Jayhawks Square Off Against Red Raiders Saturday
Nov. 6, 2012
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas (1-8 overall, 0-6 Big 12) will hit the road for the second-straight week when it travels to Texas Tech (6-3, 3-3 Big 12), on Saturday, Nov. 10, in a game televised by Fox Sports Net. The Jayhawks will look to snap a five-game losing streak to the Red Raiders when they hit the field for the 11 a.m., kickoff.
What To Watch For …
– Kansas trails Texas Tech, 12-1, in the all-time series between the two schools. TTU has won five-straight in the series, including a 45-34 win over KU in Lawrence in 2011. The Red Raiders own a 5-1 mark vs. KU in games played in Lubbock.
– Kansas’ lone win over Texas Tech came in 2001 with a 34-31 overtime win in Lubbock.
– KU trails the all-time series vs. TTU in Big 12 contests, 8-1.
– Kansas HB James Sims continues to put together an outstanding season. Sims leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth nationally in rushing with 124.7 yards per game
. – KU OL Tanner Hawkinson can tie the school record by making his 46th consecutive start on Saturday vs. Texas Tech. Hawkinson has started every game of his Jayhawk career and can tie Hessley Hempstead, who started 46-straight games from 1991-94.
– KU is 6-9-1 all time in games played on Nov. 10. KU first played a game on Nov. 10 in 1900, suffering a 29-0 setback at the hands of Washburn. KU’s last outing on Nov. 10 came in 2007 with a 43-28 win at Oklahoma State.
– Saturday’s game versus Texas Tech will mark KU’s ninth-straight national broadcast as the game will air on Fox Sports Net. The game will also be KU’s fifth-straight outing on FSN.
Kansas Head Coach Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis (Notre Dame, 1978) is in his first season at the Kansas helm, after being named the University’s 37th head football coach on Dec. 9, 2011. Weis, who is 1-8 in his first season at the helm of the program, arrived at Kansas after spending the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator at the University of Florida. Prior to that he spent the 2010 season in the same position for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped guide the team to a playoff appearance and mentor three Chiefs players to Pro Bowl Honors. Weis came to KC after spending five seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Notre Dame. During his five seasons in South Bend, Weis compiled a 35-27 mark, leading the Irish to back-to-back BCS Bowl Games in 2005 and 2006. Weis has coached 16 years in the NFL and owns four Super Bowl rings, three as the offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots (2001, 2003, 2004) and one as a defensive/special teams assistant with the New York Giants (1990).
Texas Tech Head Coach Tommy Tuberville
Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville has the Red Raiders off to a 6-3 mark in his third season with the program. In year one, Tuberville led the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record and became the first coach in school history to win a bowl game in his first season. Texas Tech finished with a 5-7 record in 2011. Prior to arriving at TTU, Tuberville spent 10 seasons at Auburn, where he led the Tigers to 85 overall wins. Tuberville led Auburn to seven straight bowl appearances, including New Year’s Day bowl games in four of those years. Tuberville spent four seasons at Ole Miss in his first head coaching position, guiding the Rebels to a 25-20 mark during his time in Oxford. He had assistant coaching stops at Miami and Arkansas State after opening his coaching career at Hermitage (Ark.) High School. Tuberville is a 1976 graduate of Southern Arkansas University where he lettered as a free safety and also earned two letters as a member of the golf team.
Texas Tech Scouting Report
Texas Tech enters Saturday’s game with a 6-3 overall mark and a 3-3 ledger in Big 12 action. The Red Raiders are coming off of back-to-back losses to ranked opponents Kansas State and Texas. The Red Raiders are led by senior QB Seth Doege who ranks 12th nationally in total offense. Doege does most of his damage through the air as he averages 318.8 passing yards per game. Doege has thrown for 31 TDs on the season, compared to just eight interceptions. His top target is WR Darrin Moore, who has hauled in 50 receptions for 548 yards and eight TDs. WR Eric Ward has 49 catches for 643 yards and 10 TDs. RB Kenny Williams leads the rushing attack with 101 carries for 575 yards and four TDs. Eric Stephens has rushed the ball 71 times for 370 yards and three scores, while SaDale Foster has 70 carries for 358 yards and three TDs. Foster is also the top kick returner with 18 returns for an average of 21.8 yards per return. S Cody Davis leads the much improved Red Raider defense with 71 tackles on the season. Davis has three interceptions and four pass break ups. S D.J. Johnson has 53 tackles for TTU, including 42 solo stops. Johnson also has 2.0 TFLs for a loss of 13 yards and one interception. T Kerry Hyder leads the Red Raiders with 9.5 TFLs for a loss of 35 yards, including 4.0 sacks. The Red Raiders rank 18th in the NCAA in total defense.
Kansas-Texas Tech Connections
Kansas has 35 players on its roster from the Lone Star State. Texas Tech’s roster does not feature any Sunflower State natives. Texas Tech’s roster does have five players who were high school teammates of Jayhawks. TTU LB Will Smith was a high school teammate of KU players QB Dayne Crist and LB Anthony McDonald at Notre Dame HS (Calif.). TTU IR Jakeem Grant played with KU CB JaCorey Shepherd at Mesquite Horn (Mesquite, Texas). LB Sam Eguavoen teamed up with KU CB Corrigan Powell at Lakeview Centennial (Garland, Texas). TTU WR Darrin Moore was a teammate of KU HB James Sims and S Ray Mitchell at McArthur HS (Irving, Texas) and CJ Jarvis Phillips attended high school with KU S Lubbock Smith and LB Courtney Arnick at Carter HS (Dallas).
Sims A Workhorse For Jayhawk Offense
KU junior HB James Sims has hit the ground running after missing the first three games of the 2012 season due to a suspension. Sims has rushed for an average of 124.7 yards per game in the six games since he returned to action. If he was permitted in the NCAA and Big 12 rankings (must have participated in 75% of team’s games to be included), Sims would rank ninth nationally and first among Big 12 players. Sims had a career-best rushing performance in KU’s loss to Texas as he turned 28 carries into 176 yards, including a career-long 64 yard dash in the second quarter. He has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in five-straight games for the first time in his KU career. His five-consecutive 100-yard rushing games mark the first for a KU player since LaVerne Smith rushed for more than 100 yards in five-straight outings in 1974. Dating back to 1961, no Kansas player has recorded 100 yards or more in six consecutive ball games.
Hawkinson Nearing KU Record
Kansas senior OL Tanner Hawkinson can tie the KU record for consecutive starts in a career on Saturday at Texas Tech. Hawkinson has started all 45 games of his Jayhawk career entering the game and can tie former Jayhawk Hessley Hempstead, who started 46-straight games from 1991-94. Hawkinson is also within reach of setting the KU record for starts in a career. He currently has 45 with three games left to play and the KU record currently is 47 set by Bob Whitaker from 2003-06.
Kansas Defense Tightens In Red Zone
The Jayhawk defense is holding its opponents to just 71% on their trips to the red zone. Kansas’ defense has allowed its opponents to enter the red zone on 42 drives, but has given up just 22 touchdowns and eight field goals. Kansas ranks 15th nationally in red zone defense. The Jayhawks’ red zone defense ranks first in the Big 12.
KU Keeping The Flags To A Minimum
Kansas ranks fourth nationally in penalty yards per game, being flagged for an average of 28.33 yards per game, which is second in the Big 12 behind league leader Kansas State. It also ranks tied for third nationally in penalties per outing with 3.67 flags thrown per game against KU–also second in the Big 12 behind KSU.
McDougald Goes Solo
KU senior safety Bradley McDougald has been one of the top players in the Big 12 all season and currently ranks 10th in the NCAA and third in the conference in solo tackles. McDougald, who ranks second on the team in overall tackles with 70, has registered 56 solo stops on the season for an average of 6.22 per game. McDougald also has two interceptions, two forced fumbles, 3.0 TFLs for a loss of 15 yards, 1.0 sack for a loss of 12 yards and one pass break up to his credit.
Brown Delivers On Pass Breakups
Jayhawk cornerback Greg Brown has been a force in the KU secondary. Brown ranks third on the team in tackles with 55 stops. He is second in the Big 12 and 24th in the NCAA with nine pass breakups on the season–good for an average of 1.22 per game. Additionally, Brown has two interceptions on the year.
Heeney Making Plays
Starting MLB Ben Heeney has put together several strong performances for the Jayhawk defense. The sophomore from Hutchinson, Kan., recorded a then career-best 11 tackles at Northern Illinois and followed that up with a new personal best 14 tackles at Kansas State. Heeney had 11 solo stops to his credit versus the Wildcats and also had 2.0 TFLs for a loss of four yards and a forced fumble. He then turned in a nine-tackle performance for the KU defense vs. Oklahoma State and had five more tackles against Oklahoma. In KU’s most recent outing vs. Baylor, Heeney had a game-high 13 stops, 1.0 TFL for a loss of six yards and quarterback hurry. Heeney ranks first on the KU defense with 82 tackles on the season, which ranks 43rd in the NCAA. He now has four double-figure tackling games on the year.
Up Next
The Jayhawks will honor its 23-member senior class when it plays host to Iowa State on Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 17. Game time is slated for 6 p.m., with a live broadcast on Fox Sports Net.
