Game Day Notes -- Florida International @ KU

Hawks Will Ruin the Panther Party

Series: First Meeting
Line: KU (-32.5)

The Rundown
The Golden Panthers are indeed on a 15-game losing streak, but if are into score comparison theory, then FIU should provide a good challenge for KU this evening. The latest is Miami crushing A&M 34-17 at the Orange Bowl. It wasn't that close as Miami led 31-3 in the fourth quarter. FIU lost 23-9 at the Orange Bowl last week and although the Panthers struggled to generate offense, they did a better job than the Aggies at slowing down the Hurricanes. The game was still tight in the third quarter with Miami leading 13-3. The Panthers were smoked 59-0 by Penn State, but held Maryland to a respectable score (26-10). FIU will not be in fear of KU and the Panthers likely regard the 'Hawks as their easiest opponent to date.

The Key
KU could use a strong start to knock the Panthers out early. FIU is probably already thinking about Sun Belt play, but if you let them hang around, they may start to think they can win. They have the some players with speed that could create problems for the 'Hawks, so this is not a team to toy around with. It's hard to imagine the Panthers putting up much for points, so KU's challenge will be to execute properly on offense. We're in game four now, so it's not unreasonable to expect the 'Hawks to have an opening drive for a TD (CMU-punt, SLU-punt, Toledo-punt).

FIU Marquee Player
CB Lionell Singleton (5-10, 174, #22). He handles kick and punt returns as well as corner duties. He had four picks in the first five games last year.

Predictions

• Todd Reesing over 60% on completions
• 47k for attendance -- there's a little bit of a bandwagon now and it's the last game in Lawrence for a while
• Someone will try to turn in an un-used FIU ticket to the Red Lyon for a free beer
• Aqib Talib replicates his Toledo effort with another TD reception plus an INT

The Ultimate in Selfishness

Yesterday, the Red Lyon was my favorite bar in Lawrence. I've made my last visit. The over-reaction by the downtown Lawrence merchants is truly embarrassing. It's a convincing argument -- one day out of 730 is going to crush the Lawrence economy.

Red Lyon Urges Arrowhead Boycott

Florida International -- Quick Primer

Beware of the Hungry Panther

Florida International Preview Capsule (Hawk Digest)

Official Site | FIUathletics.com Forum  |  ScoutFIU.com Forum | KC Star Preview

Last Week's Box Score -- 23-9 loss @ Miami (Fla)

Stats Rundown:

• Yes, FIU has lost 15 straight games.
• Kansas is 4-1 before a bye week.
• KU's average margin of victory against Sun Belt teams is 10 (6-0).
• FIU quarterback Wayne Younger had 66 yards rushing last week versus Miami.
• Younger's QB rating is 82.1. His TD/INT ratio is 2 to 4 this season.
• FIU has allowed five sacks this year.
• Texas A&M lost 34-17 last night at Miami; therefore, FIU > A&M?
• FIU's leading rusher is A'mod Ned with 119 yards for the year. His average per carry is 5.0.

Predict KU's First TD -- Florida International

I thought I'd move this up in the week to get a few more people in on the action. It's getting old monitoring my weekly misses.

KU's first TD of the game (vs FIU) -- Derek Fine (add your guess to the comments, winner is awarded status as a legend)

Big 12 Power Rankings | Week #3

1) Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0) #3 CBS
Nothing has changed here, OU appears to be a step above. The Sooners head out on the road ... all the way to 2-0 Tulsa.
CBS Schedule Rank: 90
Results: W N. Texas 79-10 | W Miami (Fla) 51-13  | W Utah St 54-3
Next: @Tulsa (2-0)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 1-1-1
CBS: 10-3-3

2) Texas (3-0, 0-0) #9 CBS
The weakest 3-0 powerhouse in the nation? Another close score against UCF. They'll move to 4-0 this week, but the crime wave is starting to become a distraction. The Horns could use a blowout.
CBS Schedule Rank: 8
Results: W Arkansas St 21-13 | W TCU 34-13 | W UCF 35-32
Next: Rice (0-3)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 2-2-2
CBS: 8-9-9

3) Missouri (3-0, 0-0) #28 CBS
The Tigers move up by virtue of the Blackshirt non-performance in Lincoln. This week is the last chance for MU to hold a team under 20 this year.
CBS Schedule Rank: 58
Results: W Illinios 40-34 | W @Mississippi 38-25 | W W. Michigan 52-24
Next: Illinois St (2-1)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 5-4-3
CBS: 41-36-28

4) Texas A&M (3-0, 0-0) #14 CBS
Okay, that's more like it. We'll find out what we need to know about A&M tonight in Miami. A win there moves these guys up to #2 in this poll.
CBS Schedule Rank: 101
Results: W Montana St 38-7 | W Fresno St 47-45 | W ULM 54-14
Next: @Miami (FLA) (2-1)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 4-5-4
CBS: 21-17-14

5) Nebraska (2-1, 0-0) #19 CBS
They have the ability to score, but allowing any team to come into Lincoln and run it down your throat at this stage in the program is not going to fly. The Huskers will feel better after a visit from the Cardinals, but the skeptics are howling. Still, the division title is there for the taking -- it's not like MU's defense is dominant either.
CBS Schedule Rank: 59
Results: W Nevada 52-10 | W @Wake Forest 20-17 | L USC 31-49
Next: Ball State (2-1)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 3-3-5
CBS: 19-13-19

6) Kansas (3-0, 0-0) #43 CBS
Now KU is rolling it up on an off day. That's a pretty good sign. Warning to the North -- the defense is getting better each week. FIU is going to be tougher than everyone thinks, but even with a win, KU has gained as much respect as they can get. It's going to take a win at Manhattan to step up a level.
CBS Schedule Rank: 103
Results: W Central Michigan 52-7 | W SE Louisiana 62-0 | W Toledo 45-13
Next: Florida International (0-3)

Week-by-Week:
North: 8-6-6
CBS: 52-47-43

7) Texas Tech (3-0, 0-0) #34 CBS
It's pretty much the Bill Murray/Groundhog Day syndrome at Tech. The same story each year. This week they visit a struggling OSU team for a chance at an early lead in the South.
CBS Schedule Rank: 66
Results: W SMU 49-9 | W UTEP 45-31 | W Rice 59-24
Next: @OSU (1-2)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 6-7-7
CBS: 45-41-34

8) Kansas State (2-1, 0-0) #45 CBS
Just like old times. Gameball picking his nose on the sideline and 60+ points on the scoreboard. Auburn's struggles are affecting the vibe a bit for KSU. Two weeks to prepare for a trip to Austin isn't a bad idea.
CBS Schedule Rank: 119
Results: L Auburn 13-23 | W San Jose St 34-14 | W Missouri St 61-10
Next: Bye Week, then @ Texas (3-0)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 9-9-8
CBS: 54-50-45

9) Oklahoma St (1-2, 0-0) #66 CBS
Is it time to push the panic button? Not yet, but a loss at home to Tech would be the start of a nasty spiral.
CBS Schedule Rank: 92
Results: L @Georgia 14-35 | W FAU 42-6 | L @Troy 23-41
Next: Texas Tech (3-0)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 7-8-9
CBS: 37-34-66

10) Colorado (1-2, 0-0) #61 CBS
The defense is good. A win this week and it's really not too bad to come out of that non-con schedule 2-2. CU is definitely a little bit of a mystery right now. Can they improve on offense during Big 12 play?
CBS Schedule Rank: 53
Results: W Colorado St 31-28 OT | L @ASU 14-33 | L Florida St 6-16
Next: Miami (Ohio) (1-2)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 10-10-10
CBS: 53-59-61

11) Iowa State (1-2, 0-0) #103 CBS
Not dead yet. They had to move up after a win against a decent Big 10 program. A win at Toledo after putting it all into that rivalry match would be a good sign.
CBS Schedule Rank: 45
Results: L Kent St 14-23 |  L N. Iowa 13-24 | W Iowa 15-13
Next: @Toledo (0-3)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 12-12-11
CBS: 70-113-103

12) Baylor (2-1, 0-0) #78 CBS
Not exactly a dominating win against Texas State. Still, should the Bears be in the cellar? Maybe not, but we need to see the Bears go 3-1, before pushing them back up the list.
CBS Schedule Rank: 111
Results: L @TCU 0-27 | W Rice 42-17 | W Texas St 34-27
Next: @Buffalo (1-2)

Week-by-Week:
HD: 11-11-12
CBS: 80-78-78

Follow-up To Last Saturday's Toledo Predictions

Checking in on my predictions from last Saturday morning: 

--KU fans are already spoiled and anything less than 50 points will probably have people asking questions -- the price of success

Result: A few concerns, but really not too bad. People seem to enjoying the good times.

--Marcus Henry -- 200 yards

Result: 133 yards. A few dropped balls could have definitely put him over 150.

--46K for attendance based on two factors -- revenge for the fans and a lot of local press for the Jayhawks after two blowouts

Result: 48,112. The bandwagon is rolling for now. Toledo had about 12 fans there. Of course, so did the student section with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

--Somewhere today, I'll run into a tailgate or party where KU fans will abuse or destroy some sort of Rocket type object

Result: No rockets were harmed during the pre-game tailgating.

--Aqib Talib gets his first pick of the year

Result: Bingo

--KU's first TD of the game -- Brandon McAnderson (add your guess to the comments, winner is awarded status as a legend)

Result: Talib. Three straight misses.

KU Lands Offensive Lineman: Ben Lueken

The big start paid off for KU with a verbal commitment from two-star offensive lineman Ben Lueken (6-5/31, 5.1 forty time) out of Chaminade in St. Louis, Missouri. Lueken attended the Toledo game on Saturday and is the first offensive lineman to commit to the 2008 class.

Rivals Link
LJW Link

2008 Recruiting Class

PS  STAR Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
DT    **** Ryan Glazer/El Cajon, CA (JUCO) -- 6-3/285/5.1 -- 6/3/2007
TE     ***  Tim Biere/Omaha, NE -- 6-4/235/4.8 -- 6/18/2007
TE     ***  Tanner Hawkinson/McPherson, KS -- 6-6/230/4.8 -- 6/16/2007
WR   ***  Daymond Patterson/Mesquite, TX -- 5-8/165/4.43 -- 6/9/2007
OL   **    Ben Lueken/St. Louis, MO -- 6-5/318/5.1 -- 9/17/2007
DT    **   Zach Stadther/North Little Rock, AK -- 6-2/275/4.9 -- 6/19/2007
WR   **   Jamaal Johnson/Houston, TX -- 6-2/180 -- 5/25/2007
ATH  **   Sean Ransburg/Harrisonville, MO -- 6-1/185/4.5 -- 4/10/2007

Rating Source: Rivals

HD Player of the Week: Aqib Talib

Player of the Week

It was a tough week as there were a few good candidates, but Aqib Talib has an advantage in that he can be (and is) a factor on both sides of the ball. This week he had six tackles and an interception on defense. His open-field tackle early might actually have been the best play he's made all year. On offense, he had two catches for 62 yards and a TD. Of course, the TD dive should have been on ESPN, but no TV = no exposure. Oh well, he'll get a chance to shine on TV plenty of times this season.

Honorable Mention: James McClinton (9 tackles), Marcus Henry (7 rec, 133 yards, 1 TD), Jake Sharp (13 carries, 127 yards)

Play of the Week

Again, another difficult choice, but this one has to go to Aqib Talib's highlight TD. The man seems pretty comfortable at the college level right now.

Honorable Mention: John Larson's theft and return to the one-yard line. It's been fun to watch the local walk-on develop at defensive end. Let's hope that upward progression continues and he becomes a factor in more games later this season.

Team of the Week

Kentucky ends a four-game losing streak by shocking #9 Louisville with a 57-yard TD pass with just 28 seconds left in the game. The 40-34 win got the Wildcats a #21 ranking in the AP Poll. It was Kentucky's first win over a top-10 team since 1977 (Penn State).

Best Coach to Party With -- Big 12

In honor of the thread ranking the Big 12 coaches on the Gridiron board, I thought we'd try something different. Rank the coaches based on how fun they'd be for a night on the town.

1. Mark Mangino -- Hey, he's the ultimate wingman with cash to burn. Plus, he's a KU man. No contest.
2. Mike Leach -- Adding alcohol to this personality kind of scares me, but so what, at least it will be interesting. I envision sort of a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas sort of evening.
3. Mike Gundy -- Does he have a fake I.D.?
4. Mack Brown -- If he can dial-in the UT cheerleaders, then maybe.
5. Guy Morriss -- I'll bet this guy's had a few. In fact, he had to have been sauced when he accepted the job.
6. Bob Stoops -- Not if he's going to wear that visor.
7. Gene Chizik -- See Mack Brown.
8. Dan Hawkins -- Okay, but only if Bluto, Otter and D-Day come along as well.
9. Bill Callahan -- Sure, we can bring the minivan and not talk to a female all evening. I'll have to see if I can find my Dockers.
10. Ron Prince -- Have you seen his wardrobe? I don't like to go out to get my ass kicked. If we could get Gary P. to come along, I'd probably be asleep in about four minutes.
11. Dennis Franchione -- Yep, for a for rousing game of Jenga.
12. Gary Pinkel -- Mr. Personality? No way. Two drinks and I bet he's like, "Hey, are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?"

Opponent Update -- Week #3

Probably the most discouraging news of the weekend was the CMU perfomance against Purdue (L 22-45). Anyone that got a chance to watch the first half of that one knows that the Chippewas didn't even belong on the field with Purdue. SE Louisiana stepped down a notch and posted a ludicrous 79-7 score agains Kentuckey Wesleyan, doubling the win total for KU's non-cons (2-10).

So, 0-3 Florida International is another cupcake right? Maybe, but they've played an insane schedule and only the only blow out was at Penn State (59-0). Keeping the scores respectable against Maryland and Miami should be an indicator that the 'Hawks need to bring their "A" game. Are the Panther's beat up emotionally after that stretch or are they getting better? We'll see on Saturday.

Non-Con prediction -- Last week, I went out on a limb to predict the SLU win. This week, I'll say that Toledo drops one in the Glass Bowl to ISU, which will frustrate KU fans.

Central Michigan #86 (1-2)
L @ Kansas 7-52
W Toledo 52-31
L @Purdue 22-45
Next: N. Dakota St.

SE Louisiana #188 (1-2)
L @ New Mexico St. 14-35
L @ Kansas 0-62
W Kentucky Wesleyan 79-7
Next: @Tulane

Toledo #121 (0-3)
L Purdue 24-52
L @ Central Michigan 31-52
L @ Kansas 13-45
Next: Iowa State

Florida International #144 (0-3)
L @ Penn State 0-59
L Maryland 10-26
L @Miami (Fla) 9-23
Next: @Kansas

# = Sagarin Ranking

Around the North | Week #3

Rivals Are 3-0

Well, cancel the plans for a College Gameday visit to Lawrence on November 3rd. Nebraska took a 49-31 beating from #1 USC that wasn't as close as the score indicated. The Huskers get credit for taking their shot, but it seems like at this stage in the Callahan era, they should be able to better protect the home turf against anyone ...

Missouri fans were suffering from a severe case of cupcake envy as they endured chatter from KU fans. They got a belly full of sugar on Saturday, smoking Western Michigan 52-24 in Columbia. Again the defense showed some weakness, but the offense is a machine. Jeremy Maclin had 275 all purpose yards. Chase Daniels did throw two INTs including one that turned into a pick six ...

Over in Lawrence, the score was pretty much the same, but the reviews weren't quite as favorable as in previous weeks. Kansas beat Toledo 45-13, but muffed punts, dropped balls and a few wild pitches by Todd Reesing spoiled a little bit of the fun. Aqib Talib made up for it with an impossible dive/flip into the endzone for his third TD reception on the year ...

Kansas State also got the chance to devour a nice little treat as Missouri State visited Manhattan for a 61-10 beating. Jordy Nelson appears to be 100% as he had 209 yards on 15 catches and a TD. The Cats will now take a bye week to prepare for a trip to Austin for a game that is looking more and more winnable ...

This is what college football is all about. One week ago, it was time to talk about shutting down the program, but when you have your in-state rival at home ... the emotions of rivalry can take over. Still, the 15-13 Iowa State victory over Iowa is hard to figure. Do we have to take the Clones seriously again? Comparison game coming as ISU heads to Toledo next Saturday ...

Colorado frustrated Florida State on Saturday with a stifling defense, but still lost at home 16-6. FSU managed just one TD against the Buffs. CU's Cody Hawkins threw for 306 yards and a TD, but also was intercepted twice. Is the old CU plan starting to work? You know -- improve against tough competition in the non-con, then beat up on questionable north teams in conference play.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Missouri -- 16/82
Nebraska -- 18/17
Kansas -- 28/166
Colorado -- 67/26
Kansas St -- 72/150
Iowa St -- 101/73

Full Rankings

Payback? KU 45, Toledo 13

The Not-So-Feel-Good Blowout

The score seemed about right at 45-13, but as predicted, a sub 50-point output has the Jayhawk Nation in a critical mood. The defense is still on an upward trend, but the offense was not the well-oiled machine that we enjoyed in weeks one and two. Perhaps it was the chill in the air, but wide receivers cast a huge shadow on the rout with a multitude of dropped balls. Factor in Raimond Pendleton's fumbled punt that temporarily allowed the Rockets back into the game and it was a rough first half for Tim Beck's crew. Really, since about 1997, KU fans are used to watching KU receivers drop balls, but it was a nice two-game reprieve as the 'Hawks caught everything within reason for the past two games. Again, let's blame it on the cold and assume they'll be back on track against the Golden Panthers.

Overall, KU had the game under control for the entire evening by dominating the line of scrimmage. Jake Sharp (127 yds) and B-Mac (52 yds) pretty much ran at will and the KU defense stuffed the Toledo offense for the most part. It was actually a little surprising to see that Toledo amassed 174 yards on the ground. The front seven on "D" is starting to look pretty comfortable out there. Definitely aggressive and very successful at disrupting the Rocket offense. We only gave up 77 passing yards which is a world away from where we were last year.

Things I Like

• Aqib Talib for Heisman. Six tackles, an interception and a 58-yard ESPN highlight TD reception. Of course, the TD won't be on ESPN, but it should be. He jumped from the 5 -1/2 yard line. Duplicate this stat line against KSU with a win and seriously ... he needs to be on the list.
• Speaking of Talib, maybe the play that impressed me the most was the open-field tackle he made early in the game that saved a TD. It wasn't pretty, but Talib openly admits that isn't necessarily his game. He's a cover guy, not a hitter. The point is he made the play and it was a big one.
• Jake Sharp was all that we were promised -- 9.8 yards per carry is a stat that will stick in my mind all week.
• James McClinton leads the team with nine tackles. We all know he's a monster, but it sure is fun to watch him disrupt the backfield.
• Mike Rivera is improving. Six tackles on the night.
• Marcus Henry and Dezmon Briscoe both had multiple drops early. Both were able to redeem themselves. That really does speak to Mangino's motto about learning how to handle adversity.
• Henry over 100 yards for the third straight game. 19 receptions, 355 yards and 2 TDs for the year.
• Todd Reesing has a 300+ yard game and another four TD passes.
• Three interceptions. Put pressure on the QB and the fun starts.
  

Areas of Concern

• Todd Reesing's inaccuracy at times is something to eliminate. The receivers share some blame on this but Reesing was off at times and ended up with a 45.7% completion rate last night. Sometimes he steps on the field for a drive and it's automatic. Other times, not so much. We know he's got the confidence and the skills, so let's chalk this up to a lack of focus against a weaker opponent. I assume we'll only see Air Reesing during conference play.
• The drops by the receivers tend to spread throughout the entire unit once it starts. An occasional drop is understandable, but a game-wide epidemic isn't really acceptable.
• The offense had the ball on the field way too much.
• The 45-yard miss was only concerning in that it barely had enough distance with a slight wind. I would have liked to see some more leg into that one.
• Kyle Tucker. Not a good night. Again, he can boom it, but it's all about consistency.
• Kerry Meier re-creates the zone read fumble from the Glass Bowl. I don't enjoy this kind of nostalgia.
• The front seven did have a great night, but early on they missed a few tackles. Once Talib made his open-field tackle the unit seemed to wrap up a little better throughout the rest of the night.

"I saw the ball coming, and I made the play.  Then I figured I should go ahead and run for the end zone.  I was just trying everything I could to get in.  Everyone was blocking and pulling for me.  I just came up a little bit short, but the offense punched it in, and that's what it is all about."
--DE John Larson