September 9, 2007

KU devours another cupcake

By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star

LAWRENCE | For Kansas senior associate athletic director Larry Keating, it was all going according to plan.

Down on the Memorial Stadium field, the Kansas Jayhawks were well on their way to a 62-0 pasting of cupcake No. 2, Southeastern Louisiana. And up in the press box, nobody was enjoying KU’s romp more than the man sitting to Keating’s left, Fiesta Bowl representative Mike Wall.

“Safety!” Wall cheered after KU’s second safety of the game gave it a 41-0 lead. “Look at that!”

Wall, wearing a nifty yellow blazer with the Fiesta Bowl emblem and an orange tie, looked a bit out of place. He said he chose this game because he wanted to start building a relationship with Kansas.

“We think good things are happening here,” Wall said.

Wow. KU to the Fiesta Bowl. Could it really be true?

“We don’t just have the Fiesta Bowl,” Wall reminded, “but also the Insight Bowl.”

Oh.

OK, so back to reality. The Arizona bowl representatives that traveled to Norman, Okla., and Austin, Texas, were probably the ones thinking Fiesta this weekend.

But for the 2-0 Jayhawks, it’s OK to dream. Keating, who put together this highly scrutinized nonconference slate, did so for that exact purpose. With home dates against Toledo and Florida International on the horizon, KU is halfway to its goal of a 4-0 record to start the season.

In the Jayhawks’ perfect world, 4-0 would mean one of two things: The momentum of going through September unscathed would propel them into the Big 12 North race. Or the four early wins would set them up so that three wins in league play would send them to a bowl game. Something like the … Insight.

Sure, it’s a bit early to be thinking about bowl games, but through two games, KU has accomplished some feats that should bode well for its postseason hopes:

•It has scored 50 points in back-to-back games, the first team in school history to do so.

•It has not turned the ball over.

•It has not allowed a first-half point.

•It has scored two return touchdowns and two safeties.

•It has allowed 83 total yards rushing.

Of course, the Jayhawks have done all of this against subpar competition. Doesn’t bother them.

“I enjoy the 62-0, 52-7,” KU cornerback Aqib Talib said. “I wish we could win all our games like that.”

The result of each game may have been the same, but the blowout came packaged differently on Saturday from week one. After all, if you’re going to make cupcakes every weekend, you might as well change the recipe to keep things interesting.

This week: No hot dogs.

Yep, Kansas fans got a chance to see very early in the game if the Jayhawks had learned anything from KU coach Mark Mangino’s very public, expletive-laced tirade after Raimond Pendleton’s punt-return touchdown last weekend drew a 15-yard penalty.

On Saturday, after a bad snap on a Southeastern Louisiana punt resulted in a safety, the ball was kicked to KU junior Marcus Herford at his own 26-yard line. Herford went untouched 74 yards for a touchdown and did nothing as he crossed the goal line except scream to the heavens with joy.

“I knew I couldn’t do anything too crazy,” Herford said.

The Kansas offense didn’t score in the first quarter, adjusting to a barrage of blitzes from the Lions.

“It seemed like every play,” KU quarterback Todd Reesing said. “If it wasn’t, it was pretty close.”

The Jayhawks made up for their slow start. Reesing impressed again, completing 13 of 23 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns, one to Talib and one to receiver Dexton Fields.

Southeastern Louisiana, as predicted, was just another scrumptious treat for Kansas. Still, it made an impression on the guy in the blazer.

“With success,” Wall said, “you’ll see more and more of us.”

To reach J. Brady McCollough, Kansas reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4363 or send e-mail to jmccollough@kcstar.com

J. Brady McCollough - jbrady@coveringsports.com (email) - 816-868-2621 (cell)