Kansas Jayhawks Links
Dillon Davis writes about Leroy Harris III anchoring the defense:
A big reason for that has been the stellar play of junior defensive end Leroy Harris III.
Harris is currently the No. 1 ranked defensive lineman among all Power 4 defenders and the No. 2 ranked defensive lineman in college football overall, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He has a run defense grade of 94.2 and an overall grade of 93.5.
Joshua Schulman over at SI notes thatLeipold has made a change on the offensive line heading
into the Utah game this week:
Ahead of KU’s second conference game against Utah this weekend, Herring is now listed as the starting right guard for the first time in his tenure at the university. Tuikolovatu, a second-year transfer from UCLA, has seemingly lost his grip on the position after starting the year in that spot.
OC Andy Kotelnecki addressed how the Jayhawks are preparing for playing at high altitude on Saturday:
“If we were playing at 9,000 or 10,000 feet, maybe you’d be a little more concerned about it. But it’s like 4,000 or whatever. I’m not trying to minimize it, but I’m not going to try to make a big deal out of it,” KU associate head coach/offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said after Tuesday’s practice on the fields outside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, approximately 840 feet above sea level.
The University of Utah football page has some interesting notes about the Utes this season, including this nugget about their offense:
Utah’s offense has been equally as impressive early in the season, ranking 11th in the FBS and third in the conference in total offense at 491.0 ypg. Utah is currently 12th in the FBS in scoring offense and leads the conference with 43.3 ppg.
Back to Schulman over at SI but this time he’s writing about basketball and profiles freshman Luke Barnett:
The Kansas basketball program’s freshman class is headlined by top-ranked recruit Tyran Stokes, but other first-year players are expected to make an impact as well. One of them is former Mater Dei High School standout Luke Barnett.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound wing has quickly earned the trust of KU’s coaching staff this offseason. He was called one of the “nicest surprises” on this roster a couple of months ago by head coach Bill Self.
A Sea of Blue writes about Melvin Council returning to the Jayhawks and an instagram post he put up that suggested he was considering Kentucky among other schools before announcing his return to Kansas:
I’m sure it was a way for Council to feel like the dude for a moment, but the schools he mentioned eventually shut down any buzz, with media reporting that those schools aren’t even recruiting him.
We’ll see if he actually ends up eligible, but if he can suit up for the Jayhawks, he’ll face Kentucky in Chicago a little over a month from now.
I don’t think Kentucky fans were amused.
Through the Phog writes about the sudden depth and minute crunch facing Bill Self and the Jayhawks with the additions of Tre White and Melvin Council Jr:
Through the Phog has discussed how White and Council will fit with this roster. White seems to have a clearer path for playing time than Council, but the latter brings experience and intensity that Self loves. The biggest issue is that the Jayhawks already have two other dual-threat point guards in Taylen Kinney and Leroy Blyden Jr., and it will be difficult for all three to get enough playing time.
Other Links!
The Padres stay alive in the MLB playoffs after some unexpected challenges:
As the days ticked by, King’s availability became paramount. Adrian Morejon, the Padres’ dominant setup man, came out of a Monday catch session with a stiff left shoulder. The following afternoon, about 45 minutes before the start of Game 3, Mason Miller, their star closer, was placed on the paternity list to witness the birth of his first child. Both would be unavailable with the Padres’ season on the line.
And so there was King, coming out of the bullpen to shut down the pesky Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth and ninth inning from Petco Park on Tuesday night, preserving the 4-3 victory that forced Game 4.
The lovable Dodgers won a pitching battle against the Braves on Tuesday…and whether you hate them or not you do have to tip your cap to Yoshinobu Yamamato:
October reveals certain truths about baseball players and teams, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have played enough games in recent postseasons to have a handful of such established facts. One of them is that Kiké Hernández, at some point, will deliver a momentous hit. And another is that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the best big-game pitcher in the world.
Well, it’s October so that means it’s time to start looking at BUBBLE WATCH for the CFP:
Selection Day will again feature playoff teams with one or two losses, so it’s up to Florida to determine how damaging Saturday’s defeat to Missouri really was. For now, it’s not an elimination game — the head-to-head result against Ole Miss broke that fall — but it could come back to haunt them if the Gators don’t find a way to beat Texas or Georgia.
Consider the Gators on the bubble.
Former Pittsburg State coach Dennis Franchione passed away this week:
Franchione retired from coaching in 2015 after stepping down at Texas State. He also served as head coach at New Mexico, Pittsburg State and Southwestern College during his career.
“College football is in a better place for having Dennis Franchione’s influence on it, and today is a great loss to all who knew him,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement.
Franchione’s career took off after he left New Mexico for TCU in 1998.
Ray Ratto dissing the Yankees? That’s worth a read:
The Tampa Bay Rays look like they are going to win their American League Division Series, but that’s not the thing that’s making you nickname your persistent migraine as though it were a mischievous nephew. It’s that they’re making the New York Yankees look like the Los Angeles Angels, which is not just laughing at the power of branding but making a fresh mockery of a town that already has to put up with the Mets.
QOTD: With the death connected social media and blogging, what websites do you actually visit organically more than once or twice a week?
