Thursday Recycle: Undefeated Lives Here + Brian Murphy Transfers

HD Editor Cameo Appearance | Okay, I was watching the above video for about the third time last night in order to finally see the thing all the way through. We get to the Iowa State game and the it's winding down toward the end of the game and 11-0. I say to the wife, "that moment is so vivid for me."

And right at that time, I realize we are in the video. Your clue is -- Undefeated Lives Here. I'm not sure that there is anyway I could be more pleased right now.

Gonna Be A Hornet | KUsports.com reports that freshmen running back Brian Murphy (5-8/163) will transfer to Emporia State. The article indicates that he was looking for more immediate playing time. Indeed, the position has become a litte crowded:

On the Roster:
Jake Sharp
Angus Quigley
Carmon Boyd-Anderson
Donte Bean
Steven Foster

Incoming
Jocques Crawford
Deshaun Sands ('09)

Brother Will Stay | The indication is that DB Ryan Murphy will stay with KU and with the recent loss of Anthony Webb he could be a factor at CB for 2008. Ryan was rated as a 4-star recruit for the 2007 KU class. Brian was rated as a 2-star running back.

Jayhawk Football Verbal Commits Updated

2009 Kansas Football Recruits - Verbal Commitments

OFFENSE
Hdr/PS       Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
35.0-QB -- Christian Matthews/Arlington, TX -- 6-3/180/4.6 -- 6/20/2008
22.5-QB -- Jordan Webb/Union, MO -- 6-0/204 -- 4/12/2008

28.0-RB -- Deshaun Sands/Coconut Creek, FL -- 5-9/175/4.5 -- 4/10/2008

21.5-OL -- Gavin Howard/Owasso, OK -- 6-5/260 -- 6/23/08
29.3-OL -- Riley Spencer/Hesston, KS -- 6-6/265/5.1 -- 6/22/08
21.5-OL -- Ty Cloud/Flower Mound, TX -- 6-4/285 -- 6/18/08

DEFENSE
Hdr/PS      Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
29.0-LB -- Ernest Norman/Euless, TX -- 5-11/220/4.58 -- 5/27/2008

36.6-DB -- Dexter Linton/Arlington,TX -- 6-0/180 -- 6/20/2008
34.9-DB -- Darian Kelly/Girard, KS -- 6-2/195/4.5 -- 6/5/2008
30.8-DB -- Prinz Kande/Euless, TS -- 5-11/182/4.5 -- 6/2/2008
14.5-DB --Tyler Patmon/Cedar Park,TX -- 5-11/180 -- 4/17/2008

Hdr = Hawk Digest Rating

Hawk Digest KU Football Recruiting Page

Sound and the Fury: Big 12 title or a National Championship?

What do you want more -- Big 12 title or a National Championship?

Both.

Or, I could go with the National Championship because it probably means we took the Big 12 Championship along the way.

If I'm truly honest though, I'm pretty fixated on a Big 12 Championship. With the media and blog world giving us less of a chance of winning the north this year than last,* I'd really love to take the division and win that title game in Kansas City.** Plus, thinking about the MNC popularity contest, it's really so out a team's control, you obviously think about that national picture more in November (or maybe after Sept. 12 in our case). The conference title makes a lot more sense. You play some exhibition games, then you head into your conference and battle it out. A poor game here or there shouldn't knock you out of the title game.*** Anyway, I like the simplicity of the Big 12 race -- it's all decided on the field. Plus, 1968 was too long ago.

*Seriously, a 6-6 team that lost Jon Cornish, the interior of the offensive and would be guided by a new sophomore starting QB got more talk about winning the north than this 12-1 squad with 9 starters back on "D" and a proven "big-time" QB. I long for the optimism of August 2007.

**Reminds me -- I need to get my tickets.

***Actually, I think it did last year. Although, I guess I have to give Missouri some of the credit. 

KU Football Touchdown Club Seats

Not attractive:

http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2008/jun/24/touchdown_club_seating/48013/

Jayhawk Football Commit: Gavin Howard

Scout is reporting another OL commitment. They're moving too fast to keep up at this point.

http://kansas.scout.com/a.z?s=172&p=8&c=1&nid=3393283

Speed Cycle: Big 12 War Blog Previews Jayhawk Football 2008

Don't forward this one to your kid's preschool teacher: 

http://big12warblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/north-2-kansas.htm

Speed Cycle: South Florida Preview from SMQ

http://www.sundaymorningqb.com/2008/6/20/555883/a-reasonably-anticipatory

Phog.Net Reports Another KU Football Commitment: OL Riley Spencer

Phog.net is reporting that Mark Mangino and the Jayhawk football program landed Hesston Kansas offensive lineman Riley Spencer (6-6/265). Spencer is the tenth commit for the 2009 KU class. Rivals lists Spencer at 254 lb. and also shows him as having a 5.1 time in the forty.

2009 Kansas Football Recruits - Verbal Commitments

OFFENSE
Hdr/PS       Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
22.5-QB -- Jordan Webb/Union, MO -- 6-0/204 -- 4/12/2008
XX.X-QB -- Christian Matthews/Arlington, TX -- 6-3/180/4.6 -- 6/20/2008

28.0-RB -- Deshaun Sands/Coconut Creek, FL -- 5-9/175/4.5 -- 4/10/2008

21.5-OL -- Ty Cloud/Flower Mound, TX -- 6-4/285 -- 6/18/08
XX.X-OL -- Riley Spencer/Hesston, KS -- 6-6/265/5.1 -- 6/22/08

DEFENSE
Hdr/PS      Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
29.0-LB -- Ernest Norman/Euless, TX -- 5-11/220/4.58 -- 5/27/2008

34.9-DB -- Darian Kelly/Girard, KS -- 6-2/195/4.5 -- 6/5/2008
30.8-DB -- Prinz Kande/Euless, TS -- 5-11/182/4.5 -- 6/2/2008
14.5-DB --Tyler Patmon/Cedar Park,TX -- 5-11/180 -- 4/17/2008
XX.X-DB -- Dexter Linton/Arlington,TX -- 6-0/180 -- 6/20/2008

Hdr = Hawk Digest Rating

Two Texas Commits for KU: Dexter Linton and Christian Matthews

Wow! KU football lands two commits from Arlington, TX according to KUsports.com (from Rivals). DB Dexter Linton 6-0/180 and QB Christian Matthews 6-3/180 both verbally commited to play football for the Jayhawks yesterday. You like speed? Linton is listed as 4.42 on Rivals and Matthews isn't too bad for a QB either at 4.6.

Another angle on the Matthews commitment -- does this mean KU is done chasing Rockhurst QB Nathan Scheelhaase? You'd have to think so at this point.

Regardless, Mark Mangino and his staff are on fire with the 2009 class. A nice way to start your Saturday morning.

Rivals Free Profile -- Dexter Linton

Rivals Free Profile -- Christian Matthews

Friday Recycler: Gale Sayers

I was going to skip the recycler today as I have about four "real content" posts that I'm dying to put out. However, the quotes from Gale Sayers this morning were too good to pass on ...

Kansas Comet If He Played Today | kusports.com

"If backs today had those hash marks like that, I don’t know how many yards they would get, but not a whole lot. If I had the hash marks the way they have them today, I’d gain 20,000 yards. I guarantee you.”

Comet on the Facilities | Same article:

“There’s too many programs around the country that have good basketball teams and good football teams,” he said. “Why can’t we do that? We have one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Basketball has always been good here. All we have to do is give some more funding to the (football) program, where they can go out and recruit. (KU athletic director) Lew (Perkins) has done a great job of building facilities, no question about it. We need that. Our facilities now will match probably 10 of the 12 teams in the Big 12. When recruits come to KU, they see what we’re doing.”

Family Plan Ticket Sellout? | That's the nice thing about running a blog. You can use the message boards as a source. Sevenyearhawk posted about receiving a letter from the athletic department indicating a likely sellout in July. I just checked my mail and no letter for me. Let's just say I'm desparate for info on the possibility of achieving 40k in season ticket holders. That would be a pretty major turning point.

25 to 1 | If you like to bet on the Heisman race, you can check the odds at DXP. Our man Todd Reesing is at 25 to 1. C'mon what else are you going to do with your paycheck?

Matt Hayes Hates KU | A Sporting News ranking of the non-con schedules for the Big 12. Eleven?

OL Ty Cloud Commits To Play Jayhawk Football

Rivals reported yesterday that Flower Mound, Texas offensive lineman Ty Cloud (6-4/285) verbally committed to play football for the Jayhawks. The commit brings the 2009 Jayhawk football class to seven total which ranks second in the North. Missouri has 11 commitments to date.

2009 Kansas Football Recruits - Verbal Commitments

OFFENSE
Hdr/PS       Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
22.5-QB -- Jordan Webb/Union, MO -- 6-0/204 -- 4/12/2008

28.0-RB -- Deshaun Sands/Coconut Creek, FL -- 5-9/175/4.5 -- 4/10/2008

21.5-OL -- Ty Cloud/Flower Mound, TX -- 6-4/285 -- 6/18/08

DEFENSE
Hdr/PS      Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
29.0-LB -- Ernest Norman/Euless, TX -- 5-11/220/4.58 -- 5/27/2008

34.9-DB -- Darian Kelly/Girard, KS -- 6-2/195/4.5 -- 6/5/2008
30.8-DB -- Prinz Kande/Euless, TS -- 5-11/182/4.5 -- 6/2/2008
14.5-DB --Tyler Patmon/Cedar Park,TX -- 5-11/180 -- 4/17/2008

Hdr = Hawk Digest Rating

Sound and the Fury: Gameball

Jayhawk Football 101: Why do KU football fans call Terry Allen "Gameball?"

I'm thinking the "Sound and the Fury" department is starting to serve as both a reader mailbag and a FAQ. Once it gets deep enough, it may merit a link on the left. So, we have a real softball today with the Terry Allen question. Every KU fan knows this one, but let's put it out there as a service to other college football fans.

Despite being a really nice guy with a weird haircut and excessive mucus, Terry Allen turned out to be the wrong guy to coach a Big 12 football program (maybe that's over the top, he might be able to maintain a winning record at UT). Anyway, shortly after guiding the KU football program into oblivion and being dismissed in the later part of the 2001 season, Iowa State's Dan McCarney gave the former "Northern Iowa QB Legend" a job as an assistant. Circle around to the 2002 season. Mark Mangino kicks off his era at Jack Trice Stadium. Mangino was essentially entering a knife fight with a soggy milk carton. Iowa State warmed up the week prior with a near miss against Florida State (31-38). Anyway, ISU pounded KU 45-3. Yes, 45-3.

McCarney then awarded Terry Allen the gameball -- I guess because he was treated so badly at KU. Thereafter, Terry Allen was known as "Gameball" in Lawrence.

So, do you believe in football Karma? Iowa State went 2-10 in 2003. A record that matched KU's 2002 output.