Archive for Monday, November 9, 2009
Suddenly, Kansas vexed by run
K-State’s Thomas latest to run roughshod over KU
Kansas State quarterback Grant Gregory scrambles against the Jayhawk defense in Manhattan Saturday, November 7, 2009.
November 9, 2009
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Jayhawk football loses again
The Jayhawks seem to have lost their way, dropping their fourth straight game this weekend to Kansas State. The Jayhawks will have to turn the season around in the last few games if they want to play in a bowl. Enlarge video
Well, the Kansas University football team’s defense seems finally to have figured out how to stop the pass.
Problem is, now it’s having all kinds of problems against the run.
This was evident during Saturday’s 17-10 loss to Kansas State, when the Jayhawks gave up a season-worst 266 rushing yards while making Wildcats running back Daniel Thomas — a guy who was playing quarterback at Northwest Mississippi Community College a year ago — look like the second coming of Jim Brown.
A week after giving up 123 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns to Texas Tech tailback Baron Batch, the Jayhawks’ normally stout rush defense again faltered down the stretch, as Thomas finished with 24 carries for 185 yards — 130 of which came in the second half.
“He broke a lot of tackles. He runs hard. He can make you miss. He has good cutting ability,” KU coach Mark Mangino said of Thomas, who entered the game as the Big 12’s second-leading rusher. “He’s a big guy. You’ve got to wrap him up to get him on the ground, and we didn’t always do a good job of putting him on the ground, that’s for sure.”
Nowhere was this more evident than on the game’s final drive.
When Kansas kicked off with 5:20 to go — following a Jacob Branstetter field goal that pulled the Jayhawks within a touchdown — the team’s only hope was a quick defensive stop and a chance to get the ball back with a couple minutes left on the clock.
Didn’t quite work out that way.
Thanks in no small part to Thomas’ ability to keep the chains moving — Thomas and K-State quarterback Grant Gregory combined for 40 yards on eight carries during the final series, converting on two third-down situations — the Wildcats were able to bleed the clock to death and return the Governor’s Cup to Manhattan for the first time since 2005.
“Daniel is a beast,” said Gregory, who finished with just 66 passing yards while attempting only three second-half passes. “It’s his first year playing running back, and I think he’s the best running back in the conference.”
It was hard to argue otherwise. Thomas on Saturday became the Big 12’s first 1,000-yard rusher this season, scoring his conference-best 11th rushing touchdown and leaving Kansas to address what appears to be a deteriorating rush defense.
“Every day, I’m sending mass texts to everybody, (safety Darrell Stuckey) is sending mass texts to everybody, that we’ve just got to continue to improve and come watch film together as a unit,” KU defensive back Chris Harris said. “I feel like we’ve jelled together, and we’ve gotten better together. We’ve just got to keep improving, and hopefully we’ll get a win.”
With Saturday’s game against Nebraska on tap and the team’s postseason fate growing grimmer by the week, however, time is running out for Kansas.
But like they have all season, the Jayhawks will keep plowing forward, Mangino assured reporters.
“Certainly, we don’t have a sense that we’re in control of things when you lose four in a row,” the coach said. “But I’m in the locker room with the players, I know our kids pretty well, and quickly their attention shifted to next week’s game. It’s the last game for our seniors at home, and our players unanimously agreed that they want to get a win for the seniors in our last game at Memorial Stadium.”
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9 November 2009
at 9:11 a.m.
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leedavid (Anonymous) says…
I'm done with this Jayhawk football team. If the other team beats you because they are better than you, so be it. But the dumb plays I'm seeing clearly indicates this team has got serious problems on and off the field. Todd was looking at a run for the Heisman now he looks like a bartender with great stories to tell.
9 November 2009
at 10:52 a.m.
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dudedog12 (Anonymous) says…
ditto leedavid, no bowl thisyear, maybe the toliet bowl lol..
9 November 2009
at 11:31 a.m.
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Thats_messed_up (Anonymous) says…
History awaits! Will you be there? lolololol
Reesing for Heisman! uk had a nice 2 year run that's come crashing back down to earth. This is now once again your older brothers uk football team. 4-7 LOL
9 November 2009
at 1:03 p.m.
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steveg690 (Anonymous) says…
Lawrence, KS (AP) - A seven-year old boy was at the center of a Douglas County courtroom drama today when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him.
After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.
After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Kansas Jayhawks football team, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.
9 November 2009
at 3:28 p.m.
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alamohawk (Anonymous) says…
I guess we reached the next stop… I can see all you people that have been riding the bandwagon are getting off.
9 November 2009
at 5:30 p.m.
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skipper (Anonymous) says…
If Fatman couldn't win the Big 12 north this year, he will not do it. coaching has been pathetic all year. snyder took 1 running back and a bunch of scrubs and beat mangino and his senior leaders easily. K-state, up 1 score, 5 min left and runs, not 1 pass , runs the clock out. great defense.
9 November 2009
at 5:39 p.m.
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gccs14r (Anonymous) says…
Where's Vince Lombardi when you need him?
9 November 2009
at 7:31 p.m.
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rgh (Anonymous) says…
I'll get back on the bandwagon when they at least start playing like they are capable of playing and the coaches get their act together. Why are we not 8-1 right now? When you're suppose to win the Big XII north and lose to Colorado, a horrible Tech team, and mediocre Mildcat team, then you have to wonder what the heck is going on.
We didn't lose our Heisman quarterback the first game of the season. We didn't have a turnover in coaching staff and had so much going for us after the last two years of success and recruiting. Our offense has been pathetic from game #1. Our offensive stats were inflated considering the defenses we played the 5 games. Our so-so defense has come a long way to save us from even worse than we've got right now. We didn't have Jake Sharp but Oporum has not set us back in anyway. Where is our team?
9 November 2009
at 9:35 p.m.
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weeslicket (Anonymous) says…
i'm not a big college football fan, but i do watch the sport.
what's going on with the ku team isn't all that hard to figure out.
they don't have the big horses they need on the o and d lines.
teams have figured out how to punch it into the ku defense.
teams have figured out how to tee off on reising. (that dude takes a beating without much help from his o line, including a running game that other teams actually respect.)
this rig needs some clydesdales pulling and pushing it along.
yep. recruiting.
9 November 2009
at 9:50 p.m.
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puddleglum (Anonymous) says…
man, this bandwagon has a flat tire.
only thing great about this?
Lew will probably fade away along with ksu's dreams of conference dominance.
10 November 2009
at 2:08 a.m.
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heybluekc (Anonymous) says…
Those who are quitting with the team do it faster get out. We dont like you anyway. Its called growing pains. So be it a couple of injuries has made this a tough year. Thats the way football is. If you dont think so look at Oklahoma. Three games left for the sooners and not a one of them is easy. Some want to call Reesing out and I agree he has cost us some games but in the last 3 years he has brought us lots of success too. Those who want to pull the trigger on Todd and go with Kale PIck…Again look at Oklahoma and what happened when they were forced to because of the injury….Peace you.