The following numbers rank as the most disturbing reflection of a Kansas University football season that has reached halftime: 59-7, the combined score of KU’s past four third quarters.

To the untrained eye, it appears Kansas doesn’t have nearly as many players carrying excess weight as a year ago. But are they really in that much better shape than in 2010? If not, could that be a big reason for the third-quarter collapses? Well-conditioned athletes can go hard for two quarters, rest, and recharge their energy levels. For those not armed with as much mental and physical stamina, revving it up after kicking back doesn’t happen as easily.

“The conditioning has not necessarily been a factor,” second-year coach Turner Gill said.

As for whether it could be traced to Kansas not making the most of its offseason workouts, Gill said, “That has nothing to do with it.”

KU strength and conditioning coach John Williams, presumably at the urging of Gill, made running a greater part of the offseason program than in his first year at Kansas. Still, to the eye at least, it appears strength is a greater emphasis under Williams than under his predecessor. The athletes who worked under Chris Dawson, now doing the same job at Kansas State, had a sleeker, less bulky look to them.

It will be interesting to see which team has a fresher look in the second half of a game that kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday. Dawson, 100-percent loyal to Mark Mangino and fired by Lew Perkins before Gill took the job, has been on the winning side of the Sunflower Showdown in four of the past five seasons.

Right tackle Tanner Hawkinson and tight end Tim Biere have worked under both Williams and Dawson, and neither one bought my theory that conditioning has played a part in the poor third-quarter performances.

“For the most part, especially over the past year, the group of guys we have with coach Williams is pretty intense, kind of similar to the way coach Dawson ran his days,” Hawkinson said. “Very structured, expects you to be there on time, be ready to work. Pretty similar as far as mentality and structure.”

As for Williams being a strength guy first and Dawson a conditioning-first drill sergeant, Hawkinson said, “The first year we definitely emphasized strength more with coach Williams than with coach Dawson, but this past year we’ve been running quite a bit, probably just about as much as we did with coach Dawson. There’s been quite a bit of running this year.”

Hawkinson said he has not sensed the Jayhawks are at a conditioning disadvantage in the third quarter.

“I don’t feel any fatigue, and the guys around me, Duane (Zlatnik) and the rest of the guys, aren’t whining about being tired,” Hawkinson said.

Biere said he thinks the way the players under this staff run in the middle of practice, instead of after, if anything should help third-quarter conditioning.

Offensive coordinator Chuck Long and defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt also said they think conditioning is not an issue.

If the third-quarter imbalance continues Saturday, many will assume Snyder’s staff made better halftime adjustments. Still, which team looks fresher could reveal plenty.