Husker Extra takes a look at this weekend's opponent, the Kansas Jayhawks.
the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 7:00 pm
Husker Extra takes a look at this weekend's opponent, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas averages
Points
Offense: 42.5
Defense: 10.3
Yards
Offense: 479.4
Defense: 263.9
Rush
Offense: 215.0
Defense: 77.5
Pass
Offense: 264.4
Defense: 186.4
Time
Offense: 30:15
Defense: 29:45
Base formations
Offense: One-back multiple
Defense: 4-3
KEEP AN EYE ON ’EM
James McClinton
DT / Sr. / 6-1 / 285 pounds
He’s the most dominant force among the Jayhawks’ front seven. One-third of McClinton’s 33 tackles are unassisted. He has nearly half of KU’s quarterback hurries and is No. 2 on the team in tackles-for-loss and sacks.
Brandon McAnderson
RB / Sr. / 6-0 / 235 pounds
McAnderson is bigger than KU’s other workhorse back, Jack Sharp, and he appears to be coming on in the stretch. He’s coming off a career-best 183-yard effort at Texas A&M, a game in which he ripped off four runs of longer than 20 yards.
Aqib Talib
CB / Jr. / 6-2 / 205 pounds
Don’t be surprised if you see Talib go to the NFL after this season. He’s that good. He had interceptions in KU’s third, fourth and fifth games, and returned one 100 yards. No wonder the Jayhawks give him some looks at WR.
Quarterbacks (4 balls)Sophomore Todd Reesing will remind you a lot of Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson, which may explain why the Jayhawks and Cowboys are the only two Big 12 teams averaging 200 yards both rushing and passing. Reesing, who beat out Kerry Meier for the job last spring, hasn’t been intercepted in three straight games and only four times all season. His 59.3 completion percentage includes 17 TDs. Reesing, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter until the fifth game of the season, also has KU’s longest run from scrimmage (53 yards against Colorado). Meier started eight games last year, but is now the backup and plays more at receiver.
Running backs (3 balls)
The running game figured to take a dip without Jon Cornish, who led the Big 12 in rushing last season. Not so. Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp, who share carries equally, are averaging 163.1 yards as a tandem. McAnderson’s 183-yard game at Texas A&M last week was KU’s third-best performance in the last seven years. He averages 6.7 yards a carry, while the shiftier Sharp is averaging 5.9. Both have three 100-yard games this season. After gaining more yards through the air in each of their first five games, the Jayhawks have been led by their ground game in the last three. Five of their last six offensive TDs came on the ground.
Wide receivers (3 balls)KU doesn’t have a dominating go-to receiver, but has one of the strongest overall groups in the Big 12. Five receivers, including tight end Derek Finer, have each scored at least three times. Reesing likes to throw deep to Marcus Henry, who has 32 catches and is averaging 18.3 yards per reception. Henry opened the year with three straight 100-yard efforts. It’s scary to think what cornerback Aqib Talib could do if he played here full-time. As it is, he’s taken half of his eight catches to the end zone. Dexton Fields has at least two catches in 18 of his last 19 games. Freshman Dezmon Briscoe had six receptions last week.
Offensive line (3 balls)
The only senior starter in this group, right tackle Cesar Rodriguez, has been in on the first series in 38 games, including the last 23. Junior left tackle Anthony Collins has started 19 games. Junior center Ryan Cantrell started five times as a freshman. Junior Adrian Mayes is a first-year starter at left guard, while right guard is manned by junior college transfer Chet Hartley. Redshirt freshman Ian Wolfe is seeing a lot of action behind Rodriguez. Including the tight end position, there are three other redshirt freshmen — center Sal Carpa, right guard Carl Wilson and tight end Bradley Dedeaux — listed as backups.
Defensive line (3 balls)
This is probably the team’s strength. Texas A&M entered last week’s game against KU fifth nationally in rushing, then was held to 74 yards. That total is the most the Jayhawks have allowed their four Big 12 opponents. Tackle James McClinton, the lone senior starter on defense and one of just two on the two-deep list, has 9½ tackles for loss. He and ends John Larson and Russell Brorsen all have interceptions, too. Larson has three forced fumbles and recovered one last week at A&M. There’s quality depth at both end spots. Jake Laptad has a team-high three sacks, while Jeff Wheeler has one in each of the last two games.
Linebackers (3 balls)
Considering the strength of the line, it’s no surprise that Kansas’ top three tacklers, all juniors, reside here. Joe Mortensen (73), James Holt (62) and Mike Rivera (51) all have been named KU’s defensive player of the week, and are big reasons why the Jayhawks have allowed just two rushing TDs all season. The middleman, Mortensen, ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 with 11 tackles-for-loss. He’s been in double digits three of the last five games. Holt has had his best games the last two weeks, with 15 tackles at Colorado and 10 at A&M. Mortensen and Rivera, who’ve both made 20 straight starts, also have seven total breakups.
Defensive backs (3 balls)
Talib will be an All-American and candidate to declare early for the NFL Draft. In the win at A&M, he had six tackles and broke up four passes. For the year, he has nine breakups. At the other corner spot, KU made its only lineup change of the season last week when junior college transfer Kendrick Harper replaced true freshman Chris Harris and contributed seven tackles. Harper, who missed the first four games because of an injury, had an interception in his first action at Kansas State. Free safety Darrell Stuckey has made at least five tackles in the last four games. Patrick Resby and Sadiq Muhammed share reps at strong safety.
Special teams (2 balls)
Kansas is the only team in the country to score on two kickoff and two punt returns. Marcus Herford leads the Big 12 with a 31.1-yard average on kickoff returns, and is one of three players nationally to take two the distance. Anthony Webb has taken over punt-return duties, but he’s been kept under wraps. Scott Webb might be in a field-goal slump, but before missing 3 of 5 attempts at A&M, he’d made eight straight and 16 of 17 dating to last season. Punter Kyle Tucker, averaging 38.3 yards, has had his best two games the past two weeks. KU did give up a kickoff return TD to Baylor three weeks ago.
SCOUTING REPORT
Kansas built a 19-0 lead against Texas A&M last week, but had to defend a Hail Mary throw into the end zone on the final play to secure a 19-11 win in College Station. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Aggies.
The Jayhawks limited Dennis Franchione’s team to 127 yards and no points through three quarters. The Aggies finished with just 74 rushing yards, 186 below their average.
“They won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball — that really was the deciding factor of the game,” Franchione said. “I never would have thought we would have rushed for less than 100 yards. You have to give credit to their defense. They defended us really well. They got off blocks and made plays and we didn’t. That’s as well as we have been defended all year.
“We didn’t play good in any offensive aspect. No. 1, KU’s good against the run, and their (defensive) front played very well. I had a lot of respect going into the game, and I have even more now.
“(McClinton is) one of the better defensive tackles in the league. The three linebackers all do a great job and get to the football. They don’t stay blocked.
“I think the descriptions our guys used when looking at (Reesing) were ‘competitor’ — kind of like Chase Daniel. Fiery. Winner. Does whatever he needs to do to move his team. I think he’s playing that way right now.”