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oFFeNseO course Kansas will run the ball on Saturday against West Virginia, but theres

more too it than that. Dayne Crist will again be playing and likely in the same situ-

ations he was in against Iowa State. The Mountaineers will try to key in on James

Sims and Tony Pierson, but look or that to open up the passing game.

StartingLineup

P.

QB

HB

FB

WR

WR

TE

RT

RG

C

LG

LT

K

Name

Michael Cummings

James Sims

Brandon Bourbon

Kale Pick

Daymond Patterson

Mike Ragone

Aslam Sterling

Randall Dent

Trevor Marrongelli

Damon Martin

Tanner Hawkinson

Nick Prolago

N.

14

29

25

7

15

84

77

64

69

73

72

16

y

Fr.

Jr.

So.

Sr.

Sr.

Sr.

Jr.

Jr.

Sr.

Sr.

Sr.

So.

P.

DE

DT

DT

RE

OLB

MLB

WLB

CB

CB

SS

FS

P

Name

Josh Williams

Jordan Tavai

Kevin Young

Toben Opurum

Jake Love

Ben Heeney

Huldon Tharpe

Tyler Patmon

Greg Brown

Lubbock Smith

Bradley McDougald

Ron Doherty

N.

95

9

90

35

57

31

34

33

5

1

24

13

y

Sr.

Jr.

Jr.

Sr.

Fr.

So.

Jr.

Jr.

Sr.

Sr.

Sr.

Jr.

deFeNseAccording to Charlie Weis, WVU quarterback Geno Smith is not the biggest concern

or the Jayhawks. That accolade goes to Tavon Austin, the Mountaineers wide receiver/

tailback/kick and punt returner. The kid can do it all and is aster than anyone else

on the feld. The Jayhawks will need to limit the amount o time Austin has the ball

in his hands.

momeNTumThis fnal matchup is a tale o unulflled expectations. West

Virginia was supposed to dominate in its frst season playing in

the Big 12, especially with all the hype around quarterback Geno

Smith. The Mountaineers have won just three games in the coner-

ence. The Jayhawks were supposed to be a scrappy team o fth-

year seniors that led the way to the win column. They still have one

more chance.

aT a GLaNce

Keep an eye on the play call-

ing this week. Weis has nothing

to lose, and as weve seen, hes

not shy to throw in a ew trick

plays. Expect him to try some

unconventional schemes.

coachING PLayer To WaTch

Kansas has come a long way rom miss-

ing chip-shot feld goals and ailing to

get touchbacks. Ever since Weis called all

hands on deck or the special teams ater

they were torn apart by Oklahoma, the unit

has shaped up. Staying consistent is all

anyone can ask with one game let.

sPecIaL Teams

?

quesTIoN marKs

?

With our quarters let in the season, will Kansas have a wide receiver score atouchdown?

Or will they lay a goose egg or the season?

What kind o tricks does Weis have up his sleeve?

Ater all, its the last game o the year and he cant hold anything back now.

The team doesnt implode. This

season hasnt been a wash. In

maybe the truest sense, its been

a building year. That may have a

dierent meaning in the Kansas

basketball ofces, but the ootball

Jayhawks have put in the time and

eort. Its time to get a win.

PredIcTIoN 28by The Numbers

44

115

Yards James Sims needs to eclipse

1000 yards rushing on the season.

Kansas national ranking or points

scored (19 points per game).

2.57Rushing touchdowns scored by Kansas or every passing

touchdown this season.

Momentum will have to be created in practice this

week or the Jayhawks. Kansas got tossed around by the

Cyclones two weeks ago, losing 51-23. Weis can only

hope that the Thanksgiving break provided a much

needed rejuvenation.

SimsWeis

baby jay WILL cheer IF ...

bLaKe schusTerbschuster@kansan.com

James Sims is on the cusp o

breaking 1,000 yards rushing or

the frst time in his career. His

previous best was 742 yards dur-

ing his reshman season in 2010.

There is no doubt that hes a pre-

mier running back in the Big 12.

TravIs youNG/KaNsaNSenior linebacker Tunde Bakare makes the tackle during the match against Iowa

State on Nov. 17 at Memorial Stadium. Kansas ell to Iowa State 23-51.

TravIs youNG/KaNsaN

Senior wide receiver Kale Pick jumps

or the pass attempt during the match

against Iowa State.

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oFFeNseCollege ootball ans are amiliar with Geno Smith and what hes capable o. However,

not many people are as amiliar with the players who have helped Smith succeed this year.

Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin are in the top three or catches and yards per game

among all receivers in the conerence. Smith is surrounded with a lot o talented players.

Hes not limited in his options and has an easy time fnding a target. Running backs Andrew

Buie and Cody Clay will share duties in the backfeld to help contribute to the oense.

P.

QB

RB

RB/TE

WR

WR

WR

LT

LG

C

RG

RT

K

Name

Geno Smith

Andrew Buie

Cody Clay

Stedman Bailey

J.D. Woods

Tavon Austin

Quinton Spain

Josh Jenkins

Joe Madsen

Je Braun

Curtis Feigt

Tyler Bitancurt

N.

12

13

88

3

81

1

67

77

74

52

62

40

y

Sr.

So.

Fr.

Jr.

Sr.

Sr.

So.

Sr.

Sr.

Sr.

Jr.

Sr.

P.

DT

NT

DE

OLB

MLB

MLB

OLB

CB

CB

FS

SS

P

Name

Jorge Wright

Shaq Rowell

Will Clarke

Josh Francis

Terence Garvin

Jared Barber

Isaiah Bruce

Ishmael Banks

Terrell Chestnut

Karl Joseph

Cecil Level

Corey Smith

N.

99

90

98

4

28

33

31

34

16

8

24

44

y

Sr.

Jr.

Jr.

Sr.

Sr.

So.

Fr.

So.

Fr.

Fr.

Sr.

Sr.

deFeNseWest Virginias 3-4 deense has experienced a couple o highs this season. Outside

linebacker Josh Francis has terrorized quarterbacks and running backs behind the line

o scrimmage, earning 9.5 tackles or negative yardage this year against conerence op-

ponents. Joseph Karl has the second-most tackles out o all o the deensive backs in the

Big 12 with 70. But as a unit, West Virginia has been unable to play like a team, as many

teams have lit up the scoreboard against Joe DeForests deense.

momeNTumWest Virginia is great on oense, but bad on deense. The Mountain-

eers rank last in the Big 12 in total deense and points allowed this year.

The oense is tabbed as one o the best in the nation. Unortunately, the

bad has outweighed the good or most o this season. In Week 7, West

Virginia was in the top fve in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches

polls. Today, West Virginia is having a hard time receiving a vote. Its ob-

vious that the Mountaineers will spend a lot o time recruiting deensive

players in the oseason.

aT a GLaNce

Beore becoming the head coach o

West Virginia in 2011, Dana Holgorsen

worked with six dierent programs and

served as an oensive assistant. He

spent some time in the Big 12 at two

dierent schools and established cred-

ibility as an oensive coach. Holgorsen

assisted Texas Techs oense or eight

years and is responsible or the success

the Red Raiders had with current NFL

players Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Holgorsen also

coached Oklahoma States oense in 2010, in which the Cow-

boys shattered fve oensive school records.

coachING

Wide receiver Tavon Aus-

tin leads the Big 12 in all-

purpose yards and hes the

only Big 12 player to have

over 2,000 all-purpose yards

this season. Austin recently

has been active rushing the

ootball. Hes carried the

ball 35 times or 418 yards

combined against Okla-

homa and Iowa State. Kansas

must bring its best eort on deense i it wants to limit

Austin. The Jayhawks special teams unit must also be

ready or Austin, whose scored twice on returns.

PLayer To WaTch

Kicker Tyler Bitancurt isnt the most reliable player to have on

the feld to kick a feld goal. Bitancurt has missed seven out o the

17 feld goals hes attempted so ar this season. But Tavon Aus-

tin has grabbed all o the attention on special teams. Austin,

who won the Big 12 special teams player o the week hon-

ors in Week 6, returned one punt and one kicko back or a

touchdown earlier this year. The scary part is, hes only done

that on 43 total returns. Even though he is heavily active in the

oense, he remains at the top o the depth chart or kick returning

and punt returning duties.

sPecIaL Teams

?

quesTIoN marKs

?

Can West Virginia fnish the season with one more conerence

win?

Ater West Virginia received a lot o attention and Geno Smith was a can-

didate to win the Heisman Trophy, the team declined and went through a fve-

game losing streak in its frst year in the Big 12. The conerence newcomers

snapped that streak last Friday against Iowa State and look to fnish its long

season on a better note by beating Kansas.

Kansas cant score againstWest Virginias deense. West Vir-

ginia has allowed over 40 points

per game this season. Even though

Kansas is ranked last in the Big 12

in scoring and has scored only 16

touchdowns, the oense has an op-

portunity to have its best oensive

production o the season against a

weak Mountaineers deense.

by The Numbers

38037

points allowed in Big 12

games in 2012.

touchdown passes by Geno

Smith, tied or second most in

the nation.

334.9passing yards per game, sixth

most in the nation.

Beore West Virginias last win, it lost fve

straight games. However, even with a 1-5 record

in the last six games, West Virginia is still an o-

ensive threat and has a lot o momentum going

into Saturdays game against Kansas. The oense

ranks sixth in the nation and has scored 40 points

per game.

AustinHolgorsen

baby jay WILL WeeP IF ...

FarzIN vousouGhIaNfvousoughian@kansan.com

assocIaTed Press

West Virginia center Joe Madsen (74) blocks as quarterback Geno Smith

throws a pass during the game in College Park, Md., on Saturday. This was

the fnal home game or 21 seniors.

35 WesT vIrGINIa

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