Kansas football hopeful it has blueprint to slow down high-octane TCU
One year later, in the context of this winless campaign, it’s hard to fathom how Kansas nearly beat TCU last season. But we’re here to remind you: It really did almost happen.
Remember? On a frigid day last November, the Jayhawks led the Horned Frogs by 10 points in the third quarter before falling 34-30 in Lawrence. Clint Bowen, the Jayhawks’ defensive coordinator, was the interim coach then. Kansas was coming off an impressive victory over Iowa State. The program hasn’t notched a victory since, losing 12 straight.
But as Kansas, 0-9, prepares for a trip to No. 13 TCU, 8-1, the KU staff can pull from recent history while piecing together the blueprint for what would be a historic upset. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.
“We were able to execute a pretty good game plan,” Bowen said, reflecting on last year.
The Jayhawks will enter Saturday as 45-point underdogs, facing a program that had designs on a national title before a loss to Oklahoma State last week. Led by senior quarterback Trevone Boykin, a Heisman Trophy contender, the Horned Frogs’ offense ranks second in the country in points per game (46.7) and third in passing yards (395.7 per game). A year ago, Bowen says, the Jayhawks devised a game plan that took advantage of the cold weather. The Jayhawks forced Boykin to remain in the pocket and took away the deep ball. The gambit limited TCU to just 10 points in the first half.
“We were able to keep them in front of us,” Bowen said. “And on a cold day, (we were able to) make Boykin complete a lot of intermediate throws over and over.”
The Jayhawks, of course, lost a cadre of standout defensive players during the offseason, including linebacker Ben Heeney and cornerbacks JaCorey Shepherd and Dexter McDonald. With a young secondary, it won’t be easy to duplicate the game plan. The TCU offense has evolved as well, Bowen says. The KU staff, though, has other film that could be useful this week. A week ago, Oklahoma State held TCU to 29 points by shuffling between three- and four-man fronts. The Cowboys forced Boykin into four interceptions, which proved the difference in a 49-29 shootout.
The question, of course: Can Kansas’ personnel simulate what Oklahoma State did? Can the Jayhawks keep this one from getting out of hand? The answers will come Saturday. But at the very least, the KU staff has a template to slow down TCU, thanks in large part to Oklahoma State.
“They had a good plan,” Beaty said. “You could tell they were in the right spots and they made plays when they needed to.”
Rustin Dodd: 816-234-4937, @rustindodd
Kansas at TCU
WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday
WHERE: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
TV: Fox Sports 1
Three other story lines
The health of Kansas quarterback Ryan Willis: A week ago, Willis was banged up in a loss at Texas, suffering injuries to both groins. He’s expected to start Saturday, but if he can’t finish the game, Kansas’ staff will have a decision to make: go with walk-on quarterback Keaton Perry or play former UCLA transfer T.J. Millweard, who has been buried at the bottom of the depth chart for most of the season?
The health of TCU receiver Josh Doctson: A bona fide All-American candidate, Doctson suffered a wrist injury in last week’s loss to Oklahoma State. There was some confusion about Doctson’s status earlier this week, when a national radio host mistakenly thought TCU coach Gary Patterson said Doctson would be out for the year. That’s inaccurate. Doctson will play. But how effective will he be? And honestly, will that even matter?
The road losing streak: This being Kansas’ last road game, it’s time to once again bring up the never-ending road losing streak. At the moment, KU has lost 37 games away from Lawrence and 34 straight true road games. With a loss Saturday, Kansas will have to wait until next year to snap the streak.
This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Kansas football hopeful it has blueprint to slow down high-octane TCU."