Big XII preview for Wk. 7
Posted: October 6th, 2008, 10:11 pm
Deliverance is already covering UT and OU.
KANSAS STATE VS. TEXAS A&M
Without a flux-capacitor, the Aggies essentially went back to the future when they hired Mike Sherman. Sherman, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, was a member of the Texas A&M coaching staff from 1989 to 1993, and also from 1995 to 1996. It is a total rebuild in College Station, and although Sherman has admitted that A&M was always a dream job of his, he's finding out how much work he really has ahead of him. After starting his inaugural season 2-3, including a season-opening loss to 'Fun Belt' program Arkansas State, Sherman is going to need more than just a flux capacitor to get this program to future glory. His opponent this weekend, K-State Head-Coach Ron Prince, has been having similar growing pains (except against UT, but we won't even touch that right now). Prince is following behind a guy who orchestrated what is probably the biggest turnaround in college football history, Bill Snyder. Things have not gone as smoothly as Prince had hoped when he came over from Virginia. Both coaches are at the helm of programs who have been mired in the middle of their respective divisions. Both offenses have struggled in 2008. Both teams are allowing too many points on defense. A&M, who almost lost to Army, has been struggling to get the offense moving both through the air and on the ground. K-State QB Josh Freeman, however, already has 1,275 yards passing and 12 TDs. The problem for K-State is the running game, where the leading rusher has 189 yards through 5 games. A&M QB Jerrod Johnson is completing a little over half of his passes and has 670 yards on the year. On the ground, Mike Goodson has but 332. But even for two teams who appear to both be in the same boat, it is going to be a long afternoon for the Aggies in Manhattan.
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. MISSOURI
If Nebraska fans consider themselves the Red Sea, then Chase Daniel is obviously Moses. They looked like prophets Saturday night, not taking much effort to spread the fragile NU defense en route to breaking 3rd-ranked Missouri’s 30-yr drought in Lincoln. The game in Lincoln was uncharacteristically balanced for the Tigers’ offense. Daniel threw for 253 and 3 scores, while Derrick Washington ran for a season-high 139 and 2 TDs. Washington currently ranks 4th in the country in overall scoring, with 72 total points. In addition to returning 10 defensive starters from the 2007 squad, Daniel has been crushing opponents all season through the air, and is currently ranked 5th in the nation in QB rating, at 196.38. But the emergence of a strong run-game might be what tips the scales for Missouri this season. That’s bad news for the 17th-ranked Cowpokes this week, a team who gave up 387 through the air to Houston’s Case Keenum in a week 2 win. Oklahoma State, however, has scored 55 or more in 4 of their 5 games, including a 56-28 pummeling of helpless A&M last weekend, and is averaging 530 yards of offense. Much of that is because of junior QB Zac Robinson, who has 1,300 yards of offense this season with 14 scores. Robinson is currently ranked 3rd in the nation in QB rating, with 209.58. In 2007, Robinson ran for 847 yards and 9 TDs. This season, he has been able to take some of the rushing load off his own shoulders, thanks to sophomore RB Kendall Hunter, who already has broken his 2007 total with 708 yards and 8 TD’s on the ground. Both teams also feature high-profile WR’s. Missouri’s Heisman-hopeful WR Jeremy Maclin has 480 yards receiving and 5 scores, despite missing time this season due to an injury. Oklahoma State has had a wonderful wide-receiver lineage over the past few seasons, and they may have the best one of them right now. Sophomore WR Dez Bryant has picked up 550 yards and 9 TDs. If defense ultimately wins games, we may see that notion in full effect this Saturday in Columbia. Both offenses are ranked in the top 3, nationally, in scoring. Oh, and Mike Gundy? Well, he’s a man, he’s 5-0.
NEBRASKA VS TEXAS TECH
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Husker fans, with the new era getting roughed up and the old one taking two big shots as well. Not only was the optimism crushed at home twice in back to back weeks, with two tough losses to Virginia Tech and Missouri, but two former NU running-backs also made news. On Sept. 25th, Thunder Collins was charged with murder after a shooting left one dead and one wounded. This coming shortly after an interview where Collins was re-enrolled at NU and wanting to get his life in order. Then, on Oct. 3rd, the much maligned Lawrence Phillips was sentenced to 10 yrs. in prison following an incident in 2006 where he was upset over a pick-up game and struck three teenage bystanders with his vehicle. On the field, things are grim as well, and are looking like they might even get worse. This week, the Huskers travel to Lubbock to take on the undefeated, 7th ranked Red Raiders. Last Saturday night, the NU defense was gouged by another high-powered offense, giving up 462 yards in an embarrassing defeat to rival Missouri. It was the Cornhuskers’ worst loss since 1955. Head-Coach Bo Pelini actually apologized to the state of Nebraska. College football fans know that Mike Leach is not going to let up if he smells similar blood in the water: NU amassed 14 penalties for 101 yards and looked lost in the secondary. Ennis hero Graham Harrell threw for 454 as Tech pounded K-State Saturday 58-28 in a game that was never in question. Harrell has already thrown for over 2,000 yards, and has 18 TD’s. Although everyone associated with the Tech program needs a good scolding for the teams they’ve scheduled so far, the fact remains that this offense is maddening for a defense. Unless Pelini can pull Trev Alberts out of a magic cornhusk, expect a similar result this weekend in Lubbock.
KANSAS STATE VS. TEXAS A&M
Without a flux-capacitor, the Aggies essentially went back to the future when they hired Mike Sherman. Sherman, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, was a member of the Texas A&M coaching staff from 1989 to 1993, and also from 1995 to 1996. It is a total rebuild in College Station, and although Sherman has admitted that A&M was always a dream job of his, he's finding out how much work he really has ahead of him. After starting his inaugural season 2-3, including a season-opening loss to 'Fun Belt' program Arkansas State, Sherman is going to need more than just a flux capacitor to get this program to future glory. His opponent this weekend, K-State Head-Coach Ron Prince, has been having similar growing pains (except against UT, but we won't even touch that right now). Prince is following behind a guy who orchestrated what is probably the biggest turnaround in college football history, Bill Snyder. Things have not gone as smoothly as Prince had hoped when he came over from Virginia. Both coaches are at the helm of programs who have been mired in the middle of their respective divisions. Both offenses have struggled in 2008. Both teams are allowing too many points on defense. A&M, who almost lost to Army, has been struggling to get the offense moving both through the air and on the ground. K-State QB Josh Freeman, however, already has 1,275 yards passing and 12 TDs. The problem for K-State is the running game, where the leading rusher has 189 yards through 5 games. A&M QB Jerrod Johnson is completing a little over half of his passes and has 670 yards on the year. On the ground, Mike Goodson has but 332. But even for two teams who appear to both be in the same boat, it is going to be a long afternoon for the Aggies in Manhattan.
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. MISSOURI
If Nebraska fans consider themselves the Red Sea, then Chase Daniel is obviously Moses. They looked like prophets Saturday night, not taking much effort to spread the fragile NU defense en route to breaking 3rd-ranked Missouri’s 30-yr drought in Lincoln. The game in Lincoln was uncharacteristically balanced for the Tigers’ offense. Daniel threw for 253 and 3 scores, while Derrick Washington ran for a season-high 139 and 2 TDs. Washington currently ranks 4th in the country in overall scoring, with 72 total points. In addition to returning 10 defensive starters from the 2007 squad, Daniel has been crushing opponents all season through the air, and is currently ranked 5th in the nation in QB rating, at 196.38. But the emergence of a strong run-game might be what tips the scales for Missouri this season. That’s bad news for the 17th-ranked Cowpokes this week, a team who gave up 387 through the air to Houston’s Case Keenum in a week 2 win. Oklahoma State, however, has scored 55 or more in 4 of their 5 games, including a 56-28 pummeling of helpless A&M last weekend, and is averaging 530 yards of offense. Much of that is because of junior QB Zac Robinson, who has 1,300 yards of offense this season with 14 scores. Robinson is currently ranked 3rd in the nation in QB rating, with 209.58. In 2007, Robinson ran for 847 yards and 9 TDs. This season, he has been able to take some of the rushing load off his own shoulders, thanks to sophomore RB Kendall Hunter, who already has broken his 2007 total with 708 yards and 8 TD’s on the ground. Both teams also feature high-profile WR’s. Missouri’s Heisman-hopeful WR Jeremy Maclin has 480 yards receiving and 5 scores, despite missing time this season due to an injury. Oklahoma State has had a wonderful wide-receiver lineage over the past few seasons, and they may have the best one of them right now. Sophomore WR Dez Bryant has picked up 550 yards and 9 TDs. If defense ultimately wins games, we may see that notion in full effect this Saturday in Columbia. Both offenses are ranked in the top 3, nationally, in scoring. Oh, and Mike Gundy? Well, he’s a man, he’s 5-0.
NEBRASKA VS TEXAS TECH
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Husker fans, with the new era getting roughed up and the old one taking two big shots as well. Not only was the optimism crushed at home twice in back to back weeks, with two tough losses to Virginia Tech and Missouri, but two former NU running-backs also made news. On Sept. 25th, Thunder Collins was charged with murder after a shooting left one dead and one wounded. This coming shortly after an interview where Collins was re-enrolled at NU and wanting to get his life in order. Then, on Oct. 3rd, the much maligned Lawrence Phillips was sentenced to 10 yrs. in prison following an incident in 2006 where he was upset over a pick-up game and struck three teenage bystanders with his vehicle. On the field, things are grim as well, and are looking like they might even get worse. This week, the Huskers travel to Lubbock to take on the undefeated, 7th ranked Red Raiders. Last Saturday night, the NU defense was gouged by another high-powered offense, giving up 462 yards in an embarrassing defeat to rival Missouri. It was the Cornhuskers’ worst loss since 1955. Head-Coach Bo Pelini actually apologized to the state of Nebraska. College football fans know that Mike Leach is not going to let up if he smells similar blood in the water: NU amassed 14 penalties for 101 yards and looked lost in the secondary. Ennis hero Graham Harrell threw for 454 as Tech pounded K-State Saturday 58-28 in a game that was never in question. Harrell has already thrown for over 2,000 yards, and has 18 TD’s. Although everyone associated with the Tech program needs a good scolding for the teams they’ve scheduled so far, the fact remains that this offense is maddening for a defense. Unless Pelini can pull Trev Alberts out of a magic cornhusk, expect a similar result this weekend in Lubbock.