 "Photo: Brad Tollefson")
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach isn’t exaggerating when he says he and Kansas’ Mark Mangino know each other well.
They were offensive coaches at Oklahoma together in 2000. And as a result, with the duo sleeping in their offices when they first arrived, late night slumber parties on the floor of the athletic complex were commonplace.
“There would be nights of coffee and microwave popcorn and film until Howard Stern came on,” said Leach, whose Red Raiders play Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. “He is a fantastic guy, and he has great energy and good passion for the game, and I think Kansas and the program have benefited as a result of that.”
If those slumber parties still were going on, both coaches would have plenty to talk about in terms of their football teams. Both fell out of the rankings last week. Both are trying to resuscitate big play offenses. Both are trying to keep their bend but don’t break defenses from breaking.
And both are looking to save their season.
Kansas (5-2, 1-2 in Big 12 Conference play) is coming off deflating losses to Colorado and Oklahoma, causing the Jayhawks to fall out of the rankings for the first time this season.
Mangino’s ‘Hawks were considered a favorite to win the Big 12 North Division heading into this season, especially with quarterback Todd Reesing and his arsenal of weapons returning.
That arsenal includes arguably the best receiver duo in the country in Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. Per game, the two average a combined 16 receptions and 212 yards and have 42 career touchdowns between them.
A 5-0 start had preseason predictions holding up, but a turnover problem and slow starts have plagued KU since. The Jayhawks turned the ball over five times in their first five games. Since then, they’ve accumulated five in back-to-back losses. In its last two games, Kansas averaged eight points in the first half after scoring more than 20 by halftime in each of their first five games.
Reesing, who has 2,204 yards and 15 touchdowns on 185-of-285 passing, threw three of his season total seven interceptions in a 35-13 loss to OU last week.
“You can’t let one game affect your mindset,” Reesing said. “This is the world of sports, you can’t go out and put up big numbers and score a lot of points every week. You have to realize that you have to bounce back from tough games.”
Tech (5-3, 2-2 in Big 12 play) recently crashed back to earth after an energizing win at then-No. 15 Nebraska, which was supposed to be a statement game for Ruffin McNeill’s defense and quarterback Steven Sheffield.
All that changed in a week.
Sheffield, a former walk-on who went from backup to starter to season savior in two weeks, went down with a foot injury against Nebraska. And apparently the whole team went with him.
Against Texas A&M, who hadn’t won in Lubbock since 1993 and was coming off a 62-14 loss to Kansas State, the Red Raiders looked unfocused in a 52-30 stomping.
The much-hyped defense gave up 321 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground while the offense sputtered under the often-criticized Taylor Potts, who couldn’t regain his starting role after losing it because of injury three weeks ago.
He was replaced in the third quarter by redshirt freshman Seth Doege, who was praised by Leach for his performance under the circumstances. Although Leach said the quarterback position would be a game-time decision, Doege should get the start against Kansas.
That uncertainty at quarterback doesn’t change a thing as far as Mangino’s approach goes.
“They have used three different quarterbacks this year, and all three have been effective at various times,” he said. “I am not sure who exactly will play this week, but I don’t believe they will change anything drastic in their system, so whoever they play at quarterback will do the same things that have been good for them for a long time.”
After the loss to Texas A&M, Tech linebacker Bront Bird said the Red Raiders learned they need to be ready to play instead of just wanting to win.
And just like A&M, the Jayhawks are desperate for a win. So taking another Big 12 team lightly is not an option, Bird said.
“They are definitely going to be very hungry just like (Texas) A&M was. They came in here ready to play and as a team, we came in and underestimated them,” he said. “(Kansas) is going into a road environment. They haven’t won in a couple of games and they want nothing more than to come in here and upset us.”
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