2008 Kansas Jayhawks
July 17, 2008
Mark Mangino led the Kansas Jayhawks football program to an unprecedented 12-1 record last season and a BCS Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Just when folks thought this team was going to fold last year, the Jayhawks kept winning ball games with their only loss at the hands of Missouri by eight points. Can the Jayhawks return to glory this season with the same kind of success? Find out with Info Plays 2008 Kansas Jayhawks football predictions below.
Offense:
Kansas upgraded its playbook and talent level last season on offense to score 42.8 points per game, second in the nation. They also put up nearly 480 yards of total offense per contest, which ranked eighth in the country. Savvy quarterback Todd Reesing is back to lead an up-tempo spread offense. Reesing threw for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions in a remarkable ‘07 campaign. He’ll have plenty of his weapons back at receiver in Dexton Fields, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. Jake Sharp is an explosive option out of the backfield at running back.
The NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year in Jocques Crasford arrives this fall and is expected to get plenty of touches to share the load with Sharp. Meier is a converted quarterback who can throw, catch and punt to make him a dangerous weapon at receiver. The interior of the offensive line returns, led by fifth-year senior Ryan Cantrell at center. The key will be to find tackles to fill the holes left by Cesar Rodriquez and Anthony Collins, who skipped his senior season to turn pro. The Jayhawks exploded for 76 points against Nebraska and eclipsed the 50-point barrier four other times last season. If they can even come close to putting up those 2007 numbers, Kansas could prove to have the consistent success it has longed for.
Defense:
Kansas returns all but two starters on defense. But they’ll be led by a new defensive coordinator in Clint Bowen. Bill Young left for Miami, leaving the door open for Lawrence native and longtime KU assistant Bowen. All three starters return at linebacker and they’re all seniors. Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera and James Holt lead the way. Mortensen was an All-Big 12 selection who came up huge in the Orange Bowl, but missed all of spring with a knee injury.
Five ends return in a rotation that kept these Jayhawks’ pass rushers fresh and ready to attack the quarterback. Three safeties return along with two cornerbacks in the secondary. Chris Harris and Kendrick Harper are the two corners who played opposite NFL-bound Aqib Talib. The Jayhawks’ one defensive weakness in ‘07 was their pass rush. Max Onyegbule and Jake Laptad are young guns who are expected to step up big this season. But as you can see, the cupboard remains stacked after the defense had great success last season.
Kansas Jayhawks Predictions at Info Plays: 2nd in the Big 12 North
Nothing went wrong for the Jayhawks in 2007, and they pounced on a golden opportunity to make history. They stayed healthy, took advantage of a favorable schedule and played well all year. Kansas won’t be going 12-1 again, largely due to an upgraded schedule as you’ll see below. But they have the foundation in place to go 8-4 or even 9-3 in 2008. Expect the Jayhawks to earn a prominent bowl bid again.
Big 12 Wins Expected in ‘08: COLORADO , KANSAS STATE
Potential Scares/Losses: at Iowa State , at Oklahoma , TEXAS TECH , at Nebraska , TEXAS , vs. Missouri (Kansas City)