Barmann will start Saturday

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino announced during his weekly radio show Thursday that Adam Barmann would start at quarterback against Kansas State on Saturday.

Mangino said he came to the decision after talking with his assistant coaches about it Thursday.

Though Barmann will be on the field for the first series, all indications point to Brian Luke taking plenty of snaps, too.

“We can play that position by committee,” Mangino said. “If that’s the way it works out, I don’t have a problem with that at all.”

Mangino told reporters Wednesday that no starting-quarterback decision had been made, and when initially asked on his show Thursday, the fourth-year coach danced around the issue as to who would be starting for several minutes.

A more direct question by the next caller had Mangino finally saying Barmann was the guy.

“We’re going to start Adam Barmann,” Mangino told the caller. “We don’t have anything to hide.”

Barmann started the season opener against Florida Atlantic, but struggled to 5-of-11 passing and an ill-advised interception inside the FAU 30-yard line.

Luke replaced him in the second quarter with Kansas up 9-7. KU eventually won 30-19.

Luke has started since then, leading KU to victories over Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech before the Jayhawks fell to Texas Tech. Luke completed less than 50 percent of his passes against the Red Raiders and threw two interceptions.

Luke, though, is 3-1 as a starter in his college career. Barmann is 4-8, including the FAU game.

In the end, who starts the first series may be somewhat irrelevant if both see ample playing time, which Mangino said could be the case Saturday.

“We intend to use both quarterbacks on Saturday,” Mangino said. “We think they’re pretty equal. What we’re going to do is kind of keep in tune with the game and insert one where we feel the situation is warranted.”