KU offense responded to Reid's criticism, kind of
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Nick Reid was ready for a post-game fight — but you’d be surprised who he was calling out.
After Kansas’ 19-3 loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 15, the catalyst of the Jayhawks’ highly-regarded defense felt like heading to the nearest alley to get physical with some KU offensive players after they managed just 97 yards and also gave up a touchdown to the Sooners.
“We’re out there busting our butts. They need to play with more heart,” the Jayhawk linebacker said.
Until this week, that was the last we’d heard from Reid, the leading tackler in the Big 12 Conference. But now, with Kansas coming off a 13-3 win against Missouri, the tone in his voice is markedly different.
No, the Jayhawks’ offense hasn’t all of a sudden become an unstoppable scoring explosion. It has scored 13 points in both games since Reid’s outburst.
But while the KU defense has, in Reid’s words, continued to do “the same thing we’ve done every game,” the offense has been more accountable.
In its 44-13 loss at Colorado — a game in which the Buffaloes scored 16 points with their special teams — Kansas held the ball for 34 minutes and outgained CU 354-304.
Last week against Missouri, the Jayhawks rushed for a season-high 208 yards and also had their greatest time of possession at 34:47.
“They’ve been great. They’ve stepped up to the challenge, really kind of made me eat my words the last couple games,” Reid said.
For all the offensive improvement, Kansas is still a team that has to rely heavily on the consistency of its defense.
KU ranks No. 2 nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 69.5 yards per game. That’s almost 40 yards better than the single-season school record of 109.2 yards established in 1948.
In six of eight games, the Jayhawks have given up less than 100 yards on the ground. They’ve also allowed just one rushing touchdown all season. The next-best total by a Big 12 team is Iowa State with five.
And so what does KU expect to see from Nebraska’s West Coast attack today?
“They’re kind of a passing offense,” cornerback Aqib Talib said of the Huskers. “They have a nice running back in (Cory) Ross, though, so I’m sure they’re going to try and run.”
Naturally, this is what the Jayhawks hope.
“Our first thing is to stop the run,” Talib said.
Along with being so stingy against the run, Kansas ranks first in the Big 12 in red-zone defense. The Jayhawks have given up 14 scores (10 touchdowns, four field goals) in 21 drives that have penetrated their 20-yard line.
Missouri drove that deep just once and finished with only 180 yards, its lowest output since Gary Pinkel became coach in 2001. In addition, KU limited quarterback Brad Smith, who produced 480 yards against Nebraska the previous week, to 38 yards rushing and 179 total.
Talib set up Kansas’ final score by snaring an errant pitch by Smith in midair. The play typified the kind of game it was for Smith, who couldn’t solve a zone package that, for KU, was dependent upon solid play by the defensive backs.
“They didn’t have guys open all day long. If we get secondary play like that all the time, we will be tough to beat,” coach Mark Mangino said.
Talib agreed that the defense’s overall performance left it feeling like it can make plays regularly against any opponent.
In Nebraska, Reid believes the Jayhawks will be facing a much different unit than the one they held to 322 yards and caused to turn the ball over four times during NU’s 14-8 victory in Lincoln last year.
“I think it all starts with the quarterback. That quarterback this year is a great kid,” said Reid, making a roundabout comparison between Zac Taylor and NU’s 2004 signal caller, Joe Dailey. “He can really pass the ball, spread the ball. He doesn’t telegraph the ball.
“On (the other) hand, he doesn’t seem to be much of a runner, so it takes that aspect out of the game. But he’s a great passer, so we’ve got to be on cue as far as our pass defense goes.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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