Roger Clemens isn’t always on. Neither are Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux and many other established major-league hurlers.

Anybody can have a off night. Even Kansas University quarterback Bill Whittemore.

“I just think it was like a pitcher going out and having a bad outing,” KU offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro said about Whittemore’s rusty performance in the rain during Saturday’s 28-20 loss against Northwestern.

“But you can’t afford to, because you only get 12 opportunities,” said Quartaro, who coaches the quarterbacks, “where in baseball you might get 25 a year.”

Whittemore came into the opener not only as team captain, but also as one of few returning bright spots — he ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference last year with an average of 246.1 yards a game — for a 2-10 team that wasn’t expected to do a whole lot better this season.

A 12-for-28 passing performance –Whittemore’s worst start, statistically speaking, in nine games — could have created confidence issues with the senior slinger.

“Bill Whittemore, by his own admission was not as sharp as he usually is,” head coach Mark Mangino said.

Mangino noted his staff had found flaws in Northwestern’s secondary.

“We felt that the pass routes we selected to run were more than adequate, and after watching the tape, there were many times we had an open receiver but couldn’t get the ball to that spot,” he said.

Quarterback Bill Whittemore passes during a recent Kansas University football practice. Despite struggling in the Jayhawks' season-opening loss to Northwestern, the KU senior still has the respect of the KU players and coaches.

Teammates said Saturday was an anomaly.

“I was kind of surprised,” sophomore wideout Mark Simmons said of Whittemore’s woes. “But with all great quarterbacks, there’s a tendency to bounce back. Everybody’s not perfect every game. He’s going to bounce right back. He’s the man at KU.”

Whittemore definitely was the man last season, leading the Jayhawks in rushing before he damaged his medial collateral ligament in the third quarter at Missouri, forcing him to miss the final three games.

Whittemore also accounted for 1,666 yards through the air, completing 151 of 305 passes, earning him several top-10 spots in the KU record book. His 22 touchdowns rushing/passing broke the Jayhawks’ single-season record.

Heading into this season with so many question marks, few Jayhawk fans would have believed Whittemore would be a weakness in the opener.

“The inability to hook up on some open receivers and some misfires by Bill, those are things that if you were to ever have a bad dream, that wouldn’t even be one of them,” Quartaro said. “But somehow it showed up.”

¢ #4 Bill Whittemore

Many Jayhawk fans questioned why, unlike last year, Whittemore stayed in the pocket so much.

“Eighty percent of the practice throws are in the pocket, so he’s very comfortable there,” Quartaro said. “And yet his natural instincts … God has blessed him with the ability to be on the move and do some good things there.”

Late during the second quarter Saturday, Whittemore “tweaked” his right knee on a four-yard run, and was forced to miss two possessions.

Doctors gave him the clearance to continue playing, and Whittemore actually improved in the second half, connecting on six of 13 passes for 168 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown shot to Simmons.

“He’s going to bounce right back,” Simmons said. “He’s not worried about his knee or nothing. He’s just worried about winning football games.”

In order for the Jayhawks to win against UNLV, they need Whittemore to put up better statistics than he did last week.

“I should have had a little better game. I struggled throwing it,” Whittemore said. “We’re going to come back and fight and get after UNLV.”

• Barmann to play?: Backup quarterback Brian Luke replaced Whittemore during the final two series of the first half against Northwestern. The sophomore threw two passes, one of which was intercepted.

Mangino said Thursday during his weekly radio show that true freshman Adam Barmann was getting more repetitions in practice this week and indicated that Barmann could play this season if needed.