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Kansas head coach Charlie Weis watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.
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Following Saturday’s loss to Kansas State, and again during a conference call with reporters on Sunday night, Kansas University football coach Charlie Weis vowed to explore anything and everything that could solve his squad’s second-half struggles.
Tuesday morning, during his regular weekly news conference, Weis shared the details of a new plan that was mostly personnel driven.
Although the updated depth chart showed very few changes, Weis said some of the guys who had been listed as back-ups could receive meaningful playing time this weekend when the Jayhawks play host to Oklahoma State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
“There’s several guys that I don’t know enough about when they go on the field,” Weis said. “Some of them I don’t know enough about because there’s guys that are older playing ahead of them that, in practice, play better than them by a wide margin.”
Weis pointed to his offensive line as an example.
Instead of letting second-string left tackle Pat Lewandowski continue to play mostly in mop-up duty, Weis said he would consider giving Lewandowski a series or two in the first half Saturday. Same for red-shirt freshmen Damon Martin at left guard and Dylan Admire at center.
“How are we gonna find out what they’re gonna do against competition if we never play ’em?” Weis asked. “That’s the Catch 22 you’re in. You want to know but never at the expense of risking something in that game.”
The theory says that putting the less-experienced reserves in early on gives them a chance to play when the game is still close, which, in turn, gives Weis and his coaching staff a better indication of how those players stack up against Big 12 talent.
“Everyone wants to look at developing your team as giving up on your team,” Weis said. “And they misconstrue the whole thing. You can’t ever sacrifice your current team for the sake of development. At the same time, you have to do both things simultaneously.”
One other potential advantage of giving a guy like Admire a shot at center is, if he pans out, Weis could then look at moving starting center Trevor Marrongelli to right guard (he started all 12 games last season at left guard) to help shore up a section of KU’s offensive line that has struggled throughout the season.
Although he used the offensive linemen as his example, Weis said the theory held true with every position on the team where an experienced and entrenched veteran was starting ahead of an inexperienced backup. That includes quarterback, where red-shirt freshman Michael Cummings also may be in line to play an extra series or two in the coming weeks.
“I’m cognizant that the second half has been our biggest issue,” Weis said. “You don’t think I’m thinking about that, too? I’m thinking, ‘What can I do?’ And, trust me, it’ll be addressed here in the next 24 hours, because I’d rather go down swinging than not take a swing. I’m not taking a called third strike, I promise you.”
Calling all kickers
While most of the personnel tweaks Weis hinted about on Tuesday were geared toward development, one concrete change on the depth chart came at place kicker, where Weis opened things up and planned to give freshman Austin Barone a shot to compete with junior Ron Doherty for the starting job.
Asked why Barone was in the mix, Weis was blunt.
“I’d like to make a field goal,” he said. “That’d be a good start.”
So far this season, Doherty has connected on just five of 10 field goal tries, including a 1-of-5 mark on kicks longer than 30 yards. Last week, in the 56-16 loss to K-State, Doherty missed a 24-yarder in the first half that killed KU’s momentum.
“Those have to be automatic,” Weis said. “Sometimes you can blame everything on the kicker, and Ron certainly would accept his share of the blame, but there’s a lot of things that factor in.”
Although Doherty has been solid as a punter — 40.5 yards per kick on 21 attempts — Weis said he would be on the lookout for place kickers in the next recruiting class. Asked if he had committed to offering a scholarship to a kicker in the current class, Weis’ answer emphasized the Jayhawks’ desperation.
“Maybe two,” he said. “I’m not gonna come on the short end of that stick, I promise you.”
Sharp living up to name
While the Jayhawks have struggled to find a reliable kicker, the Cowboys have not. Anchored by the big leg of senior Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State has been dynamite in all aspects of the kicking game throughout the season.
“Their best player might be their kicker,” Weis said. “This Quinn Sharp, he might be the best player at his position in the country.”
Through four games, Sharp is averaging 44 yards per punt, has bombed 27 touchbacks in 32 attempts, hit seven of nine field goal attempts and drilled all 28 extra point tries.
“He’s exceptional,” Weis said.
Giving to a good cause
A portion of all tickets sold to this weekend’s KU-OSU game will be donated to the Jayhawks for a Cure fund, which supports cancer treatment and prevention at the KU Cancer Center and Lawrence Memorial Hospital. For every ticket sold to Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. kickoff with the Cowboys, $5 will go directly to the Jayhawks for a Cure fund.
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Comments
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Perfectly blunt, direct comments from Weis himself about the challenges of this roster he inherited. Gotta build thru recruiting, and I'm sure he is looking forward to his FIRST full recruiting season. Im very excited to see what the frosh kicker can do. Its up to Weis to judge if Doherty has shown us all he is capable of (not my job). Weis was right to the point about the kicking game, and overall about how wafer-thin this team really is.
Cairo_Jayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree to an extent. Bringing in the best recruiting class in the nation wouldn't make a difference for at least 2 years. Weis has to do what he wasn't able to do at Notre Dame, and that is to develop players. I believe in him as well, but recruiting his own boys will really only be helping him in his 3rd or 4th year. Lets hope some big time developing goes on.
jross1972 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well said
vd 7 months, 2 weeks ago
He inherited a top rated kicker, but chose to eliiminate him.
kualum95 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I know through one of the family friends (and alum) in the Dallas area, he was told he would loose his scholarship, as Weis "didn't need a kicker on scholarship when he had a punter that could do both". So like any good Rivals 5th ranked kicker, he will go somewhere else. The media often times don't get the truth due to the power the coaches have on releasability! Always remember that.
oklahawk58 7 months, 2 weeks ago
If your sister's friend's brother heard it from his neighbor, it must be true.
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Mueller wasn't all that impressive a year ago any way, and he could have been one of the players not performing well in the classroom.
actorman 7 months, 2 weeks ago
It's vd, so I think the answer to your question is self-explanatory.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Also, to put things in perspective, Mueller was benched for Doherty last year under Gill....so though he was a pretty good recruit out of H.S., he didn't pan out at Kansas. Question is, why is that.
KGphoto 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Uh, yeah. What he said.
KGphoto 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, but Mueller couldn't hit a field goal any better than Doherty. Don't know why, but he was pretty bad while at KU.
TenaciousD 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Keep in mind that his biggest problem this year is a result of Weis' recruiting. It's Crist! Jordan Webb was pretty bad, but if he were the QB, the W-L record would look much different. Weis' recruit is absolutely horrible!
Swamphawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You talking about the same Jordan Webb who has led Colorado to a 1-4 record? Not sure how many wins he would've led us to. Sure would be nice to have a decent QB though.
minipman 7 months, 2 weeks ago
hey weis, may be you should have an open try out for kickers.. i bet you could post something in the University Kansan about it.. i guarantee there are students here who can kick better..heck mayb Crist can kick better than he throws. if you are worried bout giving him playing time but you wont bench him.. there's a solution for you.. ..
p.s. Doherty proved he runs better than he kicks
jhox 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I recall he put such a plea out to the student body early in the practice season, and apparently no one came forward.
OhioHawkfan 7 months, 2 weeks ago
It worked for Texas Tech a few years ago . . . .
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Texas Tech just had a kicking contest at half time and the kid won. They didn't do any pleading.
CharlesLogan 7 months, 2 weeks ago
He didn't run very well.... looked extra slow. Had at least 20 yards of open space and gained 13. LOL I'm glad the play worked out well tho. : )
Kleave 7 months, 2 weeks ago
"I'd like to make a field goal" Like you said. Blunt and to the point. I like this Weis guy. He's not tiptoeing around the issue or just saying "bad execution, we'll work hard and try our darnedest next time" like somebody else we know.
nuleafjhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
“How are we gonna find out what they’re gonna do against competition if we never play ’em?” Weis asked. “That’s the Catch 22 you’re in. You want to know but never at the expense of risking something in that game.”
Note to Charlie - at this point in the season, go ahead and play anybody you want - any time you want, if there's a chance they will help improve this team.
There is not a bowl game riding on this.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Yeah, I think you're right at this point in the season. Early on I was not in favor of pulling guys just to experiment. I think he needs to see what he has for the coming years as well. Crist is not donning a jersey on Sunday, I think we can all safely agree on that. That's not saying he won't succeed in something else, but I don't think it's going to be football.
doctorWho 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I think many of us could also safely agree that Crist shouldn't be donning a jersey on Saturday.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
That's debatable, but you very well could be right. He might be our best option. I think what a lot of people don't understand is that Weis needs a certain type of QB in his style of offense. As much as I'd like to see Cummings play, I have a hard time seeing him run a pro-style offense. I do think he deserves a shot at this point in the season though.
kellerman411 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You will no longer have to skim over my rants about KU special teams. WE HAVE A KICKER PEOPLE. He is on campus and coach Weis has watched him kick touchback after touchback. He will be eligible next year, thank god.
Next year, if this team can make small improvements on offense and defense with a massive improvement on special teams, I think they have a real shot to be better.
Cairo_Jayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Agree, but huge upgrade at QB (hopefully in Heaps) is essential as well.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
That's a good point. I hope Weis goes into next season with the QB position wide open for the taking.
Rivethead 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Why? Anyone who went to the spring game saw the same thing I did.....Heaps was by far the best QB playing that day.
doctorWho 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You could have a huge upgrade from Crist with Heaps and it would just mean you had an average BCS quarterback. I'll settle for that.
jaykan7 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree with you there, Heaps will be in his first season working with Weis' offense against live competition. So next year we will have another first year QB.
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree. I will certainly remain more tempered leading up to the Heaps era. I just don't see how Weis can strike out on TWO 5-star QBs in a row.
jaykan7 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Has Weis came out and said that Heaps will be our starter for the next 2 years? Or will he have to compete for the job against all others? I hope there is a legitamate competition for QB. He gave the job to Crist and its not working out. I am afraid if he does the same for Heaps we will see similar results. Here's hoping that isn't the case.
gdkadjayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I"ll admit I haven't been tracking kickers. Do you have a name? Is he a transfer?
Swamphawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I'd like to know this as well.
iamakufan 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I don't recall the name but saw the article recently. He's a transfer and required to sit out this season by the NCAA transfer rules.
nckujayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Eric Kahn
nuleafjhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Ooooh! Any relation to Chaka ??
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
kellerman, Yes! I caught that bit about the current redshirted transfer kicker. And we shouldnt even think about pulling him off redshirt for this current meaningless season. I want to load more talent by recruiting, and then true high-ranked or skilled frosh+highly regarded juco guys+whatever we have from now that returns+whoever comes off redshirt next season=all unloading on next season with some enhanced expectations (for "real", as better roster). Next year could possibly be a 4win season, but for much better reasoning than the "4win" idea we hoped against hope we could have had this season. If not for 3-4 plays total, we could well be 3-2 right now, not that it would have helped against the gauntlet of the BigXII. The pressure+expectations grows every year. But Weis is an actual legit coach with an impressive, hand-picked staff. I'll still watch the games this season to see individual players get better play by play (like Turzilli), and to see different looks from the offense and defense, as obviously Weis and Campo will be installing various things the rest of the season.
april28 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I can live through the pain of another rough season but the biggest challenge to Charlie is simple: how do I improve the talent level of my team next year?
He's been very smart so far and has cleared a bunch of room for scholarships. He's got to find a way to find some difference makers. Success over the next two years hinges on his ability to get more talent.
pessimisticjayhawkfan 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Before he looks to much for a kicker he should start with finding a QB that can throw, WR that can catch llineman that can block defensive lineman that can create pressure and can some freaking DBs that can cover a freaking WR
Cairo_Jayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
It's unfortunate that we will be going into next year losing a good group of seniors. Pick, Beshears, Patterson, Zlatnik, Marrongelli, Hawkinson, Ragone, Josh WIlliams, McDonald, Opurum, McDougald, and Brown are all decent players and are focal points of what we are doing this year. For as bad as this team is, it is not that bad of a class. Zlatinik and several others may have a shot at the NFL.
I'm excited for year 2 of Charlie and am looking forward to recruiting and player development but this is a decent class that is leaving Kansas.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I don't know dude, I'd have to disagree. I think every one of these guys are pretty average at their position with the exception of Zlatnik and McDougald. Opurum should have never been moved out of the backfield. He would have made a great fullback.
Fototherapist 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You are absolutely correct. These seniors have been the ones playing and losing!
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Yeah I have to agree. I think we have lost perspective a little. Harder to tell what good is anymore at a lot of positions. I think most of those guys are average at best at their positions but have been starting and contributing for so long we just assume that they are talented. Thats usually how it works, not at KU over the last 3 years.
MartyrMangino 7 months, 2 weeks ago
A plea for sanity amongst KU fans,
Not long ago, many on this message board were urging the Turner Gill detractors to be patient. We lose to Baylor by 48 points? Be patient. We lose at home to Kansas State by 52 points? Be patient. OSU mercifully not scoring 100 points on us? Be patient. A game against Texas in which we had a total of 3 first downs and a total of 48 net yards gained? Be patient.
There were a lot of Turner Gill apologists, and BELIEVING was an nice, little positive catch phrase for our program after the turmoil of the football / basketball fight, coaching investigations, and a collapse of our "History Awaits" dreams. The problem is, there was a lot of hard work that went into getting the program to the point at which people COULD believe. Coach Mangino and his teams practiced next to the soccer practice fields, used the antiquated Anschutz Strength & Conditioning facility, and then took a BUS across campus to play their hearts out even though there wasn't a sold out crowd, even though they would never be national champions or even Big 12 champions. Well, all of their time and effort paid off and we went to a few bowl games, we had some sold out home games, tore down a load of goalposts, and we made the cover of Sports Illustrated (In football!). Finally, we break through and not only go to, but win a BCS bowl, and for the only time in our history, a bowl game in the following season. My point is, it was easy to believe then. The heavy lifting had been done. Only later would we find out that Coach Gill's team's academic standing was in ashambles, just as week after week our on-field results were. We were in bad, bad shape.
After two seasons of the most gut wrenching losses and records upon records set against our team, we still had enough football pride in the tank to buy-out Coach Gill. Names were tossed around and many were convinced that we couldn't persuade a quality coach to come to our university. Mostly assistant coaches were suspected to be our options, and if you had asked anybody, ANYBODY, if they thought Charlie Weis would be our next head coach, no one could have contained their laughter at such a glib fantasy.
We now have a head coach who won a Super Bowl with the legendary coach Bill Parcells and he won 3 Super Bowls with Bill Belichick. He believes in results, hard work, academic success, and he has a non-profit organization to benefit children and adults with developmental disorders. He is tough, but fair, and he is by far the most credentialed coach we have every had at KU.
MartyrMangino 7 months, 2 weeks ago
(cont).
We have hit a rough patch this season. Rougher than a lot of people anticipated, but we need to get behind coach Weis AND our players. They are working hard every day to improve and nobody on this message board wants to win more than they do. I can understand the questioning of this or that strategy, but at the end of the day, we need to be there at the games, and cheer, and support our young men through this rough patch. For goodness sakes, Bill Self hasn't even achieved the success that Charlie Weis has. Let the man work. He wants to win, his players want to win, and he knows what it takes to get it done. We are no longer losing games by record point totals, people are attending the games, our team's academic standing is MUCH better, and so far, we have had a realistic chance in the 4th quarter of each game we lost to win those games.
Please folks, let's not be like Missouri fans and turn on our own. Let's help coach Weis build this program better than it has ever been! We have waited this long anyway and we are very, very lucky that we have him here. He has brought in a great staff and these guys are winners. Winners win.
vd 7 months, 2 weeks ago
We lose to Rice, be patient. We lose to Northern Illinois, be patient. We get clobbered by K State, be patient.
vd 7 months, 2 weeks ago
He is tough, but fair, and he is by far the most credentialed coach we have every had at KU.
Tough but fair. Tell that to Jordan Webb. Most credentialed coach we have had. By NFL standards, maybe. By College standards, definitely not.
IlBastardo 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Uhoh. The venereal disease is acting up again. VD, if you think we should fire Weis and that he is no different than Gill, come on out with it, and if you think NFL experience has no bearing on the college game, throw that in there too. Should be fascinating.
CrystalJones 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Agree with vd...
Two words: Bill Callahan
MartyrMangino 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well, maybe if you ever bump into Pete Carrol, Nick Saban, or Steve Spurrier, you can tell them that NFL guys can't have success coaching the college game.
kellerman411 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Ha! Soon you will be able to throw in what's his name at UCLA too
pbouldenv 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well said, MartyrMangino! I will be there this weekend even though it will take me several hours to get to there. I am looking forward to it, but OSU scares me more than anyone else on the schedule...their offense is scary.
NebraskaJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
100% agree. I will say that the one thing I was surprised about was the fact that once we did get down against K-State, it was roll-over-and-die-time just like every game Gill's teams got down. It's unacceptable under any circumstances. I am 100% behind Weis and what he's trying to do, but he needs to be a little more passionate with his players on gameday. It's one of the things I miss about Mangino. It's okay to yell on the sideline at your players! It's college, not the NFL. I don't know..maybe something he is still adjusting to. As crazy as it sounds, I still think we could win a couple of games. There were definitely some positive flashes during that game. However, if I were Weis, I would not kick another field goal the entire season unless it's inside the 20.
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You're right, but some aren't willing to man up and be realistic.
jross1972 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Totally agree. there was a difference between manginos early losing seasons and turner gills. Not so much in the record, but in the product n the field. Jaybate in all his wisdom couldn't see that difference, and thought gills ouster was too soon. Some people never learn. But I see it in Charlies team, except I think he is a bit too loyal to crist.
kureader 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Hello Jross.
I don't think it's so much his loyalty to Crist as it is his feeling about the alternatives.
dannyboy4hawks 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I posted on phog.net about Mike Leach and how the fans have turned against him, how his WSU team barely beat Eastern Washington & UNLV. Leach's WSU team stinks and his honeymoon is already over. Of course, a few replys to my post defended him by saying that it's going to take 3-4 years before he's run off because the team he inherited really stinks from a talent stand-point. Add it the fact that Washington, USC, Oregon etc., take all the top talent so it could take longer.
And a reply to that said how funny it is to be rational when it's another schools' program.
Same for Kansas. The talent just isn't here and it will take 2-3 years before we see a difference. And the difference could occur overnight.
I'm patient and stand behind our Coach and his staff. I reside in Miami so I can't attend the games but IF I lived in KC, I'd see every home game and stay till the end showing my support for guys giving their all
bb73 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Good perspective.
jayhawkinATL 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Yeah, how about giving Crist ANOTHER day off!!!
plasticJHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Saturday?
jayhawkinATL 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Exactly!
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Meh. Crist has been bad but he is still the best chance we have as the fornt line starter QB. He knows the offense and he has shown moments of what he is capable of. The first half at KSU is a good example. Baty or Cummings would not have had us within a score at the half. Thats just a plain and simple fact. If they could do better, they would be playing.
I would rather keep working Crist so that maybe he has a couple of full games like he played the first half at KSU. He has shown improvement each week and I expect that to continue. If he has a full game, we might sneak up and beat someone. If he doesn't, well then at least we tried.
Better to take a chance at a win or two than to get experience for a QB who will most likely be a wide receiver or something before he leaves KU. Anyone who thinks Weis is not going to get some good QB recruits of his own in here before Baty or Cummings outlasts Heaps is fooling themselves.
CharlesLogan 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Sorry doc... second opinon needed. You said "Baty or Cummings wouldn't have had us within a score at the half" I disagree. All crist did in the first quarter was hand off.... Then fake handoff and dump it to Pierson... Pierson was the factor not Crist. Any of our QB's would have scored in that 1st qtr.
kellerman411 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes Charles but teams still respect Crists big arm, despite how he has played so far. He may not have been making difficult throws but when Crist, a 5th year senior, is on the field, the defense will play differently than if you put Baty out there. Baty and Cummings can make those throws but they might not have been there without Crist.
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
In the middle of a big 12 game is not the answer.
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Considering we haven't seen either of them perform when it matters I am not sure where you are getting your insight from. We don't know that they would command the offense the way Crist can. If they could, and their skill set made them a better fit I have no doubt they would play. Regardless of whether Crist makes all the plays or not, which he certainly doesn't, his presence opens the play book. It lets coach get creative. Throwing a read option with inferior skills, inferior knowledge of the system, and a lack of experience into a complex pro style offense
1_Jaydoc_1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
And we are seeing MULTIPLE drives where other packages that don't involve Crist at the helm are in play. Thats as much as we are going to see.
bb73 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I like the man, and "not taking a third strike" comment is perfect.
OakvilleJHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Just keep the scoreboard lit up as the first half..have the band come out of the tunnel and sing the national anthem again...see??.......problem solved!!
MLJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well said, MartyrMangino. You should take your post and post it on the all the message boards... and perhaps then we can really send a message.
I am so tired of folks being unrealistic, that it gives me a headache. I am even more tired that we have stooped to new lows, specifically the neagative statements on our own football players.
We truly have good players. Maybe we havent played them right, or maybe they havent been coached properly, but they have talent indeed. Did you forget that we've had 3 coaches with 3 different styles in 4 years! Can you imagine learning new plays and new formations over and over again? They have not had the luxury of building a relationship with the same coach. We just need stability and development. I am sure that they feel worse than you guys do.
Let me say this. I analyze and critique the games, too. And I would love to see some personnel changes myself (and I hope to see changes this Saturday). But please dont tell me that yall are so blind....that you dont see any improvement or progress what so ever... please BE PATIENT. We are headed in the right direction. Geez...
Reuben_J_Cogburn 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I understand TCU turned it over a few times within our 10. Some forced...some not-so-much. But regardless of the reasoning, we were well capable of winning that game. Arguably, a shoe-string tackle and a fumble at the goalline were all that kept us from tying it up.
Sorry to say, guys, but we'd all be singing a different tune if we were 4-1 right now. And as ridiculous as it it sounds, 4-1 was a potential.
But this is where we're at. I have to believe things will get better; otherwise, we're playing into the "wait till basketball" stereotype with which most K-State and Mizzou fans paint us.
dannyboy4hawks 7 months, 2 weeks ago
And mizery fans are already saying wait till basketball for their team......haha
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Kentucky still gives Mizzery the royal blue beatin' they deserve..
Reuben_J_Cogburn 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Oh sweet irony
Brickwall1 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I support coach Weis and I think the future is going to be better. Having said that you can't argue with some glaring facts. As bad as Gill was, he beat NIU. And there's no excuse for losing to Rice who is now 1-5. Weis's loyalty to Crist is my biggest gripe with this staff.
HouTexHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Whether we like it or not Weis is not going anywhere. At the time, it was a risky hire and the early results are not good. This team should be better than last year's team and it's not. I can't believe anyone is trying to spin that K-state gave showed some glimmers of hope in the first half. We had a nice stretch where the offense was clicking but that only lasted about a quarter and we needed two fake licks to score. Then we self destructed in the 3rd quarter and by 40. That's not improvement.
Picking Weis was widely panned as one of the worst hires of all the openings so none of this should be surprising.
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Nope. You can honestly say you would rather have Gill&his staff instead of the entire current staff? You also forgot to offer any analysis whatsoever of why the 3rd quarter was not "clicking offensively" like the first quarter? Pierson, who is clearly Crist's most electrifying target, was out for the game, making us right back to the vanilla offense. And the KSU defense, instead of being spread out all over the field, was able to zone in against the Pierson-less KU offense. How many times did they implode the right side of the O-line? Half the time, Crist had no chance. And having a true frosh fumble a kickoff didnt help that game either, did it. Not having a kicker that you can trust didnt help us did it. NO WAY we are a complete team. If you dare to think Weis was hired to "win now" with a wafer thin roster, you dont need me to make you look silly. Weis was hired for the total rebuild that Zenger knows we need. Why dont you go talk to Zenger to see what his expectations are, and I guarantee you they are 100X more important than what you+me think. This is a man's rebuilding job...let Weis recruit+coach, then recruit another year, then coach, and then lets see what we get. The ONLY thing we are judging right now is the expected aftermath of the Gill+Lew Disaster. Oh, and the obvious lack of the required finesse-timing between QB and rcvr needed to make Weis' offense run efficiently at high%. That could improve this season, but will be buried in similar losses, as nothing can help the D other than more recruiting, and that's not til offseason. We do have D talent coming, but we graduate some also...so this most definitely is a 3-5yr job. But even next year, the W's will start coming...quit freaking out. Urban Meyer couldnt fix this in 5 games, right? Goes without saying, but for some, I simply must state the obvious, right?
pbouldenv 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Did you watch the game HouTexHawk? It was 28-16 at 7:59 in the 3rd and we were getting the ball back. Plus, we were in the redzone twice without getting any points. We had over 400 yrds of offense, so it wasn't like we weren't moving the ball. The TOs made this game seem like a blow out, but it really should have been a lot closer game. The team has improved, but it might not show this upcoming weekend.
HouTexHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I did watch the game. The score midway through the third quarter is irrelevent. They completely fell apart just like they did last year. They made a lot of turnovers last year. Tell where the team is better- not on offense, specialty teams are worse, defense is forcing turnovers, but giving up chunks of yards. Given that the key players and one more year of experience, coaching is better, and we have some better player like 5th year players coming in to play this year, I expected much better results.
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
No, HouTexHawk. It's all a question of degree. Best quote (you missed) is in pbouldenv's last sentence: "team improved, but it might not show" (in final score). We are "incrementally" better than last year in a few areas, but that cannot overcome "big+repeated mistakes"....A a quick way to bury any football's team's chance to win is to lose the t/o category. The kickoff true frosh's fumble was inexcusable after we had the safety (momentum). The 2 INT's that deflected off receivers were drive killers, but that happens in football..., but the 1 INT that I wish Crist had back to actually rethink was the goal line INT and Turzilli needs to keep running instead of letting the dback catch up to him. All correctable stuff on gametape. It takes 2 to play catch, and against a top10 team our "marginally improved" D got sorely exposed. Do you get that this team might even be better than the team that narrowly lost the early non-con + TCU games, BUT against this conf competition, you are NOT going to get the W to give you the type of "proof" you personally seem to need. That isnt what this year is about. Clean house, instill conditioning and expectation, get guys PT...and ok to try to steal a W with 5th yr guys and pulling out all stops in playcalling (who goes for it 4th & 8, deep in our own end? Weis does because he cannot trust the kicker). This year is a rock and a hard place. You forgot few key injuries in the narrower early losses. You dont give any credit to the BIG loss that Pierson's injury was to the offense's play availability. You think you know better than the current veteran coaching staff (unlike Gillidiots), and you will lose and come up short every time!
KUHawkhead 7 months, 2 weeks ago
This team should be better than last year's team and it's not
Bull$hit on a stick! We are COACHED this year for the first time since the first five games of 2009, before Mangino started throwing games to avoid a bowl game. ANYONE who cannot see this doesn't know jacksh!t about football.
Am i happy with where we are? HELL NO. But, we are way ahead of were Derp had this team.
Ride the course, see what happens. Weis, unlike Derp, is keeping up his end of the deal with the academic requirements, and CARING about these kids after football.
ANother year of S&C with a nonobese pos strength coach like Derp brought with him will improve our 2nd half collapses.
RCJHKU!
HouTexHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Don't appreciate the insults- HawkHead. No, I don't think we would be better with Turner Gill, that is not what I said. Gill needed to go, but I question whether Weis was the right choice. I am not the only one who questioned the hire at the time. I don't care about the four Super Bowl rings. He was not head coach. He was about to get run out of Florida and everyone knows what happened at Notre Dame.
I did watch the game and it reminded me of many games the last two years where the team self destructed.
Weis pretty much guaranteed a better season by bringing in Crist and some other 5th year seniors. That never made sense to me unless you really thought you could get close to bowl eligibility. The team is 1-4 with losses to NIU (not a bad team, but still a MAC school), and Rice (a bad team with one win). The played TCU close at home, but they had some close home losses last year and the K-State game was just like the last two years.
KUHawkhead 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Insults? Quoi?
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well, HouTexHawk has proven what vantage point he is operating from: He is looking for that final, reliable Win-Loss category vindication. But this team is far from reliable. You cannot trust the kicking game. At all. Cannot trust some of the receivers, including some of last year's better performers like Beshears. Half the roster is new faces. Yes we may have been 4 plays away from 3 more wins (fact), but it didnt happen. So face the truth, HouTexHawk: You are not ready to watch the rollercoaster ride (mostly down) of a total rebuild job. Of all the 5th year seniors you keep bringing up, we have the 1 guy on the Dline contribution as a rotation player, we have Crist who still is searching for the chemistry with receivers and praying harder than Derp for the right side of the o-line to protect him. We havent seen Ragone be that tough-ass pass-catching target you/we would have hoped (yet?). Facing 6th game of new roster, and you want a reliable football product on the gridiron yesterday? Tell me, man, how much dag-gum football sense that makes? I know the length and breadth of the job Zenger hired Weis to do. But you cannot begin "long term" until you hold kids accountable, start coaching them, and start adding 1+2+3 yrs of recruits&juco's to the pile. Weis gets FIRST full recruiting season starting this season's end. Understand that, please! And just admit you are NOT mentally prepped to watch the man's rebuilding job Weis is here to do. NO, you would rather judge very early before the job is even at the 20% mark, wouldnt you? All conventional-football-wisdom out the window, eh? Hurts your feelings that bad after a few L's? Man up and realize the seriousness of the LewDerpDisaster. We are judging the aftermath. Of course it sucks. Sit tight. Or better yet, let us diehard alums tell you when its "SAFE" to come root for a reliably good jayhawk football team. (Dont wait by the phone, it'll be about 2yrs...)
notjustbread 7 months, 2 weeks ago
strike 4.
truehawk93 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Let's admit it. We all knew this was going to be a rough year with the last few years hanging over the program. Weis brought Crist in and is obviously taking advantage of this down year. He is letting Crist get in some reps, because this is Crist's last shot at some hint for the NFL. It can't hurt. What other QB will you get in the game with Crist's D1 experience?
We all know Heaps is the KU QB for tomorrow. He's learning under Weis and Crist. It reminds me of the movie "The Replacements" when they huddled and the big Samoan threw up. They all huddled and moved away at the same time. But in the end, leadership brought them together. Madden said, "It's the only thing they've done right all day." I'll take anything at this point.
This movie is great and if you haven't seen it, it's a must see.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1072890137/
Jayhawker111 7 months, 2 weeks ago
How would anyone now that Heaps is the KU quarterback of tomorrow?
Heaps got beat out at BYU by a guy named Nelson...
Nelson now has been beaten out by a freshman...
Heaps loses to Nelson and Nelson loses to a freshamn...
How good can Heaps be....And please do not say he looked good in the Spring Game. Crist looked good also.... My grandma would look good with no blitzing and lineman told not to pass rush.
Crist was given the job --he did not earn it and he has failed miserably.
How about we make Heaps earn the job --before we just assume he is the best quarterback.
Heaps got beat out at BYU and there are others at KU that may prove they are better than Heaps.
Hopefully Wies has learned you do not just hand a Qb job to some guy because you know him and he is a good kid.....They gotta earn it...
Any other current Qb on the roster will give KU a btter chance to diversify the offense. Crist just cannot move and is afraid of getting hit...
KU must change QB.
kureader 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You may not have seen Heaps throw the football. He has a better arm than any KU QB since David Jaynes, and he's mobile. I don't believe Weis has declared Heaps the starter for next year, but one look at Heaps and it's easy to see that the writing is on the wall.
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Did you see Cummings in the game last week? He did NOTHING.
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Hey, jayhawker111, "you dont just hand a QB job to some guy because you know him and he a good kid". How about telling similar to Lew Perkins: You dont just hand a football coaching job to someDerp because you know him and he truly is a nice guy! Cause/effect, dude. All we are dealing with is the EXPECTED aftermath of the LewDerpDisaster. That's all.
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
jayhawker is a fool if he thinks he can "judge" Heaps in the KU/Weis system, and he hasnt even seen Heaps play a live snap of the ball. What a JOKE analysis!!! Get real. Grow a pair and hunker down for the man's job of rebuilding that you KNOW this is. Or get out of here and come back in 2yrs when Weis has built a "reliable" gridiron product--Us diehards will tell you when it is "safe" to watch.
MLJayhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I cant wait to hear the comments that will be posted if we win a game. Such fair weather fans, we are.
HouTexHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
You we should input positive comments? Many of the people who are posting critical comments are NOT fair weather fans, they are concerned and passionate fans. A fair weather fan would stop following the team and not waste time posting on a blog.
ralster 7 months, 2 weeks ago
HouTexHawk, ...And you dont think alot of us "concerned and passionate" alumni were red-hot upset at the entire LewDerpDisaster? What an embarrasment the last 2yrs were, but DEEPER issues were created like a total deconstruct of a program's inner workings: No accountability academically (over 50+ F's), how many ineligibles would that have generated? Very poor conditioning discipline (players said it was "optional", and many of Gill's players readily admitted they were fatigued into the 3rd quarter of games last year). Total rookie Dcoord Shealy "decides" to switch to a 3-4 defense without the proper roster recruiting. It takes NFL teams a season of offseason moves to engineer a base-defense switch. But its not like we can go sign 10 free agents. Weis+Campo got 5th yr guy+juco guys up front, but they are new, play in a tough conf., and there is still little depth at LB and SS and FS and DB. Very poor overall D talent. Campo needs size, talent, speed. You cannot judge this year's absolute patch job. You cannot be critical of the hire yet, because even Zenger cannot. You are so hell bent on proving your point, you are flying straight into a mountain of opposing football conventional wisdom. Do you even watch the NFL? Just watch the Houston Texans, who are doing great this year, and learn something about each position. Also regarding BigXII football, go analyze what it is that makes OU and TX (& others) into the perennial powerhouses that they usually are! Havent got any real analysis other than what has crossed your field of vision, then you post your crap here. Go ahead, as now you clearly have to defend yourself. Please gain some football common sense first though. Are you starting to not like the taste of your own shoe?
HouTexHawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
I respect your opinion and don't appreciate the insulting tone. First off, I am not a Gill supporter and believe he had to go. I'm not sold that Weis was the answer. A lot of people agree with me. I hope I'm wrong. You do not allow for anyone to question whether Weis is the right choice.
lighthawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
MIZ SEC
the next best thing than beating the Tigers is watching someone else do it.
stanleys 7 months, 2 weeks ago
weis shoulda been doing this after the Rice and TCU game instead of sugar coating the losses with "we're turning the corner" bulls--t!! And Crist shoulda had his bags packed and benched long before the 4th quarter of the k-suck game. Just sayin'
All I'm hoping for at this point now is for the MIZ SEC tigers to get drilled by Alabama and every other game after that one!!!!!!
squawkhawk 7 months, 2 weeks ago
If Weis is such a good developer of QBs, then why does 5 star Crist stink?
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Are you seriously this stupid man? 5 games into this season with a whole new team? You're not much of a football fan on any level, are you?
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Keep putting the pressure like this on Crist, and who would want to come play for this unloyal, unrealistic fan base?
jayhawkintx1973 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Here are my thoughts on the QB situation.
Baty only has two years of eligibility and so does Heaps. Do you really want to waste on one of those years for either of them this year?
Cummings showed nothing on Saturday. Sure, could he? Could he get it to the undersized receivers? I doubt it. Beshear's head isn't in the right place. He looks resentful out there and should be replaced, with a taller guy like Omigie, but Beshears could have roles in certain offensive looks.
I don't want a QB controversy which was common place under Terry Allen and the earlier years of Mangino, but mostly due to injury. Create a QB controversy and see what it does to degenerate the team's unity that they are building under a new coach.
The last two seasons the players weren't pushed work hard, to improve. That's the reality of what Weis inherited.
It was in worse shape when Weis got here than it was when Mangino and Glen Mason got here. No doubt about it. But Mason and Mangino both achieved success over time, particularly Mangino with more talent than Mason had, but one thing Mason did was beat Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado, and not when they were rebuilding. KU beat Colorado in Boulder when Colorado was a legit national title contender. Mason never beat Nebraska, but did come close on a few occasions in good competitive football games. Mason also beat OU the week after Colorado, or it may have been the other way around, both games on the road and Mason won both of them, and nobody thought KU had a chance in either. KU was 21 point underdogs going to Colorado, and won 40-24.
KU trailed OU early 14-0 and then 14-7 at the half. Mason/Weis share a lot of the same qualities as far as coaching goes. Except Weis inherited a program in a condition that was worse when Mason got here.
On the issue with Gill, here is what it would have taken for me to have stayed behind him.
Beat Baylor and Texas Tech last year. We had them both on the ropes.
Also, stand behind your players when they make a good play and the refs make a bad call. It's okay if you get a 15 yard penalty, it unites the team. Weis needs to do that too on a cheap call that goes against us for reasons that seem obvious to me.
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