Nick KrugAs Kansas University’s football team begins preparations for its fourth week of Big 12 play, coach Turner Gill must proceed without knowing for sure who will start at quarterback for the Jayhawks on Saturday at Iowa State.
Kansas, which two nights ago lost its third straight lopsided league game, 45-10 to Texas A&M, also lost starting quarterback Jordan Webb to a shoulder injury and backup QB Kale Pick to a concussion.
Sunday night, Gill said the status of both players still was up in the air.
“They’re still under evaluation,” Gill said. “I think later in the week we may know what’s going to happen, but Tuesday I’ll be able to give you a better analysis, whether they’re questionable or doubtful and all that. It’s still too early to tell.”
What Gill could say for sure, however, was if both Webb and Pick are unavailable for Saturday’s game, third-string QB, Quinn Mecham better be ready.
“Absolutely,” Gill said. “If for some reason neither one of those guys can go, Quinn will play.”
That put to rest any notion of using another player, such as wide receiver D.J. Beshears, in an extended role at the position.
“No. He won’t be a quarterback for us,” Gill said of Beshears following Saturday’s loss.
What Gill also made clear Sunday was that Webb, the red-shirt freshman from Union, Mo., who sits just 102 yards shy of moving into first place on KU’s all-time passing list for freshmen, still had the coaches’ unwavering support.
“If both (injured quarterbacks) are healthy, Jordan Webb is our starting quarterback,” Gill said.
Saturday, in less than two quarters, Webb impressed more with his legs than his arm. Despite missing the final two quarters, Webb wound up leading the Jayhawks in rushing against Texas A&M, gaining 75 yards on seven carries.
“That’s just instinctive, by him,” Gill said of Webb’s rushing prowess. “That’s no design of ours. Obviously, we love his ability to take off and run because that helps move the chains. That helps us in our offense when things are maybe not going as well throwing the football.”
Gill also said defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey suffered a concussion against Texas A&M. Sunday night, Gill said Dorsey was in the same boat as Pick and Webb and that he would know more about the junior defensive lineman’s status later in the week.
Dorsey had just one tackle Saturday.
