{"id":1142,"date":"2016-09-19T17:35:18","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T21:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordoncollegefootball.com\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2016-09-19T20:29:56","modified_gmt":"2016-09-20T00:29:56","slug":"kansas-road-loss-to-memphis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2016\/09\/19\/kansas-road-loss-to-memphis\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas Road Woes Continue in 36-point Loss to Memphis"},"content":{"rendered":"

The date of Kansas\u2019 last road win was Sept. 12, 2009, in a game at UTEP. For reference, Barack Obama<\/strong> was approximately eight months into his presidency on that date. Steph<\/strong> Curry<\/strong> was waiting for the start of his rookie season. It would be nearly two and half more years until Facebook became a public company. With this in mind, a week three Kansas road loss to Memphis is in no way a surprise.<\/p>\n

That last win was over seven full years ago. Since then, Kansas has played under five head coaches (including the end of the 2009 campaign under Mark Mangino<\/strong> and an interim stint by current-defensive coordinator Clint Bowen<\/strong>). The Jayhawks have won 16 total games since that date; they\u2019ve lost 69 (including two this season).<\/p>\n

Kansas\u2019 struggles in this time frame are no secret. Fans, casual observers and media members alike are well aware of how feeble the Jayhawks have been since the second week of the 2009 season. For the sake of the program, the discussion can\u2019t be about how bad the past was and how much the team currently struggles. Instead, the focus must shift to how the team is preparing for the future.<\/p>\n

The problem for the Jayhawks is that everything<\/em> is a problem. The defense is susceptible to big plays and struggles to tackle. The running game is nonexistent so far this season. The quasi-dual quarterback system they\u2019re running isn\u2019t working.<\/p>\n

The 36-point drubbing<\/a> handed down to Kansas by the Memphis Tigers this season doesn\u2019t indicate just how much of a blowout the game was. Aside from a 66-yard touchdown run by freshman Khalil Herbert<\/strong>, Memphis dominated throughout. This shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise; Memphis whupped KU in Lawrence last season, 55-23. The Tigers don\u2019t have Paxton Lynch at quarterback anymore, but they had Kansas\u2019 road game ineptitude on their side.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy, and frankly unfair, to do nothing but pick on Kansas. Unlike in 2015, when the team\u2019s lone bright spot was Fish Smithson\u2019s<\/strong> obscene number of tackles, this year\u2019s team has already seen some positives. Against Memphis, the defense held the Tigers to field goal attempts multiple times after major mistakes by the offense. LaQuvionte Gonzalez<\/strong> adds an explosive element the team has lacked for years, both offensively and on special teams. The Jayhawks won a game in dominant fashion (granted, against Rhode Island, but a win is a win).<\/p>\n

At the same time, it would be irresponsible to ignore the team\u2019s major faults. Most notably, the quarterback battle between redshirt junior Montell Cozart<\/strong> and sophomore Ryan Willis<\/strong> has been a disaster, with neither passer showing enough to inspire faith.<\/p>\n

Blame for the quarterback situation falls largely on coach David Beaty<\/strong>. Beaty has flexed his recruiting muscle<\/a> while leading KU, but his on-field coaching is still in the developmental stage. It goes beyond the apparently play-by-play decisions over whether to play Cozart or Willis. Against Ohio on Sept. 10, KU refused to throw downfield all first half, despite favorable matchups across the field. Failing to utilize favorable matchups and making bizarre calls when it comes to punting and going for it on fourth down add to Beaty\u2019s in-game struggles.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t blame Beaty for the entirety of the Jayhawks\u2019 struggles. After all, he didn\u2019t exactly inherit a program built for success<\/a>. Players must be held accountable as well. The reason Kansas hasn\u2019t won a road game since \u201cThe Hangover\u201d was relevant to American pop culture largely comes down to poor play in all phases of the game.<\/p>\n

Against Memphis, three Jayhawks quarterbacks combined for 193 passing yards and 4.8 yards per attempt. If you remove Herbert\u2019s 66-yard touchdown, the team rushed for a resounding 55 yards on 30 carries. Between defensive lapses and pick-sixes, the Jayhawks allowed 43 points, 33 in the first half. It\u2019s hard to beat any team with such a lackluster performance, let alone one of the better G5 teams in the country.<\/p>\n

Kansas struggles enough as it is at home; without home field advantage, it\u2019s been abysmal for seven years since that Saturday evening in El Paso, Texas. It\u2019s important that the team is making positive strides, but it\u2019s obviously not enough yet. Without losing sight of these positives, you can\u2019t ignore the agonizing struggles and growing pains the team still faces. Things may be looking up for KU, but that elusive road win is still a long way off.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n