Woodling: Defense — yes, defense — key to Kansas’ victory
With a little more than two minutes remaining, countless fans in Memorial Stadium rose to their feet and applauded the defense.
That’s not a typographical error. Yes, Kansas University football fans cheered the defense.
If Saturday night’s 21-3 victory over Tulsa is any indication — and the morning line says it is — the Jayhawks have a defense for the first time since … well, does anybody remember that far back?
Kansas had not held an NCAA Division I-A team without a touchdown since blanking Missouri, 21-0, in 1999.
Tulsa was no middling Mizzou of ’99. The Golden Hurricane won eight games last season, went to a bowl game and had a prolific, experienced quarterback in quick and rangy senior James Kilian.
“Their quarterback’s the real deal,” KU linebacker Nick Reid said, “but we held them to under 150 yards. That’s amazing compared to what it has been.”
Amazing, indeed.
Even more amazing, the Jayhawks held the Golden Hurricane to a mere 17 yards in the second half. Kilian passed for just 91 yards and threw two interceptions. He was sacked seven times.
That’s Nebraska-like defense. That’s Oklahoma-esque defense.
Tulsa quarterback James Kilian tries to get rid of the ball while being tackled by KU's Theo Baines. Matt Thompson is at right. Kilian was sacked six times in the Golden Hurricane's 21-3 loss to Kansas on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“That’s the kind of defense we need to play here,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “They played relentlessly and with enthusiasm.”
Boy, did they ever. Curiously, though, it wasn’t readily apparent how stingy the defense was in the first half because everybody was talking about the Jayhawks’ supposedly solid but unaccountably stagnating offense.
In the second half, of course, the offense improved and so, actually, did the defense.
If there was a way to describe KU’s defensive effort in microcosm, it may be linebacker Kevin Kane’s interception of a Kilian pass at the Hurricane’s 20-yard line in the second half.
Kane is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior who isn’t big enough, isn’t fast enough, isn’t strong enough, isn’t quick enough, etc. Yet Kane was able to lug that pass theft all the way to the Tulsa two before being smothered.
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Get the stats: KU vs. Tulsa box scoreMangino often has called Kane a blue-collar player who brings his lunch pail with him to practice every day. After Kane was hauled down at the Tulsa two-yard line following his pass theft, one media wag suggested the lunch pail must have slowed him down.
Mangino laughed, then said: “That 5.5 (-second) speed just couldn’t get him in there. He had larceny in his heart but lead in his feet.”
Minutes later, told of Mangino’s good-natured remark, Kane smiled and said: “That’s a pretty good description. I’m not the quickest guy, but I’ll get in next time.”
Next time could be as soon as Saturday because the Jayhawks will be facing still another quality passer in Toledo’s Bruce Gradkowski.
No telling what mood the Rockets will be in following their Saturday night pasting at Minnesota, but one thing is certain: A similar defensive performance against Toledo will be a litmus test.
“Defense is what will carry you in the long run,” Mangino said. “Defense is what takes you to the top.”
Amen to that.