CFI RANKINGS: #17 KANSAS JAYHAWKS

2007 RECORD: 12-1; BIG 12: 7-1
Won Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech 24-21
LOCATION: Lawrence, Kansas
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium (50,071)
HEAD COACH: Mark Mangino
OVERALL: 37-36 (6 seasons)
AT TECH: 37-36 (6 seasons)

Coach Mark Mangino is Exhibit A for staying the course…in sports at least. The Jayhawks broke through for 12 wins in his sixth season as head man after averaging five wins in his first five years, with just one winning season (7-6 in 2005). While no one knows if they can match last season’s win total or make it back to a BCS game, it is clear they are no one-year wonder. KU appears to have built a solid foundation and are a program to be reckoned with in the Big 12 North.

WHEN THE JAYHAWKS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed Warinner (2nd Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 6
KEY LOSSES: Anthony Collins, Marcus Henry, Brandon McAnderson, Derek Fine, Cesar Rodriguez

The Jayhawks had one of college football’s most balanced offenses last season—Todd Reesing threw for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns (7 INTs) and tailbacks Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharpe combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground. McAnderson (16 TDs) is gone, as is number one receiver Marcus Henry (1,014 yards & 10 TDs), but they should be just fine at the skill positions. With Sharpe and newcomer Jocques Crawford (National JC Player of the Year) they again expect to have a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Moreover, Reesing will not lack for targets as their leading pass catcher, Dexton Fields (63 receptions) returns, while sophomore Dezmon Briscoe is ready to break out. The concern comes along the offensive line, where both tackles must be replaced—Cesar Rodriguez was a four-year starter and Collins anchored the line from left tackle.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) WR Dezmon Briscoe (SO), 2) OT Jeff Spikes (FR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Clint Bowen (3rd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 9
KEY LOSSES: Aqib Talib, James McClinton

The Jayhawks have an outstanding back seven with one of the best linebacking corps and defensive backfields in the Big 12. They will miss playmaking lockdown corner Aqib Talib, but in junior SS Darrell Stuckey and sophomore CB Chris Harris (Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year) they possess two solid building blocks. The strength of the defense is in the middle, as all three linebackers return—all three are seniors and more importantly, all three can play. Joe Mortensen mans the middle, James Holt excels at getting into the backfield from his SAM position, while WILL Mike Rivera may actually be the most talented of the trio. The toughest man to replace could be tackle James McClinton. This is a workman-like line--solid, but not spectacular. Their backup ends, sophomore Jake Laptad and junior Maxwell Onyegbule, are probably their most explosive linemen.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) CB Chris Harris (SO), 2) OLB Mike Rivera (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

This is where it gets dicey for the Jayhawks and while the KU faithful may not want to hear this, the reality is the 2008 schedule is far more difficult than the one they navigated through last season. They trade Oklahoma St., Texas A & M and Baylor from the South Division with the trifecta of Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech—not exactly a winning ticket. They also add South Florida, No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, to the out of conference docket. Oh yeah, they still have to play that Missouri team from across the border to end the season.

PIVOTAL POINT

Don’t Stop Believing: Even if the Jayhawks are better this season, the likelihood is their record won’t be. They won their four out of conference contests in ’07 by a combined margin of 214-23—now that is a heck of a way to build a team’s confidence to start the season. What if they drop that week three contest to South Florida…how will they react? How about if they suffer a tough loss in Norman…how will they bounce back against Tech the following week? They did not suffer a loss until the final game of the ’07 regular season. When they get hit this year, how will they respond?

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

Outside of Lawrence, not many are expecting a repeat performance from the Jayhawks…but no one is expecting them to go away quietly either. Rather than focus too much on repeating their achievements of last season, what Kansas needs to do is follow through on what they started. There is no reason why they won’t. Not too long ago nine or ten wins would be welcomed with open arms, and it should be this season as well.

Photo Credit: Jeff Jacobsen/Kansas Athletics

Daniel throws for 3 touchdowns, No. 3 Missouri beats No. 2 Kansas 36-28

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Unthinkable in September, Missouri is one victory away from playing for its first national championship.

Chase Daniel threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and the third-ranked Tigers ruined No. 2 Kansas' unbeaten season Saturday night with a 36-28 victory in the most important football game either school ever played.

As Big 12 North champions, the surprising Tigers (11-1, 7-1 Big 12) will head to San Antonio and a date in the Big 12 championship game with No. 10 Oklahoma, the only team to beat them this season. A victory there will almost certainly propel Missouri into the BCS national championship game on Jan. 7.

``I'm excited about that, but we didn't get here thinking about it,'' Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. ``You know, we had to win five straight games to have a chance to play in this one for the divisional championship. I'm just so proud of everybody.''

Todd Reesing's 5-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Henry with 2:03 drew the Jayhawks within six points and Missouri's Tony Temple was stopped on third down to give the Jayhawks (11-1, 7-1) one last slim chance.

Lorenzo Williams put the finishing touches on it for Mizzou, sacking Reesing in the end zone for a safety with 12 seconds left. The Kansas quarterback walked off dejected, a muddy divot stuck in his face mask.

The game between the bitter archrivals drew 80,537, the second-biggest crowd in the 35-year history of Arrowhead Stadium.

The Tigers, who had never won 11 games in a season, should become No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1960 and figure to be no worse than No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

On Friday, No. 1 LSU lost 50-48 in three overtimes to Arkansas, putting the top ranking and top spot in the BCS standings up for grabs. No. 4 West Virginia bombed No. 20 Connecticut 66-21 earlier Saturday and figures to move up at least one spot to second in the BCS standings when they come out Sunday. West Virginia finishes its season against Pittsburgh next week.

Kansas came into the game second nationally averaging almost 46 points a game, but fell behind 21-0 before Reesing finally got the Jayhawks into the end zone. Scott Webb missed two field goals in the second quarter for the Jayhawks, who had been an even bigger surprise than Missouri up to this point and were gunning for what would have been their first national championship as well.

In what had been billed as a Heisman Trophy subplot in the 116th meeting of the rivals, Daniel was the star. He went 40-for-49 with no interceptions and outplayed his Kansas counterpart.

Reesing had thrown a school-record 205 straight passes without an interception but was picked off twice, each one leading to a Missouri touchdown. He finished 28-of-49 for 349 yards and two touchdowns.

Temple rushed for 98 yards for Missouri, which did not break into the national rankings until reaching No. 25 after the third week. Danario Alexander caught eight passes for 117 yards, including a 16-yard gain on third-and-14 with 6:46 to play after Reesing's touchdown pass to Dexton Fields pulled Kansas to 31-21.

A moment later, Jeff Wolfert kicked his second field goal, a 43-yarder, for a 34-21 lead with 3:31 to go.

Daniel managed to avoid turnovers but the Tigers were flagged 14 times for 144 yards.

The Tigers had only one first down on their first three possessions but finally broke through with a 78-yard touchdown drive once Daniel found his groove.

Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 1 on his fourth possession, Daniel hit tight end Martin Rucker on a quick slant for the night's first touchdown with 29 seconds left in the first quarter.

Reesing seemed to find his touch after a poor first quarter when he hit Kerry Meier for a 39-yard gain on the first play of the second quarter. That was his school-record 213th straight pass without an interception. But on the next play, safety William Moore stepped in front of Fields at the 2 and made the pick. It was his seventh interception of the season, tying the Missouri record of NFL Hall of Famer defensive back Roger Wehrli, and gave all the momentum right back to the Tigers.

Temple immediately got 17 yards and then, after a false start penalty on the Tigers, Daniel began connecting with Alexander. An 11-yard pass moved the ball to the Missouri 47. Then the Jayhawks, one of the nation's least-penalized teams, were charged with defensive holding after stopping Missouri on third-and-12 from the 40.

Given new life, Daniel found Alexander for 20 yards and then on third and goal from the 11, the junior quarterback danced away from pressure and fired a pass to Alexander as he fell into the corner of the end zone, capping a 13-play, 98-yard drive.

Twice Kansas, which had scored on 22 straight trips to the red zone, got to the Missouri 16. But both times, Webb missed field goals.

Reesing threw behind Henry, who turned and tipped the ball right into the hands of Missouri's Castine Bridges. He returned it 49 yards to the Kansas 40, and seven plays later Jimmy Jackson plowed over from the 1 for a 21-0 Missouri lead.

Brandon McAnderson's 1-yard touchdown run finally got Kansas on the board with 7:21 left in the third.

Daniel responded with his best drive of the night, going 8-for-8 for 68 yards in a 13-play, 69-yard drive. Freshman Derrick Washington took a 3-yard swing pass into the end zone for the score.

Reesing's 5-yard run on fourth-and-2 from the 5 was answered by Wolfert's 43-yard field goal for a 31-14 Missouri lead.

Tommy Saunders had eight catches for 82 yards for Missouri while Fields led the Jayhawks with eight receptions for 116 yards.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Mizzou Media Relations

CFI: THE BIG 12 NORTH REPORT

BY BROCK MURPHY
BIG 12 INSIDER

1) Last weekend, Missouri had its hands full in the first half of its game with Kansas State in the Little Apple, taking the locker room with just a 21-18 lead. In fact, with just two minutes left in the game, Mizzou’s offense had outgained that of KSU by a single yard (407 to 406). The difference was efficiency. The Tigers were twice as efficient at turning real estate gained into paydirt by producing six offensive TD’s to KSU’s three. Chase Daniel was the efficiency trigger for Mizzou – completing 28 of 41 passes for 284 yards and 4 TD’s (0 INT’s). Tiger receiver Jeremy Maclin snagged nine of Daniel’s tosses for 143 yards and two scores. MU’s Tony Temple kept things honest offensively with his 16 carries for 75 yards and 2 TD’s. An obvious area of concern for the Tigers is pass defense. Ranked 96th, nationally, they entered the KSU game giving up 259 yards per game. KSU made that stat honest by gaining 256 yards and picking up two scores through the air. The Wildcats’ Josh Freeman was ranked 62nd in the nation in pass efficiency (14 TD’s/10 INT’s). Next up? Kansas’s Todd Reesing, who, though nursing a gimpy ankle, has thrown 30 TD’s and only 4 INT’s this season.

2) Kansas made it certain that both teams in next weekend’s battle in Arrowhead Stadium will be in the top 5 with an impressive 45-7 over Iowa State. Clearly bothered by a sore ankle, QB Todd Reesing led the Jayhawk charge with 4 TD’s and 253 yards after completing 21 of 26 passes. Five incompletions and no interceptions… not bad. Keeping things honest, tailbacks Jake Sharp and Brandon McAnderson had 24 combined carries for 153 yards. The Jayhawk defense dominated both sides of the ball – holding ISU to two yards per carry (26-52) while limiting the Cyclone passing attack to less-than 8 yards per catch (24-182). They also intercepted a pass while keeping ISU from tossing a scoring pass. KU’s Aqib Talib could be the nation’s top cornerback but you can bet Missouri’s athletic receivers, Jeremy Maclin and William Franklin noticed Talib’s vulnerability to a combination route, which ISU’s Marquis Hamilton threw on him early in the game for a 46-yard gain.

3) Kansas State lost to Mizzou but put in a good offensive effort in the process. Josh Freeman threw for 256 yards and two TD’s, though the yardage was a hair under 10 yards per completion and he also threw an interception. On the ground, senior James Johnson had his best outing of the year with 172 yards, including a rumbling 66-yard scamper near the end of the 1st-quarter. The Wildcats should be proud of the 406 yards they posted against the Tiger defense but have to be concerned about their three turnovers, including two fumbles. KSU ends the season visiting Fresno State, a team whose defense has produced only 10 turnovers while allowing nearly 200 rushing yards per game.

4) Iowa State ended its season with the 45-7 loss in Lawrence. Head Coach Gene Chizik’s first season was not quite what Cyclone fans had in mind. Having finished 4-8 in 2006, ISU ended 2007 with a worse record (3-9). With the former defensive coordinator and defensive-back coach from Texas at the helm, one expected the Cyclone defense to show great strides against the pass. Numbers did improve for this year’s unit, but not by much. The 2006 Cyclones were the most considerate in the nation to other team’s passers, having allowed a 72.46% completion rate. The 2007 model barely reduced that number (to 69.7%). This year’s defense also bested the 2006 team’s TD/INT ratio – 24/10 (’07) to 26/6 (’06). One area which saw clear improvement under Chizik was rush defense, where this year’s team finished 38th (129 ypg) while last year’s unit was ranked 89th (154 ypg).

5) Nebraska will play for bowl-eligibility against Colorado the day after Thanksgiving but they will also likely be playing their last game for Head Coach Bill Callahan. Seven Husker opponents have run for 195 yards or more this year, including four opponents who have topped the 300-yard mark. As a result, only four teams in the nation (Louisiana-Lafayette, Army, North Texas and UAB) have given up more yards on the ground (228 ypg) than the Black Shirts. The Black Shirts have only produced 11 turnovers this year (3 fumbles, 8 INT’s) while Nebraska’s offense has given up 25 turnovers (11 fumbles, 14 INT’s), which is why Big Red is tied for 114th in the nation in turnover margin. Even with Joe Ganz at the helm, the Huskers’ passing attack has been productive and, in fact, deep-threat Maurice Purify has two straight 100-yard games. Remember, heading into this week’s game against CU, Nebraska has come off of the opposite ends of 70-point games (39-76 at KU; 73-31 vs. KSU), but Joe Ganz now has two games’ worth of experience behind him and nearly two weeks to prepare for this season’s finale. Nebraska has won the last two games against Colorado, besting the Buffaloes 37-14 in Lincoln last year and 30-10 in 2005 in Boulder.

6) Colorado lost to Iowa State two weeks ago to put them in a position where both they and Nebraska will be playing for Bowl Eligibility this Friday. The Buffs don’t do anything particularly well but neither are they among the nation’s worst in any category. Quarterback Cody Hawkins has a shaky TD/INT ratio of 17/15 this year but his 2,452 passing yards this season is positively prolific compared to the 1,422 yards the team posted in 2006. CU’s rushing defense has historically been strong and that remains the case this year (128 ypg [34th, nationally]) and its pass defense is more efficient than last year’s model (58% completion rate; 12 INT’s and 20 TD’s vs. 67% 12/22 in ‘06).

Photo Credit: Mizzou Media Relations

CFI: THE BIG 12 NORTH REPORT

BY BROCK MURPHY
BIG 12 INSIDER

NORTH DIVISION:

1) Nebraska: Another 70-point game for Nebraska. Fortunately, the ‘Huskers were on the correct side of this scoreboard. Two weeks ago, Nebraska gave up 76 points to Kansas – the most allowed in school history. On the wings of that debacle, a five-game losing-streak and virtual certainty that a coaching change will meet the team at the end of the year, few outside of Lincoln expected the Big Red to rebound from the KU humiliation and honor its color-based nickname on Saturday while hosting Kansas State. Yet, a diabolically efficient performance by Joe Ganz (Sam Keller’s backup) helped return pride to the entire state by leading Nebraska to a 73-31 win over the Wildcats. Just how good was Ganz? He completed 75 percent of his 40 passes (30 completions) for 510 yds (17 ypc) and seven touchdowns without throwing a single pick. Receivers Frantz Hardy and Todd Peterson were on the receiving end of five of the Ganz’s scoring tosses. All three of Hardy’s receptions (for 83 yds) were touchdowns while two of Peterson’s four catches (for 85 yds) stopped in the endzone. Nebraska’s 702 yards of total offense was astounding but it is unlikely to save Coach Bill Callahan’s job.

2) Kansas took to Stillwater last Saturday to protect its #4-ranking and in pursuit of a sweep of its Southern Division opponents. Mission accomplished. Playing mistake-free football, the Jayhawks relied on Todd Reesing, who went 27 of 40 (68percent) for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns as well as big Brandon McAnderson (6-0, 235; Sr), who pounded-out 142 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Of course, KU could not have pulled out the win without a solid game from its defense, which had more than its handful with the Cowboys’ stable of athletes on offense. Last year, Adarius Bowman torched the defense with 13 catches, 300 yards and four scores. This year, All-American CB Aqib Talib of Kansas had improved and experienced talent to help him in the backfield and, together, the unit held Bowman to 22 yards on four receptions before leaving the game after Talib gave him a hard hit on the knee while stoning a quick-screen for a loss. Kansas rose to #3 in the BCS standings this week but has continued to rank one spot below Oklahoma in the AP Rankings (OU, 3rd; KU, 4th).

3) Missouri wore its #6 ranking well Saturday at home with a 40-26 win over the visiting Aggies of Texas A&M. Having completed more than 3/4th’s of his passes (27 of 35) for 352 yards and three scores (No INTs), Chase Daniel continued his outstanding season and has demanded mention in the same sentence as that trophy with the leather-helmeted guy. Tiger Tony Temple provided offensive balance with 141 yards on the ground and a score. The Tigers’ early lead influenced A&M quarterback Stephen McGee to turn to the air… where he faired pretty well, actually. McGee completed 64 yards of his passes (18 of 28) for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Efficient, but not productive enough to keep up with the insanely dangerous Mizzou offense. The Tigers’ entered the game 25th in the nation in rushing defense which created an interesting match-up against the Aggies’ 11th-ranked ground game. Tigers won – holding Michael Goodson, Jovorskie Lane and McGee to a combined 39 carries for 133 yards and only one TD.

4) Colorado’s potential for schizophrenia is evidently boundless. The same team which dropped then-#3 Oklahoma and Texas Tech, gave Iowa State only its third-win of this, Head Coach Gene Chizik’s inaugural season. What a curious ride for the Cyclones. With losses posted against Kent State and Northern Iowa, their three wins were against Iowa (15-13), last weekend’s win against Kansas State (31-20) and, now, Colorado. Much of ISU’s success should be offered to Alexander Robinson (5-10, 181), who saw his first feature assignment three weeks ago against Mizzou (21-149, 1 TD) and followed it with a two-touchdown effort last weekend against Kansas State. Against Colorado? Robinson racked up 127 yards and two scores. With pressure taken off of the passing game, the Cyclones’ outstanding receiver, Todd Blythe, was able to draw blood, too (4 rec., 124 yds, 2 TDs).

5) Kansas State has endured an up and down 5-5 season in 2007. With impressive wins over Texas (41-21) and Colorado (47-10), they have now dropped two-in-a-row, including surrendering Iowa State’s first conference win and receiving last weekend’s 42-point drubbing by Nebraska (73-31). The Wildcats have struggled containing opponents’ passing games (93rd; 251 ypg) and could be more productive on the ground (86th; 132 ypg). However, their passing game has flourished (16th; 291 ypg) this season. The problem is that Jordy Nelson is a senior who will take 46 percent of KSU’s passing yards and nine of its 17 touchdown catches with him when he graduates.

6) Colorado, which earned only two wins last season, hoped to become bowl-eligible this past weekend. As pointed out above, Iowa State ruined that plan. Now, the Buffs must play for that honor against their arch-enemy, Nebraska, the Friday after Thanksgiving. CU ranks 99th in both turnover margin and passing-efficiency (55%, 15 INT’s, 17 TD’s). Of course, as much as Colorado would like to improve on the passing stats, the fact is they are a marked improvement over last year’s numbers (47%, 8 INT’s and 7 TD’s). Colorado managed no more than 1,422 passing yards last season. With one game left to play in 2007, sophomore Cody Hawkins has already thrown more than 1,000 yards further.

Photo Credit: Mizzou Media Relations