KU was bringing the LB close to the LOS especially earlier and that was opening up middle passing lanes.
West Virginia has good RB and run game and they basically abandoned giving the ball to their backs
I forgot how many players went down with injuries for West Virginia
On the first score Devin Neal had an open alley because the play was so well blocked. Bryce Foster blocked two guys on the play.
I thought the OL blocked well especially in the first half
There was a two-play sequence I thought it was vintage Devin Neal. At 3:49 in the 1st quarter he was pressured and escaped to the left and connected with Grimm. The next play he was pressured and rolled right and threw a little lob to Arnold a yard short of the first down.
Then he threw the pick and I have no idea what he was looking at. His target had a man just behind him and the WV defender who picked it off was playing zone and literally right in front.
The TD before half that put West Virginia up 14-7 Greene trucked Burroughs to get to the end zone.
First drive of the second some well designed plays. KU gets a first down where Daniels looks like he will roll left but changes and goes right to find a wide open Casey for a big gain. The very next play it was the same design and Daniels made two players miss and picked up positive yards on a scramble. Two plays later a reverse to Grimm for big yards. Two plays later a TD pass to Grimm on a play where they got Grimm isolated on a safety and it was well executed. Tied 14-14. Six minute drive to open the half and the offense looked good.
Now you hope the defense can get a stop. But WV comes out on a play-action pass and throws a deep route where Ray beat Cobee Bryant for a big gain. The D holds them to three. WV 17-14
Daniels bumps into Hishaw on a zone read and picks up yards. Then Hishaw breaks through for a gain to West Virginia 10 yard line on a huge hole over the left side. This is where I think the West Virginia front four is losing their steam. They have been on the field the entire quarter because West Virginia is striking fast and the KU offense is moving slower, but effective. Two plays later Hishaw scores up the middle on what looks to be the same play that Neal scored on. They picked up #4 the safety on the second level and Casey had a huge block on #40 that basically opened the hole. KU up 21-17
On WV possession Greene had a big run. Next play he gets hit on the blitz and floats one up for grabs and Dotson picks the ball off.
Jayhawks start around the 25 up four. Daniels throws a dart to Grimm for a first in the middle of the field. But a run and two incompletes and they punt it back.
On WV next series they go three and out aided by a penalty.
KU gets it back with around 13:00 left in the game. Facing 3rd and 8 Daniels fits one to Casey for a first. New set of downs and Daniels runs speed option to the WV 47 yard line. Then the pass where Kardell makes a one handed catch but out of bounds. Then that brings up the weird turn of events where the weather delay comes. They take the delay of game but yet had to review the play. I thought with the play being blown dead and the review it would nullify the delay penalty.
They come out of the weather delay and punt.
They get the ball back after another three and out by WV.
Daniels runs option to short side of the field to Hishaw, and then followed by one to the wide side for a nice gain.
On 2nd eight they catch WV once again over aggressive with the same reverse play starting to the right and running the reverse to the left for a touchdown. Grimm just had to pick the holes to run through because he had so many blockers and open field the challenge was not running over his own blocker. It was well designed. I don't think a WV player got within five yards of him. KU up 28-17 5:46 left. They are in control.
Greene starts with a soft pass that finds its way just past Mello for a first. Mello was a step away from picking that or deflecting. He threw it over Wheeler. Another long pass over the middle between Grant and Burroughs. Well thrown ball down to the KU 32. KU gets WV in third and 10 and Greene finds the TE just found a spot in the zone. Wheeler is hurt on the play.
Next play Greene is surrounded by the DL and escapes then breaks a tackle then gets the 15-yard late hit penalty on Grant. Moved the ball to the 11. On 3rd and 7 the big TE catches a pass to the left side and is wide open. They picked on Wheeler who came back in the game after the TE went in motion nobody went with him. KU 28-23 and WV gets the two points on a reverse that the TE went up and made a nice catch. 28-25
Two run plays and now it is third and four with 2:36 left. They run Neal to the short side and West Virginia is all over him. Loss on the play.
Ball game on the line and Greene is surrounded by KU plays in his first pass attempt but Robinson and Taylor bump into each other and Greene scrambles for a first. JB Brown makes a nice open field tackle bringing up third down. On 3rd and six Borland brings six and Greene has nobody open, scrambles and makes defenders miss for a first down. This play hurts because they brought a blitz and had the receivers covered. Greene goes deep to the end zone and Mello gets called for PI. Moves the ball to the 15 yard line. Very next play Greene hits Gallagher wide open for the TD. WV lined up three WR and moved one in motion and it confused the secondary a bit and Mello lost contain.
Some late life with 16 seconds WV leaves Arnold one on one and Daniels hits him down to the WV 40 yard line. Ball game ends when #8 just speed rushes past Cabeldue to knock the ball free.
--------------------
Some quick thoughts:
Greene was good against the KU blitz. He threw better numbers when blitzed than not blitzed.
Still not sure how the Jayhawks let this one slip away. They were winning the LOS which has happened in every loss.
I'm just not seeing the pass rush from the Jayhawks front four. We said it would be a concern in the preseason and it is showing. Dean Miller is getting stuffed by bigger tackles. DJ Warner is still light and learning to play against better competition. I think we are going to start seeing more Bai Jobe. He got in six snaps and is getting back into game shape.
The secondary is supposed to be the strength of the defense but they struggled. Tackling isn't great right especially on opposing QB. 13 missed tackles. 220 of Greene's passing yards were intermediate to deep middle of the field.
Greene had 59 yards rushing after contact. That can't happen.
I think it is just message board fodder because fans want to blame someone. Well, I suggest you sit down and spend around three hours like I did and go back and watch every play. Right now people love to point the finger at Jeff Grimes. Well, guess what then you don't know football or you didn't watch the game closely. Grimes was not the problem. The offense looked to be clicking for several series and did some good things. The plays calls weren't an issue. Sure, like any football game you can go back and nitpick every coordinator in the country.
I am concerned about the psyche of the team. I know they are upperclassmen but that will still have cracks in the armor when you keep losing like this.
I thought the OL was up and down. No doubt losing Puni was a big hole that hasn't been filled.
TCU is just okay and they will be like Kansas right now searching for a win and how to fix things. In my opinion the TCU passing offense will be the best challenge for KU so far. They do some nice things in the pass game but don't run the ball well. Their OL is average.
What is bothersome about the 1-3 start is KU isn't this bad. They are actually a solid team but they are finding ways to lose late every game. Watching Big 12 football I don't know who is good in this conference. Maybe outside of Utah everyone ranges from below average to slightly above average.
West Virginia has good RB and run game and they basically abandoned giving the ball to their backs
I forgot how many players went down with injuries for West Virginia
On the first score Devin Neal had an open alley because the play was so well blocked. Bryce Foster blocked two guys on the play.
I thought the OL blocked well especially in the first half
There was a two-play sequence I thought it was vintage Devin Neal. At 3:49 in the 1st quarter he was pressured and escaped to the left and connected with Grimm. The next play he was pressured and rolled right and threw a little lob to Arnold a yard short of the first down.
Then he threw the pick and I have no idea what he was looking at. His target had a man just behind him and the WV defender who picked it off was playing zone and literally right in front.
The TD before half that put West Virginia up 14-7 Greene trucked Burroughs to get to the end zone.
First drive of the second some well designed plays. KU gets a first down where Daniels looks like he will roll left but changes and goes right to find a wide open Casey for a big gain. The very next play it was the same design and Daniels made two players miss and picked up positive yards on a scramble. Two plays later a reverse to Grimm for big yards. Two plays later a TD pass to Grimm on a play where they got Grimm isolated on a safety and it was well executed. Tied 14-14. Six minute drive to open the half and the offense looked good.
Now you hope the defense can get a stop. But WV comes out on a play-action pass and throws a deep route where Ray beat Cobee Bryant for a big gain. The D holds them to three. WV 17-14
Daniels bumps into Hishaw on a zone read and picks up yards. Then Hishaw breaks through for a gain to West Virginia 10 yard line on a huge hole over the left side. This is where I think the West Virginia front four is losing their steam. They have been on the field the entire quarter because West Virginia is striking fast and the KU offense is moving slower, but effective. Two plays later Hishaw scores up the middle on what looks to be the same play that Neal scored on. They picked up #4 the safety on the second level and Casey had a huge block on #40 that basically opened the hole. KU up 21-17
On WV possession Greene had a big run. Next play he gets hit on the blitz and floats one up for grabs and Dotson picks the ball off.
Jayhawks start around the 25 up four. Daniels throws a dart to Grimm for a first in the middle of the field. But a run and two incompletes and they punt it back.
On WV next series they go three and out aided by a penalty.
KU gets it back with around 13:00 left in the game. Facing 3rd and 8 Daniels fits one to Casey for a first. New set of downs and Daniels runs speed option to the WV 47 yard line. Then the pass where Kardell makes a one handed catch but out of bounds. Then that brings up the weird turn of events where the weather delay comes. They take the delay of game but yet had to review the play. I thought with the play being blown dead and the review it would nullify the delay penalty.
They come out of the weather delay and punt.
They get the ball back after another three and out by WV.
Daniels runs option to short side of the field to Hishaw, and then followed by one to the wide side for a nice gain.
On 2nd eight they catch WV once again over aggressive with the same reverse play starting to the right and running the reverse to the left for a touchdown. Grimm just had to pick the holes to run through because he had so many blockers and open field the challenge was not running over his own blocker. It was well designed. I don't think a WV player got within five yards of him. KU up 28-17 5:46 left. They are in control.
Greene starts with a soft pass that finds its way just past Mello for a first. Mello was a step away from picking that or deflecting. He threw it over Wheeler. Another long pass over the middle between Grant and Burroughs. Well thrown ball down to the KU 32. KU gets WV in third and 10 and Greene finds the TE just found a spot in the zone. Wheeler is hurt on the play.
Next play Greene is surrounded by the DL and escapes then breaks a tackle then gets the 15-yard late hit penalty on Grant. Moved the ball to the 11. On 3rd and 7 the big TE catches a pass to the left side and is wide open. They picked on Wheeler who came back in the game after the TE went in motion nobody went with him. KU 28-23 and WV gets the two points on a reverse that the TE went up and made a nice catch. 28-25
Two run plays and now it is third and four with 2:36 left. They run Neal to the short side and West Virginia is all over him. Loss on the play.
Ball game on the line and Greene is surrounded by KU plays in his first pass attempt but Robinson and Taylor bump into each other and Greene scrambles for a first. JB Brown makes a nice open field tackle bringing up third down. On 3rd and six Borland brings six and Greene has nobody open, scrambles and makes defenders miss for a first down. This play hurts because they brought a blitz and had the receivers covered. Greene goes deep to the end zone and Mello gets called for PI. Moves the ball to the 15 yard line. Very next play Greene hits Gallagher wide open for the TD. WV lined up three WR and moved one in motion and it confused the secondary a bit and Mello lost contain.
Some late life with 16 seconds WV leaves Arnold one on one and Daniels hits him down to the WV 40 yard line. Ball game ends when #8 just speed rushes past Cabeldue to knock the ball free.
--------------------
Some quick thoughts:
Greene was good against the KU blitz. He threw better numbers when blitzed than not blitzed.
Still not sure how the Jayhawks let this one slip away. They were winning the LOS which has happened in every loss.
I'm just not seeing the pass rush from the Jayhawks front four. We said it would be a concern in the preseason and it is showing. Dean Miller is getting stuffed by bigger tackles. DJ Warner is still light and learning to play against better competition. I think we are going to start seeing more Bai Jobe. He got in six snaps and is getting back into game shape.
The secondary is supposed to be the strength of the defense but they struggled. Tackling isn't great right especially on opposing QB. 13 missed tackles. 220 of Greene's passing yards were intermediate to deep middle of the field.
Greene had 59 yards rushing after contact. That can't happen.
I think it is just message board fodder because fans want to blame someone. Well, I suggest you sit down and spend around three hours like I did and go back and watch every play. Right now people love to point the finger at Jeff Grimes. Well, guess what then you don't know football or you didn't watch the game closely. Grimes was not the problem. The offense looked to be clicking for several series and did some good things. The plays calls weren't an issue. Sure, like any football game you can go back and nitpick every coordinator in the country.
I am concerned about the psyche of the team. I know they are upperclassmen but that will still have cracks in the armor when you keep losing like this.
I thought the OL was up and down. No doubt losing Puni was a big hole that hasn't been filled.
TCU is just okay and they will be like Kansas right now searching for a win and how to fix things. In my opinion the TCU passing offense will be the best challenge for KU so far. They do some nice things in the pass game but don't run the ball well. Their OL is average.
What is bothersome about the 1-3 start is KU isn't this bad. They are actually a solid team but they are finding ways to lose late every game. Watching Big 12 football I don't know who is good in this conference. Maybe outside of Utah everyone ranges from below average to slightly above average.
