KANSAS GAMEDAY

OFFENSE

The Kansas offense was the No. 2 scoring offense in the country last year, averaging almost 43 points per game. They lose five starters, however, including offensive tackles Anthony Collins and Cesar Rodriguez, tight end Derek Fine, and 2007’s leading receiver in Marcus Henry and leading rusher in Brandon McAnderson. Redshirt freshmen Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes are taking over at the tackles and sophomore Dezmon Briscoe seems primed for a breakout year at wide receiver. Add in junior college Player of the Year Jocques Crawford, who said this week that his goal is to rush for over 2,000 yards, and the offense could actually be even better in 2008.

DEFENSE

The defense loses only two players from last year’s unit that ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense and 12th in total defense. But both of those players were All-Americans, making the void a little bit harder to fill. Gone is Orange Bowl MVP Aqib Talib and defensive tackle James McClinton, but sophomore Chris Harris, the 2007 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, should have an All-Big 12 type year at cornerback. All three linebackers return in seniors Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera and James Holt, who combine to form one of the strongest and most experienced group of linebackers in the country. Kansas allowed teams to score an average of only 16.38 points last year, and there’s no reason why they can’t put up a similar number this year.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The biggest question mark going into 2008 for the Jayhawks is, without question, special teams. Alonzo Rojas, a transfer from Bowling Green, will handle the punting and kickoff duties, and junior college transfer Grady Fowler will handle the field goals. It’s possible that Rojas could also see time as the placekicker. They must replace kicker Scott Webb and punter Kyle Tucker, who had anchored the positions for the past few years. True freshman Daymond Patterson won the job at punt returner, hoping to shore up what was an awful unit in 2007. Coach Mark Mangino said that Patterson has the one thing that you can’t teach: speed. All-American senior Marcus Herford will handle the kick-return duties, giving the Jayhawks a potentially lethal return game in 2008.

COACHING

It doesn’t get any better than being named National Coach of the Year, just as coach Mark Mangino was after last year’s record-breaking season. Mangino earned the honor from 10 different organizations including The Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association. He became the first coach in college football history to be named National Coordinator of the Year, which he won at Oklahoma in 2000, and National Coach of the Year during his career. Ed Warinner returns as offensive coordinator and should have even more tricks up his sleeve. Clint Bowen takes over as defensive coordinator after serving as co-coordinator for the past two seasons. The coaching edge certainly goes to Kansas.

MOMENTUM

Could a team have any more momentum than Kansas has entering Saturday’s game against FIU? Sure, it’s the first game of the season, but after winning the Orange Bowl last year and completing the best season in school history, the Kansas players seem primed for a big win on Saturday. Add in the preseason hype surrounding the team and the national rankings and attention, and Kansas seems ready to steamroll past an undermanned FIU squad.

AT A GLANCE

Kansas plays its first game as defending Orange Bowl champions in front of what should be a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks lost several key contributors but return the team’s most important player, quarterback Todd Reesing. If the Jayhawks can stay healthy, they should be in store for another big season in 2008.

BY THE NUMBERS

(2007 average and National Rank)

42.8ppg – 2nd, scoring offense

291ypg – 17th, passing offense

94.8ypg - 8th, rushing defense

16.38ppg – 4th, scoring defense

PLAYER TO WATCH

Daymond Patterson

The true freshman won the job as punt returner coming out of camp and possesses a rare quality: speed. The 5-9, 175 pound Mesquite, Texas, native returned punts in high school and had an average of 21.6 yards per return. Patterson should help greatly improve the Jayhawks’ punt return game, which was one of the worst in the Big 12 a year ago.

QUESTION MARKS

Will Florida International score? The Kansas defense was one of the top in the nation in 2007 and FIU was dead last, 119th out of 119 teams in the FCS, in scoring offense. They managed a field goal against the Jayhawks last season and they might be lucky to get another one again this time around.

Will there be a letdown? After winning the Orange Bowl and coming into this year ranked in the top 15, it would be natural for any team to look past a lesser opponent. But that shouldn’t be a problem for Kansas, a team that is always kept focused on the game at hand by coach Mark Mangino.

MEMORIAL STADIUM WILL ROCK IF…

The Kansas offense does anything similar to what it did last year when it finished second in the nation in scoring offense. The Jayhawks should have no problem with FIU and should steamroll to a big win.

DON FAMBROUGH WILL WEEP IF…

The Kansas team forgets what time the game is at and doesn’t show up. The Jayhawks should have no problem with FIU, and not showing up to the field seems to be about the only thing that would keep them from getting a big win in week one.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL GAMEDAY

OFFENSE

The 2007 Golden Panthers amassed the second fewest yards per game (269.7 ypg) and scored the fewest points per game (15.1 ppg). FIU’s incredibly difficult nonconference schedule — it played five BCS foes, four of which went to bowl games — skew those stats, but they still hint at just how bad this unit was. New offensive coordinator Bill Legg has a trio of talented tailbacks and an experienced offensive line. However, coach Mario Cristobal has yet to name a starting quarterback. Sophomore Wayne Younger and junior Paul McCall are still battling for the starting role.

Ranking: 1 out of 5

DEFENSE

FIU must replace its best player, cornerback Lionell Singleton. Without him the defense is in the hands of junior linebacker Scott Bryant and sophomore cornerback Anthony Gaitor. At 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds, Bryant packs a lot of weight into a small package, which makes him a vicious hitter. Gaitor’s the youngest and most talented player in the secondary. Junior safeties Jeremiah Weatherspoon and Ashlyn Parker have to tighten their coverage or Todd Reesing will have a field day. FIU needs its veteran defensive line to apply quick quarterback pressure to alleviate its inexperienced secondary.

Ranking: 1 out of 5

SPECIAL TEAMS

Gaitor is slated to handle punts while Weatherspoon will return kicks, but a few other guys may also get into the mix. The Golden Panthers should have returning starters at both punter and kicker, but the situation is complicated. Junior punter Chris Cook will likely take a medical redshirt this season because of back problems. Meanwhile, kickers Chris Abed, the 2007 starter, and Dustin Rivest each missed spring practice “while taking care of some issues,” according to coach Cristobal. Their absence opened the door for junior walk-on Carlos Munera. Rivest is back on the team as Munera’s backup at both punter and kicker.

Ranking: 1 out of 5

MOMENTUM

You wouldn’t think that a 1-11 team could have any momentum heading into the next season. But when that one win comes in the last game of the year, then there’s at least some feeling of accomplishment to motivate the players. FIU’s late-season victory against North Texas was the last college football game in the Orange Bowl, and it ended a 26-game losing streak, which means Cristobal made some type of improvement.

Ranking: 2 out of 5

COACHING

In his first year as FIU coach, Mario Cristobal got the ball rolling in Miami by halting a losing streak that spanned across parts of three seasons. Cristobal cut his teeth at Rutgers, helping coach Greg Schiano build the foundation for what’s now a consistent Big East contender. Then Cristobal returned to Miami, his alma mater, to join Larry Coker’s staff. While there, Cristobal built up a reputation as a tremendous recruiter, and he’s used those Miami ties to bring athletes to the Golden Panthers. Legg performed wonders at Purdue, turning its offense into a top-30 unit.

Ranking: 2 out of 5

AT A GLANCE

FIU has some young talent, including its coach, but it’s still well behind most programs in the country. This is only the fourth year of D-I football for the Golden Panthers, and the team is still searching for a program-defining victory. They’re unlikely to get it in week one, but this team, at least on paper, is better than the 2007 version and that should be reflected on the field.

BY THE NUMBERS

(2007 Averages and National Rank)

scoring offense

15.1 ppg – 119th

passing offense

150.58 ypg – 117th

rushing offense

119.1 ypg – 98th

scoring defense

39.1 ppg – 115th

passing defense

243.6 ypg – 80th

rushing defense

203.8 ypg – 105th

PLAYER TO WATCH

Sophomore cornerback Anthony Gaitor

A speedster out of high school powerhouse Miami Northwestern, Gaitor started 11 games as a true freshman. He recorded two interceptions and a freshman-high 56 tackles. Coach Mark Mangino mentioned him as someone the Jayhawks would need to keep their eyes on. Like most players on the FIU roster, Gaitor is undersized at 5-foot-10, 178 pounds. However, that works as an advantage on punt returns, where he can hide behind blockers then dart past potential tacklers.

QUESTION MARKS

Who’s going to play quarterback? Cristobal told the Miami Herald last week that he wouldn’t announce his starting quarterback before the game, forcing Kansas to prepare for both Younger and McCall all week. Younger is a scrambler who completed less than 50 percent of his passes while McCall led FIU to its only victory with three touchdown passes.

Can FIU make it a 30-point game? With three losses by 48 points or more last season, a 30-point loss to a team of Kansas’ caliber would be a step in the right direction. If the FIU defense can at least slow down Todd Reesing and Co., maybe the new clock rules will shorten the game before it gets too out of hand.

PREDICTION: Kansas 52, FIU 6

— — Edited by Adam Mowder