Sports > Columnists > Bob Lutz

Posted on Sun, Oct. 12, 2008

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Jayhawks' to-do list shrinking

LAWRENCE - If you're one of the many Kansas football fans who has been waiting all season to see a spark of something that reminded you of 2007, maybe you saw it Saturday.

Maybe it in the play of the defense, which locked down Colorado for much of the day during the Jayhawks' 30-14 win. KU limited the Buffs to 233 yards and made life miserable for CU quarterback Cody Hawkins, who was benched in the fourth quarter.

Maybe it was in the play of the offensive line, which has struggled to find footing this season but Saturday protected quarterback Todd Reesing and opened holes in the running game.

Maybe it was that running game -- personified by junior tailback Jake Sharp -- that brought back memories of a dream 12-1 season.

Sharp mostly rode the pine during the first half of KU's game last week at Iowa State. Only because of dire circumstances -- a 20-0 halftime deficit -- Sharp got a chance in the second half. He made the most of it with nearly 200 yards of offense and continued his impressive play Saturday with 118 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado.

Kansas still doesn't look like a world beater, but the Jayhawks are getting better. And their coach, Mark Mangino, said that's a staple of his KU teams.

Whether getting better means they can pull off many wins in their remaining six games, four of which are against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas and Missouri, remains to be seen.

At least the Jayhawks are playing with more spunk and confidence.

Especially Sharp, whose lack of size made him the perfect complement last season to bruising back Brandon McAnderson, who might be the most-missed Jayhawk from that Orange Bowl-champion squad.

Sharp, because he's small, wasn't recruited as a back who would be relied on to carry 31 times a game. He's better suited as part of a tandem.

Just one problem: There's no capable running mate.

KU has tried Jocques Crawford and Angus Quigley, but both have deficiencies. That leaves Sharp.

"He plays on sheer determination," Mangino said of Sharp. "He's a determined guy. He has a lot of heart and we all respect that."

Sharp, from Salina Central, had 86 rushing yards in KU's first four games.

Something has ignited Sharp. He changed that game and was a major difference-maker in the win over Colorado.

Kansas continues to have issues, especially with its not-very-special teams. But at least for the moment, Sharp has become the go-to running back the Jayhawks badly needed.

Mangino said Sharp's improved play came about because the coaching staff finally accepted the fact he's not the power runner some other successful KU backs were. The coaches changed some schemes and have made a bigger effort to give Sharp running room on the outside, as evidenced by the half dozen or so option plays the Jayhawks ran against Colorado.

I'm not convinced it's that simple.

Sharp is an emotional guy with a lot of pride. And even though nobody says so, I'm sure he was embarrassed to be sitting on his helmet for most of the first half at Iowa State.

This is a guy with something to prove who was frustrated by his early play. Mangino, sensing that, might have done Sharp the biggest favor of his KU career by sitting him out in Ames.

"There were some turning points," Sharp admitted when asked if something had sparked his improved play. "In practice a couple of weeks ago, I talked to (Reesing) and Kerry (Meier), good friends of mine on and off the field. They told me: 'Hey, we want you to be a big part of this. Let's do it.' I guess I stepped up."

Sharp doesn't need to be Earl Campbell.

With Reesing at the controls and a strong group of receivers, Kansas has offensive options. But they were sorely missing a running presence to help balance things.

"The No. 1 thing is that we're doing things now that suit him," Mangino said. "He doesn't run the same type of style as kids before him. As a coach, you think you have something good going, so you stay with that run game. But you've got to adjust to your players."

In the past two games, Sharp has rushed for 197 yards and caught six passes for 120 yards. And don't forget his five touchdowns.

Sharp gained 821 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry last season, not to mention the 6,524 rushing yards at Salina Central. He's not new to success.

But he was new to the kind of adversity he faced this season and it has taken a while for him to snap out of it.

He said he's feeling more natural now and not over-thinking. He's developed a rhythm and a confidence that was lacking early. Thus the lackluster numbers and sporadic play.

"If you keep working hard, keep plugging away, it usually comes back to you," Sharp said.

It's a lot easier to imagine a successful second half of the season for the Jayhawks if Sharp remains a factor. Especially now that KU's defense is playing better.

Special teams, all of them, are the big issue for Kansas now and Mangino vowed -- with some emotion -- to get that little bugaboo corrected in the very near future.

It's nice to have just one aspect of the game to worry about, though. Thanks to a resurgent Sharp, Kansas' running attack isn't quite the issue it was.

Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz co-hosts "Sports Daily" from 9-11 a.m. weekdays on KFH, 1240-AM and 98.7-FM. Reach him at 316-268-6597 or blutz@wichitaeagle.com.