Coach Dan McCarney doesn’t know which Kansas University quarterback his Iowa State defense will face Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
He wasn’t convinced it would matter.
“We didn’t see much difference,” McCarney said Monday during the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference.
Senior captain Bill Whittemore — who has missed KU’s last three games because of an undisclosed injury — officially was cleared to play Monday, but it remained uncertain who would take the snaps in the Jayhawks’ regular-season finale.
“Now its a matter of developing a full range of motion, and if he can do that he will play this week,” said KU coach Mark Mangino, whose team has used four quarterbacks this season. “We’ll see a little bit today on the practice field. We will work him harder than we have. This will be his first, what I would call, substantial practice since his injury, and if he continues to look sharp and feels good about things we will go with him Saturday. If not, we will have Adam Barmann ready to go.”
In three games, Barmann has completed 57 of 85 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns with five interceptions. The freshman suffered an injury to his right ankle Saturday during the first quarter of a 44-21 loss at Oklahoma State.
Sophomore Brian Luke split time with Barmann the rest of the way and completed 22 of 38 passes for 193 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. It was a breakthrough game for Luke, who had been 23 of 56 for 306 yards with one TD and four interceptions in six career appearances.
“Brian Luke was 22-of-38, and he was supposedly their third quarterback,” McCarney said. “He did a heck of a job Saturday. They’re all quality players, and whoever’s in there can obviously operate their offense with success.”
KU fans no doubt would like to see Whittemore under center for the 1 p.m. Senior Day game as the Jayhawks (5-6 overall, 2-5 Big 12 Conference) try to become bowl-eligible against ISU (2-8, 0-6).
“It sounds like Bill Whittemore is going to play; no surprise to us,” said McCarney, whose defense ranks 102nd in the nation, allowing an average of 442.6 yards and 35.6 points per game. “He was having a tremendous season before he got hurt.”
Whittemore was the nation’s second-rated passer before he suffered what was believed to be a collarbone injury Oct. 25 at Kansas State. In eight games, he passed for 1,921 yards and tied a KU single-season record with 15 touchdown passes. He also ran for 365 yards and seven TDs.
McCarney doesn’t see much of a dropoff with Barman or Luke. KU ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation in passing offense with an average of 260.3 yards per game.
“They’re well coached, there’s no doubt about it,” said McCarney, whose team had been to bowl games the previous three years before struggling this season. “Nick Quartaro, who was my assistant head coach here and now has their quarterbacks and is their offensive coordinator, has all those quarterbacks coming in and producing. They’re throwing the heck out of the ball.”
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Hear Mark: Nov. 17 Big 12 coaches teleconference