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Entries from blogs tagged with "Tale of the Tait"
KU QB Montell Cozart deserves time to show improvement
Don't take this as me being a Montell Cozart or Kansas University football apologist looking for a silver lining during a few dark days.
It's not. Overall, the Jayhawks — and specifically Cozart — have been pretty awful for seven of the eight quarters they've played during this barely begun 2014 season. And there's no apologizing for that.
The Duke debacle was as bad as it's been since head coach Charlie Weis arrived and the more and more you look back at the opener, the more and more you start to realize that the Jayhawks may very well have been lucky to get out of that one alive. Unfortunately for all parties involved, the sluggish finish to the SEMO victory probably should have been viewed as a sign of things to come.
Many people saw that heading into the season. I didn't. In fact, I saw pretty much the exact opposite. I saw a fast start. I saw Cozart sprinting out of the gates with the kind of play that would energize and invigorate the fan base and I expected that on Sept. 16, Jayhawks everywhere would be talking more about the excitement of what's happening instead of dwelling on the uncertainty of what may come and what to do now.
Before we worry too much about the future, be that Central Michigan this weekend, Texas the weekend after that or what the program will look like on Dec. 1, I think it's important to gain a little perspective.
Cozart has been getting killed in the days since the Duke game and, when you're the quarterback, pretty much at any level, that's how it goes. You get the glory in the good days and you're the goat in the bad. That's nothing new and even casual sports fan know that's the way it goes.
So don't hold back on tossing blame at Cozart for the way the KU offense played against Duke. They were bad. He was awful. And Kansas, as we now know, stood no chance.
But do pull back on letting the Duke outing define Cozart as a college quarterback. He's 19 years old. He has started exactly five college football games in his life and barely played in enough to make up half a season. He deserves the chance to redeem himself. He deserves time to grow. He deserves to prove he is both willing to and can get better. Maybe he has it, maybe he doesn't, but a handful of games hardly seems like enough time to make a decision, for better or worse. If nothing else, the hard work and sacrifice he put in during the past 12 months should earn him a fair shake for a few more weeks.
All of this to a point, of course. If his Saturdays continue to look like last week, then the coaches owe it to the rest of the Jayhawks and the program in general to find a better option, perhaps even during the games. But we're not there yet.
If I know Montell at all, I know this is killing him. Weis said Monday morning that Cozart needed a little TLC on Sunday to help get past his poor performance and I've talked to enough people who saw him after the Duke game to know that he took it pretty hard. He's a confident kid. He's had success his entire life. And most of that success has come pretty easy and in pretty exciting fashion. Days like Saturday were not in Cozart's vocabulary.
Maybe that's part of the problem here. During the handful of interviews we did with Cozart throughout the spring and summer, we encountered a confident guy who believed in himself a great deal and believed he was going to hit the ground running and enjoy a solid season. He still might. But too many times his reasoning behind his confidence was that the whole thing reminded him of his path to QB prominence at Bishop Miege High. There's nothing wrong with drawing on past experiences to create confidence, calm the nerves or even fire you up to rise to a challenge. But maybe we should've seen such comments as a little bit of a warning sign that the young man might not quite be ready.
Cozart has all the physical tools you could want. He's fast, long, strong and blessed with incredible quickness and good vision. And he's a likable guy, too, which is important not only for the fan base but also for his teammates. Guys want to follow guys they like.
But simply having the right mind, body and soul for the job does not mean it'll be all aces when you get out there and face a team that's trying to knock your head off. Cozart still has to get used to that. And the only way to do it is by playing more games and succeeding or failing.
This is not high school. The path to him becoming KU's starting quarterback might mirror the path he took to taking the snaps at Miege, but that's where the similarities end. Now's the time for Cozart to pound out a new path, one fraught with potential pitfalls and mirages, good moments and bad.
Senior wide receiver Nick Harwell said after Saturday's game that outings like the one Cozart endured against Duke are part of the deal. "This was one of those games he's gonna have to get under his belt," was how Harwell put it.
Everybody has 'em. Harwell did at Miami (Ohio). Ben Heeney did during his freshman year. Heck, even KU legend Todd Reesing was sent back to the bench after saving the Jayhawks against Colorado in his first ever appearance in 2006.
The question is, will Cozart learn from his early experiences the way those guys learned from theirs? The only way to find out is to give him time and to remember along the way that the young man is doing all of this for the first time.
Monday Report Card: Duke
We've already covered The Day After so now here's a quick look back at a few grades from Saturday's 41-3 loss at Duke....
What can you say about an accomplished, all-Big 12 guy who ties his career-high for tackles, with 15, and, once again, seemed to be in on every single play? Heeney was shaken up in the first half but only missed a snap or two and got right back out there to do his job. One of the guys on this team who really shows how much it means to him by how hard he plays.
Picked on by Duke QB Anthony Boone early, McDonald had a very rough first quarter and that helped Duke set the tone and establish control. Gave up all four completions to Duke receiver Issac Blakeney in the game's first eight minutes and then settled in and started to play the kind of football we've come to expect from him. McDonald said the adjustment to matching up with Blakeney was difficult early because of the receiver's 6-foot-6 frame and physical style and because he expected to be on the smaller, quicker, 5-9 Jamison Crowder. Once he adjusted, he looked like the McDonald we all know. But that was a rough start and it set the tone and forced KU's safeties to think about cheating his way, which allowed slot receiver Max McCaffrey (7 catches, 79 yards, 2 TDs) more room to operate over the middle.
Avery, a true freshman remember, ran hard for 87 yards on 16 carries and proved, yet again, that he's ready for whatever role the coaching staff wants to give him. Still has some things to learn/improve upon — most notably his route running and pass blocking — but he's young and he's way ahead of where most freshmen would be in thrown into his position. Hard to believe that even with the departure of James Sims and the loss of Brandon Bourbon and Taylor Cox to injury, the KU rushing attack just keeps humming along. If anything, KU should have run it way more than the 47 times they did on Saturday.
Credit the freshman for going out there and proving he belongs and is able to hang with the big boys. Now he just needs to get more comfortable and polished. Beat deep a handful of times by just a step or two, but he didn't pay for it because the balls were overthrown. If the throws were on the money, he would've had a rough day, as he showed that he's still a few games away from combining his athleticism with his ever-improving understanding of what it takes to cover quality receivers at this level.
Never looked comfortable all afternoon and, worse, looked indecisive and unable to make quick reads. Left plenty of opportunities for completions on the field by not picking up open receivers early, which allowed Duke's defense to get close to him and forced him to scramble or throw it away. One interception was tipped at the line but the ball was late coming out and, on the other, he missed a wide open Tony Pierson sitting in the soft spot of the Duke defense by firing it 7 yards over Pierson's head. Cozart did deliver a couple of nice runs but even those were frustrating because they showed what he should be doing and emphasized what he wasn't.
Caught three balls for 17 yards one week after being held without a catch, but still did not do enough to impact the game. Dropped one of the few catchable balls Cozart threw all day and did very little to help spark KU's struggling offense. The issues of the offense in this one certainly went well beyond what Mundine did or did not do, but as a veteran and a leader, you have to think there's something he could have done.
• UNIT GRADES --- In 10 words or less
Pass Offense: F Receivers got open, Cozart struggled to find or hit them.
Run Offense: C+ Avery, Mann solid; would've been better if Cozart ran more.
Pass Defense: C+ Rough opening drive but shut down top two Duke options.
Run Defense: D- Wilson gained 182 of his 245 yards on three carries.
Special Teams: B- Pardula good again, rest not noteworthy, good or bad.
Most Impressive Unit: Running Backs. For just their second games at the Div. I level, freshman Corey Avery and junior De'Andre Mann sure looked like seasoned veterans. The two combined for 196 of KU's 297 yards of offense and when you throw freshman Joe Dineen's late-but-meaningless 28 yards on top of it, it's clear that you're looking at one of the few position groups that showed up.
Least Impressive Unit: Defensive Line. No sacks. Huge holes for Duke freshman Shaun Wilson to run through en route to breaking a 20-year-old school record for single-game rushing yards. And minimal pressure on Duke quarterback Anthony Boone.
MVP: CB JaCorey Shepherd. After a so-so game in the opener, Shepherd bounced back in a big way in this one. He did not give up a single significant completion, and every time the Blue Devils challenged him deep, he was right on the hip of the man he was covering. All-ACC receiver Jamison Crowder caught just two balls for 14 yards.
Hidden Hero: DL T.J. Semke. The former walk-on turned scholarship and starting defensive lineman was one of the few guys consistently around the ball during this one. He finished with a career-best six tackles and proved, once again, that he's not afraid to tangle with anyone.
Better Luck Next Time: QB Montell Cozart. After starting the season with so much promise, Cozart struggled mightily in this one. He missed guys when they were open, had trouble deciding when to take off and run and looked overwhelmed and lost throughout much of the game. He's still young. So these kinds of growing pains are bound to happen.
The Day After: Disappointment at Duke
The road losing streak hit 28, the final score left Kansas 38 points shy and an unknown number of KU fans were up in arms about it.
It was that kind of day for the KU football team in Durham, North Carolina on Saturday, a time and place that many believed would be a heck of a lot different than the same old, bad blowouts we've seen in the past.
Instead, it was a lot of the same frustrating football that has plagued Kansas for the past five seasons — big plays and easy scores for the opponent, an offense that struggled to get anything going and a room full of players and coaches who had trouble finding answers when it was all over.
The Jayhawks' 41-3 loss to Duke may have merely dropped them to 1-1 on the season, but if ever a 1-1 team felt like 0-10, this is it.
It should be very interesting to see where things go from here with all aspects of the program.
Quick takeaway
For the first time in the Charlie Weis era, it seems like people have had enough. The KU fan base, as a whole, has not been entirely supportive of Weis and this team throughout his time, but there always had been enough people who backed the program to cancel out those who didn't. Saturday night, though, even the optimists kept quiet and some turned to the dark side. The Jayhawks were not out-talented by Duke, but they were out-played, out-coached and out-manned. This one, to me, seems like the first undeniable step in the wrong direction since Weis took over, and the future of the program, from top to bottom, all of a sudden, has landed in a very dicey position.
Three reasons to smile
1 – Let's be honest; after a game like that, there just aren't many. I thought senior linebacker Ben Heeney was Heeney (but was anyone surprised by that?); I thought senior cornerback JaCorey Shepherd showed he's every bit on the same level as Dexter McDonald and I thought Michael Reynolds played his butt off, particularly in the first half, when he just kept getting close off the right edge but never quite got to Duke QB Anthony Boone. Other than that, there were serious concerns pretty much everywhere else on the field and the Jayhawks left Durham in need of some serious soul-searching just two weeks into the 2014 season.
Three reasons to sigh
1 – Other than the obvious drawbacks of the lopsided final score and the aftermath that followed, there were a few specific aspects of this latest loss that were concerning. The biggest, obviously, was the play of Montell Cozart, who looked incredibly sharp and in control during the opening quarter of the season but has looked anything but that during the seven quarters since. Cozart has the physical tools, but he's young and he's still learning and for every 3-touchdown-no-interception game (like he had vs. SEMO in the opener) there are going to be days like Saturday. The question now just becomes, "How quickly can he pick things up and improve?"
2 – KU's option game was atrocious in this one. I like the option for this offense because it puts Cozart in a position to attack and put pressure on the defense with his best asset. When it's blocked the way it was on Saturday, though, it looks like something you'd see at a Pop Warner game. Because of Duke's penetration on the edge — read: KU's blocking breakdowns up front — Cozart and the KU running backs just had to keep stringing it out and stringing it out all the way down the line until they reached the sideline. At that point, Cozart usually pitched it, but with the sideline so close and so many Blue Devils in pursuit, it looked like Duke had two players there for every one Jayhawk in the area. The option game is as much an attitude as it is about being assignment sound and the Jayhawks failed in both categories against Duke.
3 – The Jayhawks ran more plays (76-71) and won the time of possession battle (32:34-27:26) but had just three points to show for it? That begs the question, "What the heck were they doing when they had the ball?" The answer? Not much. Just five of KU's 14 possessions ended as a three-and-out but only one went over the 4-minute mark and that was the second-to-last drive of the game, when KU drove 72 yards in nine plays and 4:12 but turned it over on downs after doing most of that work against Duke's reserves. Five of KU's drives included seven plays or more — including the 10-play, 58-yard drive that produced the team's only points — but KU found itself facing third-and-long a lot of the time and often failed to take or see the shorter gains that would have set up more manageable third-down scenarios.
One thought for the road
KU's latest lopsided loss...
• Moved the Jayhawks to 577-591-58 all-time.
• Tied the all-time series between the two basketball-blueblood schools at 1 win apiece.
• Was the 28th consecutive loss away from home. KU's next chance to snap its road losing skid comes Oct. 4 at West Virginia, the team the Jayhawks beat last season to snap a 27-game Big 12 Conference losing streak.
• Featured points in the first quarter for the second game in a row. Kansas scored in the first quarter just four times in 12 tries last season.
Next up
KU returns home to face Central Michigan, which, two weeks ago popped Purdue, but, last week, was rocked by Syracuse, 40-3. The Chippewas were a bowl team a year ago and certainly will not be an easy out for this struggling KU squad. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
5-foot-11 JaCorey Shepherd goes over how to cover 6-6 Duke WR Issac Blakeney
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to tonight's main event.
In the red corner, standing at 5 feet, 11 inches and weighing in at 195 pounds.... He hails from Mesquite, Texas, and is a senior in his final season at Kansas.... The receiver of the secondary, the king of kindness, the DB with the sweet J, JaCorey "The Protector" Shepherd.
In the blue corner, standing 6 feet, 6 inches and weighing in at 225 pounds.... He hails from Monroe, North Carolina, and is a senior in his fifth season at Duke... The overlooked man, the two-sport standout, Sir Issac Blakeney.
OK, so maybe that won't be exactly the way it's billed on Saturday when we get down to Durham for KU's Week 2 match-up with Duke. But it sure has felt that way in the days leading up to the game.
Shepherd, a Kansas cornerback, and Blakeney, a Duke wide receiver who also ran with the Duke track team last spring, could play huge roles in determining whether their teams win or lose when the Jayhawks and Blue Devils lock horns on Saturday, and Shepherd, a defensive-back who started his career as a wide receiver, could not be more pumped for the showdown.
At 6-6, Blakeney stands seven full inches taller than Shepherd, which not only gives him a huge advantage in terms of reach but also gives him an advantage in terms of his stride while running to the ball.
Shepherd said he's never covered a player as tall as Blakeney and he's worked overtime this week to make sure he's ready with a few tricks, some of which date back to his days as a high school basketball player.
"That's one of the first things my dad said," Shepherd joked. "'Back to basketball when you had to play (power forward).' That's gonna be a challenge for me, and I'm looking forward to it. I've never had to go up against somebody that big."
So what's the secret?
"I just feel like I have to be more aware of body control," Shepherd said. "He definitely can get me in a situation where he can shield me from the ball. And obviously the jump balls. If they throw it up there, I've gotta know where I'm at on the field and know where he's at and feel him out."
With a receiver who stands 6-6, jump balls are inevitable. If nothing else, they're a great last resort for a quarterback who finds himself in trouble and sees no one else open. That's especially true in the red zone.
Shepherd has a strategy for the high lobs when they come his way and it focuses more on what not to do than what he should do.
"I can't jump too early," he said. "If anything, I'd rather jump later so he's coming down while I'm going up."
Shepherd figures to draw a lot of action in this one because of last weekend's standout performance from his partner-in-crime, Dexter McDonald, who swiped two interceptions and broke up two more passes in KU's victory over Southeast Missouri State.
The theory goes that teams may shy away from McDonald after seeing a performance like that — it happened to some degree last season — and be more willing to try their luck with Shepherd. The mere thought brings a smile to Shepherd's face and a sparkle to his eyes.
"I actually like that," he said. "That's me. Dex did me a favor."
Of course, Shepherd is also smart enough to know that McDonald's presence on the field will not be enough to keep Duke from using its top weapon in the passing game, senior wideout Jamison Crowder, who stands 5-9, 175.
"He's still gonna get tested," Shepherd said of McDonald. "They have good receivers. The guy Dex is matched up with, he's a legit receiver. They're not gonna shy away from him. He's one of their best receivers."
Regardless of who checks who or even how often KU sprinkles in different zone coverage looks to try to match up, both Shepherd and McDonald figure to find themselves in several make-or-break, one-on-one situations on Saturday and it could become a situation where the last man standing brings home a victory for his team.
As famed ring announcer Michael Buffer might say.... Let's get ready to ruuuuummmmmmmmbbbbblllllllllllllle...
Three & Out with Duke…
• Kansas Jayhawks (1-0) at Duke (2-0)
2:30 p.m. (central) Saturday, Sept. 13, Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
Three and out, with the Duke Blue Devils...
1st Down
Duke enters this week's game vs. Kansas with an 18-11 non-conference record under current coach David Cutcliffe. One of those 11 losses came to Kansas in 2009, when the Jayhawks drubbed Cutcliffe's club, 44-16, in Lawrence.
KU coaches Clint Bowen and John Reagan, both on the Jayhawks' staff in 2009, said they would not be able to take much from that game that will help them this week, other than the knowledge and memory of how disciplined, detailed and prepared Cutcliffe's club was that day. Bowen remembered specifically the first couple of plays from scrimmage catching the Kansas defense off-guard.
In the last 12 regular season non-league games, Cutcliffe has guided the Blue Devils to an 11-1 mark, including eight straight regular season non-conference victories.
2nd Down
Did you know that KU coach Charlie Weis once hired Duke coach David Cutcliffe to be his quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame? Weis has long been a fan of Cutcliffe's mastery of offense and play-calling and Weis said earlier this week that he picked Cutcliffe to join him at Notre Dame back in 2005 with the idea of eventually handing over the offense to him.
It never happened and neither did Weis and Cutcliffe working together. Cutcliffe resigned from the post before really getting started after suffering a heart attack and having triple-bypass surgery.
Cutcliffe was out of football for all of 2005 and he rejoined the Tennessee coaching staff in 2006 and 2007 (he previously worked at Tennessee from 1982-98 and helped develop Peyton Manning into one of college and professional football's greats). In 2008, the former Ole Miss head coach took the head job at Duke, where he has racked up a 33-44 record and is now in his seventh season.
"I was looking for somebody I could turn the offense over to and I thought David was one of the best minds out there," Weis said this week. "Not only was he well-schooled with the quarterback position, which is his reputation, but I thought he'd be a perfect person to hand over the offense to because of his mind and his ability as a play caller. What he's done there is what I would expect him to do anywhere. Just about anywhere he's gone, in an ample amount of time, he's been able to get things going in the right way, especially offensively. He's a very, very good coach."
3rd Down
Although they wound up losing 34-17 to the Blue Devils last week, Troy proved one thing early on: Duke is vulnerable to a strong running attack.
On its first two drives of the game, Troy gained 100 yards on 16 carries — and 166 yards in all — and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Duke's D tightened up after that giving up just 58 more rushing yards and limiting Troy to a 3.7 yards-per-rush total.
But the two successful drives that opened the game each were 83-yard drives, with one taking 11 plays and another a whopping 13.
The Blue Devils lost All-ACC linebacker Kelby Brown to a season-ending knee injury in August and that left senior David Helton (6-4, 240) as one of the few experienced linebackers on the roster. In the first two weeks alone, Duke has relied upon a red-shirt freshman and a true freshman to play a significant number of snaps in the middle of the defense.
Duke's first two opponents of 2014 recorded 152 and 158 yards on the ground in losses to the Blue Devils.
While last year's 10-win team was one of the best in Duke history, the 2014 version is hardly the same club. In addition to losing two of the team's top returners in Brown and fellow-all-ACC tight end Braxton Deaver to preseason injuries, the Blue Devils saw 21 players make their collegiate debuts in the season opener, with five true freshmen and 13 red-shirt freshmen playing in a college game for the first time.
However, despite that fresh blood, Duke still features an experienced roster. In all, the Blue Devils field 21 seniors on their roster, 17 of whom are listed on the two-deep depth chart.
The challenges — and advantages — of coaching football at a basketball school
Saturday's match-up between 1-0 Kansas and 2-0 Duke no doubt would grab much more attention if it were played in Allen Fieldhouse or Cameroon Indoor Stadium instead of outside on the turf at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Let's face it: Duke and Kansas are both basketball schools and there's not a person on the planet who doesn't think that.
That includes KU football coach Charlie Weis, who, on Tuesday, talked about the challenges — and advantages — of coaching the football team, which, in many opinions and at most schools is the king of college athletics, at a school where basketball rules.
"I don't know what (Duke coach) David (Cutcliffe) thinks," Weis said. "He's got Coach K and I've got Bill Self. Does it get any better than that? I mean, you're talking about arguably the two best, two of the best coaches in America. So from my standpoint, I hope basketball wins every game every year regardless of how we do. I appreciate the support I get from Coach Self and our basketball team, but most importantly, I can utilize their success to help use that as something to shoot for and definitely use as a recruiting tool.
Weis continued....
"You can do one of two things: You can feel like a second‑class citizen or you can play into it, and I totally play into it. Totally. I don't look at it like that at all. I'm more than content with our basketball team competing for a national championship every year. I just want to get our team to where we're winning more than we're losing on an annual basis. That's what I want to do. I want to be winning more than we're losing on an annual basis. When we get to that point, you can ship me out of here. I don't want to do it once. I want to make sure we've got that set. Once we get that set, you can pack me up and send me out if that's what you want to do."
That last part was said with no bitterness or poor-me mentality. It merely was Weis re-emphasizing what he came to Kansas to accomplish, which was to get the KU football program to the point where it's considered a perennial winner.
The general rule of thumb used to be that new coaches would — or at least should — get five years to make that happen. Weis' contract with Kansas was for five years. And although he just started Year 3, he pointed to Cutcliffe's path at Duke as proof positive that, if given time, such a transformation is possible — even at a basketball school like Duke or Kansas.
"I know that Years 3 and 4 they won three games," Weis said of Cutcliffe at Duke. "So was he lighting the world on fire at that time? I mean, what he did was he put in a plan, he recruited, recruited, recruited, got guys he can get into Duke, which is not the easiest thing to do, OK, stuck to the plan, had support from the administration, OK, didn't waver. When people were saying, well, where is this heading, and all of a sudden Year 6 they go and win 10. That's the way it happens a lot of times when you walk into a program that just hasn't done too well recently. I have a lot of respect for the job they've done, and hopefully we cannot only emulate that, but hopefully we can speed up that timetable just a tad."
KU and Duke will square off, in football, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Duke's home stadium.
Monday Report Card: SEMO
With the usual Monday Rewind blog being overtaken by our our Day After blog, which went up Sunday afternoon, I figured something else needed to fill its place.
With that, the Monday Report Card was born.
Unlike most report cards, which typically provide a detailed look at everything a student does during a given quarter or semester, this report card will be a little more random and will highlight a few of the good and bad individual performances while trying to mix in a few young guys and a few veterans along with quick-hit grades for each unit.
It may differ from week to week and just because one guy's name appears in the report card one week does not necessarily mean he'll be on the next one the following Monday. As I said, it's more of a snapshot of the good and the bad rather than a complete analysis.
Let's start with the offense.
Cozart himself even admitted to misreading a couple of things and going the wrong way on one play, but, all things considered, I thought he played well. He threw a bunch of good balls, did not turn the ball over and kept several plays alive with his feet while also looking good throwing on the run. Cozart is clearly confident in his abilities and it does not look like the rest of the offense has any problem letting a young guy lead them. A solid B is good for a guy making his fourth career start in a season opener, but if the Jayhawks want to win more than a couple of games this year, Cozart's going to have to elevate his play to the A-range.
The senior transfer who sat out all of last season got open a lot and snagged a couple of touchdowns on 4 receptions for 46 yards. All good numbers. And his ability to repeatedly get open and sure hands were a welcome sight for a Kansas wide receiver. But I'd like to see Harwell be even more involved. And I bet he will be from here on out. There's no way that OC John Reagan wanted to show too much of what Harwell can do on film. Three of his four receptions came in the Jayhawks' first four possessions. In the final 11, he caught just one ball and received one carry (a reverse) while being targeted four more times. That's four catches and one carry in eight targets and one rushing attempt. Not bad. But the guy is so smooth, so dynamic and so reliable that it's obvious he can do a lot more. If some of those incompletions were dropped in an inch or two softer, he turns in a monster stat line. Cozart may have missed the throws but Harwell took the blame, so I'll take his word for it. All in all, a pretty solid KU debut.
Mann put the ball on the ground one time, but other than that had a pretty flawless night. He ran hard, inside and outside, racked up 121 yards on just 15 carries and brought a power-running dynamic that this team is going to need as it tries to control clock and keep opposing offenses at bay. The only negatives were the fumble and Mann's inability to pick up a yard on a fourth-and-one with KU leading 31-7. But his coming up short there had as much to do with the O-Line as anything. Overall, the juco transfer ran hard, showed a nice mix of running styles and served as a solid complement to freshman Corey Avery, who got a lot of work early and then gave way to the veteran. Mann said after the game that the only thing missing from his KU debut was a touchdown. Avery got that and the two seem to have a healthy competition between each other for yards, carries and scores. That can only help.
Other than giving up a completion that delivered SEMO's first first down of the game (it was bound to happen sometime), McDonald was sensational. His two interceptions and subsequent returns showed why teams prefer not to throw his way. And his two pass break-ups might have been even more impressive than the INTs.
I thought Johnson looked a little off throughout the game. Could've been him shaking off some rust, but he finished with just two tackles (both assists) and didn't record another defensive stat. In addition, he was a part of a KU secondary that inexplicably gave up three fourth-quarter touchdown passes, one of them a 26-yard score on fourth-and-seven, no less, and another, late in the game, in which Johnson seemed to read and react well but simply ran with the receiver to the back of the end zone instead of trying to play the ball or deliver a hit. Johnson was a pleasant surprise last season and took home Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year honors. Because of that, the bar has been raised for him a little bit and the expectations go up. Look for Johnson to have a strong bounce-back game against Duke.
Reynolds was active (4 tackes, 1.5 for loss) and played with great effort but never found it all that easy to get much pressure on SEMO QB Kyle Snyder. He was in the ballpark for a couple of hurries but Snyder seemed a little too comfortable throughout the game and was able to kind of play backyard football and chuck it around out there knowing he had nothing to lose. That had as much as anything to do with SEMO's three-touchdown fourth quarter. Not every team KU faces will feel as free and loose to chuck the ball around the yard and Reynolds will have to be a big reason for that.
• UNIT GRADES... in 10 words or less
Pass Offense: B- WRs are legit; Cozart was efficient early but misfired late.
Run Offense: A- Thanks to Avery and Mann, run game still a strength.
Pass Defense: C+ Performed better than you think. Oh, that fourth quarter.
Run Defense: C+ QB run-game effective at times; 3.4 ypc against pretty good.
Special Teams: B- Pardula solid, blocked FG a breakdown, return game gave little.
Most Impressive Unit: Had to be the WRs. Harwell, Pierson, McCay and King all looked sharp.
Least Impressive Unit: O-Line, which held up well in pass protection, committed half of KU's penalties (including three false starts) and struggled to get a push in short yardage situations.
MVP: I'll go with senior receiver Tony Pierson. Pierson racked up 139 yards of total offense — 44 rushing, 95 receiving — and added a highlight touchdown catch and run that was as pretty as any he's had. Pierson is a game changer and he was sensational in his long-awaited return from a head injury that cost him most of the second half of last season.
Hidden Hero: Safety Fish Smithson. Tied for second on the team with five tackles and played fast, physical and aggressive every time he was out there.
Better Luck Next Time: Tight end Jimmay Mundine. Not utlizing the tight end may have been by design, but Mundine went without a catch in this one and was targeted just once while also being whistled for a holding penalty. He was involved in other elements of the passing game and helped get receivers open, but he's widely regarded as a bona fide weapon who, with his size, speed and athleticism, can create mismatches in KU's favor. Perhaps they'll show up more against Duke.
The Day After: A scary victory over SEMO
If you just watched the first quarter of KU's season-opening football victory over Southeast Missouri State, you probably came away pretty impressed.
And with good reason. That quarter, in which KU built a 24-0 lead by scoring on four straight possessions and not giving up a single first down, was without question one of the best quarters we've seen from a Kansas team in the past five years.
After that, however, things weren't as pretty and, if you're judging this team by how it finished the game instead of how it started, you probably came away a little worried. That, too, is understandable.
Regardless of which camp you're in, both sides have solid points and, after a game like that, in which the home team wins by six and is outscored 28-10 after such a blazing start, any and all questions are valid.
However you look at it, KU, which mixed a lot of young guys and newcomers in with a healthy dose of veterans, held on for the victory, improved to 1-0 and has another week of work and preparation in front of it before having to prove what it learned from the opener.
Put another way: Now's when the fun starts.
Quick takeaway:
It wasn't all pretty, but a win's a win and that's the approach the Kansas University football team is taking into next week as it begins preparations for a huge game at Duke. Sophomore QB Montell Cozart turned in a solid debut as the team's starter. The wide receivers he threw to were equally as impressive. And newcomers De'Andre Mann and Corey Avery showed the running game is still in good hands. Surprisingly — especially after a stellar start — it was the KU pass defense that left me scratching my head. No way did I expect to emerge from the opener with a bunch of answers on offense and questions on defense, especially not from the secondary, which turned in a better-than-solid season in 2013 and returned all four starters. It wasn't the ideal opener the way it looked like it might be after the first quarter. Far from it, in fact. But now the Jayhawks know where the issues are and now the rest of us get to see how they go about addressing them.
Three reasons to smile:
1 – The Jayhawks are 1-0. As KU coach Charlie Weis said in his postgame comments, it's not like KU's had a hundred victories in the past few years. It's OK to enjoy them when they come. And that goes for the fans too. You can't get to 2-0 without being 1-0 first and that's where this team stands. Perhaps the best part about that is the reminder it provides that they are still just one week into the season. Plenty of time for improvement, plenty of time to iron out the wrinkles. A bunch of coaches believe teams make their biggest jump from Week 1 to Week 2. If that's the case with this team, that bodes well for KU's chances at Duke next weekend.
2 – Montell Cozart is a real, live college quarterback. KU coach Charlie Weis said it best after the game when he said that Montell bailed out the KU offense with his legs and ability to move out of the pocket and throw on the run. What's more, he looked good doing it. Cozart wasn't perfect, but it was a pretty solid start. He looked confident, spread the ball around well and made some really nice throws. Like everybody except maybe for Dexter McDonald and Trevor Pardula, he'll need to improve on that performance in the coming weeks if KU wants to be competitive with tougher opponents, but, all things considered, you have to feel pretty good about what Cozart showed in Week 1.
3 – These Jayhawks have legit wide receivers. Nick Harwell is as good as advertised. Tony Pierson still has it. And Nigel King and Justin McCay are a couple of big targets who bring a lot in the passing game and running game. It's been a while since KU has had such a good looking crop of receivers and it was wildly entertaining to watch them deliver in the opener. If Cozart and company can tighten things up by an inch or two on those deep balls, this passing attack stands to be pretty explosive all season.
Three reasons to sigh:
1 – What happened in the second half? Things looked so positive in the first quarter. The offense scored on all four possessions. The defense gave up just 42 yards and no first downs. And Kansas led 24-0. For a while, both at the game and on the Internet, the KU fan base actually was impressed by the product on the field. But then KU hit the brakes and managed just 10 points the rest of the way while somehow giving up 28. The crowd thinned out as it always does and several players said that disappointed them. It should. But they should also realize that the only guaranteed way they're going to bring the energy they need to compete is to find it within themselves and then make that the norm regardless if they're under the lights in front of 50,000 or in a driving rain on a dark day in front of 500. There were elements of the late stumble that could be chalked up to Week 1 rust. But there were others that qualify as major concerns if they don't take care of them quickly.
2 – Why does KU let QBs like Snyder get, look and feel comfortable? I've seen it the past couple of seasons and I've never understood it. I realize that these other teams have good athletes, tough kids and competitors, but there's no way that an opposing quarterback at an FCS school should ever get to the point where he's comfortable and controlling the game. SEMO's Kyle Snyder had that look in the fourth quarter and it wasn't good for Kansas. Snyder threw for 269 yards and 3 TDs and was sacked just once. Bottom line: KU has to find a way to get more pressure on these guys so the DBs don't have to cover for as long. Weis said SEMO's unbalanced sets made it tough to bring pressure. And I'm sure that's true. But at some point, pressure can still come from a guy in blue deciding he's going to beat the man standing in front of him on his way to making a play. There were a few of those moments. But not nearly enough.
3 – After going 3-of-4 on third down in the first quarter, KU picked up first downs in just two more such situations in 11 tries. Cozart and the offense looked much improved. But there were still too many times when the offense stalled and forced the defense to go back onto the field. Time of possession was about dead even (29:59-29:58 in favor of KU) but, in a game like this against an opponent like that, KU should have won the TOP battle by a much larger margin and, if they had, SEMO would never have come close to scoring 28 points.
One for the road:
KU's six-point survival against SEMO on Saturday:
• improved the program to 577-589-58 all-time.
• bumped KU's record to 71-47-7 in season openers.
• was the Jayhawks' fourth-straight season-opening win, giving head coach Charlie Weis a 3-0 record in the first week of a season while at Kansas.
• made KU 9-1 in its last 10 home openers.
• gave Kansas win No. 27 in 30 tries against non-conference foes at home dating back to the start of the 2003 season.
Next up:
Kansas (1-0) will travel to Durham, North Carolina, to take on the Duke Blue Devils (2-0), in the return game of a home-and-home series that started with KU knocking off Duke 44-16 in September of 2009. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., Central time.
My picks for the 2014 KU football season
I like this Kansas football team. And I'm not afraid to say it.
I like that it's made up of tough, talented, hungry football players who have a good blend of experience and disappointment driving them, and that, after two seasons of disappointment and misery, it's a team that truly believes the 2014 season will be different than anything we've seen in the past five seasons.
I happen to agree. And throughout the next few scrolls through cyberspace I'll explain why.
Despite its upgrades at several key positions and all that fire to find a way to win, KU is facing another ultra-tough schedule. That makes it hard to see hope on the horizon, but also lends itself to an automatic dose of confidence should things go well early for the Jayhawks.
That's what I'm banking on, and that's why I'm picking the Jayhawks to become bowl eligible and finish the regular season with a 6-6 record.
I could have said four wins to avoid embarrassment. Or I could have gone with the, well-they've-been-so-bad-these-past-few-years approach and picked two or three victories. But doing so would have caused me to go against what I think and I'm not in the habit of doing that. For better or worse, I always jump on here and try to tell you what I think. Sometimes it's flat wrong and my take or optimism is misguided. Other times, it's right and, instead of celebrating that, I simply look at it as a job well done.
In the end, though, it doesn't really matter whether I'm wrong or right. All that matters is that I stay on top of the beat and bring you guys the best information I can about the teams you pull for. The prediction stuff — both yours and mine — is just for fun.
All summer, I was asked, almost daily, how many games KU would win. All summer, I said they'd be better. Any time I did, the automatic question that followed was this: Where are the wins going to come from? Well, here's one scenario and I'm fully aware that it could be woefully wrong. Again, I'm OK with that.
But, crazy or not, I think if you squint hard enough you can see how six wins could be possible.
Here's a look:
• Sept. 6 vs. Southeast Missouri State — Win — I think KU rolls in its opener and sets the stage for a season of good things to come. Montell Cozart gets the offense going and they continue to take steps forward both in terms of confidence and production each week. Be sure to check out our Pick-6 blog for my exact score as well as the predictions of the rest of our staff. (1-0)
• Sept. 13 at Duke — Win — Duke's a good team that had a great season a year ago and offers a stiff challenge for the Jayhawks or any team it faces this year. But this is not 2013 and the Blue Devils will not sneak up on anybody this time around, least of all Kansas. This, to me, is the make-or-break game of the schedule for KU. If they can go win this one — and I can't see any reason why they can't; not won't but can't — then confidence soars and they return home with a chance to improve to 3-0 and really get some momentum going. (2-0)
• Sept. 20 vs. Central Michigan — Win — This is another quality team and the Jayhawks will have to do much more than just show up. But buoyed by the sudden-and-surprising support of the home crowd and their 2-0 start, I've got KU handling CMU to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2009 and just the sixth time since 1993. (3-0)
• Sept. 27 vs. Texas — Win — It might sound crazy, but if you remember the last time the Jayhawks got the Longhorns at home, they took them down to the wire and should have won. This KU team is better than that version and I'm not sure any of us knows what Texas is yet. The time to play UT is early, while first-year coach Charlie Strong is still settling in. KU gets Strong at home for his first ever Big 12 game and, if the Jayhawks really are 3-0 at that point, this town will be buzzing and I think the Jayhawks will make the Big 12 debut miserable for someone else for a change. (4-0)
• Oct. 4 at West Virginia — Loss — The Mountaineers sure held their own against Alabama during the opening week of the college football season and they certainly won't be surprised by Kansas or Cozart this year. In fact, it's a safe bet that WVU will be gunning for payback for last year's 31-19 loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence. With the game in Morgantown this year, I think they'll get it. (4-1)
• Oct. 11 vs. Oklahoma State — Loss — Oklahoma State is young and there's not a lot of known commodities on the roster as things stand today. That could change in time and, with quarterback J.W. Walsh running the show, I think the Cowboys will rise up around him and be a tough out for anybody this season. It certainly looked that way in their opener as they hung right there with Florida State and nearly knocked off the nation's No. 1 team. (4-2)
• Oct. 18 at Texas Tech — Loss — After a 4-0 start, you have to figure that KU will come back down to Earth and things will start to even out a little bit. That's what this game is and I give the nod to the Red Raiders simply because they'll be playing at home. If you don't like the UT pick earlier, this could be a decent game to sub in as a victory because I can't see the Jayhawks being intimidated to go play in Lubbock. (4-3)
• Oct. 25 — BYE —
• Nov. 1 at Baylor — Loss — The week off helps but not enough, as the Jayhawks go down to Baylor's new home stadium and experience first-hand why BU coach Art Briles thinks it's as good an environment as any in the nation. The Bears are crazy talented, still, and they'll be in the Big 12 race to the end. KU never has fared that well in Waco and it doesn't look like this is the year that's going to change (4-4)
• Nov. 8 vs. Iowa State — Win — Every year, people say the Jayhawks could or even should beat the Cyclones yet every season for the past four years, the Cyclones have walked away from this match-up with a victory. That streak ends at four, as the Jayhawks and all of those seniors who are still eyeing their first bowl berth, find a way to put a complete game together against ISU and ride their defense to victory. (5-4)
• Nov. 15 vs. TCU — Win — With three cracks at becoming bowl eligible remaining, the Jayhawks don't leave anything to chance or drama and pick up win No. 6 at home on senior day in convincing fashion. Worse KU teams have been right there with TCU since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 and this is the season they finally kick the door in and come away with the sweetest football victory Lawrence has seen since the 2008 Orange Bowl. (6-4)
• Nov. 22 at Oklahoma — Loss — The Sooners are damn good and they're even tougher at home. If KU does in fact go into Norman on the heels of gaining a sixth win and bowl eligibility, expect a letdown against a team that outmans Kansas and is still right there in the thick of the national title hunt. (6-5)
• Nov. 29 at Kansas State — Loss — The talent gap has started to close and the rivalry has started to heat up oh so slightly, but the Wildcats still have Bill Snyder and Bill Snyder still refuses to lose to Kansas. I think this could be the best Sunflower Showdown game we've seen in a while, but K-State prevails in a wild one. (6-6).
So there it is. Call me crazy. I'm fine with that. But I also believe that this team and this season really can be different. It's also worth noting that I won't be shocked for a second if it's not.
I made these picks by counting on a few things happening for the Jayhawks this fall: I think quarterback Montell Cozart will be good; I think the players around him will be better than that; I think the defense again will be solid and, more importantly, on the field less; and I think first-year offensive coordinator John Reagan is both sharp enough to call games that put KU in position to succeed and skilled enough to run an offense that masks KU's biggest question mark and that's the offensive line.
If any one of those things breaks down, the Jayhawks and these picks are in trouble. But if all of those factors hold up and KU stays healthy, I don't think it's crazy to say that six wins is within reach.
After all, stranger things have happened.
"If you would have asked me before the 2007 season if I thought we were going to be 12-1 and going to the Orange Bowl, that would have been a tough prediction," Reagan said earlier this week. "I do think this – I think the first time I talked to Coach Weis about the job and the first time I talked to (DC) Clint (Bowen) about it when the opportunity came up, I think the foundation was set and I think that is what is important. I think our players are willing to work hard and put in the time, they believe in the direction we are headed. When you have that you at least have what you need to get started and hopefully we are going to be a better football team because of that."
Time will tell. I'm just glad it's here so we can find out.
Enjoy the season. Win, lose or draw, I do think this will be one of the more fun KU football seasons we've seen in a while.
Oh, and in case you haven't seen it yet, check out our debut episode of "KU Sports Extra," our new weekly video show with Tom Keegan and me talking all things KU with a few other wrinkles thrown in.
Three & Out with Southeast Missouri State…
• KANSAS JAYHAWKS (0-0) vs. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE REDHAWKS (1-0) •
— 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS —
Three and out, with SEMO...
1st Down
Before moving on to the match-up with Kansas, let's look back at a couple of the more notable accomplishments from SEMO's 77-0 season-opening victory over Missouri Baptist last week.
• With 77 points, the Redhawks posted their highest total in franchise history since joining Division I in 1991.
• Southeast notched its first shutout over a non-conference opponent in the program's Division I era. The last shutout overall was at Austin Peay on Nov. 1, 1997 and tonight's effort marked the third shutout Southeast has registered since joining the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).
• The Redhawks racked up 516 yards of total offense, the most since totaling 537 yards at Murray State in 2012. Southeast rushed for 304 yards and posted eight rushing TDs. They averaged 7.6 yards per rush.
• Southeast set a team record by holding Missouri Baptist to 81 total yards of offense, shattering the previous low of 137 yards allowed vs. Sam Houston State (9/11/93).
2nd Down
The Jayhawks aren't the only ones interested in wild and new uniform combinations. First-year SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz, the former defensive coordinator at Toledo, recently unveiled a brand new helmet that it plans to wear for Saturday's game against the Jayhawks.
Off white with the heavy red outline of the school's mascot and red facemask, the helmet is basically the inverse of what the Redhawks wore in the season opener, black helmet with red and black Redhawk mascot.
There's no doubt that these things tend to fire up the players. That's certainly been the case at Kansas, dating all the way back to the red jerseys worn during the Orange Bowl seasons, the all-black look they wore against Iowa State a couple of years ago and the newly unveiled Crimson Chrome uniform that will be worn at some point this season.
Here's a look at SEMO's new helmet.
3rd Down
Southeast Missouri State is 1-18 all-time vs. FBS opponents, with the lone victory coming via a 24-14 triumph over Middle Tennessee in 2002. Of those 19 games, just one came against a Big 12 foe, with Missouri rocking the Redhawks, 52-3, in 2008. Other notable names on SEMO's FBS list include: Hawaii, Marshall, Ohio, Central Michigan, Arkansas, Cincinnati twice, Purdue and Ole Miss last season.
You can look at this two ways: 1. SEMO struggles with upper-level talent. 2. Because they've played FBS foes every year since 2000, they're used to it and won't be intimidated by this week's Big 12 opponent.
While SEMO quarterback Kyle Snyder returns to give the Redhawks a steady, veteran presence, it's the players around him that make the SEMO offense dangerous.
Surrounded by weapons, Snyder has plenty of options in the offense, many of whom can turn innocent plays into big gains in a hurry. Snyder in the opener, showed he could make some plays, as well, running for two touchdowns and throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
• Running back DeMichael Jackson (No. 20) had a huge game last week, accounting for 148 total yards, including a 66-yard touchdown on a screen pass and a 25-yard TD run.
• Paul McRoberts and Spencer Davis are the two biggest weapons at wide receiver, with KU coach Charlie Weis calling the 5-foot-7, 182-pound Davis "their big play guy." Davis ripped off a career-best 61-yard punt return early in the victory.
• The Redhawks have a two-headed monster at tight end, with Logan Larson being your more typical tight end and Ron Coleman being a wildcard. Coleman is a converted running back and he lines up all over the field, at fullback, tight end, H-Back and others.
Heeney lives up to wild man reputation at Kauffman Stadium
Sunday was KU night at the K, where the Kansas City Royals hosted the Cleveland Indians as part of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball national broadcast.
Before the Royals and Indians took the field, the Jayhawks held court at Kauffman Stadium, entertaining hundreds of KU fans with autographs, high fives and handshakes prior to game time.
However, the no-brainer highlight of KU's appearance at the K came during the ceremonial first pitch when senior linebacker Ben Heeney threw high and tight on Big Jay and beaned him in the head. KU receiver Nick Harwell was out there to be Heeney's catcher and was the intended target, but Heeney's fastball got away from him and Big Jay went down.
KU put together a nice video of the team's time at Kauffman. Included in the autograph line at the K were: Heeney, Harwell and fellow captain Cassius Sendish along with quarterback Montell Cozart, defensive lineman Keon Stowers and offensive lineman Pat Lewandowski as well as head coach Charlie Weis, defensive coordinator Clint Bowen and offensive coordinator John Reagan.
Here's a look at the video...
And here's a quick look at some of the reaction from the players following KU night at the K...
Felt good to see all the KU fans at the game today! A lot of people excited for #kufball I love it— Keon Stowers (@KeonStowers98) September 1, 2014
Royals game with my guys!! Heeney with the first pitch! 😏 @henbeeney @Nickharwell @KeonStowers98 pic.twitter.com/PLJVpdbV5k— Montell Cozart #⃣2⃣ (@M_Cozart2) August 31, 2014
McDougald, Patmon latest former Jayhawks to find NFL success
Kansas University's run of having undrafted players land on 53-man NFL rosters continued rolling along last weekend, as four former Jayhawks who were passed up during their respective NFL Drafts survived their teams' final cuts and enter the season ready for work in the NFL.
Not a bad first day at a new job.
Two of the four were pretty much no surprise. Denver cornerback Chris Harris has become one of the top and most respected defensive backs in the league and Broncos' linebacker Steven Johnson, though still in that position of not being able to let up for a second, also has made himself a valuable piece of what the Broncos hope will be another Super Bowl bound puzzle.
Both guys were never in jeopardy of getting cut and both guys continue to improve and impress the powers that be in Denver.
While those two sticking was hardly a surprise, the other two fell-good moments for KU football might qualify as just that.
After a fantastic preseason, cornerback Tyler Patmon made the final roster with the Dallas Cowboys and safety Bradley McDougald made good on his shot with his second team by being one of the final 53 kept by the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Patmon's story is a little more remarkable than McDougald's because there were plenty of people, both at the NFL and college level, who always believed McDougald would get plenty of chances to stick. That he's done it so quickly and with such certainty is a credit to him, both mentally and physically, and the work he has put in to make his dream a reality.
McDougald was one of just four safeties and 10 defensive backs kept by Tampa Bay.
Patmon's success story was born from opportunity. After leaving KU following his forgettable junior season, Patmon landed at Oklahoma State and became a key part of the OSU secondary that helped lead Cowboys to a Cotton Bowl berth last season.
Patmon looked like a different player during his final season in college, like a guy who needed a change and who was energized by the fresh start and new surroundings.
His strong senior season — not to mention OSU's team success — earned him an opportunity to prove his worth with the Cowboys this season; not bad for a Texas kid. Although he needed a tryout just to be included in the crop of 90 NFL hopefuls who opened Cowboys' training camp, Patmon survived cut after cut and made play after play. No moment was bigger than his two-interception preseason game in which he looked more like a seasoned NFL veteran than a desperate rookie just trying to survive.
"He just kind of has that way about him," Dallas coach Jason Garrett told the team's official web site. "Some guys do. If you watch his Pop Warner tape, he was probably making those kinds of plays. That's just a part of him being able to play, and that's a good thing."
Added Cowboys' cornerback Morris Claiborne: "As soon as he came in, he's one of those guys that's got that type of mentality, swagger about himself where when he walks in, he kind of (commands) that attention. He goes out and he plays lights out. It goes from the practice field, from seeing him work and taking it on to practice and from practice to the games, it's amazing."
So is the fact that Patmon is starting his pro career on an active NFL roster, but like Harris and Johnson before him, his story is proof that hard work and being ready to take advantage of the limited opportunities that come your way at this level of football can pay off big time.
There's no hiding the fact that Patmon benefited from a couple of injuries to key guys ahead of him on the Dallas depth chart. But the guys who get these chances tend to be the guys who stay ready and don't worry about the overwhelming odds stacked against them.
Harris, Johnson, McDougald and Patmon all stared up at that mountain at one point in their post-college lives. And today all four are sitting on top of it with a Jayhawk flag planted at the peak and a huge smile on their faces.
In other former KU NFL news from last weekend:
• Former KU running back/defensive lineman Toben Opurum made it to the final cut of the Houston Texans but was not a part of the team's final 53-man roster when it was announced. The Texans, however, quickly signed Opurum to their practice squad and I think it's a safe bet that you'll see him active at some point — perhaps multiple points — this season.
• Former KU wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe was cut by the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he landed temporarily after being released by the Washington Redskins, his fourth team in a slow-starting five-year NFL career.
• Former Jayhawks who were drafted into the league such as Aqib Talib (Denver), Anthony Collins (Tampa Bay), Darrell Stuckey (San Diego) and Tanner Hawkinson (Cincinnati) easily made their teams' final 53, as expected.
7 KU football players flying under the radar entering 2014
With the 2014 Kansas University football opener now just 11 days away, it's time for what has become one of my favorite blogs to write.
It's not a prediction blog. That one's always tough. Because I spend so much time around these guys and see how much time, effort and energy they're putting into it, I often lean toward the sunny side of things and have to make sure to remember that players and coaches at Texas, Oklahoma State, TCU and Duke are doing the same thing.
I will say this, though, because four or five times a week I get asked, 'How many games the Jayhawks will win this season?' I think they've got a real shot to be better than they have been in a long time.
Let's drop a quick percentage wheel into the blog to illustrate what that means. This percentage wheel will measure my guess for a given range of win totals...
- 4 or 5 wins – 51%
- 3 wins – 23%
- 6 wins or more – 13%
- 2 wins or less – 13%
All right. Now that that's out of the way, let's get back to the original topic of the blog... Seven Jayhawks flying under the radar entering the 2014 season.
Everyone knows about Ben Heeney, Cassius Sendish and Montell Cozart. But every team has a player or two who comes out of nowhere to play an important role. Here's my best guess at seven guys who could fill that role for the Jayhawks this fall.
1. Sophomore S Tevin Shaw — Weis ever-so-quietly called the third-year sophomore one of the most improved players on the entire roster midway through camp. And it makes sense. Shaw's a natural football player with a strong physical presence and the passion to go all-out all the time. During his first couple of years in town, that effort was stonewalled by his having to learn the system and pick up the college game. More comfortable today than he has been since high school, the guy Weis said might be the team's most physical player, pound-for-pound, can use that nasty streak to make plays. He won't push starting safeties Cassius Sendish and Isaiah Johnson, but, if Shaw really is in for his breakout year, KU's depth at safety — with Fish Smithson also having a fantastic camp — looks pretty salty.
2. Freshman CB Matthew Boateng — One of the most confident newcomers in the program, Boateng has done nothing but hit the field day after day with the belief that he belongs. That can go a long way for a freshman, as learning to have confidence at this level is often one of the toughest adjustments a young player has to make. Speaking of adjustments, I've heard that Boateng's transition to college life hasn't been a problem because he already went through a version of it when he went away for high school. Fast and athletic, with good feet and the size needed to compete immediately, Boateng's could be a name you hear sooner rather than later.
3. Junior DE Kapil Fletcher — A lot was made in the offseason about the pass rushers KU brought into the mix in its latest recruiting class. But with Anthony Olobia injured for who knows how long and Damani Mosby being a late arrival, the opportunity for one of those new guys to make an impact seems to be Fletcher's all to himself. Big enough to bang inside but quick enough to use his hands and play on the edge, Fletcher's blend of skills makes him an intriguing prospect. He may not be needed right away. But if Andrew Bolton, Michael Reynolds, Victor Simmons and the rest of the KU D-Line struggle to get pressure on the quarterback, Fletcher could be a guy they turn to.
4. Junior QB Michael Cummings — We haven't seen an updated version yet, but it seems like a safe bet that Cummings will open the season No. 2 on the depth chart at quarterback. Don't be surprised if he plays. There are a number of things that could get Cummings onto the field and not all of them are bad. Sure, he'll be first in line if Cozart gets knocked around, but is it possible that there's something built into John Reagan's offense specifically for Cummings? Maybe that's a Wildcat package. Maybe he's a red zone guy. Maybe he and Cozart are on the field together. Maybe not. But by all accounts Cummings had a fantastic preseason camp and, while quarterback after quarterback has been brought in and placed ahead of him on the depth chart, all he has done is work harder and get better. Props to him for that whether he plays a down this season or not.
5. Sophomore LB Courtney Arnick — It's easy to forget about guys who play early in their careers and that might be the case with Arnick, who red-shirted as a true freshman and a played in all 12 games — with six starts — last year as a red-shirt freshman. When Arnick came to the program from Dallas' Carter High (same school as freshman RB Corey Avery), he brought with him a dose of speed that the Jayhawks didn't really have. They do now, but that doesn't mean Arnick can't still contribute. He's added muscle to his frame without putting on weight and looks like the kind of linebacker KU's looking for to play in space and run down ball carriers in the Big 12. Arnick opens the year with the second unit behind Jake Love at Will linebacker but with his experience as a nickelback and KU's limited depth at linebacker, I'm guessing he'll be used somewhat regularly.
6. Freshman WR Derrick Neal — Neal was one of the guys who really impressed me during that open practice we saw a couple of weeks ago. He functions like a jitterbug out there and it seems like he'd be hard to keep tabs on. Blessed with speed, quickness, good hands and, most importantly, confidence, Neal seems to me to be one of those guys who has special circumstances guy written all over him. He may not be in the regular rotation at wide receiver, which suddenly has a ton of depth, but I'm guessing John Reagan and Eric Kiesau will find ways to get this guy the ball this season.
7. Senior DT Tedarian Johnson — At 6-foot-2, 290 pounds, Johnnson is one of the team's bigger defensive linemen who not only brings size but also valuable experience. Johnson was very good at times during his first season in Lawrence, but consistency issues kept him from standing out. The Jayhawks have moved to a lighter, quicker look in the defensive trenches this season, so it's hard to know what's going to happen to Johnson's opportunities. He opened camp second string behind senior workhorse Keon Stowers, but if the Jayhawks ever feel the need to go big up front, I could see Johnson and Stowers playing side-by-side.
Weis Jr. works with Patriots; Willis returns to KU; another Mitchell on board and more
Friday was the final day of our access to KU's preseason camp, and rather than talking to players or position coaches, we were given the chance to speak with some of the support staff, people who help make KU football go.
It offered a rare opportunity to get to some of the guys who do the work behind the scenes that doesn't always get noticed and it produced some fun stories and soundbites.
Some of the names you'll know. Some of them you'll have heard but forgotten. But all of them play a key role in what KU does on a day-to-day basis. Here's a quick look at some of the most notable interviews I conducted Friday.
Weis Jr. expands work to NFL
Kansas University football student manager Charlie Weis Jr., son of KU head coach Charlie Weis, attended a family reunion this summer, but none of the people there were his relatives.
Instead, Weis Jr., returned to Massachusetts and spent some time this summer working an internship with the New England Patriots, where Weis won three Super Bowls and spent five years as an offensive coordinator.
"A lot of them knew me from when I was there before," Weis Jr., said with a big smile. "But they were all good to me and I didn't have to deal with any (hazing or harassment). It was awesome." Most awesome, as you might guess, was the reconnection with New England quarterback Tom Brady.
"When I was a kid, I looked up to those guys," Weis Jr., said. "They were idols to me. And to go from wearing a Tom Brady jersey to being able to kind of work with him a little bit was really cool."
Weis Jr., who is used to being around more than 100 football players at any given KU practice, said he marveled at the behind-the-scenes work that went into cutting the Patriots' final roster to the 53-man limit.
"When my dad was there I was obviously pretty young so this was my first time working in the NFL style," he said. "It was a really good experience and it kind of got me some exposure."
Willis thrilled to be coaching at alma mater
Less than a year after running onto the field with a KU helmet, jersey with his name on the back and full set of pads, Darius Willis finds himself preparing to run onto the same field in a very different manner.
Willis, who graduated from KU last May, is in his first year with the KU coaching staff, serving as one of four graduate assistants on the staff. Despite the quick change from player to professor, Willis said he's enjoyed every second.
"I don't feel weird," the former linebacker and defensive lineman said. "It's just something that comes naturally to me. I've always said in the back of my head that I wanted to be a coach when I was done playing and this is a great opportunity."
Willis got the opportunity at the last minute when another former Jayhawk, Max Onyegbule, left the program for a job elsewhere. Willis got the call and jumped at the chance to stick around Lawrence.
"I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying to keep motivate myself and make the dudes around me better," Willis said. "You always want to see where you played succeed. Being here and actually being a part of it is great."
Another Mitchell on board
After playing for his father for one season at Illinois and working under him last season at Kansas, graduate assistant Kaeman Mitchell, son of KU running backs coach Reggie Mitchell, is finally feeling comfortable.
"This year, I know what to expect more," Mitchell said. "And I'm doing a better job of staying ahead instead of catching up."
Mitchell, who played defensive back and special teams at Illinois from 2009-12, spent one spring working with the Illini staff before coming to Kansas.
His role at KU focuses on the Jayhawks' special teams and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love special teams," he said. "But if I was gonna coach on offense it would be running backs because I've been sitting in their meetings (with my dad) for 18 years."
Parmalee duo having fun
The 2014 season will mark the first season together for former NFL coach and player Bernie Parmalee and his son Tre' Parmalee, a junior wide receiver with the Jayhawks.
As close as any father-and-son duo, the older Parmalee said he has not seen either party act any differently than they would otherwise.
"It's been fun," Bernie said. "It's really been fun. With playing in the NFL and coaching in the NFL and coaching in college, that's a lot of time away. So to be in the same building with him and a part of the same team, that doesn't happen very often."
As for what kind of role he's played specifically with his son, Bernie he treats Tre' just like any other Jayhawk.
"As a dad, you ask yourself the question, can I work with a team where I have to work with my son,'" he said. "Since he was young, I've been on him, I've pushed him, hard love, tough love. But at the same time, I embrace it, he embraces it and, when we look back years from now, this time is gonna bring big smiles."
Latest KU football injury news as unfair as it gets
My heart breaks for Brandon Bourbon.
There's no other way to put it. Few players on this Kansas University football team have been through as much adversity during their KU careers, fought through it all with determination and a smile, and still found tough break after tough break at seemingly every turn.
The most recent of those surfaced Tuesday, when it was learned that Bourbon would miss the entire 2014 season after suffering a knee injury in Sunday's team scrimmage at Memorial Stadium.
News of a season-ending injury for fellow-senior running back Taylor Cox also emerged Tuesday. Cox tore his Achilles' tendon during Monday's practice. It's not that I don't feel bad for Cox. I do. He's a great guy and an incredible teammate. It's just this deal with Bourbon is a little different because he's been with the program for so much longer.
It wasn't supposed to go this way. This was supposed to be Bourbon's year. Finally.
He fought through injuries for four seasons, kept a fantastic attitude through it all and was rewarded by spending the spring and the summer atop the team's depth chart at tailback. That's how it was supposed to go. And it was supposed to be followed by his best season as a Jayhawk and a strong finish to a tough career.
Sunday's injury had no place in the script. But it came anyway. And now Bourbon must not only rehab himself back to health again, but he also must decide if pursuing a sixth year of eligibility via a medical hardship is worth it.
I can't blame him, whatever he decides. It sounds like he's planning to persevere one more time and come back for another year if the NCAA will allow it. Let's hope they get that one right. Either way, I wish him a ton of luck with his rehab and future. He's a great dude and deserves for things to start falling his way sooner rather than later.
This is not the time to spend your days feeling sorry for the Jayhawks. Injuries are a big part of the game and a possibility for every player who steps out there. Because of that, coaches do their best to build depth and stack talent at every position. Running back is the best example of this at KU and has been for the past several seasons.
That makes the loss of Bourbon and Cox a little easier for the Jayhawks to take from a purely football perspective. All of a sudden, though, that depth that once looked excessive has been reduced to three promising newcomers (two of them freshmen) and a running-back-turned-receiver who might still be able to tote the rock a few times a game if needed.
Isn't it strange how a couple of players who, on signing day last February, looked like little more than luxuries now might be counted on big-time right away.
Juco transfer De'Andre Mann was called crazy for coming to KU with its already loaded backfield. Now he almost certainly will receive a significant workload.
Dallas freshman Corey Avery was one of the last in the Class of 2014 to pick Kansas and, when he did, Kansas looked to be so loaded at the position that many wondered if Avery would spend some time as a slot receiver. That wasn't the plan anyway, but it definitely won't be now.
The KU press release said that freshman Joe Dineen would move to running back to add depth to the position and Dineen certainly has the skills to play there. Like Avery and Mann, though, he just has no experience at this level.
For better or worse, though, those three are your KU running backs for 2014, with senior wide receiver Tony Pierson sprinkled in there if need be and, forgotten senior Ed Fink all of a sudden potentially staring at a possible goal line/short yardage role, as well. Other role players or situational-type backs also could emerge.
Those mentioned above are more than capable. And any one or two of them could be in for big seasons. But with Bourbon and Cox out now, their ability to deliver just became even more critical.
Hard to believe that KU now has lost more running backs (Bourbon, Cox, Darrian Miller and Traevohn Wrench) than it has.
Here's a quick glance at what happened to all that depth:
A look at KU's projected running back depth entering the summer and what happened to each back
Sr. Brandon Bourbon — Torn ACL, out for season
Sr. Taylor Cox — Torn Achilles' tendon, out for season
Jr. De'Andre Mann — Competing for No. 1 spot on depth chart
Jr. Darrian Miller — Left team for personal reasons, later transferred to Northern Iowa
Fr. Corey Avery — Competing for No. 1 spot on depth chart
Fr. Traevohn Wrench — Failed to qualify academically, enrolled at Butler Community College
What caught my eye at Monday's practice: Aug. 18th
Couple of quick notes now before jumping back in to an expanded version a little later from Monday's KU football practice.
Check back in a while for more, but here are a couple that needed to get up quickly.
First, KU coach Charlie Weis called the team together during the stretching and warm-up portion of today's practice and called them out for not having any juice. It makes sense. It's hard to go through camp with great energy every day and probably even harder after a big Sunday scrimmage.
That said, Weis wasn't having it. In an attempt to inject some life into practice, he called a few more members of his staff over to the practice field so they could take their turn at the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Included in this group were assistant AD for sports medicine Murphy Grant, equipment manager Jeff Himes, media relations guru Katy Lonergan and assistant strength coach Justin Springer.
A handful of players were chosen to stand behind each person and dump the bucket of ice on their heads. It was hot out there on the turf, though, and I didn't hear any complaining.
Quickly, one newsy note from practice: Tight end Jordan Shelley-Smith, a red-shirt freshman from Waco, Texas, has moved to offensive line. He spent most of the drill I saw working at right tackle, which makes sense given the fact that, as a tight end, he's pretty athletic, moves well and may be a prime candidate to follow in Tanner Hawkinson's foot steps.
Shelley-Smith was listed at 245 pounds in the media guide. I've been told he's up to 260 now and there's no doubt that, with his frame, he could get up to the 290 range without much issue.
I thought he looked pretty strong in the drills and, from what little I do know of him, I think he may have the demeanor to play O-Line. We'll see.
More to come. Gotta take care of a couple things real quick. Quick tease: I spent a good chunk of my time today really looking at KU's three-man competition at Center between Keyon Haughton, Joe Gibson and Jacob Bragg.
Got back to this a little later than I had hoped so I'll save the center update for Tuesday.
Here were a few more quick things that caught my on Monday, though, since I promised you something.
• Still no Josh Ehambe or Damani Mosby out there, the only two players from the latest recruiting class who have yet to make it to campus. Mosby's closing in on an arrival (still just waiting for the paperwork to be graded) and Ehambe, who is still waiting for word from the NCAA on the eligibility of all Prime Prep Academy athletes Tweeted something about it being time to pack, which sent KU fans on Twitter into a frenzy about him getting good news but we've heard nothing official. Coach Weis is scheduled for a brief press conference Wednesday before introducing this year's captains so maybe we'll learn more then.
• I noticed that both the DBs and the linebackers were working a lot on the strip fumble drill during the early portion of today's practice. Nothing new there and certainly nothing they don't work on regularly anyway, but I thought it was interesting that both were doing it. Maybe the offense got the better of the defense in the Sunday scrimmage and the drill was put in to provide extra emphasis on takeaways. Purely speculation there, though. Haven't heard too much about how the scrimmage went yet.
• Weis said last week that he was hoping to be done shuffling the O-Line around after Saturday. It was just the first drill of a Monday practice but it's worth noting that the first group up in the drill for the O-Line looked like this: RT - Damon Martin, RG - Mike Smithburg, C - Keyon Haughton, LG - Ngalu Fusimalohi, LT - Pat Lewandowski.
• Finally, got a quick glance at one of those "It's Time" T-Shirts that the Jayhawks made to remind themselves that this year is supposed to be different. Nothing incredible, but they look pretty sharp.
Check Tuesday for more on the O-Line, particularly the center position.
What caught my eye at Saturday's open practice: Aug. 16
Saturday's Fan Appreciation Day and open practice gave us our first extended look at the 2014 Kansas University football team.
And there was plenty to watch.
It's always nice to get at least one practice where we get more than the 20 minutes at the beginning. Not because we learn a ton of information that we might not otherwise see (Coach Weis is smart enough not to show too much when the eyes of the media and fans are on the field), but because it gives us a chance to look a little more closely at players and positions.
That's what I focused most of my time on during the more than 2 hours inside the gates on Saturday and several things stood out.
Here's a quick look at most of them:
• The running back position is loaded. It's not just talk. All four of the guys competing there could start, could handle the load and/or could lead this team in rushing. That's a good thing because of the pounding backs usually take. It's an even better thing because it'll keep the Jayhawks from being too one dimensional as each guy gives a little something different. One thing I noticed Saturday that impressed me was that all four guys — Brandon Bourbon, Taylor Cox, De'Andre Mann and Corey Avery — can both run inside and catch the ball out of the backfield. Nice luxury to have.
• Sticking with the offense, I thought QB Montell Cozart looked fine on Saturday. He was mostly accurate, moved around well in the pocket and also turned it up field when he had to and, perhaps most impressively, fit the ball into some tight spots. Michael Cummings also looked really good and I've heard he's had a terrific camp. Makes sense because this style of offense fits the type of player he is, which is probably why he appears to be leading in the race to become Cozart's back-up. That said, T.J. Millweard threw some nice balls and had particularly good touch on his deep ball. He just doesn't look quite as natural and comfortable as the other two. That's probably mostly experience and confidence.
• At wideout, the Jayhawks really appear to have some players. Rodriguez Coleman had a nice day and looked really athletic and Tony Pierson had a fantastic day. As the coaching staff has mentioned, Pierson is really starting to look like a wide receiver. He was locked up with Kevin Short in several one-on-one situations during Saturday's practice and he got the better of Short more times than not. That was probably my favorite part of the day on Saturday. Not only watching Pierson and Short go toe-to-toe, but watching all of the WRs battle with the DBs in one-on-one situations. For the most part, the receivers won the battle this time.
• Speaking of wideouts, those four freshmen might be special. Tyler Patrick, Darious Crawley, Derrick Neal and Bobby Hartzog all have a real natural feel for the game and they're fiery. They all know that the deck is stacked in front of them, but you wouldn't know it by watching them compete. They're out there to push their teammates on offense and defense every single rep. That can only help a team. Of the four, my guess is that Derrick Neal might be the farthest along. He just looks to have the best feel for the offense and, although he's tiny, he really uses that to his advantage. I could even see him fitting into the passing game in some kind of specialist role. On one play, wide receivers coach Eric Kiesau turned his back to the play and told someone on the sideline what was going to happen behind him. Sure enough, Neal ran a crossing route after lining up on the far side and caught the ball in the exact spot Kiesau said he would for a gain of 20-30 yards. That's a good sign for Neal and also for Kiesau, who looks like he's been with the program for years.
• A couple of quick notes about kickoff and punt return. Isaiah Johnson, Tre' Parmalee, Kevin Short and Nick Harwell all handled punt returns on Saturday and here was how I saw it. Most sure-handed: Parmalee. Most dangerous weapon: Harwell: Biggest gambler: Short. As for kickoff return, JaCorey Shepherd, Harwell and Short all looked equally dangerous back there. Too bad they don't figure to get many chances. Not because Weis won't use them. He's said he has no problem using front-line guys on special teams. Instead because the kickoff return has been taken out of college football more and more in recent years with the rule changes.
• Speaking of Weis and special teams, his talk about giving a good chunk of his time to that unit is no joke. He's very involved with every aspect and very attentive while special teams drills are happening.
• In the kicking department, both Trevor Pardula and Eric Kahn looked good on punts and kickoffs. No surprise there, but it was nice to see Kahn has developed into a more than capable back-up. Pardula ripped off one of his signature 70-yard punts and, unlike last year, when that brought a scream of some kind from Weis, it went without much chatter this time. It's a great sign when that kind of thing is expected instead of celebrated.
• In the field goal department, freshman John Duvic hit six of the seven kicks he attempted, missing only from 42 yards. One was an extra point and the rest were slowly and steadily farther out starting at 25 yards and going to 47. He definitely outperformed returning starter Matthew Wyman, who missed four straight during the same drill. Too bad too. We talked to Wyman before the practice began and he said he's had a great camp and felt more confident and consistent than ever. Just goes to show how doing it in front of a live crowd can change the game.
• The misses might not have been all on the kickers. Long snapper John Wirtel had a rough day as he bounced several snaps back to holder T.J. Millweard and even fired a few over Millweard's head. Props to Millweard for doing a great job of getting most of them down so the kickers had a chance. Millweard looks really strong in that role. He's confident, has good hands and is constantly encouraging the KU kickers.
A few more quick notes...
• No surprise here, but I thought the DBs looked very physical. Both in the passing game and in the run game, these guys really believe in their abilities and aren't afraid to hit.
• Junior cornerback Kevin Short is a very instinctual football player. He just seems to be where he needs to be and do what he needs to do with minimal effort. He likes to talk, too.
• The area in which the wide receivers have upgraded the most is not hands, speed, routes or anything like that. It's confidence. Credit Nick Harwell for a lot of that and Kiesau for a big chunk, as well.
• At the end, when they were running sprints — O-Line vs. D-Line, LBs vs. TEs and QBs, DBs vs. WRs — every group started its sprint from the goal line to the 50-yard line with one word... "Win!"
• After the sprints, the Jayhawks lined up for another round of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Coach Weis took the challenge on Friday night and today it was the rest of his coaching staff. 19 buckets were lined up at midfield and select players got to drench the coaches and support staff at the same time. Probably felt great out there since it was pretty hot on the turf.
• All in all it was a pretty good day. Not a lot was learned, but again, we were able to see these guys do a little more and move closer to full speed, which helps in evaluating where they're at. Only about 500-700 fans showed up but they almost all stayed start to finish and many of them hit the field for autographs afterwards. I heard several Jayhawks say sincere words like, "Thanks for the support," to the fans who came and stuck around for a chance to meet the Jayhawks.
Here's a nice video of some of the action from Benton Smith...
And a photo gallery from Nick Krug...
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge makes its way to KU
Kansas University football coach Charlie Weis, on Friday, answered the call in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that has taken the world by storm in the past few weeks.
The challenge, which has helped raise a boat load of money and brought greater awareness to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, started simply enough with a few people dumping buckets of ice water on their head, pledging to donate some money to fight the disease and either quickly filming it or taking a photograph of it before sending the challenge on to someone else.
It now has reached epic proportions, with people producing full-on skits and videos to show their turn at the ice-bucket plunge.
Weis didn't go quite that far, but there is a nice video detailing how Weis was called out, how he went about doing the challenge and who he challenged in return.
Check it out...
What caught my eye at Friday's practice: Aug. 15
It always blows my mind how, when I go out to these portions of practice that are open to the media, I kind of ignore the most talented and proven players.
That's not to say I don't toss a glance over to the linebackers to see what Ben Heeney's doing or take a peek at what Tony Pierson's hands look like during a specific drill, but I definitely don't spend the same kind of time studying those guys as I do the newcomers, the question marks and the unproven players.
I guess that makes sense. I know what Heeney and Pierson and so many others can do because I've seen it on Saturdays. Besides, there's always a little more intrigue surrounding the guys we don't know much about.
With that in mind, I tried to mix in a little of both during this morning's practice, KU's second session of two-a-days of the preseason camp.
Here's a look at who stood out...
• Junior safety Isaiah Johnson, the reigning Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year, looks even bigger and stronger than he did a season ago. I watched a good portion of the drills the DBs did with Scott Vestal and noticed that Johnson looks a lot more powerful in all of his movements. That can only help him improve on his five-interception season that earned him national praise and made him a more familiar name in Big 12 country.
• I mentioned Cassius Sendish the other day for his work ethic, but what jumped out to me today is the guy's burst. Sendish is fast. Again, he might not stand out to everybody for that or any other reason because he's not flashy, but he can fly. His legs are strong and powerful and he seems to get max strength out of every step and every plant.
• Sophomore Tevin Shaw got some love from KU coach Charlie Weis the other day for possibly being the team's most improved player so I took a look at him today, as well. I've always liked Shaw. Thought he was going to be a player right when he arrived and, understandably, it's taken him a couple of years to reach the point where he looks and feels more comfortable out there. I didn't see any of the viciousness that coach was talking about, but I was only watching drills. I'm hoping to see some more of what Shaw can do in terms of hitting and physicality on Saturday at the open practice.
• Speaking of the open practice and fan appreciation day, set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, I just got a note from KU that said they'll decide by 10 a.m. whether the show will go on or not. Sounds like there's a chance for rain and inclement weather so plans could change. As I said, we'll know by 10 tomorrow morning.
• One quick note on a newcomer, safety Fish Smithson. The guy looks good. Weis said the other day that he's pushing to be a starter (though it's hard to see him supplanting Sendish or Johnson at safety) and, it appears to me, that one of the big reasons for the push is because the guy is so technically sound. Every step during the drills I watched today was taken with purpose and in just the right manner. He's a little under-sized back there at 5-11, 190 but he packs a punch and is so fundamentally sound that I can see why they like the guy. It certainly did not hurt that he arrived early and was able to adjust during spring practices.
• Finally, a quick note about Vestal, who I think really is one of the better up-and-coming coaches on this staff. The guy's good and he's gonna be great some day. I really like watching him work with the DBs because he's so hands-on. He's right there for every step and if you take six steps in a back-pedal drill but just one of them isn't right or perfect, he'll make you do them all over again until you nail it. Another thing I like about his style is the way he comes up with little word devices to teach technique. For today's back-pedal drill, where the safeties were reading the break of the wide receivers and trying to get a jump on the cut, Vestal continually said "Read. My. Keys," as he stomped each step into the ground to try to hammer home the point. I didn't catch what the keys were, which is good because (a) that's meeting room stuff and (b) it means none of the guys forgot them, but I loved every second of watching the interaction between Vestal and the safeties.
Headed to interviews with the WRs and QBs soon... Be sure to check out our latest Podcast and also Benton Smith's video from this morning's practice.
What caught my eye at Thursday's practice: Aug. 14
Thursday's practice was one of the hottest of preseason camp so far for the Kansas University football team.... not that anyone was complaining.
As far as mid-August goes, what these guys have enjoyed the past couple of weeks, weather-wise, has been about as good as you could ask for.
Not a ton of things that jumped out at me out there today, but there were a couple of fun things that caught my eye and we saw a heck of a drill between the running backs and the linebackers.
It only lasted a few reps and was over just as it was starting to get good. Maybe that was by design.
Here was the gist: Ball placed at the 3-yard line about 3 or 4 yards away from the sideline. Running back takes the ball and goes one-on-one against a backer to try to score.
The running backs won the drill by a wide margin (and they probably should have...That's tough for the defensive guy to hold his ground in that tight of an area and keep the back from scoring.)
There was one significant highlight for the defense during the drill and it came from fast-rising freshman Kyron Watson. Paired up with senior tailback Brandon Bourbon, Watson laid a serious lick and also ripped the ball out and recovered it in the end zone.
The rest of the LBs went nuts when Watson returned to the line and the freshman from East St. Louis, Ill., pretty much took it all in stride. I'm telling you; this kid looks like a player.
It should be noted that Bourbon did just fine on his couple other carries. Like I said, the backs won the drill, but the Watson highlight might have been the biggest single moment.
One of the best and perhaps most overlooked moments of the drill was the showdown between KU assistants Clint Bowen, who coaches the linebackers, and Reggie Mitchell, who coaches the running backs. The two didn't actually jump into the drill (advantage Bowen in that one) but they flashed their intensity and passion throughout the session.
Both guys are such competitors that I'm certain they wanted to win the drill as much for their position group as any of the players. You can see that in the video that Benton Smith got toward the bottom of this blog. Good stuff.
By the way, this whole story should come as absolutely no surprise... Watson's Twitter handle tells all you need to know --- @KyroGee_HitRBs
Here's a quick look at a couple of other things that stood out Thursday:
• Scouts, scouts, scouts and more scouts. It's pretty much become the norm for at least a couple of NFL scouts to be out at practice, so this may be the last time I write about it. Today's attendance was the biggest of the preseason, though, so they jumped out at me a little more. Based on the roster and the number of Jayhawks who could potentially get a shot at pro football, I'm guessing these guys are busier than they have been when they come to Lawrence.
• It looks like the offensive linemen might have got some new gloves. Either that or I'm just now noticing them. I can't imagine that would be the case, though, since these babies stood out because of the shiny, silver, metalic or chrome accents on the tops side of the hand and fingers. The shine is there on both black and white gloves. Can't imagine this will have anything to do with how the line plays this season, but you never know. Look good, feel good, play good is a mantra I believe in and I don't doubt for a second that these guys love those gloves.
• Speaking of the O-Line, after Joe Gibson ran first-team center for the past couple of days during the super-early offensive sequence that kick-starts most practices, junior Keyon Haughton was back with the 1's on Thursday. What's it mean? Who knows? Maybe this battle is still hot and heavy. Maybe it's a three-way contest with Jacob Bragg very much in the mix. Maybe it will come down to the final week or so of camp. KU coach Charlie Weis said earlier this week that he hoped to stop experimenting with the line after Saturday's open practice. I'm sure he will. I'm also sure that means very little of what we see in terms of which guy is running with which unit will mean too much on Saturday. Still, it doesn't take a genius to figure out which guys look better. Still too early to tell in that department for me. For what it's worth, the second unit in that early drill went like this: LT Larry Mazyck, LG Bryan Peters, C Joe Gibson, RG Apa Visinia, RT Brian Beckmann. The first team, as it is on the depth chart, was: LT Pat Lewandowski, LG Ngalu Fusimalohi, C Haughton, RG Mike Smithburg, RT Damon Martin.
• While watching the linebackers for a few minutes, something hit me: Don't forget about Courtney Arnick. Just a sophomore, but in his third year in the program, Arnick is bigger than he has been in the past but still looks as fast and as quick as he was. He's played some linebacker and some nickelback during his first two years and seems to fit the mold of what the defense is looking for: fast, athletic guys who can make plays in space. With his decent experience, Arnick could easily be a rotation guy. He's listed second string behind Jake Love on the depth chart, but certainly will have his hands full contending with Watson.
• Another guy who falls in the "forget me not" category is Buck senior Victor Simmons. From safety to linebacker to Buck, Simmons has been used all over the place. It takes a disciplined player to be moved around so much and not break. Simmons looks as fast as ever, is rock solid and has incredibly quick feet. If he can pick up the nuances of his latest position, he could produce some positive moments this fall.
Finally, be sure to check out Benton Smith's videos of the day and the latest KU camp Podcast from Tom Keegan and me.
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- On the street: What's your favorite breed of dog? June 25, 2016 · 12 comments
- Blog: New numbers show lack of racial diversity in Douglas County; minority numbers, though, are growing June 27, 2016 · 4 comments
- Low-income families in Lawrence face limited preschool options June 26, 2016 · 7 comments
- Scholarship established in memory of Lawrence nurse killed in December June 27, 2016 · 1 comment
- Letter to the editor: Trump phenomenon June 23, 2016 · 29 comments
- Opinion: Hitler comparisons not unfounded June 19, 2016 · 65 comments
- Supreme Court strikes down Texas abortion clinic regulations June 27, 2016 · 3 comments
- Letter to the editor: Vote for sanity June 23, 2016 · 3 comments
- Lawrence school board to consider changes to school start times June 27, 2016 · 3 comments
- Editorial: 'Not quite there' June 27, 2016 · 1 comment
- South Lawrence Trafficway on track for fall opening June 26, 2016
- Latest Douglas County court filings for June 27, 2016 June 27, 2016
- Eudora's public works director wants city to explore producing electricity June 27, 2016
- Releford relishes chance to play overseas June 27, 2016
- Lawrence sorority student beaten, kidnapped for nearly a week after meeting man on social media, court documents allege May 9, 2016
- Engineers reviewing 40 Lawrence facilities for energy-saving opportunities June 27, 2016
- KU Press Release: Study of India offers clues on how to help more out of poverty May 6, 2016
- Simons family selling Journal-World to Ogden Newspapers, Inc. June 17, 2016
- Opinion: Hitler comparisons not unfounded June 19, 2016
- Baker University football player and woman face charges of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl June 24, 2016