shot to compete for a job in Denver, most likely as a nickel back or safety.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Nov 14, 2010

Kansas vs. Nebraska

Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Turner Gill leaves the field following the Jayhawks' 20-3 loss to Nebraska, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

Box score

Going nowhere: KU offense sputters

Like Opurum, Jayhawks making strides

NU undaunted by KU’s wrinkles

Happy Homecoming?

Quiet for most of the week about his returning to the place he spent so many years as a successful player and coach, Kansas University coach Turner Gill finally gave a glimpse of what Saturday’s game at Nebraska meant to him.

“I’ve been here many, many years,” Gill said. “And being on the other side definitely feels awkward.”

Though his Jayhawks gave a strong effort, the potential storybook ending never came true. Instead, Gill, who is 109-10 as a player and coach at the historic venue, is 0-1 as an opponent.

“We came into the stadium about 11 o’clock this morning and there was a little bit of awkwardness for me to come in on the other side,” Gill said.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, Gill’s former coach, tried twice to catch him before the game but never did. Gill and Osborne did speak on the phone briefly.

“He just wished me success today,” Gill said. “And (he told me to) keep on moving forward. He’s there for me.”

Earlier this week, Osborne was open about the fact that he wasn’t looking forward to facing Gill as an adversary. Osborne even said he was glad to be heading to the Big Ten so that he wouldn’t have to go through it again.

“I would agree with that,” Gill said.

As for Gill’s players, they said they noticed no difference in their coach as he attempted to take down his alma mater.

“Cool coach Gill,” wideout Bradley McDougald said. “He was flat-lined. Never high, never low, he just always stays in the middle. Matter of fact, I don’t even know if he came to the stadium earlier today when we came to check it out. I think he stayed at the hotel, so that lets you know a little bit.”

Why throw it?

Despite having the game well in hand, Nebraska elected to throw two passes in the final minute of Saturday’s 20-3 victory. One was a completion to Niles Paul and the other, out of the shotgun, fell incomplete.

Asked if he was trying to run up the score, NU coach Bo Pelini said: “No, I don’t care about that. I didn’t like how we played at times offensively in the game. I didn’t like our execution. That just gave us more reps to keep working and getting better. I don’t care about BCS. I could care less about the BCS, I could care less about anything else. It’s about getting your football team better, and at that point, I wasn’t very happy about how we played offensively, so we’re going to keep playing and get the reps we need to get.”

Wildcat somewhat effective

Speaking of McDougald, the sophomore took a handful of snaps in KU’s “wildcat” offense Saturday night, one on the game’s first drive and a couple more late. McDougald carried four times for 27 yards out of the set. That total represented roughly one-third of KU’s offensive output for the game.

“I felt pretty good running it,” McDougald said. “We practiced it all week and I’m just happy coach (Chuck) Long dialed it up in the course of the game. It gave us a chance to make some plays out there and try some new things.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Nov 7, 2010

Kansas vs. Colorado

Nick Krug
Kansas fans celebrate the Jayhawks' comeback during the fourth quarter, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010 at Kivisto Field.

Box score

Onside kick turning point in KU’s comeback over Colorado

You did stay until end, right?

Buffs bemoan setback

‘Relentless’ rally lifts KU past Buffs

Remarkable 4th quarter

The 28-point fourth quarter comeback was the largest in Kansas University football history, surpassing a 26-point comeback against Iowa State in 1992. In that one, the Jayhawks trailed the Cyclones, 47-21, in the final quarter before coming back to win, 50-47.

Saturday, KU trailed 45-17 early in the fourth before scoring five straight touchdowns to take the victory.

The 35-point outburst in the fourth also represented the most points scored by a Kansas in a single quarter in school history. The five unanswered touchdowns eclipsed the 32-point quarter KU threw up against Washington (Mo.) in 1923.

Also, KU’s 35 fourth-quarter points were the second-most scored in a fourth quarter to win a game in NCAA history. The most points scored in the final quarter to win was BYU (36 points in the fourth) to beat Washington State, 50-36, in 1990 (trailed 29-14 at start of fourth. … While KU trailed by 28 before coming back to win, the NCAA record book lists four games where a team overcame at least a 30-point deficit to win.

Saturday’s comeback wasn’t the first time KU came from way behind to beat the Buffs. In 1950, Kansas trailed Colorado 21-0 late in the third quarter and went on to score 27 unanswered to win, 27-21.

Gill more emotional

KU coach Turner Gill showed more emotion on the sidelines Saturday than he had in any of KU’s games this season.

Most of Gill’s animation simply was a case of him asking for an explanation on penalties. Gill said the reason he was charged up was because he owed it to his team.

“You always go to get the explanation on what was called and why it was called,” Gill said. “You want to know it. And I gotta stand up for my players.”

Wilson said he greatly appreciated his coach’s passion.

“He kept fighting to the end,” Johnathan Wilson said of Gill. “The word of the week was relentless, and he was taking up for us on some of the bogus calls they were calling, and I appreciate it, I really do.”

Lovely day

Saturday’s game kicked off just after 1 p.m. and was played under sunny skies. Temperature at kickoff was 59 degrees.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Oct 31, 2010

Kansas vs. Iowa State

Nick Krug
Iowa State defensive back Michael O'Connell stops Kansas receiver Daymond Patterson short of a first down during the first quarter Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 at Jack Trice Stadium.

Box score

Mecham should start at quarterback again

Hurry-up offense wears KU out

Halfway decent: Bad half dooms Kansas

Jayhawks turn up pressure

For the second week in a row, Kansas University’s defense showed significant improvement in getting pressure on the opponent’s quarterback.

The Jayhawks, led by a career-high seven tackles from defensive tackle Richard Johnson, forced Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud into several rushed decisions and sacked him twice.

“It feels good,” said sophomore Toben Opurum, who made his second straight start at defensive end. “I think it’s something that we’ve been lacking in previous games, and we stressed it a lot this week, getting into the backfield and getting pressure on the quarterback.”

Johnson and senior Jake Laptad each sacked Arnaud once. Johnson’s takedown in the first half was the first sack of his career. Laptad’s improved his career total to 18.5.

Defensive tackle John Williams made his first start of the year and tallied five tackles, tied for third on the team Saturday.

In addition to joining his linemates in creating pressure, Opurum also delivered two monster hits on ISU running back Alexander Robinson. One problem: Robinson did not have the ball either time.

“I knew if the back had the ball, he had an opportunity to do anything with it,” Opurum said. “He’s a good running back, so you make sure you take him out of the play at all costs.”

Gill plays it safe

KU coach Turner Gill said the decision to run out the clock late in the first half, instead of trying to get the ball into the end zone, was a safety measure designed to ensure that the Jayhawks took something positive into halftime.

“Just a case of making sure we didn’t turn the ball over,” Gill said. “Wanted to make sure we got an opportunity to get some points on the board and didn’t want to take a risk.”

Asked if the precaution was as much about the chance to have the lead at halftime as it was being cautious, Gill agreed.

“That was the thing,” he said. “We would have a lead at halftime, and I think that’s a plus.”

Fourth-down momentum

Twice during the first half of Saturday’s loss, Gill instructed his offense to go for it on fourth down in KU territory.

“Momentum,” Gill said. “I wanted to keep the momentum going. I thought we needed to do some things there, also send a message to our football team that I believe they can get it done.”

Senior co-captain Sal Capra said he loved both calls.

“Yeah, definitely,” Capra said. “You like going for those fourth downs because he’s putting it on the O-line to get that extra yardage, and I definitely like that.”

The Jayhawks converted both times. The bold moves led to just three points for the KU offense.

Webb still the starter?

In the first start of his career, KU junior Quinn Mecham finished 22-of-33 for 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Was it enough to earn him a second start next week against Colorado?

“We’ll evaluate,” Gill said. “I’m not going to make a comment at this point in time on it. I thought he gave us a chance to win the game. That’s what we wanted him to do.”

Moments later, Gill elaborated on the status of the position.

“I think if Jordan Webb’s healthy he’ll be our starting quarterback,” he said.

Webb missed Saturday’s game because of an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Oct 27, 2010

Sands, Beshears to sit Saturday

Kansas University football coach Turner Gill announced Tuesday that red-shirt freshman running back Deshaun Sands and sophomore wide receiver D.J. Beshears both would miss Saturday’s game at Iowa State to serve a one-week suspension for violating team rules.

Gill did not get into the specifics of what caused each player’s suspension, but, for Sands at least, it likely stems from last week’s arrest for failing to appear in municipal traffic court.

Because Sands has spent most of the season as the Jayhawks’ third-string running back, Gill wasn’t too worried about his absence impacting the game.

“We have (Angus) Quigley and we have (James) Sims,” Gill said. “We have two running backs who can handle the ball. Those guys have played quite a bit already, so it just means that they’re going to get more touches.”

As for the loss of Beshears, the team’s second-leading rusher (177 yards on 40 carries) and the team leader in all-purpose yards (765, including 556 on kickoff returns), Gill said Bradley McDougald and Isiah Barfield would fill that role. He added that he expected Beshears to learn from the setback.

“It’s always disappointing when you tell a young man that he’s not going to be playing a football game,” Gill said. “They all want to play and we understand that, but you just gotta adjust and we gotta move on from there. I don’t think it’ll be an issue. We just gotta keep the student-athletes accountable. He’ll learn from it and he’ll move on.”

Gill addresses fans

Not one to read the papers or listen to talk radio, Gill opened Tuesday’s news conference with a message for KU football fans that included a plea for patience and confirmation of his belief that he and his staff would get things turned around.

“I want to start off today by really speaking to our fans,” he said. “I want our fans to know that we’re going through some ups and downs in our football program and part of that is the transition as a new staff and our players getting to know us in a better way. I can tell you one thing, our staff is doing a pretty good job of getting our guys to know our system. You gotta teach them our offensive system, you gotta teach them our defensive system the way we want it to be done, and, through that transition phase, what that means is it takes time for our guys to understand how we need to do it and why we need to do it the way we want everything to be done.”

Gill continued: “As we continue to build this football program, our fans are going to see speed, they’re going to see athleticism, they’re also going to see people playing with a great passion. We are very, very confident that we will come through here and have a winning program on a consistent basis, year after year. That’s why we all chose to come here. We still feel very confident that it will be done.”

Harris not surprised by empty seats

Senior safety Chris Harris said Tuesday that he was not surprised to see so many KU fans head to the exits early during the past couple of home games.

“It’s definitely hard to see,” Harris said. “But (former coach Mark) Mangino always said, ‘They’re gonna be here when we’re winnin’ and they’re gonna be gone when we’re losin’, so he kind of prepared us for it. It’s a basketball school, so we expect the fans to leave if we’re not doing well. We definitely know we need a win if we’re gonna get ’em back. But it’s just something that fans have to be patient with coach Gill.”

Terry done for season

Freshman safety Keeston Terry has been out since the second half of the Southern Miss game with a knee injury. Gill said Tuesday that Terry would remain out this week and likely would miss the rest of the year.

“We have decided that we are going to go for a medical hardship for him,” Gill said. “Hopefully we can get this year back because of his medical situation that he has.”

Terry played in KU’s first three games of the season, recording 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss. NCAA rules state that a player is eligible to apply for a medical hardship if: “In team sports, the injury or illness occurs when the student-athlete has not participated in more than three contests or 30 percent (whichever number is greater) of the institution’s scheduled or completed contests.”

If he’s shut down for the rest of the season, Terry will have played in just 25 percent (3 of 12) of KU’s games.

Injury update

KU quarterbacks Jordan Webb (doubtful with a shoulder injury) and Kale Pick (out with a concussion) are unlikely to play this week, which means junior Quinn Mecham is expected to get the start. In other injury news, defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey (concussion) is listed as questionable.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Oct 15, 2010

Kansas vs. Kansas State

Nick Krug
Kansas fan Craig Gretencord, Ottawa, can't watch as his wife Ashley Gretencord, Laura Green, Wellsville, and Lucas Straub, Soldier, Kan., chant "K-S-U" after a Kansas State touchdown during the second quarter, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 at Kivisto Field.

Jayhawks lay egg

Can Kansas salvage season? Fat chance

KU’s McGriff has 1st catch

Wildcats relish route

Box score

Historic beating

Kansas’ loss to Kansas State on Thursday night was KU’s second-worst defeat in the 108-game history of the Sunflower Showdown.

KU’s worst loss to Kansas State, which also took place in Lawrence, was a 64-0 beating in 2002. That year’s Jayhawks finished 2-10.

Injury update

Starting right guard Sal Capra injured his right leg with around nine minutes to play in the third quarter and did not return to the game. After being helped off the field and taken to the locker room, Capra returned to the KU sideline with three minutes left in the third, but did not come close to going back in.

After the game, coach Turner Gill said Capra had an ankle injury and would be evaluated further today.

In addition to Capra’s injury, starting cornerback Chris Harris tweeted after the game that he suffered a concussion on the KU defense’s first play of the night. Harris finished with two tackles.

This and that…

Senior punter Alonso Rojas was the flag-bearer for Thursday’s game. Rojas led the team through the tunnel and onto the field with the giant Jayhawk flag in hand…. With 11:33 left in the first quarter, before KU’s second possession, the video board featured a Late Night in the Phog promo, complete with a message from men’s basketball coach Bill Self. As expected, the crowd loved it…. Former KU athletic director Lew Perkins took in Thursday’s game from the suites, and Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe watched from the press box…. Saturday’s game kicked off just before 6:45 p.m. and was played under clear skies. Temperature at kickoff was 73 degrees, with a light wind of 7 mph out of the southwest.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Oct 13, 2010

Dawson to debut vs. Jayhawks

After spending seven years in charge of strength and conditioning at Kansas University, former strength coach Chris Dawson will be stationed on the visitor’s sideline during Thursday night’s game.

When former KU coach Mark Mangino resigned last December, the rest of his staff was forced to find work elsewhere. It didn’t take Dawson long, as the Houston native and 1995 graduate of Oklahoma quickly made the trip down I-70 looking for a position with Kansas State. In January, Dawson was hired by KSU coach Bill Snyder.

While coaches moving between the two Sunflower State schools is not unheard of, it is a rarity. However, K-State defensive back Tysyn Hartman said at Big 12 Media Days this summer that welcoming Dawson to Manhattan was made easier by the fact that former K-State player and coach Joe Bob Clements made a similar jump from Kansas to Kansas State a year earlier.

“I think it was easy because we had coach Clements come over from KU the previous year. That helped the transition out,” Hartman said. “He came from KU, and he’s OK, so I think we’ll be all right.”

Former KU player and defensive coordinator Clint Bowen also entertained the idea of moving to Manhattan after Mangino’s departure, so he knows exactly what Dawson went through when making the leap.

“Bill Snyder is recognized across the country as a really great coach,” Bowen said. “And if you have an opportunity to go work for a guy like that as an assistant coach, you kind of put the mascots aside and say, ‘Hey, this is going to make me a better football coach, and it might increase my chances of having success in this business.'”

A request to interview Dawson went without a response.

After the coaching transition at Kansas, John Williams was hired to take over as KU’s strength coach under Turner Gill. Those who trained under both men said Dawson’s program focused more on running and conditioning while Williams has focused more on building power and strength.

Turnovers, please

Through the first five games of the season, Gill has made no secret about his desire to see his defense create more turnovers.

Each week, when Gill lists off his keys to the game, turnovers are always mentioned. Typically, Gill will say something to the effect of, ‘We need to win the turnover battle,’ or, ‘We need to be plus-2 in turnovers.’ This week, Gill went a step further.

“Something that is really important for us is we must create turnovers,” he said. “We need to get three turnovers. Whether it’s our defense causing turnovers or our special teams, we must get three or more turnovers in the game.”

On the flip side of the equation, Gill said he wanted to see his offense cough up just one turnover or less.

Through five games, Kansas has given eight turnovers — four fumbles and four interceptions — and taken just three. Isiah Barfield snagged an interception against North Dakota State, Phillip Strozier picked one against Southern Miss, and Drew Dudley recovered a fumble recovery against Georgia Tech.

“I think you have to talk about the word physical,” Gill said. “If you play physical and you play confident, I think (turnovers occur). If you’re a little bit hesitant, you’re not sure of what you want to do or need to do, you won’t quite play with the intensity you need to play with to cause turnovers.”

Terry to miss third straight contest

Initially believed to have a chance to play this week, freshman safety Keeston Terry has been ruled out for Thursday’s game because of a leg injury he suffered during the second half of KU’s loss to Southern Miss.

After listing him as questionable at the beginning of the week, Gill confirmed Tuesday night that Terry would not play.

In other injury news, Gill said Monday that tight end AJ Steward (shoulder) and defensive end Tyrone Sellers (leg) would play, backup quarterback Kale Pick (leg) was questionable and senior safety Strozier (leg) was doubtful.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Staff     Sep 29, 2010

Texas-sized homecoming

Though no one on Kansas University’s football roster lists Waco, Texas, as his hometown, 38 players list Texas as their home state and that alone makes this week’s trip to the Lone Star State something special.

“I love going back to Texas and playing,” said senior linebacker Justin Springer, who lists Los Fresnos, Texas, as his hometown. “But (Waco) is actually like nine hours from where I (grew up), so it is not that close to home, but at the same time, it is back in Texas, and I love playing in Texas.”

Asked what he was most looking forward to about this week’s return to Texas, senior safety and Mesquite, Texas, native, Olaitan Oguntodu, said: “Getting a W. Definitely. I think that’s the most important thing. Besides El Paso (KU defeated UTEP, 34-7, in 2009), I don’t think I’ve gotten a win in Texas, and El Paso is kind of far from where I’m from.”

Showing well in Texas has twice the importance for KU coach Turner Gill, who hails from Fort Worth and views his home state as vital to KU’s future.

“Everybody on our staff has connections to Texas,” Gill said. “We’ve all recruited that area, we’re very familiar with the high school coaches, they’re very familiar with us, and we’re going to try to get our share of talented athletes and complete student-athletes.”

Pick reacts to injury

Sophomore quarterback Kale Pick, who was injured in last week’s victory against New Mexico State and will miss the next three weeks, discussed the setback for the first time at Tuesday’s weekly media session.

“They just told me I had a crack in my (left) fibula,” Pick said. “And they said that recovery could be faster than we think, so that’s a positive thing.”

Pick was injured on a designed running play. After moving downfield for a 15-yard gain and being swarmed by a gang of NMSU tacklers, Pick said he knew something was wrong right away.

“Definitely,” he said. “I felt a pain through my leg and I was hurting pretty bad.”

Asked why he chose to stay in the game instead of seeking medical attention, Pick said: “I was never taught to stay down on the ground or take myself out.

I’ve always gotten up when I’ve gotten hit hard, and I’ve never taken myself out.”

The gesture spoke volumes, according to Long, who said: “I told Kale after the game, ‘That goes a long way. You don’t know how far that goes with your teammates. You’re in there a brief amount of time at the end of the game, but when you’re out there and you’re fighting through that, and they see that on film or see that on the field, that goes a long way with team toughness.'”

Punt woes fixed?

Through four games this season, the Jayhawks have allowed two blocked punts, both of which were critical in the outcome of KU’s two losses. Although KU’s punt team took care of business last week, Gill said he was not ready to give the all clear quite yet because KU punted just twice against the Aggies.

“I don’t know,” Gill said. “I’m still up in the air on that because I want to see it in a game. I think we’ve made some adjustments, but until we’re able to execute in a game on a consistent basis, there is some concern. We’re going to do the best we can, whether it’s personnel or the scheme, to solidify that a lot better than we have in the past.”

Injury update

In addition to Pick, senior cornerback Calvin Rubles also was banged up in last week’s victory. Gill said Tuesday that Rubles, who tweaked an ankle, was listed as probable for this week’s game at Baylor. Rubles, who hails from Richardson, Texas, has played in all four of KU’s games this season and has recorded nine tackles.

Gill also said that red-shirt freshman defensive end Tyrone Sellers was questionable for this week’s contest. Sellers has been out with a leg injury since Sept. 7.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 26, 2010

KU vs. NMSU

Nick Krug
The Kansas special teams unit huddles together before kickoff against New Mexico State during the third quarter Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 at Kivisto Field.

Box score

Rock ’em, sock ’em: Ags KO’d by KU’s 1-2 punch

NMSU beat up by KU

Jayhawks pick up pace

Kansas’ Sims special

It’s down the field they go

Through three games this season, Kansas University quarterback Jordan Webb had been sacked an average of four times a game. Saturday night, during KU’s 42-16 victory against New Mexico State, Webb was not sacked once, leaving the red-shirt freshman QB with a huge smile on his face. So pleased was Webb with Saturday’s performance by his offensive line, he actually was looking forward to today.

“It’s an awesome feeling, obviously,” Webb said. “I won’t be very sore (today). Our offensive line played great today. Communication was really good, our tempo was good, and overall it was just an execution thing.”

Staying on his feet more allowed Webb to look down the field more, and the KU wide receivers made that worth his while.

Webb hit deep passes to Johnathan Wilson and Christian Matthews and just missed on a handful more. Wilson finished with three grabs for 57 yards, including a long of 35 yards, which came early.

“That’s what we need,” Wilson said of the deep ball. “We just need some shots down the field to back ’em up. Our short passing game is great. Guys can make plays. But we need to take some shots. What I tell him is just put the ball in the air, and I’ll make a play for you.”

Gill flashes arm band

KU coach Turner Gill sported an arm band on his left arm in support of coaches against muscular dystrophy.

The band, white with green graphics and blue and green writing, was part of a national movement. The writing on the band simply said: “Coach to cure MD.”

“This week (was) “Coach-To-Cure,” Gill said. “The American Football Coaches Association picked this weekend to help support a tremendous cause, muscular dystrophy, which is a genetic disease that affects a lot of the young men in our society today. So we are very supportive of that.”

Gill on the fake field goal

On KU’s opening drive of the night, Gill elected to attempt a fake field goal instead of kicking the 30-yarder. The fake failed when holder Alonso Rojas’ throw to Tim Biere sailed out of the back of the end zone.

“I figured that everybody was thinking it was unlikely that he would do this because of the weather, No. 1,” Gill said. “And then, No. 2, I just felt it was something good to do at that particular time. You gotta take those opportunities when they present themselves. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.”

This and that…

New Mexico State became the fourth straight KU opponent to win the game’s opening coin toss. However, the Aggies became the first team this season to elect to receive instead of deferring its choice to the second half. Despite starting the game with a 54-yard kickoff return, NMSU went three-and-out during its first series…. Attendance for the Jayhawks’ third home game of the season was announced as 46,719.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 18, 2010

KU vs. Southern Mississippi

Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Turner Gill closes his eyes as he paces past his players during the fourth quarter against Southern Miss, Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Jayhawks fell to the Golden Eagles 31-16.

Box score

Southern hostility

Webb proves toughness in face of adversity

Last year’s loss motivates Eagles

May day, May day

Getting plays from the coaching booth to the field posed a problem for Kansas University during Friday night’s 31-16 loss at Southern Miss. At various times, on both offense and defense, Kansas’ 11 players on the field were unsure of what calls the coaches were trying to make from the sidelines.

At times, the play clock was to blame. Other times, inexperience was the culprit. Regardless, it made a difficult night even more challenging from start to finish.

“Just a couple times we wanted to get some audibles in,” KU quarterback Jordan Webb said. “That just comes down to me communicating.”

Defensively, the Jayhawks played several snaps during the first half without receiving specific instructions. In the second half, when the calls started coming in, the Jayhawks appeared to play better, stopping the Southern Miss offense on consecutive three-and-out drives to open the third quarter.

“Coach just said be patient and let him get his calls in,” KU’s Chris Harris said. “In the first half, we couldn’t get his calls in, and in the second half we were more patient. We just needed to calm down and relax.”

Harris said the Jayhawks have set defenses they’re supposed to execute when the defensive calls can’t get to the field. He added that playing on the road may have contributed to his team’s frenzied nature.

“We just get a little hurried sometimes,” Harris said.

Come on, coach

For the second time in three weeks, the KU punt team gave up a blocked punt. This one — by USM’s Tim Green — put the Golden Eagles up, 21-3, just before halftime. But it almost never came. USM coach Larry Fedora said his players talked him into trying for the block during a timeout before the kick.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t going to come after it there,” Fedora said. “But the guys talked me into it on the sideline. Now we’re getting to the thing where they’re taking ownership of this football team, and they take a lot of pride in their special teams. They wanted to come after it, and they said, ‘We’ll stay off of him.'”

Opurum appears

KU sophomore Toben Opurum played his first snaps of the season, lining up at linebacker on KU’s first defensive series of the night. Opurum, a former running back who was moved to linebacker this offseason, did not start, but did rotate in for a couple of plays early on. He appeared to be almost fully recovered from a sprained ankle that kept him out last week. He did not record an official tackle.

Punting problems

In addition to getting one blocked, KU had a rough night in the punting department altogether. On three occasions, the Jayhawks gained very little by electing to punt instead of going for a fourth-down conversion. On its first drive, KU punted from midfield but netted just 30 yards of field position when the kick from Alonso Rojas went into the end zone for a touchback.

On its second drive, KU had reached the Southern Miss 39-yard line and appeared poised to go for it on fourth down. But KU coach Turner Gill changed his mind during a timeout, and Rojas again was sent out to punt. That time, his punt was fair-caught at the 15-yard line, netting 24 yards of a field-position advantage.

Finally, on KU’s second drive of the third quarter, the Jayhawks punted despite reaching the USM 43. On that one, the Rojas kick resulted in just a 23-yard field-position shift.

One other interesting punting note came on KU’s final drive. Trailing 31-16 with just over two minutes to play, Gill elected to punt from his own end zone instead of attempting to gain a first down and keep the game alive. After fielding the punt, USM kneeled on the ball to clinch the game. However, it’s likely Fedora and company would’ve taken the same approach even if the Jayhawks had tried a pass and failed.

Fumble not reviewed

On a crucial USM scoring drive in the third quarter, it appeared as if standout receiver DeAndre Brown had fumbled the ball out of the back of the end zone from the one-yard line, a mishap that would’ve resulted in a touchback for the Jayhawks and kept the score at 21-10, USM. The ruling on the field was that Brown had stepped out at the one before fumbling. Gill, who admitted that he didn’t have a great look at the play, rushed all the way from near midfield down to the one to ask the official for a review.

“I just thought they were going to review it,” Gill said. “They were reviewing everything else so I thought at least that should be reviewed. I didn’t want to waste a timeout, we only had one left, but (the official) said it was clear he was out of bounds.”

Injury update

KU junior Jeremiah Hatch left the game in the second half after injuring his back. Gill said he did not know the severity of Hatch’s injury.

“We’ll see what the details are here in the next couple days,” he said.

Freshman safety Keeston Terry also was injured during Friday’s loss. Terry limped off the field after the opening kickoff of the second half and did not return. No word was given on Terry’s injury.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 15, 2010

Tight end Steward to miss 3-4 weeks

Reserve tight end AJ Steward, a 6-foot-3, 233-pound junior, will miss three to four weeks because of a shoulder injury suffered during Saturday’s win against Georgia Tech.

Used primarily as the Jayhawks’ U-back, a hybrid position that combines the route-running skills of a tight end with the blocking responsibilities of a running back, Steward had played in both of KU’s games this season and had one catch for eight yards against North Dakota State.

With Steward sidelined, junior Ted McNulty, 6-5, 230, will slide into his position as the first-string U-back. McNulty recorded his first career reception against Georgia Tech, an 11-yard grab from Jordan Webb in the third quarter that gave KU a first down.

Quigley questionable for Friday

In other injury news, senior running back Angus Quigley is listed as questionable for Friday’s game because of a leg injury. Quigley, who has 15 carries for 62 yards on the season, dropped to second on the depth chart at tailback this week, behind freshman James Sims, who broke out with 101 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries last week against Georgia Tech.

If Quigley can’t play, KU coach Turner Gill said red-shirt freshman Deshaun Sands, who missed the Georgia Tech game with an injury, would become the Jayhawks’ secondary ball carrier.

Wyatt familiar with Southern Miss

KU wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt, who doubles as the Jayhawks’ co-offensive coordinator, held a similar position in 2009 at Southern Miss.

Because of that, the Jayhawks believe they may have a slight advantage as they prepare to face the Eagles at 7 p.m. Friday.

“Coach Wyatt was over there last year, and he’s told us a few things about some of their guys, so we’re just preparing for everything,” said KU junior Daymond Patterson, who played cornerback during KU’s 35-28 victory last year and will start at wide receiver against the Eagles on Friday. “We know it’s going to be a big game, it’s on ESPN and everybody’s going to be watching. Like coach (Gill) said, ‘We’re putting our product out there in front of the nation and we’re going to be ready.'”

Bourbon heading toward red-shirt?

With injuries popping up at the running back position, Gill was asked on Tuesday if that might pave the way for freshman running back Brandon Bourbon to get some carries.

Gill said Bourbon would travel with the team to Southern Miss for this week’s game and would be ready if needed. However, it sounded as if Gill was hoping to keep Bourbon on the bench, possibly to preserve the 6-1, 208-pounder’s red-shirt season.

“If for some reason some guys get banged up and hurt then we will play him,” Gill said of the Potosi, Mo., product. “Right now we’re just kind of putting him on hold, but we’re not afraid to play him if we need to.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Sep 10, 2010

Richard Gwin
Kansas University’s Toben Opurum has made the switch from running back to linebacker in 2010. Coach Turner Gill announced Thursday night that Opurum had sprained an ankle, making him questionable for the game against Georgia Tech.

Opurum questionable

Kansas University football coach Turner Gill said on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show Thursday night that sophomore linebacker Toben Opurum sprained his ankle in practice, making him questionable for Saturday’s game against No. 15 Georgia Tech.

Opurum, KU’s leading rusher in 2009, missed most of spring ball with an injury and was slow to catch up during preseason camp.

With senior Angus Quigley, junior Rell Lewis — since lost for the season because of injury — red-shirt freshman Deshaun Sands and true freshmen James Sims and Brandon Bourbon ahead of him on the depth chart, the KU coaching staff moved Opurum to linebacker in August.

Expected to play between 10-20 snaps in the opener, Opurum did not play at all during last week’s 6-3 loss to North Dakota State. Gill said Sunday that the close nature of the contest made it difficult for him to get Opurum into the game.

In addition to questions about the quarterback position — red-shirt freshman Jordan Webb will start in place of sophomore Kale Pick — and the team’s new white shoes, Gill fielded a couple of inquiries about why Opurum was not on offense.

“Everybody has a right to their opinion,” Gill said. “And I’m OK with everybody’s opinion based on what they’ve seen in the past. All we can do is base it on what we saw in practice and what we saw from the guys.”

Gill quiet on NDSU coach’s comments

Also during Thursday’s radio show, Gill was asked if he had any reaction to North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl’s critical comments about the Jayhawks and the Memorial Stadium crowd.

“I haven’t read the comment he made, so I can’t comment on what you’re talking about,” Gill told the caller. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Aug 18, 2010

Linebacker dismissed

Kansas University football coach Turner Gill announced Tuesday that linebacker Jacoby Thomas, a red-shirt freshman from Texarkana, Texas, had been removed from the team for academic reasons.

The departure of Thomas, along with the loss of true freshman linebacker Ed Fink, whom Gill announced Tuesday was out for the season, leaves the Jayhawks pretty thin at linebacker. Last week, KU learned that sophomore starter Huldon Tharp also would be out for the season with a foot injury, and outside of projected starters Drew Dudley, Steven Johnson and Justin Springer, the Jayhawks have very little experience at the position.

Gill said Steve Mestan, 6-foot-2, 231 pounds, from Delavan, Wis., had impressed him recently and most likely worked his way into the top four or five at the position.

Walk-ons awarded scholarships for 2010

A pair of walk-ons received great news this week, as Gill announced that offensive lineman Alex Smith and wide receiver Reece Petty earned scholarships for the 2010 season. Gill said a number of factors went into the decision to award Smith and Petty the scholarships. At the top of the list were strong work ethic, outstanding academics and the fact that, as seniors, they’ve shown tremendous loyalty.

“We’re happy for them,” Gill said. “I know our players were pretty excited when I made the announcement. And, obviously they were excited, too. I know their parents are somewhat excited also.”

QB battle rages on

The battle to become the successor to Todd Reesing appears to be as close as ever, with sophomore Kale Pick and red-shirt freshman Jordan Webb battling toe-to-toe into the third week of preseason practice. Gill reiterated Tuesday that there was no timetable for a decision and said he and offensive coordinator Chuck Long would pick a starter when one separated himself from the other.

“Chuck and I believe that both of these guys can move our football team,” Gill said. “We do feel good that Pick and Webb are guys who can play Div. I football and who can help us win. Obviously, the only question we don’t have (answered) is how they’re going to respond in a game. But you have to give them an opportunity to do that, just like in life. Either way it goes, we’re going to have two good quarterbacks on our football team. Whichever way we decide, we feel like we’re going to be in good shape.”

Moving up food chain?

Gill had some high praise for cornerbacks Greg Brown and Isiah Barfield, tight end Tim Biere and defensive end Tyrone Sellers on Tuesday, saying that all four have shown great production and leadership during recent practices.

Brown and Barfield are vying for playing time in a crowded defensive backfield. Biere seems to be locked in as the starting tight end — one who could have a monster year — and Sellers, according to Gill, is competing with Kevin Young for playing time at the defensive end spot opposite of senior Jake Laptad.

Former Jayhawk Reesing honored

By Matt Tait     May 5, 2010

Nick Krug
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing warms up at Arrowhead Stadium before taking on Missouri in the 2009 Border Showdown.

Reesing honored

Though his college playing days are behind him, Kansas University quarterback Todd Reesing continues to collect hardware.

Tuesday, Reesing was named to the 2010 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, a select group of college football players from all divisions who maintained a core grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.

Throughout his career, Reesing’s accolades off the field rivaled those of his game-day triumphs. Reesing, who graduated in December with degrees in finance and economics, recently was honored by KU as the male senior scholar athlete of the year. In addition, he also earned an NFF National Scholar-Athlete award, academic all-district honors and academic All-Big 12 honors for the third straight year.

Reesing capped his playing career with 11,194 passing yards and 90 touchdowns in four seasons, both KU career records. In addition, he led the Jayhawks to back-to-back bowl victories in 2007 and 2008 and was the fifth-leading passer in Big 12 history.

After being bypassed in last month’s NFL Draft, Reesing has spent the past several days exploring his options elsewhere. The Saskatchewan Roughriders, of the Canadian Football League, own Reesing’s CFL rights and appear to have serious interest in signing the former KU quarterback.

KU looking for linemen

Springdale, Ark., offensive lineman Travis Bodenstein, 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, has made two visits to KU — including one for the spring game — and told Rivals.com this week that he hopes to make a decision by the end of the month.

The Class of 2011 lineman lists KU, Kansas State and Auburn as his favorites and, of those three, KU is the only school to have offered. Bodenstein’s other offers have come from East Carolina, Memphis, Ohio and Tulsa.

The Jayhawks also recently have extended an offer to offensive lineman Tyler Pierson, 6-4, 280, of Clearwater, Fla. Pierson’s only other offer is from Colorado State.

KU also had sent out offers to O-linemen Garrett Gladd, 6-4, 280, and Austin Blythe, 6-3, 280, but Gladd committed to Stanford last week, and Blythe committed to Iowa on Monday.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Apr 20, 2010

Secondary still the strongest

Say this for Kansas University football coach Turner Gill: He’s consistent.

Although Gill has been a little vague with some of his information throughout spring practices, one unit has remained on the tip of his tongue.

“I would have to say the secondary,” Gill said Monday. “I would say it has the best depth and that’s why they’ve stood out. There continues to be one, or a group of guys, week after week, even day after day, who stands out.”

Freshman cornerback Tyler Patmon said Monday that eight players still were battling for the two starting cornerback positions and he offered his thoughts on why the defensive backs have stood out to Gill: “Man, we’re all good. That’s why we’re one of the only groups that doesn’t have a depth chart yet. We all can play, we all go hard.”

In addition to possessing talent and speed, the secondary also is equipped with a little more confidence. After playing a lot of zone during the 2009 season, Patmon said he expected this year’s group to display more man-to-man coverages.

“That’s a lot more fun,” he said. “At corner, you’re out there on an island so there’s more pressure, but that’s what we’re made to do. We gotta have that swagger.”

Asked how he could emerge from the pack during Saturday’s spring game, which kicks off at 1 p.m., Patmon did not hesitate to answer.

“You gotta hope the plays come to you, and when they do you gotta make ’em,” he said. “You get one chance, you gotta make it.”

QB competition likely to extend into fall

The highly-competitive battle to become KU’s starting quarterback, which has included six guys this spring, is expected to continue for the next several months.

Monday, Gill said the following about the arms race: “There won’t be a complete decision as far as the quarterback spot after Saturday’s scrimmage. It’s definitely going to go into the fall camp.”

Gill the sprinter?

When asked Monday which member of his team would have won the 100-meter dash at last weekend’s Kansas Relays, Gill answered with a definitive, “Me.” He went on to include: “It would have to be a 60-yard one, though. I don’t know if I could handle that.”

After the laughter dispersed, Gill said Daymond Patterson, D.J. Beshears and Isiah Barfield likely would reach the finish line first.

A family affair

KU coach Turner Gill saw a couple of familiar faces at the end of Monday’s practice. Daughters Jordan, a sophomore at KU, and Margaux, who’s in town from Buffalo on Spring Break, watched dad’s crew go through the final few drills Monday at the practice fields.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Apr 9, 2010

Briscoe works out for ‘Boys

Ex-Kansas University receiver Dezmon Briscoe worked out for his hometown team Monday, when the Dallas Cowboys hosted their annual “Dallas Day” at Cowboys Stadium.

Briscoe was able to participate in the “locals-only workout” because he is a graduate of Cedar Hill High in Dallas.

The Cowboys own the 27th pick in the first round of this year’s draft, and, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said: “Dallas has made it clear that it plans to address the left tackle position.”

That’s not to say that the Cowboys couldn’t swipe Briscoe with a late-second-round pick. In fact, following his Pro Day workout at KU in early March, Briscoe said he would be surprised if he fell out of the second round.

The 2010 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin April 22 in New York.

Jayhawks join Reed party

KU recently became the latest school to extend a scholarship offer to Class of 2011 defensive end Cedric Reed, of Cleveland (Texas) High.

Reed, 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, has received offers from eight other Big 12 schools — including Oklahoma and Texas — and has 21 offers so far. Notable programs from outside of the Big 12 who are in the hunt for Reed include Alabama, Notre Dame and USC.

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait     Apr 5, 2010

Second week on tap

The second week of Kansas University’s spring football practices begins today, and, if Week Two is anything like the opener, coach Turner Gill figures to be a happy man.

After taking his team through four practices last week, including a small-scale scrimmage during Saturday’s workout, Gill said he was impressed by the way the Jayhawks absorbed what he and his staff had taught.

“(I) thought the guys got a good grasp of what we were doing, and every day we got better,” Gill said. “I love the effort and aggressiveness, what we showed on both offense and defense.”

Now that the lesson plan is in place, Gill said the rest of the month would be spent improving.

“We will work on execution the rest of the spring,” he said. “The first week was acclimation and expectations. There was a feeling-out period. Now they understand what we are doing, and we will start fine tuning.”

KU will practice at 3:30 today and will go again Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

A Bronx tale

Rivals.com indicates that KU has extended a scholarship offer to defensive tackle Al Page.

Page, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, is a junior at Christopher Columbus High in Bronx, New York.

He recorded 40 tackles, one sack and four fumble recoveries during the 2009 season.

In late March, Page told Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell that Rutgers, Maryland and Penn State — “in that order” — were his top three schools, but that did not stop Gill and his staff from offering.

Penn State has yet to offer Page.

Syracuse is the fourth school that has offered a scholarship to the defensive lineman.

KU in hunt for tackle

Kansas also recently made an offer to Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) offensive tackle Pat Flavin.

Flavin, 6-6, 260, is being recruited by KU offensive coordinator Chuck Long and has received seven scholarship offers so far.

According to Rivals, the six other schools that have offered Flavin are: Ball State, Baylor, Boston College, Illinois, Toledo and UCLA.

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.