Reasons to be hopeful about next year.

[prplcat]

#1 It is hard to get an accurate impression about offensive line in the spring game.  That unit needs to work together and develop timing.  Put them all on the same line and give them reps they will be ok.  Plus we have missing pieces coming in the Fall.  Alesana, Liu, Sims could all figure into the mix, we may even have a freshman step up and get into the mix.

#2 I think if we can establish a decent offensive line, Freeman's composure, confidence, and effectiveness will skyrocket.  Every game that he has played poorly in has been because he has absolutely no protection. 

#3 Need I even talk about the running backs.  This is the part of our offense I'm the most pumped about.  If we can start getting a dual threat of great running coupled with great passing, we are going to be hard to stop.  JJ and Patton are both exciting runners, and then we have Bell, Reed and Woods coming in and you never know who may step up and be a force.

#4 I think again it is hard to judge the abilities of the wide receivers based on the spring game.  Everything really has a lot to do with how the offensive line plays.  They have all summer to get timing down.  If the offensive line pans out, I think Freeman is going to get the ball to the receivers, and we have  Jordy Nelson and Cedric Williams who are decent receivers.  Coming in are Lamark Brown, Ernie Pierce, Danny Hogan, Richard Evans, Jerrell McDaniel, and Deon Murphy who can make an impact.  I know most of those freshman coming in will redshirt, but I'm excited about Lamark Brown, he looks like a manchild.

I think we have nothing to worry about on defense, I think that will be the strength of the team, and the best thing that can happen to your offense is to have a great defense.  There is such a fine line between being great and average, I feel like these guys are about to bust through.

[fatty fat fat]

If what you say about our defense is true (and i trust you "prplcat") then as long as Freeman doesn't go into turnover God Mode, we should be able to sweep the home games, and steal one on the road (<<<---successful season

[ksuno1stunner]

On #3, I too am hopeful we will have success on the ground.  Our line was terrible, and they still did all right.

[catinthehat]

"Every game that he has played poorly in has been because he has absolutely no protection.  "

sorry bro.  you can't lay every turd on the steps of the o-line.  it's the qb's job to namage the offense, nomatter what shape that offense is in.  The reason freeman made so many mistakes is because he is a true frosh who should never have been on the field in the first place.  If you add that inexperience in with a bad o-line you get disaster.  This was a dinner of diaster and Prince set the table in september.

even with the problems at o-line he should have done better.  some qb's have all the tools but it falls apart for them on the field because they don't have it between the ears, freeman may be one of those.  I am curious to see what happens if he plays poorly this year again, what will prince do.

[FBWillie]

hwa whaa hwa hwa hwa, hwaaa..

[WildCatzPhreak]

Actually, it is pretty easy.

Games Freeman had good protection:
Colorado
Oklahoma State
Texas

Games Freeman had bad protection:
Kansas
Rutgers


Keep the pressure off of him, and he's a very good QB.  Let the pressure get to him, and we're screwed.

It's basically that simple.

Hopefully he learns how to handle the pressure as he gets more used to D-1 football.

[catinthehat]

"Keep the pressure off of him, and he's a very good QB.  Let the pressure get to him, and we're screwed.

It's basically that simple."

your right, it is basically that simple.  do you have faith that your o-line has made the proper improvements and will give him that time?

[WildCatzPhreak]

"Keep the pressure off of him, and he's a very good QB.  Let the pressure get to him, and we're screwed.

It's basically that simple."

your right, it is basically that simple.  do you have faith that your o-line has made the proper improvements and will give him that time?

Against Baylor, Iowa State, Colorado, Fresno, and the two puffs, definitely yes.
Against Texas, Nebraska, Auburn, definitely no.
The others are washes.

[catinthehat]

we got our own issues.  we suck ass at tight end, and our really good tight end may never play again with a carrear ending shoulder injury.  otherwise our tight ends drop to many balls.  I don't have alot of faith in our d-ends.  We really need barry turner to come off injury and be the man he was when he was a true frosh.  We will be doing alot of stuff with octavian off the edge, like your ian C to make up for some less than stellar d-end play.  The only thing that makes me happy about our d-line is the interior guys, they will be better than last year, the backers will be better than alst year so hopefully that can mask the poor end play. 

I think you guys are in the same boat as we are in that we are waiting on some late arriving people that if they show up ready to play could raise our games to a higher level.  We are waiting on 2-3 highly ranked d-lineman, 2 tackles and an end and you guys are still waiting on alesana and abana.  god help me if I didn't get the names right.  is chandler already on the team?

[doom]

Reason to be hopeful about next year:
Carson Coffman.

[opcat]

"Keep the pressure off of him, and he's a very good QB.  Let the pressure get to him, and we're screwed.

It's basically that simple."

your right, it is basically that simple.  do you have faith that your o-line has made the proper improvements and will give him that time?

 

[Pittcat]

Not to bag on you or anything, you've made some good points and spoke rationally for once.  But...

How many weeks did it take you to come up with this line?

This was a dinner of diaster and Prince set the table in september.

[WildCatzPhreak]

I actually feel really good about our defense.  I like Tibs.

The offensive line though, if those incoming guys don't make a significant difference..our team is gonna be mediocre again this year.  There could be worse things I guess, but I'd like to win at least 8 games every year.

[The Manhatter]

I think we're going to have a good team despite what the trolling corn think.


1) I have no worries about the defense.  We have plenty of playmakers.  Rob Jackson is the best DE in the conference.  Moran has played a crapload of football and when healthy he was good last year.  Only concern about the DL for me is whether Abana lives up to the hype.  LB...I think Roland is a solid player.  Instinctive and physical.  Walker needs to improve his tackling but he's a big hitter and can run.  Patterson...let's hope he's the stud he's hyped.  Campbell will be a stand up DE and he can pressure the QB.  Watts is the best FS in the conference and the entire secondary is experienced...a lot of solid players and solid depth.

2) I don't see how the offensive line won't be better.  Bedore returns at center..he played OL for the first time ever just two years ago.  He is improving all of the time.  Robinson and Unruh were adequate last year at RG...no reason why they wouldn't be improved.  Stringer was our best OL outside of Wafford last year.  So we're talking about 4 players who played in Prince's offense last season.  A lof of OL play is chemistry, timing, and experience...not talent.  Look at Nebraska and ku OL in '06...they were good not because of talent.  Add in the 3 JC's and a healthy Meyer...I just don't see how the OL won't be better.  LOL at those talking about the OL from the Spring game...yep, 1's mixed w/ 2's and 4 OL who are likely significant contributors out.

3) receivers.  Bigger, more versatility, deeper.  Sure, we're a little wet behind the ears but nobody was healthy last season.  Jordy should be back to '05 form.  Wilson should help...I don't care if Lamark has never played receiver.  LOL.  Pierce, Murphy, Hogan...will probably throw Woods out there.  How could it be worse than last year?  Nelson was never healthy, Moreira missed half the season...Yamon was just a speed guy.

[fatty fat fat]

I have no reason to believe that out of the group of Patterson, Abana, Hogan, Murply, Pierce that more than one will "live up to the hype"

Please, if we are relying on newcomers for help as it stands now, that will be a problem area for 2007.

Don't sound like this quy

I've posted this before, but figured I'd hop on here as well.

A big problem last year was injuries. Cornish wasn't healthy during the A&M game. Meier didn't play. Several other players were injured at that time.

How many teams (especially in the North) could: lose their best pass rusher, lose two of their top linebackers to injury (Holt early, Washington late), and your two best safeties (Harris, Stuckey), and still wind up decent? That's just on defense. Also don't forget that two JUCO cornerbacks didn't pan out (misevaluation of talent), and the defense, as a whole, was already inexperienced before the injuries.

I'm guessing there isn't a single North team that could deal with those losses, along with your starting QB and still be a major contender. Yet, last year, ku was awfully close to being a pretty darn good football team. A bad call in Lincoln, added to painful late losses to Baylor, Toledo and Texas A&M, meant that instead of a 10-2 record, ku sat at home last bowl season.

Don't forget as well, that ku had all the momentum, and was set to receive the ball on a punt with a chance to tie in the third quarter against Missouri when a player jumped offsides, giving Missouri a first down. The Tigers went on to score a touchdown and the game changed. I'm not saying ku would have beaten Missouri (although if Quartaro decided to give the ball to the Big 12's leading rusher against a team with a porous run defense they might have) but who knows. Many games can come down to a play or two. Last year, for whatever reason, injuries, inexperience, coaching, etc., ku didn't make those plays. At the same time, ku could have been 4-8, with losses to UL-Monroe and USF, except the Jayhawks made those plays down the stretch.

Mangino has ku to the point that the first team is about as good as anybody in the North. But the depth has yet to develop.

Maybe this year will be a breakout year, maybe it won't. But anybody who thinks that ku has a long way to go before being a contender in the North doesn't know what they are talking about.

[The Manhatter]

I have no reason to believe that out of the group of Patterson, Abana, Hogan, Murply, Pierce that more than one will "live up to the hype

"

Okay, and I wasn't saying all of those players had to come up big.

4 receivers: Pierce, Murphy, Brown, and Hogan.....if just one of the 4 does really well this season it will help considerably as we should have a healthy Jordy opposite.

Patterson or Abana.  It would be huge if both could live up to the hype but just doing half of what we expect...we do return our top 4 DE's from last season on a team that led the conference in sacks.

[Trim]

we got our own issues.  we suck ass at tight end, and our really good tight end may never play again with a carrear ending shoulder injury.  otherwise our tight ends drop to many balls. 

It makes me happy that nebraka's really good tight end may never play again with a carrear ending shoulder injury.

[Swartzendruber]

Why is Freeman treated like a 5th year senior?

Last year was his FRESHMAN YEAR for craps sakes. 

Cant we just wait and watch and see if he makes some improvements this year?  If he is still making the same mistakes at the end of this year or into his Jr year then something is wrong somewhere be it coaching or a lack of ability. 

Why cant everyone see we are going into the season with a sophomore starting at QB?

must be the sheen from the soul glo blinding everyone.