From the other side: Kansas

 From the other side: Kansas

1) Kansas ended the losing streak (15 games) last week, and students rushed the field. It came against Rhode Island. Did the fan base feel that was a bad look (rushing the area), or does this fall into any win is a good win category?

A couple of things on this:

 It wasn’t the traditional Reality Crazy field rush. I felt the students who stuck around went onto the field to enjoy the win with the players since it was their first win in 2014. A steady but smaller group of students has stuck with the team through coaching changes and losses. This has been blown a little out of proportion, in my opinion.

Kansas

 It was the team’s first win in a while. (Head coach David) Beaty took over a tough situation with scholarship numbers and a program that had been reeling since 2010. So, to get that first win was somewhat of a relief because now that is just one of those things they can put behind them.

2) The Jayhawks are playing multiple quarterbacks. Who holds the upper hand, Montell Cozart, Ryan Willis, or Carter Stanley? And why?

Deep down, it boils into a two-person race with Cozart and Willis. Interestingly, they attended the same high school, so they have much in common. Stanley didn’t get as many snaps as the other two, and I feel he is running in the third slot. But whenever Beaty gets to talk about quarterbacks, he mentions Stanley in the mix.

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From where I sit, I say Cozart and Willis are 1A and 1B, and Stanley is on the next level below them. Willis and Stanley came from Bishop Miege High in Kansas City, where they ran the spread offense and were well-coached. Cozart might have the upper hand in the mobility category, and the consensus seems that Willis holds an edge with his arm.

3) Kansas had some bad defensive numbers in 2015. Part of that is from playing in the Big 12 and all the prolific offenses present. State and why you think the Kansas defense will be better in 2016.

One reason is the offense. While the Jayhawk’s defense ranked near the bottom in national stats, so did the defense. If the offense can maintain drives, move the chains, and put more points on the board, it will help the security get a breather. In the Big 12, many offenses play a fast, get-to-the-line, and snap style.

Last year, Kansas played more first-year students than any team in the nation. Just a year’s experience will help the players understand how to defend and what to expect.

4) Speaking of defense, who are the players Ohio should account for on that side of the ball on Saturday?

The latest depth chart has Marquis Roberts on it, and he missed last week. It will be good news if he returns for the Jayhawks since he was third in tackles. His counterpart, Joe Dineen, has developed into a good Big 12 caliber player at the other linebacker spot in Mexico. Watch for two sophomores, Do, lance Armstrong, and Daniel Wise, on the defensive line. Last week, Wise led the team in tackles from his defensive tackle position, and Armstrong is an explosive pass rusher. In the secondary, Fish and Smithson led the nation in solo tackles last year.

Dennis Bailey

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