Life may be full of ups and downs, but you have to go to the Kansas University football practice fields to experience up-downs.

What is an up-down?

Players on KU’s defensive platoon didn’t know, either, until last week when defensive coordinator Bill Young prescribed them as an incentive to perform at a higher level.

“Coach Young took a look at the defense,” junior defensive tackle Travis Watkins said, “and he felt we weren’t playing up to par.”

Here’s the gist: When the defense allows the offensive scout team to make a first down during practice sessions, Young stops play and conducts the up-down exercise.

“We stand there and shuffle our feet,” said Cory Kipp, another defensive lineman, “and when coach Young says, ‘Down,’ we go down with our chests on the ground, then jump back up.”

Ten times they do that.

“It makes you really tired,” Kipp said.

On three separate occasions last week the KU defensive platoon had to do up-downs — that’s 30 in all — and the ploy appeared to have paid off when the Jayhawks held Nebraska to just 24 points.

Still, it’s no secret the Jayhawks’ defense hasn’t reached the stage where it consistently is competitive at the conference level. After 10 games, Kansas ranks 83rd among the 117 NCAA Division I-A schools in scoring defense and 86th in total defense.

Nevertheless, those numbers are a dramatic improvement over last season when Kansas ranked 112th in total defense and 115th in scoring defense. In 2002, KU surrendered 42.2 points and 472.4 yards a game. This season those numbers have dropped to 28.9 and 405.0.

“We continue to make improvements on defense,” KU coach Mark Mangino said this week. “We still have to improve tackling on that side of the ball.”

Kansas has been plagued this season by fundamentally unsound tackling, especially on the road where the defense has been more vulnerable. In four games outside of Lawrence, opponents are averaging 43 points and a whopping 512.8 yards a game.

With the Jayhawks’ last road game coming up Saturday at Oklahoma State, the scepter of the up-down remains hanging over the KU defenders’ heads because the 7-3 Cowboys are averaging 35.7 points and more than 400 yards a game.

“They’re hard on you physically,” Watkins said of the up-downs, “but it’s mostly mental because you know you gave up a first down. But they’re good because they keep morale up in practice.”

Echoed Kipp: “It adds to the intensity of practice and is really helping us.”

Watkins has missed most of the season because of a broken bone in his foot he suffered in preseason drills. In fact, Watkins didn’t start practicing until Nov. 3 — the same day the up-downs became a part of the defensive practice schedule.

“Maybe it’s a conspiracy,” Watkins said, grinning, “to get me in shape.”

At mid-week, Mangino reported that the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Watkins probably would make his season debut Saturday.