Woodling: Gordon must abandon defense

I may be oversimplifying, but a trend seems to be developing in Kansas University football involving Charles Gordon.

Gordon is the Jayhawks’ most gifted athlete. He’s not particularly big at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, and he doesn’t have blinding speed, but the guy can play. Boy, can he play. And he can play anywhere.

Two years ago, Gordon set KU freshman receiving records with 57 catches for 769 yards. But the defense stunk during that Tangerine Bowl season, and coach Mark Mangino switched Gordon to cornerback to help plug the dike.

Gordon responded by leading the nation with seven interceptions and becoming one of only a few Jayhawks who have earned All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors. But the offense stunk last year and … well, it sure sounded Thursday like Mangino already had decided to move Gordon back to offense.

Mangino did not say as much during his media day spiel, but he sure dangled a batch of clues.

First, the KU coach stated that, during an early practice, Gordon had “put on a clinic running pass routes” and that having him at wide receiver “makes the quarterbacks better.”

Hmmm.

Minutes later, Mangino hinted he wasn’t as worried as he had been a year ago about cornerback because of the emergence of seniors Ronnie Amadi and Donnie Amadi, who had been “Toast Twins” during their early KU days.

“Four years ago, they’d have a tough time covering me,” Mangino said of the Amadis, “but now I’m not afraid to put either one of those guys on the field at any time.”

Hmmm.

Does Mangino believe his defense can perform at or above last year’s level without Gordon in the secondary? Is the fourth-year coach convinced the time is right to put Mr. Fix-It back on offense?

Mangino didn’t say, stating only that he has a dilemma. “But a good dilemma,” he said, “if there is such a phrase.”

There are indeed good dilemmas, but in the case of Charles Gordon there should be no dilemma. Mangino now needs him more on offense than on defense. The offense desperately needs a go-to guy, and the defense should maintain its level of competency without him.

Mangino mentioned Thursday he had “some playmakers” but he didn’t name any, perhaps because they’re all on defense. Gordon on offense would change that.

Ideally, the only time Gordon would be needed on defense this fall would be in the fourth quarter when the Jayhawks have a lead and the other team is forced to throw. Without Gordon on offense, however, the Jayhawks may be the team forced into come-from-behind modes.

Not that Gordon would be a panacea for KU’s offensive woes. Mangino has seasoned quarterbacks, but senior Brian Luke — so impressive in the season finale against Missouri — has to prove he isn’t a flash-in-the pan, and junior Adam Barmann has to show he can live up to the hype.

Barmann compiled the lowest pass-efficiency rating of any Big 12 quarterback who started at least eight games last season. He was downgraded in large part because of his yardage-per-catch numbers. He wasn’t much of a threat to throw deep, but Gordon might change that.

Mangino’s first season at Kansas in 2002 was double bad. The offense was poor and the defense rotten. No one expected much improvement in 2003, but the offense skyrocketed with quarterback Bill Whittemore and Gordon making plays. Yet the defense was miserable that year, and no one expected a dramatic improvement in 2004.

But with linebacker Nick Reid and Gordon as catalysts, the defense made dramatic strides. The offense, however, reverted to ’02 form.

During three seasons at Kansas, Mangino never has fielded a team strong on both offense and defense. His best chance of reaching that desirable parity in his fourth year is to move Gordon back to offense.