Huskers will squeak by Jayhawks

Nebraska hosts Kansas in a key Big 12 Conference game Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The game is set for a traditional 1:30 p.m. kickoff and will be televised on a pay-per-view basis.

The Jayhawks, coached by Mark Mangino, are 6-3 while the Huskers have a 5-4 record. Kansas sparkles offensively, led by quarterback Todd Reesing (5-feet-11, 200 pounds, Junior), who is undersized but plays with a tremendous amount of heart. He reminds some of former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Reesing is an accurate passer, good runner and a solid leader. While he is not flashy all he does is win football games.

On the season, Reesing completes 68.4 percent (225-of-329) of his passes with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. KU averages 299 yards passing per game. Reesing also averages nearly 20 yards rushing per game with three touchdowns. When he plays well, Kansas is a tough team to beat.

The running game for Kansas has come alive as of late. In last week’s 52-21 rout of Kansas State, running back Jake Sharp (5-10, 190, Jr.) had one of the best games of his career in rushing for 181 yards with four touchdowns against the Wildcats. For the season, He leads the Jayhawks averaging 72 yards per contest with nine scores. As a team, KU averages 146.6 yards rushing per game. It will attempt to keep the Nebraska defense honest by mixing in the running attack.

The best unit on the Jayhawk offense is a talented group of receivers. Two men are the leaders of the Jayhawk passing game. Kerry Meier (6-3, 220, Jr.) leads the team with with 66 catches for 742 yards and four touchdowns. Meier began his career at Kansas as a starting quarterback. He still practices as a quarterback but has been a leading receiver the past couple of seasons for KU. The big-play man through the air is Dezmon Briscoe (6-3, 200, So.). Briscoe has 62 grabs good for 800 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. He has been one of the real surprises in the conference this season. If Kansas is effective throwing the ball, it may be a very long afternoon for Husker fans.

The Kansas offensive line is a very interesting group. A pair of freshmen are set to start at the tackle spots, while a trio of seniors will get the nod at the center and guard positions. From tackle to tackle, the Jayhawks average 6-4 and nearly 308 pounds per man. They have given up 17 sacks as a group through nine games this season. Left tackle Jeremiah Hatch (6-3, 311, Fr.) has the tools to be a star in the Big 12 down the road. Nebraska will need to perform well as a defensive front to keep some pressure on the KU offense.

Defensively, Kansas gives up some yards both running and throwing the football. The Jayhawks allow 110 yards rushing per game and 270 yards through the air. Nebraska certainly can put plenty of points up against the Jayhawk defense. The best unit of the Kansas defense is the linebacker corps. Strongside linebacker James Holt (6-3, 226, Sr.) is the best playmaker for Kansas, who leads the Jayhawks with 71 total tackles. He is aggressive, leading the team with 11 tackles for losses including four sacks. Nebraska must always account for him or the Jayhawk linebacker will make something happen. Middle linebacker Joe Mortensen (6-1, 250, Sr.) is the emotional leader of the Kansas defense. He has 55 tackles good for fourth on the squad. Weakside linebacker Mike Rivera (6-3, 255, Sr.) has great size for an outside linebacker. He is third on the team with 57 tackles.

The defensive front is small and less experienced than the other parts of the KU defense. Senior Russell Brorerson (6-4, 240, Sr.) provides a spark from his end spot. Right end Jake Laptad (6-4, 249, So.) leads the team with six sacks. The secondary has a big hitter in strong safety Darrell Stuckey (6-1, 205, Jr.), in leading the team with three interceptions and is second on the squad with 68 total tackles. The Kansas secondary is a small group that has given up a great deal of yards and points this season.

Special teams are a talented group for the Jayhawks. Kicker Jacob Branstetter (5-10, 175, So.) is 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) on field goals. Punter Alonso Rojas (6-3, 220, So.) averages 41.5 yards on 37 punts. He also has a long of 47 yards on two field goal attempts. The return game has a star in Daymond Patterson (5-9, 175, Fr). He has a 75-yard punt return for a score this season. Nebraska may have an advantage in special teams in this matchup.

Nebraska needs a great effort to defeat Kansas. The Jayhawks have a talented offense that can light up the scoreboard. Reesing is talented and knows how to win. I believe that Nebraska will get a spirited performance from the offense and make a play on special teams that will lead the Huskers to a 38-35 win over Kansas.

Jim Dolezal is a local Husker football fanatic as well as a part-time sports writer for the Telegram. He will analyze the Huskers’ opposition from a hometown perspective every Thursday throughout the season.