Defense key to Kansas title

By John Hillman  |   Sunday, May 10, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Kansas Jayhawks
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

In 1968, Richard Nixon retook the White House for the Republicans, "Laugh-In" debuted on television, and Kansas won a football title.

Although these first two icons have disappeared forever from the American scene, KU could repeat history this fall.

But for the Jayhawks to play in the Big XII championship game, their defense must step to the forefront.

The linebacking corps gives coach Mike Mangino his biggest concern. Kansas graduated its entire trio of starting linebackers from last season, but two prospects stand out heading into this fall.

Fifth-year senior Jake Schermer, who watched Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera and James Holt grab starting positions as freshmen, and Arist Wright, a senior, spent most of the spring with the first-team defense.

In the annual spring game, Schermer led the Blue team in tackles with seven, one of which was unassisted. But the Missouri native has seen little game action except for special teams over the past three years, and questions remain about his consistency of play.

Next fall, Mangino will probably use only two linebackers in most defensive sets. With Big XII teams relying more and more on the spread offense, linebackers play less and less of a defensive role.
The Jayhawk defensive scheme will most likely employ a fifth DB who has the size to stop the run but enough speed to cover receivers.

Except for end Russell Brorsen, Kansas returns the rest of its defense intact. But in big games last year, the Jayhawks tended to allow big points.

With encounters against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska and Texas in the second half of the 2009 season, the Jayhawks must hold these teams in check. In 2008, KU lost to these teams by an average of over 20 points per game. In 2009, the Jayhawks need a minimum of two victories against these formidable opponents to keep their title hopes alive.

Offensively, Kansas possesses few worries. Todd Reesing enters his final season as the top quarterback in the North division and stands just a shade behind Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and UT’s Colt McCoy.

Kerry Meier continues to amaze at wide receiver. The former quarterback caught a school-record 97 passes for 1,045 yards and eight touchdowns in 2008. With the emergence of Kale Pick as a backup signal-caller, Meier can now concentrate on just one position.

If the Jayhawks develop a decent running game, and the offensive line protects Reesing adequately, Kansas will score points this season. But KU’s ultimate success and championship dreams lie with a defense that prevents foes from scoring.
Got something to say?

Log In and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (1)

About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report