KU discovers ‘sense of urgency’

Jayhawks must finish 3-2 or better down the stretch to secure bowl bid

Certain teams react certain ways when pushed against a wall. Some fold the tent, call it a season and go home.

And some push back.

Kansas University’s football squad is about to find out how it responds after three straight losses have the Jayhawks running out of breaths this year.

A bowl bid still is possible if Kansas goes 3-2 or better in its remaining five games. There are two home games and three road games left, including Saturday’s 2 p.m. matchup at Baylor.

“There’s a sense of urgency,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “The kids are saying ‘Hey we’re better than this. We can play better than this. We’ve got to understand what we’re trying to do, and let’s do it.’

“I felt that in the meeting room Sunday when we went out to practice. The tempo and the spirit of the practice was remarkably high considering that we have lost a few games here. But that doesn’t surprise me.”

Kansas has history to fall back on – last season’s team started 3-4, before winning three of its final four to seal the bowl berth. A similar finish – with fewer home games – is needed this season for Kansas to go bowling in 2006.

And, like last year, securing a bowl bid is the bottom line for a team likely out of the Big 12 North race by this point.

“We’re definitlely feeling the pressures of it,” linebacker Mike Rivera said. “Time’s closing, so we’ve got to get going and get these wins so we’ll be bowl-eligibile.”

KU football coach Mark Mangino watches during the second half against Oklahoma State in 2006. KU gave up 42 points - all after halftime.

Mangino thinks last week’s 42-32 loss to Oklahoma State might have woken this team up to its vulnerabilities. Against Nebraska and Texas A&M, Mangino said the team may have felt in good shape after narrowly losing games they could’ve won.

But Oklahoma State whooped Kansas like it hadn’t been whooped this season, particularly in a wild second half.

That, Mangino said, may have opened eyes.

“We know that we have issues we have to deal with,” Mangino said, “in terms of some structure on defense and offense.”

Now the issue is whether Kansas can correct it by Saturday. The Jayhawks returned to the practice field Tuesday after taking Monday off, and the focus from now until Saturday will be on the Bears, who are 3-4 and in a similar position toward a bowl bid.

If anything, the Jayhawks’ words at Tuesday’s press conference show no doubt in their confidence. Saturday’s game will show whether their actions have the same faith.

“We’re looking forward to going down to Baylor and getting a big win,” Rivera said. “It’s going to be a really pivotal point in the season.”