In shape: Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino set the record straight on his team's fourth-quarter breakdowns the last two weeks, saying adamantly it has nothing to do with what kind of shape his team is in.
"Our team is extremely well-conditioned," Mangino said. "When you watch the games closely, that is not a factor. We just haven't made some plays at the end."
¢ Getting back: Wide receiver Marcus Herford played sparingly against Nebraska and missed the Texas A&M game because of an undisclosed injury.
Mangino said Tuesday that Herford practiced some Sunday and could be ready for Saturday's game with Oklahoma State.
"I believe he will be," Mangino said. "He practiced pretty well without any problems on Sunday. Our anticipation is that he will be back."
¢ Showing heart: Mangino took time Tuesday to laud the play of running back Jon Cornish, who had 128 yards on 23 carries despite playing with an undisclosed injury to a leg.
"On Tuesday or Wednesday, i could've been pretty well-convinced that he couldn't participate," Mangino said. "You could see at certain cuts and certain times that he wasn't 100 percent nor even close to it. But he really had a really courageous performance."
Cornish has 710 rushing yards this season, second in the Big 12 Conference behind Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson. Cornish and Peterson are the only backs in the league to average more than 100 rushing yards per game.
¢ Still learning: In the same breath, Cornish's durability has limited the number of carries for freshman Jake Sharp, a fan favorite out of Salina.
Sharp has 10 carries for 63 yards, but most came in the opening weeks of nonconference play. His duties lately have been limited to special teams, including the occasional kickoff return.
Still, a red-shirt wasn't an option for Sharp because it would leave Cornish with no backup if one was needed. The other choice, red-shirt freshman Angus Quigley, is out for the year because of injury.
"He's coming along well," Mangino said of Sharp. "It's a learning process for him more than anything, and the fact that Jon Cornish has great stamina and can go, it's hard to take Jon off the field if you don't have to."
¢ Lawrence to decide: One of KU's top recruiting targets, Shawnee Mission West linebacker Blake Lawrence, has scheduled a press conference this morning to announce his college choice.
Lawrence, the brother of KU freshman quarterback Tyler Lawrence, is expected to choose between Kansas and Nebraska. He's rated as the second-best prospect in the state of Kansas, and currently is a quarterback and linebacker for SM West, one of the state's top teams.
¢ Talib honored: Despite only three tackles, sophomore corner Aqib Talib was named defensive player of the game for the Texas A&M contest by KU coaches.
Cornish was given offensive honors, while kicker Scott Webb was cited for special teams.
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