I'm not surprised..

[mjrod]

The Manhatter said to watch out for this team, despite their schedule.

K-State is good on defense, special teams, shaky on offense.

ku has a running game.   We do not.  Without a running game, our passing game can't be open because the defense can close the gaps.

We can't rely on special teams to make up for our running game.

Ron Prince.. get a running game.

[KSUTOMMY]

Offensive Coordinator??? Any blame there???

[McGrowlTowelZac]

If I remember correctly, Prince never commanded any explosive offenses at UVA. 

Either he doesn't believe our line is good enough to run consistantly, or he just doesn't like to run the ball.

[mjrod]

There is no doubt.

Look, as much as we give crap to Callahan, he also understands what a running game is to having a productive offense.   Last year, he had a decent running game.  You look at any team that plays, and if you have a good running game and a good passing game, you're going to beat teams that have average defenses.

Make no mistake.   There was a reason Snyder scheduled softies.   You get a chance to establish both running and passing games and learn how to make both work before the conference.

ku didn't play exceptional football and didn't need to.   They took away the running game and tightened up the routes.  I never saw any of our playmakers go vertical far enough to open up the middle for the TE.  Out passes and short dump offs don't move the ball.   We need to make bigger plays more often.

We may not win against ku again until Prince gets an O-Coordinator that understands the running game.

[Shenlong]

Despite the fact that KSU didnt really try to run the ball, why did they get away from rolling the pocket?  Rolling the pocket seemed to be working against us, but then ksu suddenly stopped? 

[mjrod]

If I remember correctly, Prince never commanded any explosive offenses at UVA. 

Either he doesn't believe our line is good enough to run consistantly, or he just doesn't like to run the ball.

He did run the ball a lot more, but I think he's hoping the passing game will open up the run game, but it doesn't work that way.

[catdude33]

There is no doubt.

Look, as much as we give crap to Callahan, he also understands what a running game is to having a productive offense.   Last year, he had a decent running game.  You look at any team that plays, and if you have a good running game and a good passing game, you're going to beat teams that have average defenses.

Make no mistake.   There was a reason Snyder scheduled softies.   You get a chance to establish both running and passing games and learn how to make both work before the conference.

ku didn't play exceptional football and didn't need to.   They took away the running game and tightened up the routes.  I never saw any of our playmakers go vertical far enough to open up the middle for the TE.  Out passes and short dump offs don't move the ball.   We need to make bigger plays more often.

We may not win against ku again until Prince gets an O-Coordinator that understands the running game.

We will never win consistently until we have a decent running game.  Right now I think we can, it just doesn't seem like its a priority.  You have to be able to run for first downs on 3rd and 2 or 3rd and 1.

[cireksu]

how many times did we run the ball in the second half?  Under 5?  won't win very many games doing that.  on top of that, there were lots of times when they went 1 deep with tight coverage and we didn't look deep.  I know we burned talib but I really don't think we have a verticle passing game.

[Legore]

Early on we had some nice runs but as the game went on we were not able to move it on the ground.  Bedore's injury might have had something to do with that McClinton was whipping Viers pretty good.

I think the offense and defense get equal blame in this one neither was good enough to win.  Give ku credit they whipped us we were lucky it was as close as it was and we had a chance in the end.  We needed to jump on them early and we were not able to get a big enough lead to hold them off.  Second year in a row that we have a really poor effort against ku I'm really shocked by that.  Give ku credit they came back and hit us in the mouth after the first quarter and we didn't respond.    

[McGrowlTowelZac]

Early on we had some nice runs but as the game went on we were not able to move it on the ground.  Bedore's injury might have had something to do with that McClinton was whipping Viers pretty good.

Yea, but we still ran straight at McClinton a couple times even though he was brutalizing Viers....I hope Bedore isn't serious.

[Kat Kid]

We tried to run the football.  We couldn't run the football.

We tried to stop the run.  We couldn't stop the run.

We could've gone up 10-0 and we didn't.  After that ku started beating our lineman all over the field.  Their last touchdown drive was absolutely pathetic.

[hemmy]

Offensive Coordinator??? Any blame there???

Yes...its own fair share...a lot of play calling sucked.

[CatDubs]

Sorry mjrod, but I have to disagree.

Yes, if you have a good running game and a good passing game against an average defense, of course you will win.  Which is why average is less than good.  As long as our defense wouldn't be in the "terrible" category and give up numbers to awe at, nothing else could happen.

As with the softie Snyder schedules, it does not matter whether you establish a run game against these cupcake teams.  Once you hit real teams, that is all broken.  People were talking prior to today that because we played in the tough atmosphere of Auburn, that it helped us beat Texas.  Snyder only scheduled softie schedules because he knew he had the talented players he did that would win the divisonal games and also used it to give confidence to the players going into division play so they could get an edge against our tougher Big 12 opponents, not prepare them for big stadium road games which is what Prince needed to do in order for our team to succeed on the road with what we have.  We needed to be ready for Texas and must desperatly need to be ready for Nebraska.

Along the section about the play-calling..  have we ever been a vertical team this year?  We have been playing this same type of play calling all year long.  The only problem during this game compared to others was that our O-Line was destroyed almost in every aspect and gave Freeman no time at all.  Even when Freeman did get time, he rifled the ball so hard near the back of the reciever while he was running, or off completely while standing still, that the recievers had to make remarkable catches to move the sticks.  

I am just saying the reason we lost is because our defense was completely out-played, in almost every positiion.  We got lucky it was not a bigger score margin than it was because of all the balls bouncing off the gayhawks facemasks in numerous occasions because for some reason they can not close there hands around a ball.  Our defense was not out-matched, but out-played.  They did not show up today, and our offensive line did not give Freeman and company a chance to make plays.

Hopefully this will be a reality check and we can make a run with the rest of the season and hope Mangino does not eat a Baconator, because the explosion might make Manhattan filled with lard.

[mjrod]

Sorry mjrod, but I have to disagree.

Yes, if you have a good running game and a good passing game against an average defense, of course you will win.  Which is why average is less than good.  As long as our defense wouldn't be in the "terrible" category and give up numbers to awe at, nothing else could happen.

As with the softie Snyder schedules, it does not matter whether you establish a run game against these cupcake teams.  Once you hit real teams, that is all broken.  People were talking prior to today that because we played in the tough atmosphere of Auburn, that it helped us beat Texas.  Snyder only scheduled softie schedules because he knew he had the talented players he did that would win the divisonal games and also used it to give confidence to the players going into division play so they could get an edge against our tougher Big 12 opponents, not prepare them for big stadium road games which is what Prince needed to do in order for our team to succeed on the road with what we have.  We needed to be ready for Texas and must desperatly need to be ready for Nebraska.

Along the section about the play-calling..  have we ever been a vertical team this year?  We have been playing this same type of play calling all year long.  The only problem during this game compared to others was that our O-Line was destroyed almost in every aspect and gave Freeman no time at all.  Even when Freeman did get time, he rifled the ball so hard near the back of the reciever while he was running, or off completely while standing still, that the recievers had to make remarkable catches to move the sticks. 

I am just saying the reason we lost is because our defense was completely out-played, in almost every positiion.  We got lucky it was not a bigger score margin than it was because of all the balls bouncing off the gayhawks facemasks in numerous occasions because for some reason they can not close there hands around a ball.  Our defense was not out-matched, but out-played.  They did not show up today, and our offensive line did not give Freeman and company a chance to make plays.

Hopefully this will be a reality check and we can make a run with the rest of the season and hope Mangino does not eat a Baconator, because the explosion might make Manhattan filled with lard.

I understand that, but there are things called momentum builders.   KSU had an opportunity to go up by two maybe three scores.  At that point early in the game, there is less pressure on the defense to do things such as get turnovers and swarm, make decisions such as leaving the middle wide open for a player to come underneath and get 20 yards because the defense was trying to get a sack.

Players can play more loosely and just have to focus on stopping the other team because they will be making mistakes for a comeback.   There were a lot of tackles that were missed because players were hitting too high, or were going for stripping the ball.    When your offense has the ability to score at will, and more importantly in a big strike mode, then your defense can play smart and fast, without having to make the other team make mistakes.   You let them do that by forcing them into hole early.

So I understand the defense played badly, but only because the offense didn't help them out.

[Kat Kid]

Sorry mjrod, but I have to disagree.

Yes, if you have a good running game and a good passing game against an average defense, of course you will win.  Which is why average is less than good.  As long as our defense wouldn't be in the "terrible" category and give up numbers to awe at, nothing else could happen.

As with the softie Snyder schedules, it does not matter whether you establish a run game against these cupcake teams.  Once you hit real teams, that is all broken.  People were talking prior to today that because we played in the tough atmosphere of Auburn, that it helped us beat Texas.  Snyder only scheduled softie schedules because he knew he had the talented players he did that would win the divisonal games and also used it to give confidence to the players going into division play so they could get an edge against our tougher Big 12 opponents, not prepare them for big stadium road games which is what Prince needed to do in order for our team to succeed on the road with what we have.  We needed to be ready for Texas and must desperatly need to be ready for Nebraska.

Along the section about the play-calling..  have we ever been a vertical team this year?  We have been playing this same type of play calling all year long.  The only problem during this game compared to others was that our O-Line was destroyed almost in every aspect and gave Freeman no time at all.  Even when Freeman did get time, he rifled the ball so hard near the back of the reciever while he was running, or off completely while standing still, that the recievers had to make remarkable catches to move the sticks. 

I am just saying the reason we lost is because our defense was completely out-played, in almost every positiion.  We got lucky it was not a bigger score margin than it was because of all the balls bouncing off the gayhawks facemasks in numerous occasions because for some reason they can not close there hands around a ball.  Our defense was not out-matched, but out-played.  They did not show up today, and our offensive line did not give Freeman and company a chance to make plays.

Hopefully this will be a reality check and we can make a run with the rest of the season and hope Mangino does not eat a Baconator, because the explosion might make Manhattan filled with lard.

I understand that, but there are things called momentum builders.   KSU had an opportunity to go up by two maybe three scores.  At that point early in the game, there is less pressure on the defense to do things such as get turnovers and swarm, make decisions such as leaving the middle wide open for a player to come underneath and get 20 yards because the defense was trying to get a sack.

Players can play more loosely and just have to focus on stopping the other team because they will be making mistakes for a comeback.   There were a lot of tackles that were missed because players were hitting too high, or were going for stripping the ball.    When your offense has the ability to score at will, and more importantly in a big strike mode, then your defense can play smart and fast, without having to make the other team make mistakes.   You let them do that by forcing them into hole early.

So I understand the defense played badly, but only because the offense didn't help them out.

The offense had nothing to do with the defense getting gashed by the run.  Absolutely nothing.  The offense couldn't move the ball very well, but they put up 24 points (missed field goal should've been 27).  The defense got absolutely owned and it could've been worse with some of ku's dropped balls down the field.

[mjrod]

I understand the defense issues.   Our defense overpursued way too much, left the backside open too much and blitzed on the wrong calls.  ku going to the booth for plays against our defense didn't help either since we don't make adjustments on the field on defense.

We missed three scoring opportunities.   I don't care if they score 50 points, I want our offense to score 51.

[CatDubs]

All that can be said is that we we're outplayed today.  They made good adjustments to our defense and we did nothing to counter that.  With the momentum builders we did not take, they did.  Which is why we looked like we were playing from behind in the second half.  Our defense did over pursue the ball, but there was absolutely no back-side help which we have done well recently.  Our defense has been helping us win games, and they basically did not this game, and our offense is incapable of putting up numbers fast with our offense.

[bws]

  We never attempted to establish the run. I bet 9 of our first 10 plays  (if not more) were passes. Our philosophy is pass first, has been since the beginning of the Prince era.

[The Whale]

Did it surprise anyone else to see the defense refuse to leave the 3-4, even when ku would have 3 and 4 receivers on the field?