QBs not worried about ‘controversy’
Controversy? What controversy?
The quarterback situation seems to be the hot topic surrounding the Kansas University football team this week, but it’s not anything that’s actually bothering those ON the team.
That doesn’t mean the quarterback situation is settled yet, though. It probably won’t be until the pregame meetings the night before KU plays Oklahoma on Oct. 23.
“I’ll be frank with you — we probably won’t say anything about it,” Mangino said about who the starter will be. “I’ll get a good feeling about it on game day, and we’ll do what we need to do.”
Sophomore Adam Barmann has started every game so far, but junior Jason Swanson was inserted as a fourth-quarter replacement and did a good job in KU’s 31-28 victory Saturday over Kansas State. Swanson’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Mark Simmons put the Jayhawks up for good with 5:28 to play.
“Jason has gotten better,” Mangino said. “He understands our system much better now. We’re in a good situation.”
Swanson took some time to adjust to the Division One level after coming from the City College of San Francisco as a heralded junior-college prospect. After participating in KU’s spring workouts with some setbacks earlier this year, Swanson said things really started to click during two-a-days in August.
“I just had a better feel of the offense,” Swanson said. “Everything kind of came together for me. And ever since then I’ve been a lot more fluid in the offense.”
Now, the competition for the starting job has heated up more than ever since Swanson’s arrival. To speculate that the situation is tense around the quarterback drills would be understandable but quite inaccurate, according to Swanson.
6Sports video: KU ready for weekend rest
QBs not worried about ‘controversy’“We laugh and joke around like before,” he said. “Nothing’s really changed.”
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Back to basics: Mangino admitted that preparation for Oklahoma has been minimal during KU’s bye week. But he is glad there is a two-week window to prepare for the Sooners, the second-ranked team in the nation.
“I’d like to have a month, but they’re not going to do that,” Mangino quipped. “It’s good to have a little extra time to work on Oklahoma. They’re a heck of a ballclub.”
Mangino said the team has been working this week on a lot of fundamentals and self-improvement, though it did spend a little time Wednesday and will continue today preparing for the Sooners.
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Incomplete practice field: KU practiced at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, and the chilly, windy weather would’ve been a perfect time to challenge the field-goal kickers during practice.
There was one itty-bitty problem, though. Memorial Stadium had no field goal posts. The student body ripped them down following Saturday’s victory over in-state rival Kansas State.
Mangino joked that he had a couple of managers act as uprights for the kickers to practice their field goals and extra points.
“That’s how we did it at the sandlot back in the day,” Mangino said with a chuckle.