KU **** OFFICIAL 2010 Kansas Football Repository Thread **** - Page 5

ArrowheadHawk · 02:18 PM

Spring football Site

Let the Gill era begin.

**Lzen** · 03-30-2010, 11:13 AM

Stuckey impressive at combine.
http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/mar/02/29281/

ArrowheadHawk · 03-31-2010, 06:21 AM

Ready to rumble: KU football eager to put pads on

By Matt Tait

Photo by Jon Goering
Offensive players on Kansas University’s football team stretch prior to the Jayhawks’ first practice Sunday on the KU practice fields. After having worked out twice without pads, the Jayhawks will don pads today for the first time this spring.

The team's next spring practice will be held on Wednesday.

Although the start of spring football practice has been accompanied by a fair amount of excitement and energy, there still are a handful of rules that players and coaches must follow.

For that reason, Kansas University coach Turner Gill has not put too much emphasis on what he has seen during the first two days of drills.

“I’m more anxious to see what they do when pads are on and things are going on around them,” Gill said. “I’m taking into consideration what we learned in the winter (during individual workouts), but I want to know how they respond when we’re on the field, and (I want to) see all the things that are going through their minds. It’s a process. It’s a journey. Each and every day we’re going to find out some things about our football team.”

Beginning today, Gill will discover how his players perform in pads. According to the NCAA rulebook — which can be accessed at www.ncaa.org — only 12 of a team’s 15 spring practices can include full pads and contact. The first of those days cannot take place before the third practice of the spring. That third practice without contact is scheduled for Friday, April 23, the day before the annual spring game.

Of the 12 days during which contact is permitted, eight may involve
tackling, and no more than three of the eight tackling days can take place via the 11-on-11 scrimmage-type scenario.

In short, after helmets and shorts on Sunday and Monday, the Jayhawks are ready to turn it up a notch beginning at 3:30 p.m. today.

“Obviously, we know some guys, who’s played quite a bit and who hasn’t,” Gill said. “But I want to make sure our coaches have an open mind as we go here and really evaluate these guys on the practice field, particularly when we get into pads. It’s really going to be more of a true evaluation once we get our pads on.”

In a lot of ways, today could be the first real indication of what Kansas football under Gill might look like. Both coaches and players referred to the first couple of days of drills as a learning process, a chance to feel each other out and see how the coaches coach and the players respond.

Offensively, playing in full pads gives the linemen a better chance to show Gill and his staff what kind of players they are. Are they better suited for run-blocking or pass-blocking? In addition, the wide receivers, of which there are many, will get the opportunity not only to show how they make plays in pads, but also how they play in blocking situations.

“I try to be physical,” freshman Chris Omigie said. “At receiver, you have to be tough, physically and mentally tough.”

Defensively, opening practice up to full-contact status provides those vying for starting spots — on a defense full of opportunities — a chance to play fast and hit hard, which seems to be in line with the style of defense Gill’s teams will play.

“We’re going to get to be a lot more aggressive,” senior defensive back Chris Harris said. “We’ll get to take a lot of chances. As a defense, we’re bringing a lot now. It’s just an aggressive-minded defense.”

After today’s session, KU will practice again on Friday and Saturday and will be off Sunday.

ArrowheadHawk · 03-31-2010, 06:29 AM

Running it 60 percent of the time might not be bad for Turner Gill and KU

Blog: The Mad Geek
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By Jesse Newell
March 31, 2010

In an interview with WHB 810 on Tuesday, Kansas coach Turner Gill was asked about how often he envisioned his team would run the football.

"What that percentage is, I can't give that answer right now," Gill said. "If you sit here and say, 'What's your ideal situation?' I would say it would probably be more of a standpoint of being 60 percent run the football and 40 percent throw the football."

Gill did say that he would adjust his offensive philosophy to his talent, especially in his first year. That means KU still might rely some on the pass this year.

But 60 percent runs? When I first heard it, that number sounded awfully high, especially considering the success teams have had with the spread offense in college football the last few years.

So just how uncommon is it for a team to run it 60 percent of the time in today's college football?

Perhaps not as uncommon as you might think.

Let's take a look at some run percentage numbers.

To calculate a team's run percentage, I simply divided its rushing attempts by the combined number of rushing attempts and passing attempts it had during a season.

I understand this isn't perfect, as sometimes, passing plays turn into runs when quarterbacks either scramble or are sacked. Still, I figured these numbers will give us a pretty good glimpse into how often each team ran the football.

Let's start with KU's numbers. No Jayhawk team in the last 10 seasons has run the ball at least 60 percent of the time. The last time KU ran the ball 60 percent of its snaps was in 1999 (61.8 percent).

Kansas run percentage
2000 — 59.4 percent (4-7)
2001 — 59.7 percent (3-8)
2002 — 52.3 percent (2-10)
2003 — 54.3 percent (6-7)
2004 — 47.4 percent (4-7)
2005 — 51.8 percent (7-5)
2006 — 54.7 percent (6-6)
2007 — 51.8 percent (12-1)
2008 — 47.1 percent (8-5)
2009 — 42.8 percent (5-7)

It's interesting to see just how much KU went away from the running game in the last few seasons. The Jayhawks have seen their run percentage decline in each of the last four years.

So how do KU's run percentage numbers stack up against other Big 12 teams? Let's look.

Run percentage
Kansas State — 62.8 percent (6-6, 4-4)
Oklahoma State — 62.3 percent (9-4, 6-2)
Nebraska — 58.4 percent (10-4, 6-1 Big 12)
Iowa State — 57.6 percent (7-6, 3-5)
Texas A&M — 51.7 percent (6-7, 3-5)
Texas — 48.7 percent (13-1, 8-0)
Missouri — 48.7 percent (8-5, 4-4)
Oklahoma — 48.3 percent (8-5, 5-3)
Colorado — 44.5 percent (3-9, 2-6)
Baylor — 44.5 percent (4-8, 1-7)
Kansas — 42.8 percent (5-7, 1-7)
Texas Tech — 32.3 percent (9-4, 5-3)

Big 12 average — 50.0 percent (5,496 runs; 5,492 passes)
KU was next-to-last in the league in run percentage, leading only Texas Tech.

If KU would have run it 60 percent of the time last year, it would have been third in the conference behind Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Running it 60 percent of the time also would be 10 percent more than the league average.

So running it 60 percent of the time is crazy, right? Not if you take a look at the best teams from last year's final Associated Press Top 25.

AP Top 25 Run percentage
Alabama — 63.5 percent
Texas — 48.7 percent
Florida — 60.4 percent
Boise State — 52.3 percent
Ohio State — 64.1 percent
TCU — 64.6 percent
Iowa — 53.7 percent
Cincinnati — 43.3 percent
Penn State — 54.1 percent
Virginia Tech — 69.7 percent

Four of the top six teams — including the national champion, Alabama — ran the ball at least 60 percent of the time.

Honestly, that number shocked me.
So how close was Gill to hitting a 60 percent run percentage in Buffalo? Here are Buffalo's run percentages during Gill's four-year tenure.

Buffalo run percentage
2006 — 51.8 percent (2-10)
2007 — 52.8 percent (5-7)
2008 — 50.7 percent (8-6)
2009 — 51.9 percent (5-7)

The coach didn't come close to achieving his ideal 60/40 run-pass split with the Bulls. His team also didn't appear to become any more prone to the run later in his tenure.

Though it was a different era, perhaps Gill's run-first mentality came from his days playing quarterback at Nebraska.
Just for fun, here are his run percentages as a player at NU.

Nebraska run percentage
1980 — 80.9 percent (10-2)
1981 — 78.5 percent (9-3)
1982 — 78.1 percent (12-1)
1983 — 79.0 percent (12-1)

So what should we take from these numbers? I would say two things.

KU will run the ball much more this year than it has in years past.
That might not be a bad thing for Gill and the Jayhawks if they hope to someday build an elite team.

**Lzen** · 03-31-2010, 08:56 AM

Interesting. This is a good idea, although it shows that Gill's Buffalo teams were just over 50% all 4 years. The other thing it shows is that KU didn't run enough last year.

And Texas Tech, WTF? Only ran one third of the time?

**Buehler445** · 03-31-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

And Texas Tech, WTF? Only ran one third of the time?

A lot of it was screen passes to that little back they had.
Posted via Mobile Device

**Buehler445** · 03-31-2010, 10:44 AM

Posted via Mobile Device

BWillie · 03-31-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

Stuckey impressive at combine.
http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/mar/02/29281/

What did he run/lift?

ArrowheadHawk · 03-31-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

Interesting. This is a good idea, although it shows that Gill's Buffalo teams were just over 50% all 4 years. The other thing it shows is that KU didn't run enough last year.

And Texas Tech, WTF? Only ran one third of the time?

You could tell just by watching that we didn't run enough. I mean we couldn't even run enough to ice the game against MU.

sedated · 03-31-2010, 12:23 PM

The cornhuskerification of the Jayhawks continues.

At first I think only the elite programs can do the defense/running thing, since they get the elite athletes it takes to play dominating defense. But K-State had success last year playing that style, and KU's defense in 2007 was no slouch.

ChiefMojo · 03-31-2010, 01:40 PM

This is the way I have hoped KU would play for quite awhile. I say that because the defense needed help in the worse way. The high octane spread offense was fun to watch, but it killed KU's own defense and lacked any form of power. It was finesse offense when not clicking was a death trap.

All anyone needs to know about the lack of a rushing attack/mentality was the Mizzou game where KU throws three crappy passes in about a 10 second period by the goal line to allow Mizzou to easily stroll into scoring position for a game winning score.

**Buehler445** · 03-31-2010, 01:50 PM

Does anyone know if we are going to line up in th I, or stick to the spread? It would seem our lineman likely aren't suited well for a running game.

I really hope Opurum gets some good carries. He looked very very good last year. If we could get a scat back to get some speed back there, coupled with some carries for Quigley, I can see some success there if the line can perform.
Posted via Mobile Device

**Saulbadguy** · 03-31-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedated

The cornhuskerification of the Jayhawks continues.

At first I think only the elite programs can do the defense/running thing, since they get the elite athletes it takes to play dominating defense. But K-State had success last year playing that style, and KU's defense in 2007 was no slouch.

It's the cyclical nature of college football. Had you been watching prior to 2007, you'd know.

Teams recruited smaller, faster players to stop spread offenses. Of course that means if you want to run straight at these smaller guys, you will have success.

ArrowheadHawk · 04-01-2010, 10:44 AM

Patterson, no longer disgruntled, back at WR

By Jesse Newell

Photo by Richard Gwin
Kansas junior-to-be Daymond Patterson has made the switch back to wide receiver.

Daymond Patterson found his mind wandering during practices with the cornerbacks last season.

The Kansas University junior-to-be couldn’t help but think that he should be catching passes instead of trying to defend them.

“I would look down on the other side of the field and just daydream: ‘I remember when I used to be down there,’” Patterson said. “I’m just happy to be back over there now.”

Patterson is back to receiver this spring after playing that position briefly his freshman year.

The latest switch actually wasn’t even requested by him. Some assistants from the previous staff told new KU coach Turner Gill that Patterson would be better suited as a receiver than a cornerback.

“I feel like I’ll be a better player, a happier player and more productive on the offensive side of the ball,” Patterson said.

The 5-foot-9, 173-pound wideout from Mesquite, Texas, admitted that he had discussions with his father about transferring away from KU last season.

“We talked about it, but it was like a 50-50,” Patterson said. “It wasn’t like, ‘OK, for sure I’m leaving if this happens.’ But we did end up talking about it.”

Most of Patterson’s dissatisfaction came because he believed he wasn’t given much of a chance to prove himself at receiver.

In his first two games as a freshman, Patterson caught 11 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns. He also added a 75-yard punt return for TD.

Following a two-catch game against South Florida, Patterson fumbled his first reception against Sam Houston State.

After that game, he was moved to cornerback.

“I felt like I had showed enough flashes that I could be a productive player and really grow as a receiver before they actually moved me to corner,” Patterson said. “I could have seen if I was out there through four games, no catches, all types of drops and you just knew that I wouldn’t be any good at receiver.

“I think that’s what frustrated me more than anything is that you didn’t really give me an opportunity to prove that I wouldn’t be good at that position before you actually moved me.”

Patterson said he was promised by the previous coaching staff that he would return to the offensive side of the ball either later his freshman year or sometime his sophomore year. That never happened.

“I guess that kind of set me back,” Patterson said. “I was a little frustrated. ‘Well, they’re going to bring me back in the offense this game.

Well, they’ve got five wide-receiver sets this game.’ I never made it back.”

Though Patterson was benched at cornerback during the second half of last season, he still mentored D.J. Beshears, who was another receiver-turned-cornerback.

Beshears, who started three of the last five games, also is transitioning back to receiver this season.

“My mom and dad always told me and my brother, ‘Things are going to go your way sometimes and sometimes they’re not. That doesn’t mean you can sit there and complain about it,’” Patterson said. “Because I feel like I had plenty of chances to complain. ‘Well, I don’t want to play corner.’ Or, ‘I came here as a receiver.’ But that’s not how I am.”

Patterson said moving back to receiver fits his personality best.

“Growing up, I was always a running back, a quarterback. Basketball, a point guard,” Patterson said. “So I always had the ball in my hand, and I was always a focus point with the ball in whatever sport I played.”

Re-energized after being switched back to his natural position, Patterson said he’s ready to make up for the time he’s lost.

“I’m really out to prove that I was the receiver that could make plays in this offense before,” Patterson said, “and in this offense now.”

ArrowheadHawk · 04-05-2010, 07:39 AM

Matt Tait’s KU football notebook

By Matt Tait

Second week on tap

The second week of Kansas University’s spring football practices begins today, and, if Week Two is anything like the opener, coach Turner Gill figures to be a happy man.

After taking his team through four practices last week, including a small-scale scrimmage during Saturday’s workout, Gill said he was impressed by the way the Jayhawks absorbed what he and his staff had taught.

“(I) thought the guys got a good grasp of what we were doing, and every day we got better,” Gill said. “I love the effort and aggressiveness, what we showed on both offense and defense.”

Now that the lesson plan is in place, Gill said the rest of the month would be spent improving.

“We will work on execution the rest of the spring,” he said. “The first week was acclimation and expectations. There was a feeling-out period. Now they understand what we are doing, and we will start fine tuning.”

KU will practice at 3:30 today and will go again Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

A Bronx tale

Rivals.com indicates that KU has extended a scholarship offer to defensive tackle Al Page.

Page, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, is a junior at Christopher Columbus High in Bronx, New York.

He recorded 40 tackles, one sack and four fumble recoveries during the 2009 season.

In late March, Page told Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell that Rutgers, Maryland and Penn State — “in that order” — were his top three schools, but that did not stop Gill and his staff from offering.

Penn State has yet to offer Page.

Syracuse is the fourth school that has offered a scholarship to the defensive lineman.

KU in hunt for tackle

Kansas also recently made an offer to Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) offensive tackle Pat Flavin.

Flavin, 6-6, 260, is being recruited by KU offensive coordinator Chuck Long and has received seven scholarship offers so far.

According to Rivals, the six other schools that have offered Flavin are: Ball State, Baylor, Boston College, Illinois, Toledo and UCLA.

ArrowheadHawk · 04-05-2010, 07:41 AM

Replacing Reesing: Six candidates are vying for KU starting quarterback position

By Matt Tait

Photo by Jon Goering
The quarterback candidates for Kansas University run through a drill at spring practice last Sunday. It’s too early to tell who is leading the race to replace Todd Reesing.

The one question that may spark the most interest around the Kansas University football program this season might be the one that takes the longest to answer.

Which of the six Jayhawks wearing red jerseys will replace Todd Reesing as the team’s starting quarterback?

“It’s way too early right now,” KU quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Chuck Long said. “Each one has done some good things. But I have to go through a spring, really, to get a good feel for these guys.”

He’s not alone. In a lot of ways, the six QBs vying to be listed atop the team’s depth chart at their position still are trying to get a good feel for things themselves.

Entering spring ball, the list of possible replacements for Reesing included three favorites and a couple of darkhorses. That list grew by one on the third day of practice, when KU basketball guard Conner Teahan — a standout high school quarterback at Rockhurst High in Kansas City, Mo. — decided to go out for the team.

Although Gill has called Teahan “a longshot” to win the job, his presence further muddies the water that the KU staff is trying peer through in search of a starter.

“They’re all getting good reps now,” Long said. “But as time goes by, we’re not going to be able to give all six the same number of reps. We have to whittle it down coming out of spring. Who knows how much.”

The one quarterback on KU’s roster who even comes close to resembling a known commodity is red-shirt sophomore-to-be Kale Pick, who served as Reesing’s back-up in 2009. Pick, 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, appeared in seven games last season but threw just five passes, completing four of them for 22 yards. More often than not, Pick was asked to show off his skills as a running quarterback. He gained 167 yards on 14 carries and was responsible for the team’s two longest runs from scrimmage.

Also in the running for first-team snaps are red-shirt freshman Jordan Webb and junior-college transfer Quinn Mecham.

Webb, 6-foot, 210, hails from Union (Mo.) High. Mecham, 6-2, 207, comes to KU from perennial powerhouse Snow College, a juco in Ephraim, Utah. In 2009, Mecham led Snow to a 10-2 record, a top-five national ranking and threw for 3,091 yards and 40 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Along with that trio, red-shirt freshman Christian Matthews, 6-1, 186, and red-shirt junior Jacob Morse, 6-3, 195, will join Teahan in an attempt to make this year’s battle more than a three-horse race.

KU coach Turner Gill, a quarterback himself at Nebraska in the 1980s, did not make any of the quarterbacks available to the media during the first week of spring practices. All of them are expected to talk with reporters Monday, but, for now, it’s been up to their teammates to do the talking for them.

“It’s going to be a fight,” sophomore wideout Bradley McDougald said. “We’ve got a lot of great quarterbacks.”

Added senior defensive back Chris Harris: “I’ve been able to see ’em a lot so far. They came out here and managed the offense well and looked like they had a good grasp on what we’re doing. That’s exciting to see. I wasn’t here when we had a quarterback battle with Todd (Reesing) and Kerry (Meier) (prior to the 2007 season), so it’s exciting to see all of them battle.”

Gill does not appear to be overly concerned about how the quarterback position will shake out. For one, he has great confidence in his staff’s ability to assess talent and make the right selection. Secondly, he has faith in his own criteria for evaluating the position. Gill said the quarterback who wins the job will do so for four reasons.

“He’s going to take care of the football,” Gill said. “He’s going to raise the level of play of all the people around him. He’s going to show his leadership. And he’s going to show why the people there are excited about him being in that huddle. That’s it.

“They’re going to make mistakes, I understand that,” he added. “It’s a whole new terminology and all those things. But (we’ll look at) how they carry themselves and how the team responds to them, both good and bad.”

Long, who was a standout quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Iowa before playing five seasons in the NFL, said he would evaluate this year’s group based on one thing.

“Even if I had a starting role or starting position, I always felt like the next guy could beat me out,” Long said. “Quarterbacks have to have that inner competitive drive, even when they’re the starter, that says, ‘Hey, I’m going to keep this job, no one’s going to take it from me, so I’m going to be a perfectionist in everything I do.’ If you don’t have that then you get beat out. So that’s what you look for.”

Added Gill: “We’ve got two guys who definitely know how to handle quarterbacks.”

Spring ball heating up

After going through four practices of introductions, the Jayhawks changed things up Saturday and conducted the first official scrimmage under head coach Turner Gill.

Although the scrimmage was closed to the public and media and only lasted for part of Saturday’s practice, Gill appeared to be looking forward to it in a big way. A little more than two hours before Gill and the Jayhawks hit the field, the KU coach posted the following message on his Twitter page: “1ST SCRIMMAGE TODAY. LET’S GO!” Anyone with any kind of computer savvy knows that the all-caps style indicates excitement.

The Jayhawks are off today and will return to practice at 3:30 p.m. Monday.

03-26-2010, 01:55 PM
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03-30-2010, 11:13 AM	#61
Lzen Supporter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Jan Quadrant Vincent 16 Casino cash: $1860692	Stuckey impressive at combine. http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/mar/02/29281/ __________________ If at first you don't succeed ...skydiving is not for you.
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03-31-2010, 06:21 AM	#62
ArrowheadHawk Rock Chalk! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Topeka, KS Casino cash: $7964961	Ready to rumble: KU football eager to put pads on By Matt Tait Photo by Jon Goering Offensive players on Kansas University’s football team stretch prior to the Jayhawks’ first practice Sunday on the KU practice fields. After having worked out twice without pads, the Jayhawks will don pads today for the first time this spring. The team's next spring practice will be held on Wednesday. Although the start of spring football practice has been accompanied by a fair amount of excitement and energy, there still are a handful of rules that players and coaches must follow. For that reason, Kansas University coach Turner Gill has not put too much emphasis on what he has seen during the first two days of drills. “I’m more anxious to see what they do when pads are on and things are going on around them,” Gill said. “I’m taking into consideration what we learned in the winter (during individual workouts), but I want to know how they respond when we’re on the field, and (I want to) see all the things that are going through their minds. It’s a process. It’s a journey. Each and every day we’re going to find out some things about our football team.” Beginning today, Gill will discover how his players perform in pads. According to the NCAA rulebook — which can be accessed at www.ncaa.org — only 12 of a team’s 15 spring practices can include full pads and contact. The first of those days cannot take place before the third practice of the spring. That third practice without contact is scheduled for Friday, April 23, the day before the annual spring game. Of the 12 days during which contact is permitted, eight may involve tackling, and no more than three of the eight tackling days can take place via the 11-on-11 scrimmage-type scenario. In short, after helmets and shorts on Sunday and Monday, the Jayhawks are ready to turn it up a notch beginning at 3:30 p.m. today. “Obviously, we know some guys, who’s played quite a bit and who hasn’t,” Gill said. “But I want to make sure our coaches have an open mind as we go here and really evaluate these guys on the practice field, particularly when we get into pads. It’s really going to be more of a true evaluation once we get our pads on.” In a lot of ways, today could be the first real indication of what Kansas football under Gill might look like. Both coaches and players referred to the first couple of days of drills as a learning process, a chance to feel each other out and see how the coaches coach and the players respond. Offensively, playing in full pads gives the linemen a better chance to show Gill and his staff what kind of players they are. Are they better suited for run-blocking or pass-blocking? In addition, the wide receivers, of which there are many, will get the opportunity not only to show how they make plays in pads, but also how they play in blocking situations. “I try to be physical,” freshman Chris Omigie said. “At receiver, you have to be tough, physically and mentally tough.” Defensively, opening practice up to full-contact status provides those vying for starting spots — on a defense full of opportunities — a chance to play fast and hit hard, which seems to be in line with the style of defense Gill’s teams will play. “We’re going to get to be a lot more aggressive,” senior defensive back Chris Harris said. “We’ll get to take a lot of chances. As a defense, we’re bringing a lot now. It’s just an aggressive-minded defense.” After today’s session, KU will practice again on Friday and Saturday and will be off Sunday.
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03-31-2010, 06:29 AM	#63
ArrowheadHawk Rock Chalk! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Topeka, KS Casino cash: $7964961	Running it 60 percent of the time might not be bad for Turner Gill and KU Blog: The Mad Geek Subscribe By Jesse Newell March 31, 2010 In an interview with WHB 810 on Tuesday, Kansas coach Turner Gill was asked about how often he envisioned his team would run the football. "What that percentage is, I can't give that answer right now," Gill said. "If you sit here and say, 'What's your ideal situation?' I would say it would probably be more of a standpoint of being 60 percent run the football and 40 percent throw the football." Gill did say that he would adjust his offensive philosophy to his talent, especially in his first year. That means KU still might rely some on the pass this year. But 60 percent runs? When I first heard it, that number sounded awfully high, especially considering the success teams have had with the spread offense in college football the last few years. So just how uncommon is it for a team to run it 60 percent of the time in today's college football? Perhaps not as uncommon as you might think. Let's take a look at some run percentage numbers. To calculate a team's run percentage, I simply divided its rushing attempts by the combined number of rushing attempts and passing attempts it had during a season. I understand this isn't perfect, as sometimes, passing plays turn into runs when quarterbacks either scramble or are sacked. Still, I figured these numbers will give us a pretty good glimpse into how often each team ran the football. Let's start with KU's numbers. No Jayhawk team in the last 10 seasons has run the ball at least 60 percent of the time. The last time KU ran the ball 60 percent of its snaps was in 1999 (61.8 percent). Kansas run percentage 2000 — 59.4 percent (4-7) 2001 — 59.7 percent (3-8) 2002 — 52.3 percent (2-10) 2003 — 54.3 percent (6-7) 2004 — 47.4 percent (4-7) 2005 — 51.8 percent (7-5) 2006 — 54.7 percent (6-6) 2007 — 51.8 percent (12-1) 2008 — 47.1 percent (8-5) 2009 — 42.8 percent (5-7) It's interesting to see just how much KU went away from the running game in the last few seasons. The Jayhawks have seen their run percentage decline in each of the last four years. So how do KU's run percentage numbers stack up against other Big 12 teams? Let's look. Run percentage Kansas State — 62.8 percent (6-6, 4-4) Oklahoma State — 62.3 percent (9-4, 6-2) Nebraska — 58.4 percent (10-4, 6-1 Big 12) Iowa State — 57.6 percent (7-6, 3-5) Texas A&M — 51.7 percent (6-7, 3-5) Texas — 48.7 percent (13-1, 8-0) Missouri — 48.7 percent (8-5, 4-4) Oklahoma — 48.3 percent (8-5, 5-3) Colorado — 44.5 percent (3-9, 2-6) Baylor — 44.5 percent (4-8, 1-7) Kansas — 42.8 percent (5-7, 1-7) Texas Tech — 32.3 percent (9-4, 5-3) Big 12 average — 50.0 percent (5,496 runs; 5,492 passes) KU was next-to-last in the league in run percentage, leading only Texas Tech. If KU would have run it 60 percent of the time last year, it would have been third in the conference behind Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Running it 60 percent of the time also would be 10 percent more than the league average. So running it 60 percent of the time is crazy, right? Not if you take a look at the best teams from last year's final Associated Press Top 25. AP Top 25 Run percentage Alabama — 63.5 percent Texas — 48.7 percent Florida — 60.4 percent Boise State — 52.3 percent Ohio State — 64.1 percent TCU — 64.6 percent Iowa — 53.7 percent Cincinnati — 43.3 percent Penn State — 54.1 percent Virginia Tech — 69.7 percent Four of the top six teams — including the national champion, Alabama — ran the ball at least 60 percent of the time. Honestly, that number shocked me. So how close was Gill to hitting a 60 percent run percentage in Buffalo? Here are Buffalo's run percentages during Gill's four-year tenure. Buffalo run percentage 2006 — 51.8 percent (2-10) 2007 — 52.8 percent (5-7) 2008 — 50.7 percent (8-6) 2009 — 51.9 percent (5-7) The coach didn't come close to achieving his ideal 60/40 run-pass split with the Bulls. His team also didn't appear to become any more prone to the run later in his tenure. Though it was a different era, perhaps Gill's run-first mentality came from his days playing quarterback at Nebraska. Just for fun, here are his run percentages as a player at NU. Nebraska run percentage 1980 — 80.9 percent (10-2) 1981 — 78.5 percent (9-3) 1982 — 78.1 percent (12-1) 1983 — 79.0 percent (12-1) So what should we take from these numbers? I would say two things. KU will run the ball much more this year than it has in years past. That might not be a bad thing for Gill and the Jayhawks if they hope to someday build an elite team.
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03-31-2010, 08:56 AM	#64
Lzen Supporter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Jan Quadrant Vincent 16 Casino cash: $1860692	Interesting. This is a good idea, although it shows that Gill's Buffalo teams were just over 50% all 4 years. The other thing it shows is that KU didn't run enough last year. And Texas Tech, WTF? Only ran one third of the time? __________________ If at first you don't succeed ...skydiving is not for you.
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03-31-2010, 10:44 AM	#66
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $1764734	Posted via Mobile Device
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03-31-2010, 01:40 PM	#70
ChiefMojo Happy, Happy, Happy!!! Join Date: Jan 2009 Casino cash: $10004935	This is the way I have hoped KU would play for quite awhile. I say that because the defense needed help in the worse way. The high octane spread offense was fun to watch, but it killed KU's own defense and lacked any form of power. It was finesse offense when not clicking was a death trap. All anyone needs to know about the lack of a rushing attack/mentality was the Mizzou game where KU throws three crappy passes in about a 10 second period by the goal line to allow Mizzou to easily stroll into scoring position for a game winning score.
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03-31-2010, 01:50 PM	#71
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $1764734	Does anyone know if we are going to line up in th I, or stick to the spread? It would seem our lineman likely aren't suited well for a running game. I really hope Opurum gets some good carries. He looked very very good last year. If we could get a scat back to get some speed back there, coupled with some carries for Quigley, I can see some success there if the line can perform. Posted via Mobile Device
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04-01-2010, 10:44 AM	#73
ArrowheadHawk Rock Chalk! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Topeka, KS Casino cash: $7964961	Patterson, no longer disgruntled, back at WR By Jesse Newell Photo by Richard Gwin Kansas junior-to-be Daymond Patterson has made the switch back to wide receiver. Daymond Patterson found his mind wandering during practices with the cornerbacks last season. The Kansas University junior-to-be couldn’t help but think that he should be catching passes instead of trying to defend them. “I would look down on the other side of the field and just daydream: ‘I remember when I used to be down there,’” Patterson said. “I’m just happy to be back over there now.” Patterson is back to receiver this spring after playing that position briefly his freshman year. The latest switch actually wasn’t even requested by him. Some assistants from the previous staff told new KU coach Turner Gill that Patterson would be better suited as a receiver than a cornerback. “I feel like I’ll be a better player, a happier player and more productive on the offensive side of the ball,” Patterson said. The 5-foot-9, 173-pound wideout from Mesquite, Texas, admitted that he had discussions with his father about transferring away from KU last season. “We talked about it, but it was like a 50-50,” Patterson said. “It wasn’t like, ‘OK, for sure I’m leaving if this happens.’ But we did end up talking about it.” Most of Patterson’s dissatisfaction came because he believed he wasn’t given much of a chance to prove himself at receiver. In his first two games as a freshman, Patterson caught 11 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns. He also added a 75-yard punt return for TD. Following a two-catch game against South Florida, Patterson fumbled his first reception against Sam Houston State. After that game, he was moved to cornerback. “I felt like I had showed enough flashes that I could be a productive player and really grow as a receiver before they actually moved me to corner,” Patterson said. “I could have seen if I was out there through four games, no catches, all types of drops and you just knew that I wouldn’t be any good at receiver. “I think that’s what frustrated me more than anything is that you didn’t really give me an opportunity to prove that I wouldn’t be good at that position before you actually moved me.” Patterson said he was promised by the previous coaching staff that he would return to the offensive side of the ball either later his freshman year or sometime his sophomore year. That never happened. “I guess that kind of set me back,” Patterson said. “I was a little frustrated. ‘Well, they’re going to bring me back in the offense this game. Well, they’ve got five wide-receiver sets this game.’ I never made it back.” Though Patterson was benched at cornerback during the second half of last season, he still mentored D.J. Beshears, who was another receiver-turned-cornerback. Beshears, who started three of the last five games, also is transitioning back to receiver this season. “My mom and dad always told me and my brother, ‘Things are going to go your way sometimes and sometimes they’re not. That doesn’t mean you can sit there and complain about it,’” Patterson said. “Because I feel like I had plenty of chances to complain. ‘Well, I don’t want to play corner.’ Or, ‘I came here as a receiver.’ But that’s not how I am.” Patterson said moving back to receiver fits his personality best. “Growing up, I was always a running back, a quarterback. Basketball, a point guard,” Patterson said. “So I always had the ball in my hand, and I was always a focus point with the ball in whatever sport I played.” Re-energized after being switched back to his natural position, Patterson said he’s ready to make up for the time he’s lost. “I’m really out to prove that I was the receiver that could make plays in this offense before,” Patterson said, “and in this offense now.”
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04-05-2010, 07:39 AM	#74
ArrowheadHawk Rock Chalk! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Topeka, KS Casino cash: $7964961	Matt Tait’s KU football notebook By Matt Tait Second week on tap The second week of Kansas University’s spring football practices begins today, and, if Week Two is anything like the opener, coach Turner Gill figures to be a happy man. After taking his team through four practices last week, including a small-scale scrimmage during Saturday’s workout, Gill said he was impressed by the way the Jayhawks absorbed what he and his staff had taught. “(I) thought the guys got a good grasp of what we were doing, and every day we got better,” Gill said. “I love the effort and aggressiveness, what we showed on both offense and defense.” Now that the lesson plan is in place, Gill said the rest of the month would be spent improving. “We will work on execution the rest of the spring,” he said. “The first week was acclimation and expectations. There was a feeling-out period. Now they understand what we are doing, and we will start fine tuning.” KU will practice at 3:30 today and will go again Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. A Bronx tale Rivals.com indicates that KU has extended a scholarship offer to defensive tackle Al Page. Page, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, is a junior at Christopher Columbus High in Bronx, New York. He recorded 40 tackles, one sack and four fumble recoveries during the 2009 season. In late March, Page told Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell that Rutgers, Maryland and Penn State — “in that order” — were his top three schools, but that did not stop Gill and his staff from offering. Penn State has yet to offer Page. Syracuse is the fourth school that has offered a scholarship to the defensive lineman. KU in hunt for tackle Kansas also recently made an offer to Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) offensive tackle Pat Flavin. Flavin, 6-6, 260, is being recruited by KU offensive coordinator Chuck Long and has received seven scholarship offers so far. According to Rivals, the six other schools that have offered Flavin are: Ball State, Baylor, Boston College, Illinois, Toledo and UCLA.
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04-05-2010, 07:41 AM	#75
ArrowheadHawk Rock Chalk! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Topeka, KS Casino cash: $7964961	Replacing Reesing: Six candidates are vying for KU starting quarterback position By Matt Tait Photo by Jon Goering The quarterback candidates for Kansas University run through a drill at spring practice last Sunday. It’s too early to tell who is leading the race to replace Todd Reesing. The one question that may spark the most interest around the Kansas University football program this season might be the one that takes the longest to answer. Which of the six Jayhawks wearing red jerseys will replace Todd Reesing as the team’s starting quarterback? “It’s way too early right now,” KU quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Chuck Long said. “Each one has done some good things. But I have to go through a spring, really, to get a good feel for these guys.” He’s not alone. In a lot of ways, the six QBs vying to be listed atop the team’s depth chart at their position still are trying to get a good feel for things themselves. Entering spring ball, the list of possible replacements for Reesing included three favorites and a couple of darkhorses. That list grew by one on the third day of practice, when KU basketball guard Conner Teahan — a standout high school quarterback at Rockhurst High in Kansas City, Mo. — decided to go out for the team. Although Gill has called Teahan “a longshot” to win the job, his presence further muddies the water that the KU staff is trying peer through in search of a starter. “They’re all getting good reps now,” Long said. “But as time goes by, we’re not going to be able to give all six the same number of reps. We have to whittle it down coming out of spring. Who knows how much.” The one quarterback on KU’s roster who even comes close to resembling a known commodity is red-shirt sophomore-to-be Kale Pick, who served as Reesing’s back-up in 2009. Pick, 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, appeared in seven games last season but threw just five passes, completing four of them for 22 yards. More often than not, Pick was asked to show off his skills as a running quarterback. He gained 167 yards on 14 carries and was responsible for the team’s two longest runs from scrimmage. Also in the running for first-team snaps are red-shirt freshman Jordan Webb and junior-college transfer Quinn Mecham. Webb, 6-foot, 210, hails from Union (Mo.) High. Mecham, 6-2, 207, comes to KU from perennial powerhouse Snow College, a juco in Ephraim, Utah. In 2009, Mecham led Snow to a 10-2 record, a top-five national ranking and threw for 3,091 yards and 40 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Along with that trio, red-shirt freshman Christian Matthews, 6-1, 186, and red-shirt junior Jacob Morse, 6-3, 195, will join Teahan in an attempt to make this year’s battle more than a three-horse race. KU coach Turner Gill, a quarterback himself at Nebraska in the 1980s, did not make any of the quarterbacks available to the media during the first week of spring practices. All of them are expected to talk with reporters Monday, but, for now, it’s been up to their teammates to do the talking for them. “It’s going to be a fight,” sophomore wideout Bradley McDougald said. “We’ve got a lot of great quarterbacks.” Added senior defensive back Chris Harris: “I’ve been able to see ’em a lot so far. They came out here and managed the offense well and looked like they had a good grasp on what we’re doing. That’s exciting to see. I wasn’t here when we had a quarterback battle with Todd (Reesing) and Kerry (Meier) (prior to the 2007 season), so it’s exciting to see all of them battle.” Gill does not appear to be overly concerned about how the quarterback position will shake out. For one, he has great confidence in his staff’s ability to assess talent and make the right selection. Secondly, he has faith in his own criteria for evaluating the position. Gill said the quarterback who wins the job will do so for four reasons. “He’s going to take care of the football,” Gill said. “He’s going to raise the level of play of all the people around him. He’s going to show his leadership. And he’s going to show why the people there are excited about him being in that huddle. That’s it. “They’re going to make mistakes, I understand that,” he added. “It’s a whole new terminology and all those things. But (we’ll look at) how they carry themselves and how the team responds to them, both good and bad.” Long, who was a standout quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Iowa before playing five seasons in the NFL, said he would evaluate this year’s group based on one thing. “Even if I had a starting role or starting position, I always felt like the next guy could beat me out,” Long said. “Quarterbacks have to have that inner competitive drive, even when they’re the starter, that says, ‘Hey, I’m going to keep this job, no one’s going to take it from me, so I’m going to be a perfectionist in everything I do.’ If you don’t have that then you get beat out. So that’s what you look for.” Added Gill: “We’ve got two guys who definitely know how to handle quarterbacks.” Spring ball heating up After going through four practices of introductions, the Jayhawks changed things up Saturday and conducted the first official scrimmage under head coach Turner Gill. Although the scrimmage was closed to the public and media and only lasted for part of Saturday’s practice, Gill appeared to be looking forward to it in a big way. A little more than two hours before Gill and the Jayhawks hit the field, the KU coach posted the following message on his Twitter page: “1ST SCRIMMAGE TODAY. LET’S GO!” Anyone with any kind of computer savvy knows that the all-caps style indicates excitement. The Jayhawks are off today and will return to practice at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
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