Defeat and Hope
FROM ROW 46/STUDENT SECTION
It was a game I never could have imagined. The defense went to war against an explosive Texas offense and gave the Jayhawk offense multiple opportunities to get into the game. It was not to be as the Longhorn defense was up for the challenge of shutting down Todd Reesing and company. Admittedly, I saw Reesing as frustrated as he has been, but I think some of the mention of his inaccuracy is not so warranted -- I mean, wind was a factor and on the other side it really seems like Colt McCoy did most of his damage on the ground (well that and some timely pass interference calls). The fact that Colt had to scramble because receivers were covered is a sort of reason to celebrate.
Overall though, having a more talented team come in and slowly grind down the Jayhawks on Senior Day was a bitter pill to swallow. The only way I can spin it is I felt like the seniors gave it their all and I'm good with what these guys accomplished. Rival fans and the media will try to categorize their greatest achievement as a fluke, but for those that have watched the program for virtually every down of the Mangino era and Terry Allen era, we know this was a good group of hard-nosed football players that took advantage of every opportunity they had and advanced the program (despite losing two of the biggest stars to the NFL). Yes, we could use a little more Texas-style football talent, but that's on the way -- the 2008 and 2009 classes are the highest rated classes we've seen. Sure the up and down nature of KU football is tough to take, but another up is just around the corner and if a down is heading to the Insight Bowl for a matchup with a Big 10 team, I'll take that.
THE GOOD
You start with the defense. Other than consistent difficulty with linebackers covering in the flat this was the kind of defensive performance that would have netted wins against Nebraska and USF and obviously provides legitimate optimism for the next two games. I haven't watched the tape yet, but I don't remember Daymond Patterson getting beat too often. If this guy is a legitimate corner, that's a nice foundation as I like Justin Thornton as a big corner on the other side (despite his trouble defending the inside slant in this game).
On the offensive front, I'll get criticized for this, but I think Angus Quigley doing damage to the second level of the Texas defense is huge (I'll get into the fumbles later). To me that is the Brandon McAnderson formula that we've lacked all year. It's like a boxing match -- you've got to be hitting those linebackers and defensive backs to soften them up. Also, from the backfield, Jocques Crawford showed me quite a bit of fire in his action after Quigley was yanked for the fumbles. It was mostly fourth quarter play, but it was encouraging to see him play hard at that time of the game.
THE BAD
I mentioned this prior to the season -- Ed Warriner was going to have to modify the scheme because an offseason of study by teams with talent meant that defenses would know the weaknesses of our offense inside and out. Developing two new tackles was a factor, plus the physical factor that B-Mac brought (mentioned above) and sure the defense was the usual culprit for the close losses, but the status quo on the offensive scheme resulted in the offense not getting the job done when they absolutely had to against teams like OU, Tech, Nebraska and UT. That is by no means a vote of no confidence for Warriner, it just means he needs to accelerate the evolution. Innovate or die. Know it, learn it, live it.
THE UGLY
1) I'm probably misreading the situation, but the excessive extended celebration by #32 on the hit that put Kerry Meier on the turf at the end of the first half seemed pretty unsportsmanlike. Please correct me if I have that wrong. Nothing wrong with celebrating a big hit, but generally when a player is hurt you show a little respect. Maybe posting the video of the Quigley hit on Blake Gideon is a little of the same, but I really just wanted to show how effective AQ can be in the defensive secondary. We don't ever want to see a player injured for any team and I certainly hope Gideon is okay.
2) More on AQ. As I said, I love the physical play Quigley brings, but you've got to get fumbles under control. This is so painful. I really want him out there doing damage, but it cannot be if he keeps dropping the ball. Perhaps so more reps in the non-con would have helped.
3) The students are what make the games fun and they are packing themselves in so tight that it is difficult for them to fill in the corner. Plus, the students bring the noise. Still, the rate of attrition after halftime is worth noting. Yeah, a lot of people head out early, but that section empties out at an incredible pace compared to the alumns in the next section over. The good news is I went over and watched the fourth quarter from some awesome seats in that abandoned area.
WHAT'S NEXT
One last shot at Chase Daniel. They're going to get the North trophy after the Arrowhead game but we can take the celebration. It'll be interesting to see what our defense thinks of Mizzou after taking on the trio of Tech, OU and UT.