Jake Sharp is tough.
Just about everyone associated with the Kansas University football team will tell you so. They will tell you this any time you ask about the speedy running back, and, often, when you don’t.
In fact, if you are a reporter covering the Jayhawks, and you have been doing your job for a year or more, you probably have been subjected to at least 37 stories about how much Sharp can lift or how many hits he can take or how much pain he can tolerate — the point of all these stories being: Jake Sharp is really, truly, a tough son of a gun.
So Tuesday, when the Jayhawks’ senior running back was asked whether he was still hampered by an undisclosed leg injury that kept him out of three games earlier this season, his response was not altogether surprising.
“No,” he said, seeming a little annoyed by the question. “By no means.”
Anyone who has watched Sharp since his return, however, undoubtedly has been struck by the fact that the Salina native has yet to return to his early-season form, and comments Sunday from KU coach Mark Mangino — who indicated the player still lacked his usual explosiveness — did nothing to dispel this theory.
In two games since returning from the injury, Sharp has looked far from his old self, rushing for a combined 51 yards on 20 carries –just 2.6 yards per carry — despite averaging 113.5 through the Jayhawks’ first two games this fall.
What’s more, as the team’s top running back has struggled to regain his old form, the team’s ground game has struggled right along with him.
The Jayhawks have managed just 73 combined rushing yards in back-to-back losses to Colorado and Oklahoma — including a minus-eight-yard performance against the Buffaloes — totals that have led the team’s coaching staff to make the ground game a high priority heading into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. road matchup with Texas Tech.
“We have to be who we are, and I think we have to continue to try to establish the run game and have some balance, because if you have some balance, good things happen for you,” offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. “That doesn’t always happen –sometimes the defense will dictate whether you have balance or not. … But we definitely have the mind-set where we need to run the ball effectively.”
While the lack of a 100-percent healthy Sharp certainly hasn’t helped, meanwhile, the team’s recent rushing troubles can be attributed to a number of factors.
In each of their past two games, for instance, the Jayhawks have been forced to play from behind after falling into a considerable scoring hole, causing them to stray from the run game in an effort to maximize the clock.
The team is still breaking in a young and relatively inexperienced offensive line, meanwhile, and despite Mangino’s assertion that “Jake on a bad leg is better than a lot of running backs on two good legs,” the absence of a fully healthy Sharp has forced coaches to alter certain aspects of the run game.
“Certainly, Jake has an element of speed that we like to have on the field,” said offensive-line coach/run-game coordinator John Reagan. “It’s not necessarily that (his health) has been a hindrance, but certainly we haven’t had that, so we’ve had to work different directions with it.”
Last week, the different direction was true freshman running back Toben Opurum, who recovered from a two-carry, three-yard performance against Colorado two weeks ago to rush for 59 yards on 13 carries against Oklahoma, turning in an impressive 4.5 yards-per-carry average against one of the nation’s top defenses.
Based on the unpredictable nature of the Big 12 Conference so far this fall, however, it’s hard to tell what to expect for this weekend’s game. The Red Raiders have had success against two of the conference’s top rushing team’s this season, holding Nebraska and Kansas State to a combined 186 yards on the ground, but last week gave up 321 run yards to Texas A&M, a team that entered the game with an undistinguished ground attack.
What’s less questionable is this: For Kansas to put itself in position to battle for a spot in December’s Big 12 championship game, a substantial ground attack is a necessity.
“We need to go out there at the start of the game and get our offense established early,” Sharp said. “That’s a big thing, and once that happens, and if we can get our run game established, then things open up and things just start rolling for us.”
Kansas University defensive back Justin Thornton, whose five interceptions tied future first-round NFL draft pick Aqib Talib for the team lead two seasons ago, stole just one pass his junior season.
Why the decrease in thefts?
“I can’t give you an answer for that one. I really don’t even know, to tell you the truth,” Thornton, a 6-foot-1, 213-pound senior safety from St. Joseph, Mo., said, when asked if opposing quarterbacks tried to throw away from his side of the field.
“It’s always nice to have the interceptions and be up there in the stats, (but) I just go out there and give it my all. If I’m rewarded for my hard work, then that’s what it is. My No. 1 goal is to win.”
He does admit it was nice to share individual interception honors with Talib two seasons ago.
“Any time you can match the stats of an All-American, first-round draft pick is something to be proud of,” Thornton said, adding, “that’s in the past, a few years ago. I’m ready to come back and do what I can to help the team.”
Thornton — he started the first seven games last season at free safety and the last five at corner — led the Jayhawks with 11 passes broken up. He also was fifth on the team with 63 tackles, recording a season-high nine tackles at South Florida.
Thornton’s career high in tackles also was his sophomore season when he had 16 against Missouri.
He was asked if that proved to be his favorite game in his KU career.
“It comes close with the Orange Bowl, with the simple fact I’m from Missouri. There were some emotions in the game,” said Thornton, who has been moved back to safety for his final season.
“I always play with emotion. The Orange Bowl is more significant because we got the win (against Virginia Tech his soph season). Sixteen tackles in a loss definitely hurts. The Orange Bowl is my most significant memory.”
It remains to be seen if KU advances to a BCS bowl again his senior season.
“The one thing we’ve not done since I’ve been here … first we’ve got to win the Big 12 North,” Thornton said. “That gives us a shot to play in the Big 12 championship. That’s been one of our No. 1 goals.”
Thornton is hoping a strong season will culminate with his being selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.
“It’s the goal of every player who steps out there. If you don’t have the goal of being the best, you shouldn’t be out there,” Thornton said. “It’s in the back of all our minds. Every guy on this team has it in their minds somewhere or another.”
He knows how to reach the highest level.
“Discipline and hard work,” Thornton said.
The hard work of Thornton, who chose KU over Missouri in recruiting, has rubbed off on some of his teammates. He’s a candidate for team leader on defense.
“He is vocal, very helpful and a good person,” said junior defensive back Chris Harris. “He’s a difference maker. He can make plays.”
“Coming over to cornerback from receiver last year, he helped me out a lot,” said soph corner Daymond Patterson. “J.T. is a big leader in the secondary. Moving from safety to corner .. he never complained at all. He’s helping the younger guys become better players.
“He’s a classy guy, always telling us to do the right things. He’ll never steer you the wrong way. Guys go to Stuckey (Darrell, senior safety) or him for advice.”
Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen likes the fact Thornton is willing to talk on and off the field.
“J.T. is a vocal guy. He’s older now and been through the battles a bit. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t mind saying what’s on his mind,” Bowen said. “That’s good. He can talk to other kids and say, ‘We’ve got to get this done.’ Some kids are not as confrontational. He has no problem pointing out the things that need to get done. He’s good with that.”
Thornton is not as colorful with the media as, say, Talib, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We are two totally different personalities. I’m not as outspoken as he is. That’s the way I am,” Thornton said.
In a recent interview session, he wouldn’t even talk trash on rival Missouri, the team that recruited him as hard as KU did.
“I think Mizzou has a hold on St. Joe pretty much,” Thornton said of more St. Joe players winding up in Columbia, Mo., than Lawrence. “I was born in Atchison, Kansas. I’m a Kansas boy. It wasn’t that hard for me to make that decision.
“I wouldn’t take it back for anything. Everything has worked out for me. No regrets.”