2013 Season Analysis- Gm. 8 VS. KANSAS

By Adam Sweeney

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 2

SERIES RECORD:  Texas 10, Kansas 2

LAST:  #24 Texas 21, Kansas 17 (2012)

KANSAS REPRESENTS the safest bet for a victory on Texas’ entire schedule, as the Jayhawks haven’t won a game against the Longhorns since 1938. Kansas hasn’t come close to ever winning in Austin, losing by more than  [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] 10 points in each contest.

Charlie Weis’ Jayhawks ended 2012 with a 1-11 record, making as much progress as a car in rush-hour traffic on I-35. We’re joking now, but nobody laughed last year when they pushed Texas to the limit, falling literally at the last minute. Case McCoy hit D.J. Grant for a game-saving touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, raising Texas to 21-17. And while we all love our share of McCoy heroics, the Longhorns would prefer to avoid a repeat nail-biter against Kansas.

The Jayhawks would do well if they maintained Texas’ “brick by brick” philosophy in 2013. They have a number of holes to fill on both sides of the ball and can’t expect to fly this season until they do so. Weis plans to fill those holes through raiding other schools’ closets and the coup he pulled off resulted in landing linebacker Kyron Watson, the No. 4 outside linebacker in the nation. After sitting out a season, quarterback transfer Jake Heaps hopes to aid an offense that ranked last nationally in efficiency. (You might remember him from the BYU-Texas tussle in 2011.) On the other side of the ball, JUCO defensive ends Marquel Combs and Andrew Bolton should lift up a pass rush that recorded only 12 sacks all season. All the changes translate to slow but steady improvement and a potential Longhorn stampede as Kansas finds its footing.

To beat Kansas, Texas needs to shut down running back James Sims, who burst for 139 yards in the first two quarters and 176 yards overall in last year’s near upset. If the Longhorns can neutralize Sims — who’ll be less of a challenge this season with three starters on the Kansas offensive line gone — a victory should come fairly easily.

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

KANSAS 2013 SCHEDULE

 

SEP 7 vs. South Dakota

SEP 14 at Rice

SEP 21 vs. Louisiana Tech

OCT 5 vs. Texas Tech

OCT 12 at TCU

OCT 19 vs. Oklahoma

OCT 26 vs. Baylor

NOV 2 at Texas

NOV 9 at Oklahoma State

NOV 16 vs. West Virginia

NOV 23 at Iowa State

NOV 30 vs. Kansas State

 

HEAD COACH:  Charlie Weis

STADIUM NAME AND

CAPACITY:  Memorial Stadium,

capacity 50,071

2012 FINAL CONFERENCE

STANDING:  10^th (Big 12)

2012 RECORD: 1-11

ALL TIME RECORD:

873-580-58 (.497)

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 After the 2012 season, the program’s all-time winning percentage fell below .500 for the first time since the Jayhawks finished their first year, (1890) when they were 1-2.

 

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