63Total offensive plays run by each team
75Total offensive yards by SE Louisiana (1.2 yards per play)
501Total offensive yards by Kansas (8.0 yards per play)
2000Year Kansas last threw a football shutout
221Rushing yards by the Jayhawks
-31Rushing yards by the Lions (yes, that’s a minus)
2Punts by the Jayhawks (on their first two possessions)
11Seconds between the Jayhawks’ first two scores
Some thoughts…from Memorial Stadium
Ryan Wood, Journal-World KU football beat writer
“Not much to take out of this one – it went down exactly how it should’ve.
KU’s defense, though, clearly outplayed its offense. The defensive line was quicker and stronger than SE Louisiana’s offensive line, and the Jayhawks never allowed a sustained drive of any significance.
Don’t get too excited, but be happy that Kansas continues to take care of business.”
Tom Keegan, Journal-World sports editor
“When Aqib Talib joins Marcus Henry and Dexton Fields at receiver, Todd Reesing, who throws such accurate, catchable balls, can put so much pressure on any defense, not just that of a program in its fifth year of existence. And if none of those receivers get open, there is always Derek Fine in the middle of the field, ready to catch a first down. The possibilities are exciting.”
Ryan Greene, KUSports.com editor
“This seemed like a good time for the defense to have a coming out party in terms of takeaways, after having just one a week ago in a 52-7 blowout. While that didn’t happen, it’s hard for anyone to complain about a shutout.
If KU can pressure quarterbacks the way it did Saturday, the secondary will have a much easier time improving off of last year’s 116th ranking in Division I-A.
Reesing looked good under pressure. Handling blitz after blitz after blitz on Saturday will do nothing but help down the road in similar game situations while battling hostile road crowds.”
Inside the numbers
0: The shutout pitched by the defense was KU’s first since a 42-0 blanking of I-AA Southern Illinois to open up the 2000 campaign. The seven points KU has allowed in two weeks is also the fewest any KU squad has allowed in a two-game span since the 1975 Jayhawks allowed just three in consecutive contests.
62: The 62-spot thrown up by the Jayhawks made history in the program, making the 2007 team the first Jayhawk group to score 50 points in back-to-back games. KU will have a chance to extend on that record against Toledo next week. Aside from revenge on the Jayhawks’ minds from last year’s overtime heartbreaker in Ohio, the Rockets allowed KU’s punching bag from a week ago, Central Michigan, to hang up 52 points on them Saturday night.
119: Marcus Henry had 119 yards on five catches Saturday night, giving him 222 yards in the season’s first two games. This is a trend which looks like it could continue, as he takes his size and speed across the middle of the field without any semblance of fear. He also knows how to move with the ball in his hands. For some context, the KU record for receiving yards in a season is held by Bob Johnson, who had 1,144 in 1983. At the moment, Henry is on pace for 1,332, though stiffer competition is on the horizon.
49.7: Marcus Herford averaged that many yards per kickoff return in three tries Saturday night, including a 74-yard score following KU’s team safety in the first quarter. This is some proof that Herford’s speed will be an asset in helping KU take advantage of the new kickoff rules in the NCAA this season, making kickers boot the ball from the 30 rather than the 35.
0: While takeaways have been nearly nonexistent for KU in the first two games with just one, Mark Mangino points out that on the flip side, the Jayhawks have yet to give the ball up. Todd Reesing was again without an interception on his stat line, and the Jayhawks didn’t fumble the ball away, either.
Just in case you missed it…
Southern Louisiana’s -31 yards rushing is absolutely eye-popping. Now, granted the offensive line was overpowered and just beat off the ball most of the night by KU’s bigger, faster, more talented defensive front, but consistent domination like that against a I-AA opponent is very promising.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was interesting to see how Aqib Talib absolutely manhandled Southeastern Louisiana’s Travis Williams on his long touchdown reception, simply out-muscling him for position in the end zone on a wobbly pass by Reesing. Remember, Talib is 6-foot-3 and built, which gives him not only a freakish frame for a defensive back, but the prototypical frame for a star receiver.
Hopefully you didn’t miss it…
Todd Reesing’s improvisation against repeated blitzes by the Lions defense just further proved why he deserves to be the starting quarterback at KU. He had some nifty runs, and was smart when getting rid of the ball under pressure, making hardly any visible mistakes. He seems very in-tune with his receivers, to say the least.
They said it…
Mark Mangino on the defensive line’s domination Saturday night: “The defensive line, what I could see from the sideline, I thought our defensive line, it wasn’t so much overpowering them, our defensive line got off the ball, did a good job in the stunt games, tied up a lot of blockers to keep our linebackers free. I thought they did a good job based on what I could see from the sideline at this point in time.”
Mark Mangino on not using Talib too much on offense: “We’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to pick and choose our battles, because he’s a key guy on defense. There’s no question that he can take that part of the field away from you where he’s located. Every once in awhile I get the urge to pull him back up, but then I say ‘well, you’ve just got to fight it.’ There will be days when we need him a few more snaps on offense, no question.”
Mark Mangino on his defense’s lack of takeaways through two games: “The bad side is we’re not getting takeaways. The flip side is we’re not giving the ball away, either. Our defense has taken pride over the years in getting takeaways. But we’re making plays at the line of scrimmage and stopping people in the run game.”
Joe Mortensen on the defense not forcing turnovers so far: “We’re a little disappointed we’ve only got one turnover in two games. We really need to work on that, start stripping (the ball), we need more pressure on the quarterback, but we’re glad we got a shutout, for sure…We’re practicing (taking the ball away) a lot. We’re going like three whistles in practice, because we’re just trying to strip the ball out everytime.”
Aqib Talib on whether he’d like to play more offensive snaps: “Nah, I’m trying to get these interceptions, man. I’m trying to hope they throw a couple more deep balls so I can get an interception.”
Todd Reesing on KU taking care of business when other teams around the country are falling victim to scares and upsets: “If you look around, as well as some of the teams have been playing around the country, and teams that weren’t expected to even play with teams and hang on really gave them a run for their money, and obviously some teams pulled pretty big upsets. So for us to come in here in lieu of all that and really play a great game on both sides of the ball and even the special teams, it’s really good to see that we’re not going to take anybody lightly, we came out prepared today just as if we were playing in a Big 12 game and really executed well on every aspect of the game. So to be able to do that despite the fact that everything else is going wrong in the nation is really a testament to our team I think.”
