Nebraska Cornhuskers: 2010 Exit Survey

2010 CFBZ Prediction: 1st Place in Big 12 North and Big 12 Champion
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 1st Place in Big 12 North and Big 12 Runner-Up (10-4, 6-2)


Nebraska came really close to having a special season but it came apart in the last four games for them. The Cornhuskers got off to a 9-1 start including wins over Okie State and Missouri (who was ranked #6 at the time). On November 20th Nebraska fell to Texas A&M 9-6 in a game where they set school records for penalties and penalty yards. After beating Colorado to get their record to 10-2 they lost a close one in the Big 12 Championship Game to rival Oklahoma 23-20. Probably the most disappointing moment of the season came when Nebraska fell flat in it's bowl game against Washington (a team it had previously beaten this year 56-21). We were able to talk our Nebraska blogger, Brandon, down off of his ledge long enough for him to answer some questions for us about the 2010 season and get a quick look into the 2011 season. You can also follow him on twitter @bigstad24, he should be an interesting guy to follow next college football season as it will be Nebraska's first in the Big Ten.



1. Nebraska finished 10-4 losing 3 of their last 4. Looking back on the season was it a success, a failure or somewhere in between?

I, personally, have to label this season as a failure. I never really bought into the hype of Nebraska being a National Championship contender but you could definitely see that the talent was there to do so. Unfortunately, there were too many holes to prevent it from happening. I admit that I was snowed after the Washington and Kansas State games when the offense looked like the Nebraska of old with its domination of the run game and a defense that could shut down pretty much any offense. Then…the Texas game occurred and from that point forward they didn’t look like the same team. Taylor Martinez was exposed as not having the confidence that he should, the defense was shown prone to being beaten by the run, and the coaching staff was exposed as having little creativity offensively (save for a few Rex Burkhead plays in the last few games…) to get scores. So it became a failure when in three of the last four games you lose 9-6 to Texas A&M taking you out of a potential (albeit…small) chance at a National Title. You lose in heartbreaking fashion to Oklahoma, going back to your Quarterback who had been stopped repeatedly and not sticking with what was working and losing your last game on the way out of the Big 12 Conference. Then finally you lose to a team which you had dominated earlier in the season, and while you may have taken a lot of money away from their Quarterback, you still couldn’t get anything going offensively. If this seems like a successful season to you then by all means take it, but for it was a failure.

2. If you could have one game to "do over" which one would it be?

As much as people would probably expect me to say that I would like to redo the Texas A&M or Oklahoma game, I would rather redo the Holiday Bowl game against Washington. I think that you have to win a game of that magnitude after the prior month going so awry. I don’t think it hurt recruiting too much, but it seemed as if the team just lost focus and seemed badly distracted going into and during that game. As I said before you NEED to win that game so that you can prove the naysayers wrong, and regain some of the luster you lost with two of the losses which you suffered late. It also shows that you may have not been as good as you were touted to be EARLY in the season when you had already beaten that team. You need people to perceive that your team is dominant even if they actually aren’t that way you can keep the intimidation factor. With this loss? You lose that factor, and you also lose the idea of, “A couple of bad breaks…” being the difference in your season.

3. Which player were the most surprising to you this year?

The player that most surprised me this year was Lavonte David. I understand that he was a decent prospect coming out of JUCO last year, but for him to play that hybrid safety/linebacker position and in a dominant manner was something to behold. I don’t think he has much of a future at the next level as a linebacker, but with his ability to cover and run and his tackling ability he will make whatever team drafts him very happy as a Strong Saftey.

4. Which players are you most looking forward to watching in 2011?

Jared Crick because I think he has a chance to be another awesome defensive tackle; I don’t think he will ever get to a Suh-type level, but I certainly think he could be an awesome force on the inside of a defense for years to come. The aforementioned Lavonte David. Alfonso Dennard is also one to watch because of how well he played with Prince Amukamara on the other side of him. I am anxious to see if he can be the same type of corner when he is the focal point of the secondary, and see if he can shut down one side of the field like Amukamara did this entire year. I am also very pumped to see Rex Burkhead as the main running back and see if he can keep up what he did at the end of this year as a do everything style back, and be able to shoulder the load of the carries with no Roy Helu there to help him out.

5. Nebraska is in the same Big Ten division as Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern. How do you like Nebraska's chances in this division and what do they need to do this off-season to compete for a Big Ten Championship in their first year?

I like Nebraska’s chances in this division for sure because of how different every other team in it will look next season. Michigan is going to be rebuilding again, Michigan State was greatly exposed by Alabama and I don’t think they can do the same thing they did this past season. Minnesota is going to have a new coach to go along with the same players from a very poor season. Then there is Northwestern whom I think is a sleeper in this division and could win it, but they have never proven to win the big game yet, and I don’t have much faith that you can just learn that over an off-season. What does Nebraska need to do this off-season? I think that a change must be made with the offensive coordinator. I know that Bo Pellini has given him a “vote of confidence” but to me you can’t expect any different result on offense with the same person in charge. Where they would turn? I have no clue, but I know it probably can’t be with current Oregon Wide Receiver’s coach Scott Frost as this was his first year as a coach on the offensive side of the ball. I also don’t think Joe Ganz (a current Graduate Assistant) can just jump up to Quarterback’s coach, but I think that this is what needs to change the most because the defense is always going to be there to stop people. All that you need is one more point than the defense allows, and right now I don’t think that this offensive staff can get that done on a consistent basis.

Things Need to Change

I am not ready to abort the entire Pellini tenure, yet, but things do need to change at Nebraska. The first thing that needs to change is the offensive philosophy, and unfortunately I think that means the end of Shawn Watson’s time as Offensive Coordinator. While he has done a lot of good during his time at Nebraska I think it is time for a change, as I feel he is not the best person for the job anymore. Since Bo Pellini has such a stranglehold on the defense, you need an offensive coordinator who can act like a head coach and I don’t think that Shawn Watson has it in him. Who else is out there? I have no idea, maybe, you could hire a coach who has been fired or maybe you could hire a hotshot QB coach or something, but a change in philosophy definitely needs to happen.

Taylor Martinez? Gone. He needs to either be benched or he needs to leave the team because he just doesn’t fit. I know he moved the ball well the first part of the year, but look at the competition he faced and look at how well he did in the second part of the year. I think anyone would have been able to just as well against those teams, the MAJOR red flag that I saw and no one else did was the South Dakota State game where he made bad decision after bad decision to the extent that he had to be benched. It was at that point when I realized that this wasn’t his team and that he wasn’t meant to be a starter. I know that I tweeted that I will go to my grave saying that Cody Green should have been the starter from the beginning but it is more than that, he had more of a command of the offense during the season than Taylor Martinez did, even our beloved King of the Sun Belt played better. Could he have been rattled by the constant benching against various teams throughout the year? Yes, but that also showed that the coaching staff didn’t have the utmost faith in him as the starter in big games. It is also a mechanics issue, and it is obvious he can’t really go down field, he telegraphs all of his throws, his eyes stick to one receiver making it clear who he is going to, and he really doesn’t get anything on the ball. All these things change as you get older and more mature, but he should have better instincts being a quarterback already, and he simply doesn’t have those. I think it is time for Nebraska to just move on because I don’t know if it will ever work out there for him.

So who do you go to instead of Taylor Martinez? Cody Green should be the guy for the next two years I think since he has been in the system, and even if you do switch Offensive Coordinators he seems more adapt to change than anyone else right now. After that I think that Brion Carnes would be the guy simply because of his pedigree (Tommie Frazier is his cousin) and hope that lightning strikes twice. He lets the game come to him and doesn’t try to do everything himself as good of an athlete as he might be he actually looks like a Quarterback out there and doesn’t rely on only his athletic ability which Taylor Martinez is a victim of doing. The two things that worry me about him are the fact that, really, only Western Kentucky and USF had a better shot of landing him and I know recruiting isn’t the biggest deal ever, but that does send a flag saying, “If he was so good why didn’t anyone else of note try to recruit him?” The other thing that worries me is the fact that a lot of pressure (even from me) will be put on him to play well simply because he is Tommie Frazier’s cousin.

So after saying all that I have do I consider the season a failure? No. I did expect way too much of them from the beginning I think and set my expectations way too high for my own good. It would have been nice to see the interaction between Don Beebe and Tom Osborne on the podium, but one Big 12 Championship doth not a season make. Nebraska still has a bowl game to go out and win, and after that it begins time to focus on making a dent in the Big 10 and, well, that is a different story entirely.

The Final(?) Showdown

So it comes to this, does it?

The final showdown between two rivals, for the time being, and it is for all the Big 12 Marbles. It’s funny to think about in that context, but that is the reality of what we are facing on Saturday when Nebraska plays Oklahoma for a final time. I am not ruling out future meetings, but for all intents and purposes this should be treated as the last game of the rivalry. I am not going to break this down from a technical standpoint, but I am going to try and convey my emotions going into this game, and what I hope will happen.

On June 11^th 2010 the Nebraska Cornhuskers were approved to make the jump to the Big 10 Conference and in all the madness that surrounded the move, the one thing that was never brought up was the end of two rivalries. I am not sure many of you can understand what it is like to know you have to make a new rival. It’s weird, I obviously have my intrapersonal rivalry with all my Ohio State supporting friends, I have a personal bitter rivalry with Michigan (1997 should still OUR National Championship), and the prospects of Nebraska/Iowa aka “FARMAGEDDON” The fact that remained was that we as Nebraska fans, lost our two biggest rivals in Colorado and Oklahoma. The Colorado rivalry was more prevalent since the two teams played every year, but to me, Oklahoma would always be the rivalry.

So what about the final game? What about the last game of a rivalry for the time being? I obviously hope Nebraska wins, but more than anything I want to beat our rival one more time on the (second) biggest stage of them all. I am not going to go overboard and want an absolute drubbing, but I do want to win, I want to win this game more than I wanted to win the Texas game, and that was the most hyped I have ever been for a Nebraska game. I don’t think many of you understand how great it would be to win this game; I am aware that many people have national titles, and conference titles, but you always come back the next year to defend and to repeat. This time there is no coming back; there is no repeating as champion, there is just THIS GAME. That’s it. I can’t think of anything that will be sweeter than having to watch Dan Beebe hand the Big 12 Title over to the Cornhuskers, and him knowing that, for the time being, we are the LAST Big 12 Championship Game winners. He already doesn’t want to give the Big 12 North Trophy over to the Huskers, and that’s fine, but he will HAVE to hand over the Big 12 Championship Trophy to Nebraska, and that will be even better. I wouldn’t even care if they won the Fiesta Bowl so long as I get to see that scene in Dallas on Saturday Night, and to take out your two main rivals in back to back weeks? That will be even sweeter. There will be none of me buying Tostitos, or scheduling out songs to play in the event of a win. There will only be a win...

...then we will play the songs, one last time!

Nebraska 20 – Oklahoma 17.

Nebraska/Kansas State Recap and Looking Forward

Nebraska 48 – Kansas State 13

A lot of people (namely the creator of this blog…) have wondered my feelings on Nebraska’s domination of the Kansas State Wildcats on Thursday Night, and I must say that I am very impressed. I was very impressed with the defensive display put on especially after the South Dakota State game which I described to a friend as, “The single worst performance in the history of my fandom.” Now, did I go a bit off the deep end with that statement? Yes. Yes I did. I stand by it, though since it was so utterly disappointing I was going into this game with very low expectations and this performance soared above it to a great degree. The defense looked great and actually shut down a pretty solid offense in Kansas State and it gives hope that they can keep doing it against even better offenses coming up.

What I do think we need to keep in perspective though is the fact that this is only Kansas State. This wasn’t Michael Bishop, Darren Sproles or Michael Bishop out there; it was an okay Kansas State team with a really talented running back. As happy as I am that Nebraska is back in National Championship discussion it needs to be remembered that it’s only one game and one game doth not a season make. That goes for individual players as well…

Which brings me to Taylor Martinez, and while I admit he had an amazing night on Thursday. It is also worth noting that he has not played from behind yet, nor has he had to use his arm much at all. While the stats may say he is averaging 17 Yards a completion it is also worth noting that a lot of these are based on YAC yards by the wide receivers. While I don’t want to see him HAVE to play from behind or have to throw 20-25 times in a game, I think that a tad more emphasis needs to be put on the passing game coming up just to see what he can do if called upon to do the above. I will, and forever (because I am stubborn) think that Cody Green was the right call going into this year because of his ability to run and pass, but if T-Magic can put them BOTH together then it was worth the risk. Poor Zac Lee, though…

What can Nebraska do to keep it up? Simple, keep pounding the ball and getting stops. It sounds simple, but against the superior teams in the Big XII who are coming up it is easier said than done. I think the game that can carry the rest of this season is coming up next Saturday, though and that is at home versus Texas. Nebraska has had three heartbreaking losses the past three meetings and hasn’t beaten Texas at home since 1933 and hasn’t beaten them period since the Big XII Championship Game back in 1999 for this season to be successful they simply HAVE to beat them. It sounds obvious to say that, but this is the hurdle that Nebraska has never cleared and knowing that it is the last season in the Big XII nothing would make me and the rest of the Husker fans happier to beat Texas and use it as a springboard to a National Championship run.

Week One Questions: Nebraska Cornhuskers

1. Who impressed you the most with their Week 1 performance?

On offense it has to be the play of Taylor Martinez. Just the day before, I thought that they were going to make an error by going with him over the proven starter in Zac Lee. Taylor stepped in with no nerves and on the third Nebraska play from scrimmage ripped off a touchdown run that would even make the old school option style fans proud. I will continue to say that it was only Western Kentucky and we will see what he can do against a Washington or even some of the middle level Big 12 foes, but so far so good from him.

Defensively, I was most impressed by Linebacker Lavonte David and his constant hustle and stopping ability. David will be expected to do more since Will Compton is out for the foreseeable future with a foot injury and the effort and intensity he put into a Western Kentucky game was great for the team.

2. Based on their Week 1 performance, what area(s) does the team need to improve on the most?

The run defense, and I know they only gave up 10 points in total, but this defense is not what it was last year. When you look at the statistic that you had to go back to the 2008 Colorado game since the last time Nebraska gave up a 100 Yard Rusher and that streak ends during the first game to Western Kentucky. This part of the defense need to sure up before a team with a decent run game comes to town or this could end up being a very disappointing season.

3. Which back-up or newcomer earned more playing time with their performance in last weeks game?

I think the obvious answer here is Taylor Martinez, but I will look at his (apparently) new back-up in Cody Green. Cody Green came in and showed poise and made plays with his arm and his legs and looked way better yesterday than he did at any point last year. He seems more comfortable in the offense, and if they decide to go with him or even run a two headed Quarterback I think the team will be in good hands.

4. What are the major question marks that still surround the team headed into Week 2?

The major question mark besides the run defense, is the continued play of the trio of Quarterbacks. Nebraska is going to use this next game as more of an “extended” fall practice, and see what they have for the rest of the year. This is the final game they can really do this as well because they head to Washington the week after and really need a set starter by the time that game rolls around. Idaho being a better team than Western Kentucky will show what Martinez/Green/Lee will do to a bigger extent, and hopefully they will have the situation ironed out by the end of the game. Unless of course what they did on Saturday was the game plan they will use the rest of the year.

5. Are you more or less confident in your teams ultimate success this year after Week 1?

Honestly? I feel the same as I do going in because there is really only so much you can gage based off of a 49-10 victory over Western Kentucky. The only area I feel less confident in is the run defense, but I had thought the expectations for the defense to be better than it was last year was REALLY pushing it.

6. What needs to happen in order to secure a victory in Week 2?

As concerned as I am about having a close game this week, I don’t think that Nebraska will actually lose the game. So the one thing that needs to happen is the ability to not look ahead to Washington the next week and put yourself in an Oklahoma like position of almost getting upset by a inferior team. The other thing that needs to happen is avoid injuries this week, and there were a few minor ones, but there have also been big ones that occurred during fall camp. I know it is a big deal to stay injury free for all the games you play, but it is especially important for these games when you have a big opponent coming in the next week.

Number 9? Number 9? Number 9?

You can call me a lot of things, but even in my post therapy world one of the things you still can’t call me is an optimist. Maybe it has a lot to do with the things that have happened in my life, but a good chunk of the issue is that I am a sports fan who lives in Northeast Ohio. I have dealt with a lot of heartbreak in the past 22 years I have been on this Earth when it comes to sports, and as such the Number 9 ranking of the Nebraska Cornhuskers scares the living daylights out of me.

This year just seems so ripe for a letdown, and it has more to do with things off the field than actually on it…

The first way I am sensing a letdown is the simple fact that people are predicting Nebraska to be better without their star Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh, even the head coach is saying this. I completely understand that Bo Pelini is just trying to do his job and make each year seem better than the next, but the fact remains you are expecting a lot out of your defense if you just expect it to improve it’s performance after such a great job last year. Prince Amukamara is the obvious star of the defense this year, but he is a different type of great player than Suh was. He is a corner and while he can shut the offense’s number one target down all they have to do is simply not throw the ball his way and you are effectively taking him out of the equation. This will be huge against a team like Texas (or a potential Big XII Championship Game match-up with Oklahoma). If a team has the talent in their Tight End or other wide-outs then the potential to exploit a rather (in my opinion) suspect secondary after that is high.

You also have to look at how good of a player Defensive Tackle Jared Crick really has the potential to be this year. Last year we all know that he was helped out a lot by teams double teaming Suh, but this year he will be expected to match his productivity from last year, and do it as the line’s main threat. Can he do it? I am not sure. He is not nearly the athlete that Suh was and he is not nearly as dominating a physical presence who can beat double teams on the regular. His other defensive tackle mate will probably be Redshirt Sophomore Baker Steinkuhler and, football pedigree aside, expecting him to jump from obscurity to playing the Crick role in his first full year of starting is really asking a lot out of him, and will the pressure get to him is a big factor this year as well.

Next, a way this year can easily be a letdown for Nebraska fans is the words of one Bo Pelini after the 33-0 destruction of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, “Nebraska is back, and we’re here to stay!” This is obviously a great way of increasing your fans expectations by a whole lot, and while it is Pelini’s M.O. to say these things and get his players fired up; it is also good bulletin board material for the other schools you are going to play. I am a big fan of laying low, and trying to stay off the radar for as long as possible until you are noticed via your team’s play and not by it’s actions. By saying these things, Pelini effectively brought Nebraska front and center again. While it is great that Nebraska is trying to be a national power again, it should be brought out slowly and not all at once. The Big XII Championship last year was the first exposure, and it was a good way to make your mark on the county (albeit in a heartbreaking manner…), but this puts you EVEN MORE in the cross-hairs of every team you play, and makes the possibility of an upset or a meltdown all the more likely. Which brings us to…

Nebraska’s schedule this year is not really that difficult, but there are a couple potential “trap” games and obviously difficult games which need to be looked out for that can cause this season to go spiraling down and out of control. The two difficult games this year will obviously be the Washington and Texas games, and unless the Nebraska gets to the Big XII Championship game (which is expected) those are the two biggest games of the year in the regular season. Washington has a Heisman Candidate in Quarterback Jake Locker, and it also has a really good coach in Steve Sarkasian. Both of whom lead an upset of (a weak) USC team last year at home. This year Nebraska goes to Seattle and can easily suffer the same fate that USC did and it could really send the season for a loop in only it’s third game, but being beaten by a weaker Washington team on National TV could really throw things out of whack.

The biggest game of Nebraska’s regular season will be the October 16th game against Texas. A day which Nebraska is marketing as, “RED OUT AROUND THE WORLD.” Nebraska has only beaten Texas once in Big XII play (the 1999 Big XII Championship), and is 4-9 in the series against them, with the only home win coming back in 1933. Nebraska also suffered a string of heartbreaking losses against this team, and another one (even if they do make the Big XII Championship Game) would effectively become some sort of hex placed upon Nebraska by the football gods every time they face Texas. This IS the game that will make or break Nebraska’s season. If they go into the game and come out undefeated suddenly this thing becomes a legitimate National Title contender. If they lose to Texas and it is in another heartbreaking manner then this game can also send the entire season spiraling out from under them, not to mention the almost NEED to beat Texas simply because of the way Nebraska left the Big XII and the things that Tom Osborne feels and has said about the conference since then.

Aside from the final (for the foreseeable future anyway) game against Colorado there are two or three games that can derail this even if they do beat Washington and Texas. In addition to the Missouri, Texas A&M, and Kansas State games there is also the oddly scary team in Idaho which could throw a giant wrench into things during the season. Idaho was a solid team last year that made a bowl game, and will be primed to take down a Top 25 team early in the season and dash its potential dreams of a National Championship. This game reminds me an awful lot of the Ball State game back in the ill-fated 2007 season. After having lost the prior week to USC, Nebraska came in hoping to salvage something after that debacle of a game, and after having gotten (admittedly) lucky against Wake Forest the week prior to the USC Game they were feeling pretty good about being 2-1 at the time and not 1-2. The wheels of the season really came off against Ball State. They came into Memorial Stadium and knocked Nebraska right in the mouth from the start and even took a lead late into the 4th Quarter of that game. If not for an interception return by Bo Ruud and a missed field goal (by inches) then Nebraska would have lost AT HOME to BALL STATE. Do I expect the same to happen against Idaho? No, simply because of the talent discrepancy (Idaho does not have playmakers such as Dante Love and Nate Davis), but the fear is always there and that would kill the season two games into it and would dig a hole deep enough that it may be too hard to come back from.

Lastly, the national pressure could definitely be cause for a letdown this year and not from just a rankings standpoint. EXPANSIONPALOOZA~! Was all started by Nebraska jumping ship to the Big 10 and with this being their last year in the Big XII suddenly it becomes a big game every time Nebraska plays someone and the stories will always be there. The first sign of slippage could instigate a number of “Can they compete in the Big 10?” or “Nebraska not where it needs to be!” type stories throughout the country. Simply put, they put themselves under immense pressure to perform this year and show that no matter what conference or locations they play in they can compete to the highest level and take out every team on the map. Have the Cornhuskers come a long way since the dark days of the Pederson/Callahan Era? Yes, absolutely they have. Do they have a long way to go to “RESTORE THE ORDER” as the old saying once went? Yes. This year is a huge year in the history of the Nebraska Football Program and a lot of the pressure is self made more than usual. Their ability to withstand and overcome it will be a measuring point as to the future prospects of this program.

Then again, I am just might be a cynical and jaded sports fan from Northeast Ohio…

Pre-Season Preview: Kansas Jayhawks

2009 Record: 5-7 (1-7 in Big 12)
2009 Bowl: None
Final 2009 AP Ranking: Not Ranked
Head Coach: Turner Gill (First Year at Kansas, 20-30 at Buffalo)
Non-Conference Schedule: North Dakota State (9/4), Georgia Tech (9/11), at Southern Miss (9/17), New Mexico State (9/25)

2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 29.4 points per game (5th in Big 12)
Rushing Yards/Game: 112 (9th in Big 12)
Passing Yards/Game: 310 (2nd in Big 12)
Total Yards/Game: 422 (4th in Big 12) 

2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 28.4 points per game (10th in Big 12)
Rushing Yards/Game: 138 (8th in Big 12)
Passing Yards/Game: 245 (9th in Big 12)
Total Yards/Game: 383 (9th in Big 12)

2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: -0.41 per game (9th in Big 12)
Penalties: 48 yards per game (1st in Big 12)

Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
Kicker/Punter: 2

Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Kale Pick, Soph (4 of 5 for 22 yds)
Rushing: RB Toben Opurum, Soph (133 carries for 554 yds, 9 TD, 4.1 ypc, 50 ypg)
Receiving: WR Jonathan Wilson, Sr (35 rec, 449 yds, 2.9 rec/game)
Tackles: OLB Drew Dudley, Sr (88), CB Chris Harris, Sr (84)
Sacks: DE Jake Laptad, Sr (6.5)
Interceptions: CB Ryan Murphy, Jr (2)

2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Athlon Sports: #50
Pre-Snap Read: #67
Sporting News:  #31

2010 Pre-Season Big 12 North Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #3
Phil Steele: #4

Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: Pinstripe Bowl (vs. Rutgers)
Phil Steele: Pinstripe Bowl (vs. Rutgers)

Kansas started off the 2009 season by winning 5 straight games. After that they took a severe nose dive and lost their last 7 games (3 of which were within 7 pts- Colorado 34-30, Kansas State 17-10 and Missouri 41-39).  This year Kansas has a tougher non-conference schedule as Duke is replaced by Georgia Tech but they miss both Oklahoma and Texas on the in-conference slate. We reached out to Scout.com's Kansas Jayhawks site Phog.net and spoke with Senior Writer Aaron Cedeño about the 2010 Kansas season. Here is the preview that he wrote for us:


Fans of Kansas Jayhawk football learned many lessons in 2009, but perhaps the most important was this: One can never take success for granted. The season began full of promise, thanks largely to the return of senior stars Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier and Jake Sharp, as well as junior Dezmon Briscoe. Despite lingering concerns about the strength of the defense, many among Jayhawk Nation believed last year's team capable of simply outscoring the majority of opponents on the schedule. A Big 12 North title and a spot in the conference championship game seemed well within reach.

But a handful of injuries, a porous defense and one highly-publicized coaching controversy later, and the Jayhawks stumbled home to a 5-7 record on the back of seven straight losses. The Orange Bowl victory of 2007 had never seemed a more distant memory.

However, with each year comes a fresh chance at success, and perhaps nowhere is that more true for the coming season than in Lawrence, Kan.

Gone are Briscoe, Meier, Reesing, Sharp and standout safety Darrell Stuckey, as well as embattled former Head Coach Mark Mangino. In is Turner Gill, fresh off his resurrection of the football program at the University of Buffalo, and one of the most experienced and exciting coaching staffs in the Big 12.

Not knowing the exact nature of the schemes to be employed by offensive coordinator Chuck Long and defensive coordinator Carl Torbush – not to mention the outcome of several personnel battles carrying over from spring football – it is difficult to predict what lies in store for Kansas football in the months ahead.

Here's what we know so far:

Offense

Asking an inexperienced signal caller to replace Reesing's production would be impossible. Fortunately, that's not what the new coaching staff needs out of their quarterback. With an offense geared more toward the running game – Gill stated in the spring that his ideal offense would run the ball 60-percent of the time – whomever wins the starting job will have the luxury of relying on what should be a strong running attack. The Jayhawks return freshman sensation Toben Opurum, talented sixth-year senior Angus Quigley, and a pair of dynamic freshmen – James Sims and Brandon Bourbon. In addition to an experienced and talented front five, all signs point to a running game capable of giving QB1 the ability to ease into his role as the starter.

The wide receivers are a talented and deep group, led by senior Johnathan Wilson, junior speedster Daymond Patterson and a host of big, fast, sure-handed targets. Maybe the surprise of the spring at the position is converted freshman quarterback Christian Matthews, whom Gill praised for his speed and overall athleticism. Additionally, tight end Tim Biere gives the team an All-Big 12 talent at the position.

Sophomore Kale Pick and Freshman Jordan Webb – the two frontrunners for the position – each possess different strengths. An exciting athlete, Pick is just as likely to make plays with his legs as his arm. Though as he proved in the annual Spring Game, he possesses the arm strength and accuracy to make all the throws on the field. Webb might not have ideal size, standing at maybe a hair's breadth shy of six feet tall, but he packs a serious punch in his right arm. Plus, much like Reesing before him, he has the ability to make something out of nothing when the play breaks down. Don't expect a victor to be declared in this battle until after a couple of weeks of fall camp, but the offense should be in capable hands regardless.

Defense

When freshman defensive end Kevin Young beat freshman All-American left tackle Tanner Hawkinson for a sack during the spring game, the thousands of fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium weren't disappointed – they were elated. Young is a combination of size and speed at the position that the Jayhawks haven't had since the departures of Charlton Keith and Jermial Ashley in 2005. Couple him with what should be Kansas' deepest and most talented defensive interior in recent history, and the defensive front just might have a stew going.

The linebackers were led during the spring by senior Justin Springer manning the middle of Carl Torbush's 4-3 system. Now fully healthy, Springer possesses the ideal size, athleticism and mentality for the position, and should be the rock upon which everything else in the unit is built. Huldon Tharp had a promising freshman season in 2009, and Steven Johnson drew consistent praise from Gill and Torbush during the spring.

The secondary is another matter altogether, as nowhere on the defense do more questions exist than in the backfield. Safety Lubbock Smith was a pleasant surprise in 2009, but with the departure of Stuckey to graduation and the NFL, many are wondering who will fill the other three spots. Seniors Calvin Rubles and Chris Harris look to be the favorites at corner, while super-talented freshman Prinze Kande could play alongside Smith at the other safety slot. Regardless, this group will have to grow up on the field in a hurry if the defense is to improve upon its performance in 2009.

We may not know a lot about the Jayhawks of 2010 yet, but we know this: Gill will find a way to get every last ounce of effort from the talent he has available to him.

September 4th can't get here soon enough.


Thanks to Phog.net and Senior Writer Aaron Cedeño. Make sure and visit their website for Kansas football and recruiting news. You can follow them on Twitter @PhogNet.

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