Poor coaching decision costs KU in loss to Mizzou 41-39

If this is the end for Mark Mangino, what an unbelievable and controversial way to go out.  On the field prior to the game coach Mangino told senior quarterback Todd Reesing to fire all his bullets today and he did, but it wasn’t enough. 

The Jayhawks scored their first TD in four games in the first quarter.  On their 2nd possession, KU went 99 yards on 9 plays.  It was capped by a Reesing to Dezmon Briscoe 7 yard scoring pass.

Missouri responded with a Grant Ressel 43 yard FG to make it 7-3, aided by a 30 yard run by QB Blaine Gabbert.

KU’s first called running play came on their 15th play of the game.  Mixing passes to Jake Sharp out of the backfield and a 33 yard pass play to tight end Tim Biere to the 1,  set up a one yard plunge from Reesing for a 14-3  Kansas lead.  

Midway through the 2nd quarter, Briscoe was fighting for a first down when he fumbled the ball at the KU 25 and Carl Gettis recovered and returned it to the five.  Derrick Washington then ran in from the two to cut the lead to 14-10.

The Jayhawks countered with a 68 yard scoring drive.  Reesing hit Briscoe for a 33 yard gain to the 8 and then with all day to throw, Reesing found Kerry Meier in the corner for a 21-10 Kansas lead.

A Ressel 23 yard FG cut the KU lead to 21-13 at the half

The Tigers scored 3 TD’s in the third quarter.  The first was a six play 65 yard drive with Washington racing in from 14 yards out.  Gary Pinkel decided to go for two but Kansas snuffed it and the score stayed at 21-19.

The Tigers committed a critical mistake as KU’s Jaccob Branstetter kicked a 29 yard FG.  Missouri was called for a personal foul and the Jayhawks got the ball at the six. On third down Reesing lobbed a corner toss to Meier for the touchdown and a 28-19 lead.

But MU’s Jerrel Jackson swept around the right side for a 37 yard TD run and Mizzou was back within 2 at 28-26.  On the next KU possession Briscoe had a 22 yard gain but fumbled again as Gettis recovered.  Three plays later Gabbert hit Danario Alexander for 68 yard scoring strike and a 33-28 lead.  

With 13:29 left in the game Ressel his a 37 yard FG and it was 36-28, but Kansas and Briscoe responded with a 74 yard TD and the 2 point PAT was good, 36 all with 12 minutes to go.  Kansas then regained the lead 39-36 driving from their own one before the drive stalled and Branstetter hit 39 yard FG with five minutes to go.

With three minutes to go KU was pinned on their own three and unbelievably instead of running the ball and the clock, threw two incomplete passes and then Reesing was tackled in the end zone for a safety running a QB draw making it 39-38 KU.  There could have been about a minute left on the clock and a three point lead, but KU had to punt with 2:45 to play and Missouri had great field position.  The Tigers moved to field goal range and Ressel kicked a 27 yard FG to win the game as time expired.

Reesing finished 37 of 56 for 498 yards ,4 TD’s and one on the ground.  Briscoe had 14 receptions for 242 yards 2 TD’s, but two costly fumbles.  Alexander had 15 receptions for 234 yards and a TD for Mizzou.  The two teams combined for one thousand and 99 yards.

The 41-39 win gives Missouri an 8-4 record and Kansas finishes 5-7 on the year with seven straight losses.

Can Kansas City continue their winning ways on the road?

With a two game winning streak under their belt, the Chiefs are in rarified air for them.  As coach Todd Haley likes to say, the season is cut into four quarters and right now his team is unbeaten in the third quarter of the season, but a large roadblock lies ahead.

The Chargers are hot.  They’ve actually made their late season rush about a month early and they’ve stormed back to presently lead the AFC West by a half game after the Broncos win over the Giants on Thanksgiving.

Plain and simple, the Chiefs don’t match up with San Diego.  They didn’t match up with the Steelers either, but somehow managed to pull off a win.  The problems for KC is this game is on the road and in recent weeks the Chargers seem to have found their running attack that had been lost in the wilderness.

With a ground game to back Philip Rivers, the Chargers air game is better.  Antonio Gates is healthy and back to being a primary receiver for Rivers.  Statistically the Chargers don’t scare you, but they still manage to put 27 points a game on the board to the Chiefs 17.  

For KC to win, they’ll have to win the turnover battle like they did against Pittsburgh. Last week, the Chiefs also won the special teams advantage, this week, they be taking on a team that has its own standout special teams.

Offensively, Jamaal Charles was special teams player of the week in the AFC and is averaging almost five yards a carry as a runner, but the Chiefs don’t think he can take a pounding week after week of more than 20 touches or so a game.  Kolby Smith has practiced this week despite an ankle injury and the Chiefs would like him to be able carry some of the load.   

Defensively, Maurice Leggett has been lost for the season, which will put even more pressure on the secondary against Rivers.  The young and improving KC defensive line needs to take another step forward against the Chargers, who will be missing Jeromey Clary at right tackle.  Jon Runyan has been signed to step in.  

Expect to see more of the gambling defense KC showed last week with linebacker and safety blitzes, but don’t expect another surprising win this time around.

KU seniors look to end careers with a high note against Mizzou

For the third straight year, Kansas and Missouri face off in the politically named Border Showdown in Kansas City.  What a strange set of circumstances have come together to make this an intriguing end of season matchup.

The Jayhawks are reeling for several reasons, not the least of which is the controversial investigation hanging over the head of coach Mark Mangino.  Of greater concern to the players is the six game skid they’re in and how a season that had started off so well could have the wheels come off so quickly.

One thing we can expect on Saturday afternoon in Arrowhead Stadium, is a team fired up to play their arch rival.  They will have heard the impassioned speech of former coach Don Famborough, the seniors who have made such a huge mark on the program will have thought about possibly their final day in a football uniform and Mangino will have given them a talk that never once speaks of the controversies surrounding him right now.

How that will all transfer into their play on the field is anyone’s guess at the moment.  A week ago at Texas, the Jayhawks played hard and well at times, but were out-matched when it comes to talent on the field.  The same thing could probably be said for the Missouri squad they will face.  The Tigers are more physically skilled, but Mark Mangino has made his mark against Missouri by often times flat out coaching Gary Pinkel.

The Kansas team will play hard for their embattled coach and defensively if they can pressure Tiger quarterback Blaine Gabbert, he could make the kind of inexperienced mistakes that often times lead to defeat in this game.  Kansas will have to slow down the red hot Danario Alexander and the best way to do that is with a pass rush.

Todd Reesing would like to go out a winner with his senior classmates, but he’ll need help.  Running back Toben Opurm is out, Safety Lubbock Smith is as well so this may be the opportunity for some seniors who have seen their seasons turn out differently than planned have a chance to write a storybook ending to it all.

It's a turkey and pigskin weekend in the Big 12

The schedule is a little light in the final weekend of regular season play for Big 12 teams.  It all kicks off with Texas A&M playing host to third ranked Texas on Thanksgiving night. 

The Longhorns take their unbeaten record to Kyle Field in what many people perceive to be an afterthought for Texas before they lay claim to the Big 12 Championship by beating Nebraska a week later in Dallas.  The Longhorns should be able to handle the Aggies with little trouble, but this is a rivalry game and upsets do happen.

A&M’s has won two of the last three meetings between these two squads and 8 of the last 12 at Kyle Field.  For the Aggies to win they have to be able to rush the ball and keep from being one dimensional, something that I doubt they’ll be able to do against the nation’s number one rush defense.

A&M is bowl eligible this year but they are a Jekel and Hyde team that could easily give up 50 plus points to the Horns in this one.

Could Friday’s game in Boulder be the swan song for Colorado’s Dan Hawkins?  A loss to Nebraska would leave the Buffaloes with a 3 win season in a year where Hawkins insisted that it was 10 wins or bust.  It’s possible the Huskers could suffer a letdown after securing the Big 12 North title last week.  Their defense will show up, but there’s little offense to begin with.

Colorado has scored 69 points in their two Big 12 wins and in their five league losses?....just 75...I expect the children of the corn to survive a possible scare in the Rockies.

Bedlam doesn’t mean that much outside the state of Oklahoma this year.  The Sooners are limping home with a shocking 6-5 record and just want this season over, but a win against Oklahoma State would heal some wounds.  The Cowboys and coach Mike Gundy are trying to put themselves in position for a BCS bowl bid and they need a convincing victory in Norman to help.  

In a strange twist, Boise State, the team that stunned OU in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago is rooting for the Sooners to win this time so they can have another shot at a BCS bowl bid.

Kansas and Missouri resume their Border war in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The first two meetings off campus have had huge on field drama.  This time the drama is off the field where embattled Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino has survived to coach through the final game of the season, but who knows from here.  

A win and KU can become bowl eligible and they snap a six game losing streak.  A loss and all the off field issues may mark the end of Mangino’s eight year tenure at Kansas.

Finally, Texas Tech closes out the weekend taking on Baylor in their oldest rivalry game which is being played on a neutral site for the first time ever.  The Red Raiders and Bears face off in the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Tech has won the last 13 straight meetings between the two clubs and in the Mike Leach era the average margin of victory has been 32 points.  The Red Raiders are also bowl eligible for the 16th straight season, the longest streak in the Big 12. 

McCoy pulling away in the Heisman race

The Heisman race is going down to the wire and I’m starting to see some real separation from top down.

My top pick is still Colt McCoy.  He led unbeaten Texas to a 51-20 win over Kansas last week while throwing for 398 yards and 4 TD’s.  As the season has gone on, he’s continued to get better and better.  Not that he was a slouch to begin with.

His completion percentage is now at 73 percent and his team scores on 50 percent of the possessions he’s on the field.  He’s now won 43 games at the helm of the Longhorns and that number will rise.  He has the Texas offense humming at the time of year it needs to be.  It’s certainly the best of the top three ranked teams.  I know it’s not a career award, but he’s also been one of the best three players in the country three years running.

Toby Gerhart’s Stanford team lost a heartbreaker to Cal, but he continues to win over voters.  Against a Bears team that was allowing 104 yards per game on the ground, he had 136 yards, 4 touchdowns and a 6.8 yard per carry average. He now has over fifteen hundred yards and 23 TD’s on the season and was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award this week.

Mark Ingram can’t be blamed for the schedule, but his 102 yards in a half against Chattanooga didn’t help him.  He padded his stats, but that team wasn’t even competitive against the Tide.  This week he’ll be the focus of arch rival Auburn’s defense, but the Tigers only rank 88th in stopping the run, so his numbers should be good. 

Tim Tebow is in the same boat as Ingram.  His team won big against a weak non-conference opponent in Florida International.  He had 102 yards rushing, including a career long 55 yard TD run against the fourth worst rushing defense in the country.  He passed for 225 yards and a pair of TD’s against the third worst total defense in the country.  He padded his stats and his team won, but they didn’t play anybody.  

My top three Heisman picks this week with McCoy starting to pull away are McCoy, Gerhart, Ingram.  

Chiefs stun Steelers in OT

Maybe there’s life in these Chiefs after all.  Kansas City stunned the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime 27-24 behind a resilient defense, Big special teams play and an offense that came to life in the second half.

KC’s Jamaal Charles opened the game with a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.  It was the first kickoff return for TD by Kansas City since 2005 when Dante Hall turned the trick.

Ben Rothlesberger shredded Kansas City in the first half throwing for 221 yards and a pair of TD’s.  The first Steelers score came on a 36 yard Jeff Reed FG early in the 2nd quarter after a 12 play drive.

Pittsburgh then drove 95 yards in 10 plays.  Scrambling from pressure, Big Ben found Hines Ward in the back of the end zone for the 8 yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead.    

The Chiefs had just 43 yards offensively in the first half without suspended receiver Dwayne Bowe, punting four times and turning it over on downs at the end of the half.  The Steeler defense didn’t seem to miss Troy Polamalu. 

With just over minute to go in the half, KC’s Ron Edwards missed a sack on Rothlesberger, who scrambled to throw a 10 yard TD pass to Miller and a 17-7 lead.  The Steelers had 279 yards in total offense at halftime.

In his first NFL start, linebacker Andy Studebaker picked off a Rothlesberger pass on a deflection off Heath Miller on the first possession of the second half.

Suddenly the Chiefs showed some offensive life and moved downfield with Cassel connecting with Leonard Pope for a 21 yard TD, capping a 62 yard drive, cutting the lead to 17-14.

With the Steelers driving for a score, Rothlesberger was picked off by Studebaker again, this time in the end zone and the 2nd year player returned it 94 yards to the eight, but KC couldn’t punch it in as Cassel was sacked twice.  Ryan Succop kicked a 27 yard FG to tie the game at 17 all at the end of the third quarter.

What Kansas City can’t afford if they were to stay in the game is turnovers and Cassel committed a huge one when he fumbled while being sacked by Lawrence Timmons.  James Harrison recovered at the KC 27.  Rothlesberger capitalized hitting Rashard Mendenhall for an 8 yard TD to make it 24-17. 

KC responded going 91 yards to score.  On back to back plays Cassel hit Lance Long for 30 yards and Chris Chambers for 46 yards and a two yard toss to Charles on an underneath toss pass tied it at 24 with just under five minutes to go.

In overtime Rothlesberger was driving his team into field goal range and took a knee to the head scrambling on the first possession.  Charlie Batch came in and couldn’t move them close enough and Pittsburgh punted.

Cassel then hit Chris Chambers on a 61 yard crossing route as he took it to the four yard line setting up the Succup game winner.

Cassel was 15 of 30 for 248 yards and 2 TD’s.  Rothlesberger was 32 of 42 for 398 yards and 3TD’s but 2 INT’s.  Pittsburgh dominated with 515 yards in total offense to 282 for Kansas City, but credit the defense for getting tough when they had to.  They came up with two huge sacks late in the contest.

This was a huge wins for several reasons but had to be unbelievably meaningful for coach Todd Haley, who grew up around the Steelers program with his dad as their chiefs scout during their heyday in the 70’s and early 80’s.  It also gives them one more victory than this team had a year ago and a 3-2 record over the past five games.