I re-watched the game this morning and I will say the defense really did some nice things. From the second quarter on the defense only gave up one TD and a FG in the last three quarters. They did some good things with the run blitz game. I thought Dineen and Roberts played well at LB and have actually come on quite a bit lately.
This season KSU ran 790 plays and averaged 5.1 yards a play. Against KU they ran 69 plays and avg. 5.2 yards a play. KSU avg 4.3 yards a rush on the year and yesterday avg 4.6. I thought this would be a game the KSU run game would wear down the KU defense and start to chunk yards left and right. They only had 363 yards.
I have seen some comments where people said KSU called off the dogs. You might want to go back and watch the game again. I counted every drive they had in the fourth quarter they threw at least one pass with 45 points. They threw the ball with 3:00 left. KSU is just deceiving because when they try to keep scoring it is more on the ground than through the air. In the 4th quarter Cook threw three straight passes up 45-7.
KSU was trying to move the ball until their final possession with 35 seconds left.
I thought Willis threw some good balls. Again though he was under pressure a lot. But he had some WR open. I thought Cox and Mann ran well. They both had solid games for the amount of carries they had. And the OL did some things to open up holes for them. I just went back and looked at the box score and they were a combined 17 carries for 89 yards.
The defense really needs a couple 300-pound type run gap guys. Davis from Highland will help. He's 295 right now and is active inside. He will be in Lawrence for the spring so that will help. They are also going to need some corners.
The offense just needs time. Likens was hand cuffed all year. The OL need to get bigger and stronger. This is going to take another two years to develop that. It just is. OL need to have strength and experience. I think the parts are in place they are just young freshmen going up against JRs and SRs. Now the million dollar question is what do the KU coaches want to do?
I mean what is their philosophy. I ask this because they went in the off season and found Deondre Ford who is a dual threat QB. They went with Cozart and Ford early on. So does that mean they really want to run an offense with QB run game? Or did they just feel they were the best options early on? I don't think we have those answers.
I liked the mobility Willis had on some of his runs.
Some of the young WR are going to have to step up. The ability and bodies are there. But watching on film Willis looked the most to Parmalee for the first option.
I don't know if Snyder uses voodoo on KU or what. But KU didn't have a punt blocked all year. Wyman was actually one of the brightest spots the last 5-6 weeks. Then yesterday it all fell to waste. It looked like it was the first time Wyman ever fielded a snap. What had been a strength was a weakness. It looked like KSU could have blocked another one as well.
You could just feel it falling apart even after the first one. Down 14-7 it was still a game. KU had taken the first drive and tied it 7-7. Punting down 14-7 punt got blocked and now it was 21-7. Then the next punt was only a 21-yarder and KSU took over at the KU 37. From there it was over just as fast as it started.
I don't know what they will do with the kicking game. I know there is one player Hyman has been working on but I have to wait to see how that develops.
Going into recruiting I'm not exactly sure how many spots are available. I don't know every player who was awarded a scholarship on the transfer or walk on program. I was told there might be a few more spots than what is believed. If you take every player who might have been given a spot with gray shirts current commits and against the 25 number it looks like only about 3-4 players are out there. But there might be more. I will just have to follow it closely.
This was a long season on everybody. I know many expected it. My gut tells me the coaches knew what they were getting into but you really don't know it until you experience it. They have to keep fighting and know this was the toughest season they will have. They have to keep plugging. Je'ney Jackson has to get them bigger and stronger. McCauley put on 20 pounds since he arrived. The weight room will work wonders and is a key to the success going forward.
When you look at the staff there are six coaches who after this season who have a combined 11 years of Power Five coaching experience. They will also learn with time on what they expect. It is on the job training. Hopefully this will be a year of teaching and learning experience.
This season KSU ran 790 plays and averaged 5.1 yards a play. Against KU they ran 69 plays and avg. 5.2 yards a play. KSU avg 4.3 yards a rush on the year and yesterday avg 4.6. I thought this would be a game the KSU run game would wear down the KU defense and start to chunk yards left and right. They only had 363 yards.
I have seen some comments where people said KSU called off the dogs. You might want to go back and watch the game again. I counted every drive they had in the fourth quarter they threw at least one pass with 45 points. They threw the ball with 3:00 left. KSU is just deceiving because when they try to keep scoring it is more on the ground than through the air. In the 4th quarter Cook threw three straight passes up 45-7.
KSU was trying to move the ball until their final possession with 35 seconds left.
I thought Willis threw some good balls. Again though he was under pressure a lot. But he had some WR open. I thought Cox and Mann ran well. They both had solid games for the amount of carries they had. And the OL did some things to open up holes for them. I just went back and looked at the box score and they were a combined 17 carries for 89 yards.
The defense really needs a couple 300-pound type run gap guys. Davis from Highland will help. He's 295 right now and is active inside. He will be in Lawrence for the spring so that will help. They are also going to need some corners.
The offense just needs time. Likens was hand cuffed all year. The OL need to get bigger and stronger. This is going to take another two years to develop that. It just is. OL need to have strength and experience. I think the parts are in place they are just young freshmen going up against JRs and SRs. Now the million dollar question is what do the KU coaches want to do?
I mean what is their philosophy. I ask this because they went in the off season and found Deondre Ford who is a dual threat QB. They went with Cozart and Ford early on. So does that mean they really want to run an offense with QB run game? Or did they just feel they were the best options early on? I don't think we have those answers.
I liked the mobility Willis had on some of his runs.
Some of the young WR are going to have to step up. The ability and bodies are there. But watching on film Willis looked the most to Parmalee for the first option.
I don't know if Snyder uses voodoo on KU or what. But KU didn't have a punt blocked all year. Wyman was actually one of the brightest spots the last 5-6 weeks. Then yesterday it all fell to waste. It looked like it was the first time Wyman ever fielded a snap. What had been a strength was a weakness. It looked like KSU could have blocked another one as well.
You could just feel it falling apart even after the first one. Down 14-7 it was still a game. KU had taken the first drive and tied it 7-7. Punting down 14-7 punt got blocked and now it was 21-7. Then the next punt was only a 21-yarder and KSU took over at the KU 37. From there it was over just as fast as it started.
I don't know what they will do with the kicking game. I know there is one player Hyman has been working on but I have to wait to see how that develops.
Going into recruiting I'm not exactly sure how many spots are available. I don't know every player who was awarded a scholarship on the transfer or walk on program. I was told there might be a few more spots than what is believed. If you take every player who might have been given a spot with gray shirts current commits and against the 25 number it looks like only about 3-4 players are out there. But there might be more. I will just have to follow it closely.
This was a long season on everybody. I know many expected it. My gut tells me the coaches knew what they were getting into but you really don't know it until you experience it. They have to keep fighting and know this was the toughest season they will have. They have to keep plugging. Je'ney Jackson has to get them bigger and stronger. McCauley put on 20 pounds since he arrived. The weight room will work wonders and is a key to the success going forward.
When you look at the staff there are six coaches who after this season who have a combined 11 years of Power Five coaching experience. They will also learn with time on what they expect. It is on the job training. Hopefully this will be a year of teaching and learning experience.
