Kansas Jayhawks 2009 Football Betting Preview

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Kansas 2008 Record: (8-5, 4-4)
Kansas 2008 Bowl: Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota (W 42-21)
Kansas Coach: Mark Mangino (45-41 at Kansas, 45-41 overall)
Kansas Offensive Coordinator: Ed Warinner
Kansas Defensive Coordinator: Clint Bowen
Kansas Returning Stats Leaders:

• Rushing: Jake Sharp, RB, 860 yards
• Passing: Todd Reesing, QB, 3,888 yards
• Receiving: Dezmon Briscoe, WR, 1,407 yards
• Tackles: Darrell Stuckey, S, 98
• Sacks: Jake Laptad, DE, 7.0
• Interceptions: Darrell Stuckey, S, 5

Notable Kansas Returning Players: TE Tim Biere, DT Caleb Blakesley, DT Jamal Greene, CB Chris Harris, OT Jeremiah Hatch, DT Richard Johnson, WR Kerry Meier, CB Daymond Patterson, OT Jeff Spikes, S Phillip Strozier, CB Justin Thornton, WR Jonathan Wilson

Key Losses for KU: DE Russell Brorsen, C Ryan Cantrell, WR Dexton Fields, G Chet Hartley, LB James Holt, G Adrian Mayes, LB Joe Mortensen, LB Mike Rivera

The last two seasons have been surprisingly strong for Kansas, reviving the football program at a school best known for basketball success. This success is largely a byproduct of a very strong offensive attack and the Jayhawks’ 20-6 record over the past two seasons is one of the conference’s best. In 2008, Kansas played one of the toughest schedules in the country and finished the year with an 8-5 record while spending about half of the season ranked nationally. With a ton of talent back from last year’s gauntlet, can Kansas finally break through and play in the Big XII Championship game for the first time in school history?

Everything begins on offense with diminutive senior quarterback Todd Reesing, who has thrown for over 7,000 yards and 65 touchdowns in the past two seasons! Kansas scored a very respectable 33 points per game last fall but Reesing and company actually fell off of 2007’s pace by 10 points, thanks in large part due to a tougher schedule. However, with all of his weapons back at the skill positions, Reesing could power his strongest offense yet. Senior Kerry Meier and junior Dezmon Briscoe are two of the Big XII’s best receivers and they both had over 90 catches and 1,000 yards last year! Briscoe was a 2nd team All-Big XII choice after accumulating 1,400 yards and 15 touchdown catches and this is one of the league’s best pairings. Expect Reesing to continue feeding both the football in 2009.

The Jayhawks aren’t all about the pass attack either as senior tailback Jake Sharp is a solid contributor who ran for over 800 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall despite missing three games. He should be an effective runner behind a rebuilding line this season. The line is a bit of a concern as only two starters return and both are only sophomores. However, Kansas actually has a lot more talent back at the position this season compared to entering 2008, when both departed tackles were NFL caliber players, and I think that this unit will take advantage of a light opening run to come together. Overall, Kansas is going to field an extremely strong offense this fall and I expect the Jayhawks to light up the scoreboard all year long.

Defensively, there was a major step back in 2008. Kansas gave up 29 points per game compared to only 16 in 2007! Up front, three starters return on the defensive line and all are upperclassmen. Junior end Jake Laptad had seven sacks last year and I expect a strong effort at the point of attack and an improved pass rush. That will definitely help the secondary, which returns intact from 2008. Senior safety Darrell Stuckey had 98 tackles and 5 interceptions last year to earn 1 st team All-Big XII honors and will be the leader of a very strong pass defense. I expect a much improved effort against the aerial assault this season.

However, there is one glaring concern on defense: Linebacker. All three starters are gone from last season and the depth was such a concern that last year’s 2nd leading rusher switched sides in the spring! The three departed ‘backers combined for 288 tackles and 14 sacks last season! The performance of the replacements could honestly define Kansas’ 2009 season. If the Jayhawks get solid but unspectacular production and can field a decent unit against the run then they can compete with anyone in the conference. Stay tuned to camp to watch the position battle because it will be the key development leading into the season. Overall, Kansas has a very good secondary and a solid line. Regardless of how the linebackers shake out, I think that there will be some improvement defensively but the fate of this defense will ultimately be decided by the new faces in the middle.

The non-conference schedule is a blessing for the Jayhawks, whose only BCS opponent is lowly Duke! While a matchup with Southern Mississippi is dangerous, the first two games are nothing much more than warm up affairs and getting a whole month to break in new starters at key positions will be a huge advantage. Things get even better as their first Big XII opponent is a homecoming date with lowly Iowa State! Unfortunately, the season’s second half is going to be very difficult as Kansas only has two home division games and has to face both Oklahoma and Texas, making them the only North team unfortunate enough to meet the conference’s two titans in 2009. Their annual grudge match against Missouri will cap off the season in Kansas City.

Overall, I think that Kansas is the class of the Big XII North. The Jayhawks have an easy enough early schedule to settle their O-Line and linebacker questions and I would be surprised if they didn’t start 5-0 and build some serious confidence. Kansas has the division’s strongest offense and their pass defense should match up well with the conference’s theme of throwing the ball all over the field. A ten win season is a very realistic proposition. Despite playing both Texas and Oklahoma, I’m picking Kansas to win the Big XII North and earn their first appearance in the Big XII Championship game. Don’t count the Jayhawks out either, as they’ll very likely have already played the South champion and will know what to expect with a BCS berth on the line.

Kansas Big Games: Oct. 17th @ Colorado, Oct. 24th vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 31st @ Texas Tech, Nov. 7th @ KSU, Nov. 14th vs. Nebraska, Nov. 21st vs. Texas, Nov. 28th vs. Mizzou (Kansas City)

Kansas’s Strength:

The offense could be the most potent in the conference (that is saying a lot) if everything comes together. Quarterback Todd Reesing is a proven signal caller and receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier are both back after surpassing the 1,000 yard receiving mark last season. Add the dynamic Jonathan Wilson to the mix and Reesing just has to get the ball to a receiver and sit back and watch. However, that is easier said then done without the entire interior of the offensive line. The Jayhawks have a few experienced options ready to plug in, but Reesing will need time to find his targets. An improved line would also mean a more balanced attack. Jake Sharp is a fine running back who is capable of tallying 1,000 yards on the season if the line gives him space.

Kansas’s Weakness:

Kansas had a pretty solid defense last year. The numbers are not that great, but considering their opposition, giving up under 400 yards per game is not that bad. But now the entire middle of their defense is gone. James Holt, Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera were tackling machines who held the entire defense together. There is not much experience ready to step in, but there are some pretty talented athletes who have plenty of speed and athleticism. In the pass happy Big 12, speed and athleticism is never a bad thing to have. Jake Laptad had a great sophomore campaign, tallying 8.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. If the Jayhawks can find another pass rusher and create pressure from the front four, their defense will be just as good as it was last year, even with three new linebackers.

Our Prediction for the 2009 Jayhawks:

This will not be another 2007 type of season. Just like last season, the schedule is much tougher than it was when they went to the Orange Bowl. This is a team that can beat some good teams and it must be remembered that with their win over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl, Kansas has won back-to-back bowls for the first time in their history. It might not be another BCS bowl this time, but the Jayhawks very easily could make it three in a row.

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