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KU defense shines in season opener
Well, it didn't take the Kansas football team long to pick up right where they left off. On Saturday - in front of a packed Memorial Stadium - the Jayhawks sent Florida International packing to the tune of 40-10.
When former Kansas University defensive coordinator Bill Young opted to leave his post for a spot on the staff at the University of Miami after last season, it was looked upon as a significant loss for the Jayhawks.
And following his first game as defensive coordinator with the Hurricanes, it's clear why.
Young, who in six seasons at Kansas built the Jayhawks into one of the nation's top defensive units, helped UM to a 52-7 season-opening victory last Thursday, during which the Hurricanes held Charleston Southern to just 126 yards of total offense, including a minuscule 49 rushing yards and a 1.6 yards-per-carry average.
"Bill did an outstanding job here," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said during the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference. "In the early years, we weren't very good in any phase of the game - offense, defense or the kicking game. And he, like the rest of us, just hung in there and kept working with the kids, helping them get better as players through repetition and hard work."
Young played a key role in last season's 12-1, Orange Bowl championship season, as Kansas ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense and 12th in total defense.
At the same time, Young's replacement didn't fare too poorly this weekend, either. In his first game as the Jayhawks' defensive coordinator, Clint Bowen led a defense that forced three turnovers and held the Golden Panthers to 139 yards of total offense.
¢ New play clock doesn't faze Jayhawks: One of the most noteworthy rule changes entering the 2008 college football season didn't seem to affect Kansas in its season-opener Saturday.
Previously, the NCAA featured a 25-second clock that did not begin until officials had marked the ball ready for play. This season, however, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds and will begin immediately after the ball is blown dead on the previous play, a move designed to improve the flow and consistency of games.
Having had one game to evaluate the effects of the new rule, Mangino said he doesn't anticipate any problems with his team's offensive pace this season.
"We had practiced with the new play clock for the entire offseason," Mangino said. "But we didn't have any problems at all with it.
"There's plenty of time," he added. "There was not an occasion on the field where I thought our offense was rushed to get a play off."
¢ Mangino calls offensive line performance 'adequate': Mangino said Monday that despite a 30-point victory margin in his team's season-opener, the restructured offensive line has room for improvement heading into this week's game against visiting Louisiana Tech.
The Jayhawks allowed just one sack in Saturday's victory, but the team's running game struggled to get going and quarterback Todd Reesing was regularly under fire throughout the game.
"I would say they played adequately; good enough to win," said Mangino of the line, which played without starting right tackle Jeremiah Hatch. "But they must improve."
¢ Laptad impresses in opener: Saturday, sophomore defensive end Jake Laptad followed up a strong true freshman campaign in '07 with an equally-impressive opening performance against Florida International.
Laptad recorded three tackles and 1.5 sacks against FIU - he finished last season with three sacks total - and provided a feasible pass-rush option, an area the Jayhawks are hoping to improve upon in '08.
"He had a number of stops," Mangino said. "He played gap-sound football. He got his run fits the way he needed to. He put pressure on the football. He's really developing into a fine player for us."
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Comments
doolindalton (anonymous) says...
No knock on Young, but holding Charleston Southern (who?) to 126 yards doesn't exactly go down as one of the dominating defensive performances of all time.
September 2, 2008 at 6:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nddhawk (anonymous) says...
What's consistent about Mangino's recruiting efforts is that these guys who turn out to be stars for us are not highly regarded coming out of high school.
Jake Laptad was rated 2-stars by Rivals. As was Charles Gordon, as was Aqib Talib, as was Anthony Collins, Chris Harris, Russell Brorsen, James Holt, Jeff Wheeler, Arist Wright. Joe Mortensen, Ryan Cantrell, and Dexton Fields were 2-star guys.
We've had a handfull of 4-star guys: Cory Kipp, Gabe Toomey, Brandon Duncan, Rodney Allen, Anthony Webb... With the exception of Rodney Allen, not one them lived up to expectations.
Rivals.com are right on the money with hoops, but football...not so much.
September 2, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kufan1975 (anonymous) says...
If I am not wrong but didn't Gabe Toomey get all Big 12 before his body said enough is enough?
September 2, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rolo2383 (anonymous) says...
I thought Toomey was a solid player. He made a lot a big plays for us but, like kufan stated, his bad shoulder caused him to quit the game.
September 2, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhwkfan162515 (anonymous) says...
From what I heard on the radio, the defense and special teams were excellent. As for the offense, well, Todd Reesing made the offense look better than they actually were against FIU. Here's hoping they'll be improved in time for Louisiana Tech.
September 2, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawkee84 (anonymous) says...
jhwkfan162515,
Our special teams were "excellent"????
Certainly, with Daymond Patterson now returning punts, the punt return team is VASTLY improved over last season.
However, giving up a punt return for a TD on Saturday would certainly negate an "excellent" overall grade for our special teams' play, not???
September 2, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
frompekka2sasha (anonymous) says...
nddhawk- Wow. Toomey was overrated? Wow.
September 2, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
jayhawkee84 --
exactly. special teams is more than just us kicking field goals, extra points and returning punts, it's also us returning kickoffs and DEFENDING the other team's returners.
Field Goals: Excellent
PATs: TERRIBLE -- no excuse for missing an extra point
Punt Return: Excellent
Kickoff Return: Shaky
Punt / Kickoff Coverage: Poor - 74 yd TD - FIU
Overall special teams play: C to C+ range
September 2, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jerhawk (anonymous) says...
mangino is the answer to the great f-ball team. rock chalk jayhawk as gale sayers still says
September 2, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...
Bmcmich1
You really say PAT's are terrible because Meier mishandled a snap. It happens every once in a while. It doesn't make the whole unit terrible.
Although there was a lapse of covereage on 1 kick, the fact that there was a 46 yd punt average is encouraging. So the punt team as a whole did not flounder.
I would say overall special teams was above average.
September 2, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
The last I heard ... Toomey was a bartender at Johnny's in Lawrence.
Can anyone confirm or deny this?
September 2, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rolo2383 (anonymous) says...
The depth of our kickoffs were not good. I'd like to see our kickoffs go to at least the goal line each time.
September 2, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
troutsee (anonymous) says...
No matter how you spin it, our kick off coverage was mediocre at best. Several players took themselves out of the play without even being blocked by overrunning the kick returner and not coming under control. Some of our kickoffs were very high and, therefore, should have been covered better than they were.
September 2, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...
Since they moved the kickoff back to the 30 yard line last year, I think that expecting a kick to the goal line every time may be a bit lofty. Every once in a while, maybe. but every time, I don't think so. The NCAA put that rule in specifically to add more excitement and have more returns and fewer touchbacks.
But if you consider this was the first game, new kicker etc.. I think it will be fine
September 2, 2008 at 5:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nddhawk (anonymous) says...
In my opinion, yes.
He contributed a great effort for one year for us. Of course I realize he transferred from OU and lost a little eligibility, but to be truly solid in my opinion, I would expect at least 2 years (or the 3 years he had left).
Even with the possible exception of Gabe, my original point is made.
September 2, 2008 at 5:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
Jayhawk86,
Absolutely -- I stand by that 100%, there's no excuse for mishandling a snap, a bad snap, bad kick, whatever... on a PAT. If you think I'm being harsh, get real -- the coaches and the players themselves are probably taking the mistake much more seriously than I am. PATs are elementary -- great staffs and players have to demand perfection out of them in order to be any good.
I understand that players are human and these things will happen, but that doesn't make it any less awful.
The botched PAT was terrible against FIU, no two ways about it, and I'm sure everyone involved would tell you that. This is a good team that will find miscues like a missed extra point unacceptable as well; I don't expect it to happen again.
September 2, 2008 at 5:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JJHawq (anonymous) says...
What happened to Brandon Duncan? I've been curious...
September 2, 2008 at 6 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OutlawJHawk (anonymous) says...
bmmich1--Your analysis and grade is right on as far as I am concerned. Mangino would probably agree with the grade as well. Mangino has stated he will adjust/correct the special teams coverage problems...and I believe he will.
The one thing I like about Mangino is that his teams continually, although sometimes gradually, improve every week throughout the season. He may not have all players made of "oak" but he does keep "sawing" away on the players he does have...and his "sawing wood" method works.
September 2, 2008 at 7:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...
bmcmich,
I guess you and I have different philosophies.
This is just my opinion.
If you go out and execute a pat sucessfully, block it right, snap it right, handle it right, and kick it right 5 times out of 6, but on that sixth pat you do everything right except handle the snap.
As a coach I would think that Mangino would let them know that they did quite a few things right, but that they definitely made a mistake, and they better take care of it. You gotta take care of the details. However, I would not tell the entire unit that they performed terribly.
Was the one play terrible? Yes, the result was bad. Did the entire unit perform terribly throughout the game? I would not say so.
Now if this were to happen repeatedly, thats another story. But I don't think the staff is losing any sleep over 1 missed pat.
Just my opinion though.
September 2, 2008 at 8:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
86,
I respect your opinion, and thank you for not being one of those "I'm right and you're not" posters.
It appears we do indeed have different philosophies, both of which have been proven to work.
I see where you're coming from, and I think that we both agree this probably won't be an issue in the future, and if it is, there's definitely a problem.
September 3, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MitchumMan (anonymous) says...
Well lets see just how Young fares this next weekend at Florida.
It's now mid-week - Can we get some stories about the up coming game? How about a story that talks about La. Tech and how they dealt with the hurricane? Or have these things been done and I just haven't seen them?
September 3, 2008 at 12:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )