The Best Defense You've Never Heard of

By Big12-Fans Writer Mike Archiopoli

There is a team in the Big XII that nobody talks about and hasn’t talked about in years. But this team has given no reason to be talked about, compiling a 41-70 record with one bowl berth since the inception of the conference. And that bowl game was an absolute disaster. Yet in 2005, this team has one of the best defenses in the nation. In fact, this team is 10th in the nation in total defense and second in rushing defense (behind only Oklahoma). It is a unit that took the conference’s leading rusher Brad Smith and held him to 38 yards on 20 carries, a week after he lit up Nebraska for 246 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

I’m talking of course about the Kansas Jayhawks. In case you’re wondering, I did just write that. The adorable little Kansas Fake Birds have built a defense that is comparable to their perennial power hoops squad. So let this serve as your education on the most underrated unit in the Big XII. In fact, I demand that you take notice.

Fittingly, most have also never heard of their defensive leader. Mark Mangino’s bunch is led by the conference’s leading tackler LB Nick Reid. 2nd in the conference in tackles last year, Reid is the heart and soul of the Jayhawk defense and leads a linebacking core that includes fellow Wichita, Kansas product Banks Floodman and Kevin Kane. Down on the defensive line, DE Charlton Keith is tied with Reid for the Big XII lead in tackles for loss. In fact the defense is so strong that they recently moved cornerback and 2004 Third Team All-American Charles Gordon to wide receiver to aid the anemic offense.

The defense ranks a strong 20th in the country in points allowed at 18.6 points per game, but a closer look reveals a little more. In their 8 games, the ‘Hawks have allowed a total of 149 points. 55 of those points have been scored from a combination of blocked punts, punt returns, safeties, and short fields (drive started in opponent’s territory). In fact, in a 44-13 loss to North leader Colorado, 30 points came off of this combination. They held Kansas State to 12 points, Oklahoma to 19, and Texas Tech to just 30. Obviously points scored are points scored, but no team has had to face quite the up hill battle that Kansas has to face week in and week out.

The Kansas offense is absolutely brutal. Between a season long game of musical quarterbacks and an average running game, the Jayhawks currently rank 106th in the nation in total offense. If you need a refresher course, there are 119 teams in the country (including probationary teams FIU and FAU). Just to further drive the point home, they rank 100th in scoring at 18.6 ppg, 90th in rushing, and 94th in passing. In addition, they have put up only 3 points twice in conference play this season. If you want me to do the math for you I will, that isn’t good. The offensive struggles are a true shame. Watching talents like Reid go out and play hard every Saturday only to see the offense give it away is sad. Yet, you have heard nothing of any in-fighting, the defense just continues to go out and do their job.

The offense has finally settled on a quarterback but it may be too late. Kansas sits at 4-4, needing 2 wins in their final 3 games to become bowl eligible for only the second time since 1996. With home games against Nebraska and Iowa State, and a visit to the #2 ranked Texas Longhorns, winning 2 may be a difficult task. But, Nebraska is coming off two consecutive losses, Iowa State has yet to string together two solid games, and KU did give Texas a run for their money last year. Though I doubt that they will get the final wins they need (in fact, I don’t see them winning even one of the games), it wouldn’t be a total surprise if they did. The defense may just prove good enough to overcome the offense again, as it did in a 13-3 win over Missouri. If you get a chance I recommend watching this defense. With 8 defensive starters graduating at the end of the season, things may never be better for the defense than they are this season. If Nick Reid doesn’t get any sort of All-American recognition this season it would be an atrocity. And if you want to know how it feels to be a member of the KU defense, don’t use your right leg tomorrow. Just drag it around all day and see how much fun that is.

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