North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Mazda Tangerine Bowl Scouting Report
12/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 19, 2003
NC STATE (7-5, 4-4) vs. KANSAS UNIVERSITY (6-6, 3-5) in Mazda Tangerine Bowl
DATE: Monday, December 22, 2003
TIME: Kickoff: 5:35 p.m. (EST) Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida (70,000)
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network. AIRTIME: 4:30 p.m. (fans in stadium can listen on 93.3 FM)
TELEVISION: ESPN (National)
OPPONENT---- Kansas finished the regular season with a 36-7 victory over Iowa State and secured its first postseason appearance since 1995. That game marked the return of quarterback Bill Whittemore to the Jayhawks lineup. The senior finished with 306 yards of total offense against the Cyclones--including 85 rushing yards on a season-high 21 carries.
Kansas was 5-2 when Whittemore was sidelined with a shoulder injury in the first quarter against Kansas State. KU lost that game and the next three to Texas A & M, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State before Whittemore was able to play again.
It's obvious that the Jayhawks a different team with Whittemore in the lineup and its easy to see why. After earning Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors as a junior college transfer, Whittemore set a KU single-season record with 16 touchdown passes this season. In addition, his 62.6 completion percentage (139-222) in 2003 is the best of any Jayhawk quarterback in school history.
However, Whittemore's ability to run the football is what really makes him dangerous. He is the team's No. 3 rusher (450 yards on 110 attempts) for an average per carry of 4.1 yards. If He had not missed nearly four games due to injury, Whittemore might have led the team in rushing.
The Jayhawks average nearly 30 points and 418 yards a game, are balanced and use several different offensive formations. They do everything from using two tight ends and running the option to lining up in the shotgun with four wide receivers. They can also run the option from the shotgun formation. Overall, Kansas runs the football nearly 55% of the time and averages 161 rushing yards a game.
KU's leading rusher is sophomore Clark Green (5-11, 205) with 881 yards, 6 touchdowns and a 4.6 yards per carry average. He's also an excellent receiver with 41 catches and one touchdown. True freshman John Randle (6-0, 175) is the No. 2 rusher (499 yards, 2 touchdowns) and is one of two "ironman players" on the KU team. Randle's 6.0 yards per carry average leads the team.
In addition to playing runningback, Randle is listed as a starter at cornerback and also returns kicks. The other "three way" Kansas player is redshirt freshman, Charles Gordon (5-11, 165). He leads the team in receiving with 53 catches, returns punts and is listed as the Jayhawks other starting cornerback. The Sporting News named Gordon to its freshman All-America team.
Whittemore's other big play receivers are 6-4 junior Brandon Rideau (42 catches, 6 TDs) and sophomore Mark Simmons (5-11, 175). Simmons has 39 catches for a team-high 771 yards and 7 touchdowns including 5 TDs of 39 yards or more.
KU's starting offensive line averages 6-4, 298 pounds and contains two honorable mention All Big 12 performers in senior tackle Adrian Jones (6-5, 280) and right guard Tony Coker (6-5, 315).
Defensively, Kansas is allowing 28 points and 393 yards a game, including a whopping 197 rushing yards a contest. Although ends, David McMillian (6-3, 240, Jr.) and sophomore Brandon Perkins (team leading 7 sacks) have made some big plays, the strength of the defense is its linebackers.
All three starting KU linebackers, Banks Floodman (6-3, 230,), Gabe Toomey (6-4, 235) and Nick Reid (6-4, 220) are sophomores with two earning All Big 12 honors. Toomey was voted second-team All-Big 12 after recording 118 tackles, including 10 for loss while playing through a series of nagging injuries. Reid earned honorable mention All Big 12 honors by leading the Jayhawks in tackles with 126.
Kansas had made some changes in its young starting secondary leading up to the Tangerine Bowl. Its top defensive back, Tony Stubbs (5-10, 200, Jr.) has been moved from cornerback to strong safety, allowing Randle to start at corner. Three of the Jayhawks defensive backs are freshmen, including redshirt free safety Jonathan Lamb, (83 tackles and 2 interceptions) who was named a freshman All-American by The Sporting News.
Anchoring the kicking game for Kansas is senior punter, Curtis Ansel, who averaged 41.4 yards per attempt this season while earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. Gordon's punt return average of 13.1 yards per attempt is impressive and so is his longest return of 82 yards. Sophomore kick returner, Greg Heaggans has been steady with a 23.2 yard average, but kicker Johnny Beck has struggled at times this season on field goal attempts (8-15 with a long of 51 yards) and is only 1-6 from beyond 40 yards. His back up, Jerod Brooks (5-11, 210, Jr.) is 4-4, but has not attempted a field goal longer than 28 yards.
KU was 2-10 in 2002 in Mark Mangino's first season as head coach. As an assistant, Mangino was a driving force in the successful turn-a-rounds of both the Kansas State and Oklahoma football programs. This is the second meeting between NC State and Kansas. The Pack beat the Jayhawks 31-18 in the 1973 Liberty Bowl.
INJURIES--NC State: OG Ricky Fowler-Questionable, knee; OT Chris Colmer-Out, Parsonage Turner Syndrome; WR Sterling Hicks-Out, torn ACL; DE Renaldo Moses-Out, torn ACL & MCL; OG Ashley Wingate-Out, broken leg; DT Sheldon Lewin-out, unspecified disciplinary action; DT Alan Halloway-out, unspecified disciplinary action. Kansas: DT Travis Watkins-Questionable, broken foot.
