KU defense reeling in three-game skid

By Andrew Hartsock     Nov 13, 2000

Casey Wilson/Journal-World Photo
KU's Jake Letourneau, left, misses a tackle on Hodges Mitchell of Texas. Mitchell rushed for 264 yards and three TDs Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

In the past three games, Kansas University’s football team has surrendered nearly a mile of total offense and allowed 50.7 points per game.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that the Jayhawks have lost three straight, tumbled from the ranks of the potentially bowl-eligible and are one loss away from their worst losing streak since 1988.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating and disappointing,” a glum KU coach Terry Allen said Sunday, a day after the Jayhawks’ 51-16 loss to Texas before 27,200 chilly fans at Memorial Stadium.

In consecutive losses to Texas Tech, Nebraska and Texas, the Jayhawks surrendered 1,632 yards. That’s an average of 544 yards per game.

Against Tech, the Jayhawks at least outgained the Red Raiders. KU wrote off the Nebraska showing by explaining it as a case of catching a good team at a bad time.

And Texas? Pick your poison.

“It was kind of a numbers game,” Allen said. “When Roy Williams makes plays, you gotta go out and get him double-covered. Then you lose a guy inside to help on the run, and they’re good enough up front you don’t want to help them any. Do you want a quick death or a slow death?”

It’s hard to tell for which KU settled. Williams, UT’s true freshman wide receiver, had four catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and a 35-yard end-around TD in the second.

And Hodges Mitchell rushed for 264 yards including 156 in the first half and three touchdowns.

It was Mitchell’s second touchdown, a two-yard run with 11 seconds left in the first half, that proved the most damaging. KU, which led 14-0 after five minutes and 16-9 after 12 minutes, missed a tough 44-yard field goal with just under four minutes to play in the second quarter.

UT turned over on downs, then pinned Kansas on its own 25 and called timeouts after three straight KU offensive plays to assure the Longhorns one final shot at the end zone. Texas took just 26 seconds to cover 38 yards to set up Mitchell’s TD.

“It was just frustrating,” Allen said. “Obviously, Williams made some plays on us in the first half, but we still could have cut it to four and we missed the field goal. Instead, we go in down 14, and they’re able to pin their ears back and rush us, and they just controlled the line of scrimmage with those behemoths.”

Afterward, KU quarterback Dylen Smith suggested the Longhorns played like they had a copy of the Jayhawks’ playbook.

“I’m sure he was frustrated,” Allen said. “That sounds like frustration to me. I think they’re pretty good on defense, and their front four just dominated us.”

Still, Allen said the Jayhawks never quit, despite giving up 42 straight points.

“I really think we got beat up, but we were still scrapping along in there,” he said. “Mentally we may have quit, but physically we hung in there. We were frustrated at the half, but, no, I don’t think they quit.”

Now the Jayhawks must rebound for an essentially meaningless season finale at Iowa State. The Cyclones already have achieved bowl eligibility at 7-5 overall, 4-3 in the Big 12, and the Jayhawks have been mathematically eliminated.

“It sure is tough,” Allen said. “But you gotta play on pride and the future and the seniors’ last game. It’s a tough deal, but that’s why they call us coaches.”

Kickoff for KU-ISU will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Trice Stadium.

And the winners are: Kansas’ coaches named the following award-winners after Saturday’s game: Carl Nesmith, defensive player of the game; Derick Mills, offensive player of the game; Termaine Fulton, special-teams player of the game; Kareem High, hit of the game, for his first-quarter shot on Mitchell; Andrew Davison, play of the game for his 43-yard interception-return TD; and tight end Jason Farley and linebacker Randy Withers, scout teamers of the week.

Injury update: The only KU player who suffered an injury against Texas was senior backup linebacker Chris Doyle, who suffered a second-degree concussion. “Other than that,” Allen said, “nothing that will keep somebody from playing Saturday.”

According to KU estimates, the Jayhawks drew 193,300 fans for their six games in Memorial Stadium. That’s an average of 32,216 per game and down about 1,400 from last year when KU averaged 33,643 fans for seven home games and ranked 11th in the Big 12 in home attendance. Baylor was last at 28,548.

Texas A&M drew a Big 12 record 87,188 fans for Saturday’s clash with Oklahoma. That’s more people than saw the last three Kansas home games combined. KU’s last three outings in Memorial Stadium against Colorado, Texas Tech and Texas attracted 85,800.

Two more turnovers Saturday brought KU’s season total to 28. Only seven of the 114 NCAA Div. I-A teams have more giveaways than Kansas. Last season, KU was guilty of 23 turnovers in 12 games.

Another poor punt team performance against Texas kept the Jayhawks close to the bottom in NCAA net punting stats. Kansas ranks No. 105 this week.

Two of KU’s non-conference opponents, SMU and Southern Illinois, won on Saturday. SMU edged Tulsa, 24-20, and SIU nipped Youngstown State, 21-20. Both the Mustangs and Salukis are now 3-7. Meanwhile, Alabama-Birmingham dropped a 33-30 double-overtime thriller to No. 25-ranked Southern Miss.

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