|
CB
Charles Gordon |
|
2004
Statistics
|
Coach:
Mark Mangino
12-24,
3 years |
2004
Record: 4-7
|
|
TULSA |
WON
21-3 |
TOLEDO |
WON
63-14 |
at
Northwestern |
LOST
17-20 |
TEXAS
TECH |
LOST
30-31 |
at
Nebraska |
LOST
8-14 |
KANSAS
STATE |
WON
31-28 |
at
Oklahoma |
LOST
10-41 |
at
Iowa State |
LOST
7-13 |
COLORADO |
LOST
21-30 |
TEXAS |
LOST
23-27 |
at
Missouri |
WON
31-14 |
|
2004 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
|
2005
Outlook
|
Kansas
is certainly the little brother to KSU in
the Sunflower State, but the Jayhawks made
up some ground in '04, beating their in-state
rivals for the first time in 11 years. Despite
finishing 4-7, their past campaign was still
close to being a breakthrough year, with
five losses by six points or less and another
by just nine. Already, that makes this a
competitive squad which knows it can keep
up with the best, so, as was true last time,
developing confidence isn't the biggest
concern.
Fourteen
starters are back. The Jayhawk's defense
is superb and should rank among the top
30. Led by all-American Charles Gordon at
corner, the defense can/will keep KU close
in most games. The offense, however, will
let a few slip away, because the running
game is unestablished and the quarterback
play is still too erratic.
Fourth-year
coach Mark Mangino has his team thinking
big, and while they won't be winning a conference
title, KU will be just a few breaks from
contending for the weak Big 12 North Division
crown. Mangino has indicated from the start
of his tenure that he won't be happy until
KU is atop the standings, so his is no marginal
approach to fixing small problems; Mangino
will break through eventually, and this
improved version of the Jayhawks is but
another incremental step towards this goal.
He also walks the walk, so to speak, for
even though the wins (and team rankings)
dropped off from '03, those closer losses
in '04 mean that each of his teams have
arguably improved from the year before,
and this, too, will only ring more true.
Fans
will get excited when the Jayhawks start
3-0 (if they can't beat Florida Atlantic,
Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech at
home, the offense is worse than we thought),
but will get frustrated when the Big 12
season starts. Ergo, the only weakness in
Mangino's legacy here is that KU starts
decent but finishes worse, so watch how
well/poorly the team pivots from the KSU
game onward to see where they are headed.
Tough competition has equaled progressive
results (as listed), so expect a few upsets
to come from this squad.
No
one knew Dorothy and Toto were pigskin prognosticators,
how so? Well, since Kansas likely won't
win a single game away from Lawrence, that
means it has to be perfect at Memorial Stadium
to be bowl eligible
"there's no
place like home
" holds more water
than anyone ever knew, huh.
Projected
2005 record: 4-7
|
|
|
OG
Bob Whitaker |
KANSAS
*POWER RATINGS
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
QB
- 3 |
DL
- 3.5 |
RB
- 2 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 3 |
DB
- 3.5 |
OL
- 2.5 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS
|
Passing:
Adam Barmann, 262-141-9, 1427 yds., 12 TD
Rushing: Clark Green, 87 att., 309
yds., 1 TD
Receiving: Mark Simmons, 48 rec.,
553 yds., 3 TD
Scoring: Scott Webb, 2-5 FG, 29-29
PAT, 35 pts.
Punting: Kyle Tucker, 58 punts, 40.1
avg.
Kicking: Scott Webb, 2-5 FG, 29-29
PAT, 35 pts.
Tackles: Nick Reid, 109 tot., 52
solo
Sacks: Jermial Ashley, 4 sacks
Interceptions: Charles Gordon, 7
for 52 yds.
Kickoff returns: Charles Gordon,
3 ret., 14.0 avg., 0 TD
Punt returns: Charles Gordon, 29
ret., 9.0 avg., 0 TD
|
|
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 6
|
----RETURNING
STARTERS----
|
DEFENSE
- 8
|
|
KEY
LOSSES
|
OFFENSE:
John Randle-RB, Austine Nwabuisi-FB, Gary
Heaggans-WR, Brandon Rideau-WR, Lyonel Anderson-TE,
Joe Vaughn-C, Johnny Beck-K |
DEFENSE:
Travis
Watkins-DT, David McMillan-DE, Greg Tyree-DE,
Gabriel Toomey-MLB, Tony Stubbs-SS |
|
|
2005
OFFENSE
|
Quarterback
KU needs more consistency from this unit, which
is why Mangino has made the starting job a competition
between incumbent Adam Barmann and former JUCO-transfer
Jason Swanson. We think Swanson ends up with the
job because, in addition to having a worthy arm,
he adds a running dimension that Barmann doesn't
have. Swanson engineered the winning drive in
KU's biggest victory of '04 (Kansas State), and
impressed coaches this spring with his improved
ability to read a changing defense. With Barmann's
size, he stands in the pocket well, and his strong
arm allows him to make just about any throw, but
he's lost his grip on the starting job because
he doesn't make enough plays and makes even more
costly mistakes.
Running
Back
With John Randle gone (booted after 5 arrests
in 19 months), KU has eliminated a headache, but
also weakened an already poor unit (ranked 110th).
It's up to Clark Green to turn that around. Because
he can block, catches passes and holds onto the
rock, he's the leader here. He's also coming off
a very disappointing season, but that's after
leading KU in rushing in '03. He doesn't have
any postseason accolades coming his way, but Green
will bounce back. The only other back that excites
is true freshman Angus Quiqley, a big back with
speed (4.5-sec 40) that will get an opportunity
to play right away. Gary Green is shifty and has
good vision, and former LB Jon Cornish is tough
enough to work his way into the rotation, as well.
Quality leadership from Green (rather than Randle)
will make the entire group perform better.
Receiver
Mark Simmons is the only significant returner,
but the Jayhawks aren't thin here. An all-Big
12 receiver, Simmons heads into his third year
as a starter. He's not big, but with a 37-inch
vertical leap and 4.42-sec 40-speed, he'll be
a consistently open/viable target. JUCO-transfer
Brian Murph will have a big year. He was a huge
hit during spring, and, like Simmons, has shown
off his speed as well as his ability to go up
for the ball and take it away from bigger corners.
Marcus Henry has the height/size to be a solid
possession receiver, and Marcus Herford, who made
the switch from QB in the spring, has quickly
made an impact. He's got the quickness to make
cuts and juke defenders, while he's also tough
to bring down.
Tight
End
Derek Fine steps into the starting role after
being a solid special team player. KU likes to
throw to its tight ends a handful of times a game,
and Fine has the hands to make the catch. Fine
will be pushed for playing time all year by freshman
Jim Reuber. Rueber made his mark on the scout
team, and, with good hands and blocking ability,
he won't be on the sidelines much.
Offensive
Line
Too much of the blame for the lackluster run game
(2.7 yards per carry) goes to the offensive line,
and that's why John Reagan, a former assistant
at "run-first" Air Force, was brought
in. Reagan has talent to work with, for four starters
return. The Jayhawks have as deep a unit as they've
had in Mangino's tenure. The run blocking is a
concern, but the pass blocking was solid (21 sacks
allowed) and should therefore continue. With both
tackles and both guards returning, the focus will
be on center Todd Haselhorst, who replaces an
all-Big 12 performer. Haselhorst is a converted-DLman
who showed a good grasp of the offense and his
new position this spring.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
There's no question the biggest improvement needs
to be made in the running game, but the Jayhawks
have work to do in both areas. By no means is
this a polished product, especially with the QB
situation unresolved and a shallow pool of (quality)
running backs. The Jayhawks would love to establish
a respectable running game behind their experienced
offensive line, but Mangino would settle for yards
any way he can after last year's ball-moving efforts
(314+ yards per game ranked 100th). Whether it's
Barmann or Swanson, KU will have an adequate/improved
QB in place, but it'll be Clark Green's return
to his 2003 form that makes the/any difference.
|
|
WR
Mark Simmons
|
|
|
KANSAS
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
|
OFFENSE
|
QB |
Jason
Swanson-Sr |
Adam
Barmann-Jr / Brian
Luke-Sr |
FB |
Brandon
McAnderson-So |
.. |
TB |
Clark
Green-Sr |
Gary
Green-Fr |
WR |
Dexton
Fields-Fr |
Jonathan
Lamb-Jr |
WR |
Mark
Simmons-Sr |
Marcus
Herford-Fr |
WR |
Dominic
Roux-Jr |
Marcus
Henry-So |
TE |
Derek
Fine-So |
Jim
Reuber-Fr |
OT |
Cesar
Rodriguez-So |
Scott
Haverkamp-Fr |
OG |
Bob
Whitaker-Jr |
Jake
Cox-Jr |
C |
Todd
Haselhorst-So |
Ryan
Cantrell-Fr |
OG |
David
Ochoa-Jr |
Marcus
Anderson-Jr |
OT |
Matt
Thompson-Sr |
Anthony
Collins-Fr |
K |
Scott
Webb-So |
.. |
|
|
2005
DEFENSE
|
Defensive
Line
Despite the loss of a couple starters, KU is excited
about this group, and it should be. Jermial Ashley
is a second-team all-Big 12 end. With his height
and speed, he's KU's top pass-rusher. His bookend
will be Charlton Keith, a former star at Minnesota
who steadily improved as '04 went along. He explosive
and will rack up stops behind the line. Tim Allen
is a returning starter at tackle, while the other
tackle will be James McClinton, whose quickness
makes him an asset against the run. Big, strong
JUCO-transfer Wayne Wilder will make an impact,
as well.
Linebacker
No area of the team is as good as this one. First-team
all-Big 12 outside backer Nick Reid is as good
as it gets. He's got speed that can run down a
back from just about anywhere, and his sure hands
mean he won't miss many. Banks Floodman is very
strong and will find his way to the ball. In the
middle is Kevin Kane, an HM all-Big 12 performer
whose leadership is as big to the team as his
ability to make plays in the run game. As good
as that trio is, by season's end - if not sooner
- true freshman Eric Washington will be the best
LB on the team. He is extremely fast, has uncanny
field awareness, and (too) doesn't take long to
get to the football. The front seven will keep
KU close in games that seem unwinnable.
Defensive
Back
This is a group that's only getting better. They
allowed teams to move through the pass (227.8,
ranked 76th), but ranked 30th in air-efficiency
allowed, meaning they give some yards away to
secure the bigger plays and allow less scores.
This flow will continue, but even less yards will
now be something around which foes have to plan.
Charles Gordon is the best player at KU, bar none,
a first-team all-American (NationalChamps.net)
and a future NFL cornerback. The part-time receiver
led the country in INTs (7) during his first year
at corner. With his speed and athleticism, Gordon
can stick with any receiver. Theo Baines won the
starting job a year ago after his JUCO-transfer,
and while not as athletic as Gordon, he's solid
in coverage. Rodney Harris does a little of everything,
as he's got the physicality to make the big hit/tackle,
but, too, the quickness and awareness to make
big plays. Aqib Talib has shifted from corner
to strong safety because coaches love his strength
and size, and he provides better run support this
way.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
If the offense doesn't excite the Jayhawk faithful,
the defense will. With the majority of the front
seven returning, there won't be a drop off from
last year's stellar performance against the run
(ranked 23rd), and the secondary will continue
to improve. No team in the Big 12 had more takeaways
(27), and it's important the Jayhawks continue
such so as to remain competitive in this surging
conference. Also, look for last year's points-against
average (21.4, ranked 34th) to improve. Overall,
this is a top 30-calibur defense, but playing
in this conference is always an adventure in harsh
reality, so any proof of such prowess/improvement
is only found "in the pudding". Use
the D (and QB play) as the barometer(s) to see
just where the entire team's plight is headed.
|
|
LB
Nick Reid
|
|
|
KANSAS
2005 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
|
DEFENSE
|
DE |
Jermial
Ashley-Sr |
Paul
Como-Jr |
DT |
Tim
Allen-Sr |
Wayne
Wilder-Jr |
DT |
James
McClinton-So |
Chris
Brandt-Jr |
DE |
Charlton
Keith-Sr |
.. |
OLB |
Banks
Floodman-Sr |
Eric
Washington-Jr / Brandon Perkins-Sr |
MLB |
Kevin
Kane-Sr |
Mike
Rivera-Fr |
OLB |
Nick
Reid-Sr |
Joe
Mortensen-Fr / Darren Rus-Sr |
CB |
Charles
Gordon-Jr |
Ronnie
Amadi-Sr |
CB |
Theo
Baines-Sr |
Kenneth
Thompson-Jr |
SS |
Rodney
Fowler-Sr |
Jerome
Kemp-Jr |
FS |
Aqib
Talib-Fr |
Rodney
Harris-Jr |
P |
Kyle
Tucker-So |
.. |
|
|
|
2005
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
Kicker
Scott Webb has the job to himself with Johnny Beck out
of eligibility. Webb handled the PAT duties, but now
is the man on field goals. Ostensibly, Webb does a good
job with the short kicks, but his leg strength won't
matter until he gets his aim right. Both Mangino and
he are confident, as are we, that he can keep this position
strong. Kick coverage will only improve from an already-strong
effort (17.2 per return allowed).
Punter
Kyle Tucker is a good weapon for the defense, as he
pinned more than a quarter of his punts inside the 20.
Tucker doesn't have the strongest leg around, but he's
very solid and will finish with a 40+ average and net
results to reflect a solid "team" approach.
Return
Game
Kick returner Greg Heaggans has exceptional speed and
explosiveness (3 returns of 40+ yards) and he'll sit
back with Gordon, whose ability makes him a threat no
matter how/where he gets his touch. Gordon returned
all but three punts a year ago and will once again be
the man.
|
|