Nick KrugSilver linings come in all shapes and sizes. But in the case of the Kansas University football team, which was bullied by Oklahoma, 62-7, Saturday at Memorial Stadium, the latest silver lining stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds.
Dorance Armstrong Jr., a true freshman defensive end from Houston, turned in a career day while making his first start in the loss to the Sooners.
Armstrong recorded a career-best and team-high two sacks, pushing his sack total to 3.5 for the season. Even though he is just a freshman, wrestling down quarterbacks was expected out of Armstrong, even during his first season in Lawrence. KU coach David Beaty and defensive coordinator Clint Bowen said during preseason camp that Armstrong had such loud talent that they foresaw him helping the Kansas defense immediately. And he has. Even on plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, Armstrong is active and makes his presence known.
“He’s not really loud,” junior co-captain Fish Smithson said of Armstrong’s personality. “I wouldn’t say quiet, but he plays with a lot of confidence, and he just always wants to get better. He’s coachable, and he’s like a sponge. He just soaks it in.”
Added Beaty: “It’s good to see some production out of him. But we need more from him. We really do.”
In back-to-back games, the former three-star prospect who chose Kansas over offers from Cal, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Memphis, Michigan State and Northwestern, among others, has shown up as a run-stopper as well.
Armstrong finished the OU game with six tackles, two more than he had against Oklahoma State the week before.
“He’s a big, long guy,” Beaty said of Armstrong. “Those guys, when they’re young, you just put them off the edge and let them run. You don’t bring them underneath very often with the tackles.”
Even if Armstrong’s run-stopping ways continue to improve, Beaty believes the rookie’s future will include a heavy dose of the one thing he does best — rushing the quarterback.
“He runs that hoop pretty good,” said Beaty, referencing the name of Armstrong’s signature pass-rush play. “He was creating some pressure, which is good. He’s fast. He gets around there.”
Horns a heavy favorite
For the fifth game in a row, KU enters the week as a 30-plus-point underdog. Texas, at 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12, opened as a 31.5-point favorite for Saturday’s 7 p.m. contest with winless Kansas in Austin. After back-to-back wins over OU and K-State seemed to right UT’s ship, the Longhorns were blanked at Iowa State on Saturday, 24-0.
