Here is the Cliff’s Notes version of Kansas football coach Mark Mangino’s comments at his press conference today.

Full audio is posted here. Be sure to check it out, as Mangino gave some funny lines about players’ girlfriends and Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

• Players of the game, voted on by the coaching staff: Offense: No selection; Defense: Jake Laptad; Special teams: Jacob Branstetter; Offensive scout team: Quarterback Jacob Morse; Defensive scout team: Linebacker Josh Richardson.

• Mangino felt the defense was much improved against Oklahoma, but it didn’t come up with two stops it needed in the third quarter.

• One of the things Texas Tech has done on defense is kept things simple scheme-wise. The Red Raiders execute their sets well, though. Traditionally, Tech stops the run well, though that didn’t happen last week against Texas A&M.

• Every Big 12 season takes on its own character. Mangino sees the parity as a sign of strength for the conference. He thinks all the conference teams are improving.

• The KU coaches are doing everything they can to prevent slow starts on offense. They’ve studied it inside and out. There’s no excuse for the number of mistakes made early in the games. One of the guys that has made mistakes early (Todd Reesing) is one of the most reliable guys Mangino has had since being at KU.

• Mangino has always had confidence in Branstetter. The coach still feels, without the wind, the kicker’s range is around 48-49 yards. The coach believed Branstetter’s 57-yard attempt would be long enough. He did feel better putting the kicker out there with the wind behind him.

• Mangino is encouraged by what he’s seen on defense. The coach said that he’s learned as the season has gone on that perhaps some of the upperclassmen have a better role on defense as part-time players. The young kids are really coming along, but Mangino still says the team needs 25-30 snaps from the veteran guys. The young guys are playing hard, and they’re playing smart football. In some ways, the veteran guys have not stepped up as well as the coaches would have liked.

• The coaches try to do things to fit Jake Sharp when he’s in. There are some things they won’t do when he’s in at running back. Sharp on a bad leg is better than a lot of backs on two good legs. The coaches have seen Sharp lose some of his explosion lately, though, with his injury.

• Todd Reesing is fine after the disappointing game against OU. He takes a lot of pride in his performance. He knows there are some plays that haven’t been good and that he hasn’t executed well. Reesing had good energy in practice on Sunday and was talking it up with his teammates. The casual fan can see how much he cares and how much he wants to be successful.

• Mangino isn’t surprised by the things TTU coach Mike Leach says. Leach says what he believes, and Mangino doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Leach is intelligent, so what he says has been carefully thought out.

• Mangino loves watching Penn State coach Joe Paterno’s press conferences. Mangino says Paterno is “the king of college football, and he can say anything he wants.” He’s earned that right. Mangino thinks, in general, we’re too uptight in society.

• The last few weeks in the Big 12 results have been confusing to Mangino. When watching the tapes, though, the coach takes the emotion out and simply watches the cut-ups to see the technical aspect of the game.

• Mangino thinks Tech’s offensive system is well-coached, and that’s why it’s successful. Leach coaches his players well, and he doesn’t compromise his offensive beliefs.