Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
celticdb15 said:
Good point, celtic.
Jake Sharp
- Thread starter patriot
- Start date
Good point, celtic.
Another nice article on Sharp on ESPN.com this morning. They even compliment his speed.
[url]http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-3-127/Sharp-s-return-spar ks-Kansas-running-attack.html[/url]
Sharp's return sparks Kansas running attack
October 16, 2008 2:36 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
The bumps and bruises that Jake Sharp has experienced the last two Sunday mornings haven't been frustrating.
Even as he's stumbled out of bed, the junior Kansas tailback has almost reveled in his soreness. It was a sign he was back in the lineup, finally contributing to his team.
"I haven't minded it too much," Sharp said. "It feels like I'm back playing football again."
After being relegated to the bench for most of the early part of the season, Sharp has emerged as the Jayhawks' primary rushing threat heading into Saturday's key game at No. 4 Oklahoma.
The 190-pound Sharp rushed for 118 yards on a career-high 31 carries -- the first Kansas back to top 100 yards this season -- to help power the Jayhawks' victory over Colorado last week. In the process, he appears to have won the job as the featured back in the Jayhawks' offense.
After rushing for 821 yards last season as a backup behind Brandon McAnderson, Sharp was expected to challenge for a starting position this year.
But earlier in the season he found himself in a logjam for playing time with Angus Quigley and heralded junior-college transfer Jocques Crawford.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino initially didn't think that Sharp could be an every-down back, preferring to use him as a spot player depending on game situations.
"He was the kind of guy we thought could be a complimentary back," Mangino said. "Maybe use him for 10 carries a game, a couple of receptions, that kind of stuff."
It's understandable why Mangino wavered before finding his starter where he always was. The 230-pouund Crawford arrived heavy on hype and fueled expectations when he talked about rushing for 2,000 yards before the season started. He remains 1,885 yards away from that goal halfway through the season.
The 222-pound Quigley was intriguing to Mangino because he was a tough inside rusher just like previous Kansas standouts Jon Cornish and McAnderson. After Quigley led the team in rushing in each of the first four games, he was thought to be the best choice.
Sharp rushed for only 62 yards on 21 carries in the first three games. And his only appearance in the Jayhawks' fourth game against Sam Houston State came on the final possession of the game when backups were present to run out the clock.
But after the Jayhawks fell into a 20-0 halftime hole against Iowa State, Mangino turned to Sharp almost in desperation. The Jayhawks had produced only 34 yards rushing as a team in the first half.
"Me and Jake talk a lot," Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier told the Kansas City Star. "He just kept telling me he wanted a shot. Just one little shot."
And when that opportunity came, Sharp made the most out of it.
Sharp rebounded to rush for 70 yards in the second half and produced all of his 107 receiving yards -- the most in history by a Kansas back in one game -- to key a dramatic 35-33 comeback victory over the Cyclones.
"We realized we couldn't play any worse," Sharp said. "Our coaches have trained us to fight through adversity. Nobody freaked out. We just made adjustments and started to play. We showed that when everybody is on the same page, we're a pretty hard team to beat."
Sharp built on that strong outing by producing his game last week. Those two strong performances have helped the 5-1 Jayhawks into undisputed possession of first place in the North Division heading into their game Saturday against the Sooners.
Some of Sharp's success is because he is more comfortable after having several carries to get used to the flow of the game. Before, he had little time to become acclimated before he was back on the bench.
"I'm a guy who's like a jitterbug when I got out there," Sharp said. "Before I had more adrenalin than what I knew what to do with. But as the more carries I get, the more the game slows down for me."
And Mangino has tweaked his running philosophy to accommodate Sharp's talents that helped him score 63 touchdowns as a senior at Salina (Kan.) High School.
Instead of a move-the-pile strategy heavily predicated on inside runs, Mangino has implemented a strategy more suited to Sharp. There now are more sweeps and option-based opportunities to use Sharp's best attribute, his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash.
"I'm just trying to run with more maturity," Sharp said. "I've started waiting on blocks and trying to be more patient when I'm out there."
The development hasn't been surprising to Mangino, who has been pleased with Sharp's return.
"We've always thought he could help us," Mangino said. "We would like him to be a complimentary back. But I think that Jake has more than proven he can carry the load.
"He's confident and we feel like he's showing no signs of wearing down. He was strong and running hard and blocking and carrying the ball at the end of the game. We have faith he'll do whatever we ask of him."
[url]http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-3-127/Sharp-s-return-spar ks-Kansas-running-attack.html[/url]
Sharp's return sparks Kansas running attack
October 16, 2008 2:36 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
The bumps and bruises that Jake Sharp has experienced the last two Sunday mornings haven't been frustrating.
Even as he's stumbled out of bed, the junior Kansas tailback has almost reveled in his soreness. It was a sign he was back in the lineup, finally contributing to his team.
"I haven't minded it too much," Sharp said. "It feels like I'm back playing football again."
After being relegated to the bench for most of the early part of the season, Sharp has emerged as the Jayhawks' primary rushing threat heading into Saturday's key game at No. 4 Oklahoma.
The 190-pound Sharp rushed for 118 yards on a career-high 31 carries -- the first Kansas back to top 100 yards this season -- to help power the Jayhawks' victory over Colorado last week. In the process, he appears to have won the job as the featured back in the Jayhawks' offense.
After rushing for 821 yards last season as a backup behind Brandon McAnderson, Sharp was expected to challenge for a starting position this year.
But earlier in the season he found himself in a logjam for playing time with Angus Quigley and heralded junior-college transfer Jocques Crawford.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino initially didn't think that Sharp could be an every-down back, preferring to use him as a spot player depending on game situations.
"He was the kind of guy we thought could be a complimentary back," Mangino said. "Maybe use him for 10 carries a game, a couple of receptions, that kind of stuff."
It's understandable why Mangino wavered before finding his starter where he always was. The 230-pouund Crawford arrived heavy on hype and fueled expectations when he talked about rushing for 2,000 yards before the season started. He remains 1,885 yards away from that goal halfway through the season.
The 222-pound Quigley was intriguing to Mangino because he was a tough inside rusher just like previous Kansas standouts Jon Cornish and McAnderson. After Quigley led the team in rushing in each of the first four games, he was thought to be the best choice.
Sharp rushed for only 62 yards on 21 carries in the first three games. And his only appearance in the Jayhawks' fourth game against Sam Houston State came on the final possession of the game when backups were present to run out the clock.
But after the Jayhawks fell into a 20-0 halftime hole against Iowa State, Mangino turned to Sharp almost in desperation. The Jayhawks had produced only 34 yards rushing as a team in the first half.
"Me and Jake talk a lot," Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier told the Kansas City Star. "He just kept telling me he wanted a shot. Just one little shot."
And when that opportunity came, Sharp made the most out of it.
Sharp rebounded to rush for 70 yards in the second half and produced all of his 107 receiving yards -- the most in history by a Kansas back in one game -- to key a dramatic 35-33 comeback victory over the Cyclones.
"We realized we couldn't play any worse," Sharp said. "Our coaches have trained us to fight through adversity. Nobody freaked out. We just made adjustments and started to play. We showed that when everybody is on the same page, we're a pretty hard team to beat."
Sharp built on that strong outing by producing his game last week. Those two strong performances have helped the 5-1 Jayhawks into undisputed possession of first place in the North Division heading into their game Saturday against the Sooners.
Some of Sharp's success is because he is more comfortable after having several carries to get used to the flow of the game. Before, he had little time to become acclimated before he was back on the bench.
"I'm a guy who's like a jitterbug when I got out there," Sharp said. "Before I had more adrenalin than what I knew what to do with. But as the more carries I get, the more the game slows down for me."
And Mangino has tweaked his running philosophy to accommodate Sharp's talents that helped him score 63 touchdowns as a senior at Salina (Kan.) High School.
Instead of a move-the-pile strategy heavily predicated on inside runs, Mangino has implemented a strategy more suited to Sharp. There now are more sweeps and option-based opportunities to use Sharp's best attribute, his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash.
"I'm just trying to run with more maturity," Sharp said. "I've started waiting on blocks and trying to be more patient when I'm out there."
The development hasn't been surprising to Mangino, who has been pleased with Sharp's return.
"We've always thought he could help us," Mangino said. "We would like him to be a complimentary back. But I think that Jake has more than proven he can carry the load.
"He's confident and we feel like he's showing no signs of wearing down. He was strong and running hard and blocking and carrying the ball at the end of the game. We have faith he'll do whatever we ask of him."
Sharp goes 12 for 103 against the Sooners. So, Mangino is sticking with his 10 carry per game philosophy. Sharp led a drive in the 3rd quarter where he popped off four or five long runs in a row where the Sooners couldn't touch him. That pulled the game to 31-24. Then, he was never heard from the rest of the game. On a side note, a white special teamer committed a personal foul and they showed Mangino in this guys face and following him down the sidelines screaming at him for a prolonged period of time. It was really excessive - I'm guessing he wouldn't have treated one of his black affletes the same way.
Gi-15
Mentor
Indeed, we never heard from jake after that great drive, because he didn't see the field again until 3rd down on about 3 failed drives later. This decision cost Kansas the game. How can you not send you're then biggest playmaker of the game when it's 31-24 for the other team? and when its 38-24? Mark Mangino is a dumbass, I'm tired of defending the guy. The fat got to his brain that time.
Great article on Sharp
On the point of 40 times it's dead on. I'm close to another FBS program and there is only one player on that team's roster currently who runs under a 4.4. Edited by: Mike
On the point of 40 times it's dead on. I'm close to another FBS program and there is only one player on that team's roster currently who runs under a 4.4. Edited by: Mike
White Power
Mentor
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 931
Jake is a bad white mother. He must have some black in him to run that fast. I mean come on a white guy running a 4.38. How is that possible?OK obviously I'm kidding way to go Jake keep up the good work against Kansas State. By the way a good caste match up Sharp against Dold I really don't know which team to root for.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
White Power said:
Yeah, a fairly decent Caste game, with Kansas having roughly 13 white starters and Kansas State having only about 5 whites. I'll be pulling for all the white stars on both teamsto have a great game and Kansas to win the ball game.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Jake should have received more carries in the 4th to go over 200, but 181 ain't bad at all!
white lightning
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2004
- Messages
- 21,458
What a day for Jake. He ran for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns! Simply amazing. This kid is another McGuffie. He has that same type of athletecism. Jake can take it to the house on any play. You have to love this kid and he is only a sophmore. I would love to see him be a Heisman Hopeful going into next season. If Jake can remain healthy, anything is possible as long as Kansas can get the right players around him. I'm so happy for Sharp and the Jayhawks. We just need to get them on national tv more.
Gerhart is having another solid day. He is a pure beast of a running back. My 3 favorite college running backs are McGuffie, Sharp, and Gerhart. I want to see all of these guys playing on Sunday some day. What a dream that would be.
Gerhart is having another solid day. He is a pure beast of a running back. My 3 favorite college running backs are McGuffie, Sharp, and Gerhart. I want to see all of these guys playing on Sunday some day. What a dream that would be.
Gi-15
Mentor
Sharp is actually a junior, but everything else you said is on the money
Sharp also had 5 receptions for 76 yards, including a 44 yarder. Mark May was doing the highlights of the game and prefaced the Sharp highlights with "he doesn't have the ability to run over guys, but..." The caste media always has to pick on what a White back can't do. Jeez, the guy just got 250 yards combined rushing and recieving, who cares if he ran over anybody. Watching the game, it still feels like Mangino is holding Sharp back. Sharp just gives him no choice.
white lightning
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2004
- Messages
- 21,458
Jake Sharp just had a 19 yard touchdown run against Missouri. Kansas is winning 26-10 early in the 3rd quarter. I just wish they would give Jake the ball more. Meir is having a nice game as is the quarterback for the Jayhawks. I hope they can pull this game out against a very highly ranked Missouri team.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Chase Daniel is the leading rusher in that game right now, but maybe Jake will break another one before its over.
Gi-15
Mentor
He should be the clear-cut starter next year. He got a shot at a 1,000 yard and that will get him a combine invite. Then he will show his low 4.4 speed and get drafted in the 3rd-4th range, unless he is mesured at under 5'10, in that case he'll be an afterthought.
well i started making highlights of college players that will be coming out in the 2010 draft, i might make a thread dedicated to it, but so far i just have Jake Sharp (I guess i got bored with the fact theres not many runningback prospects coming out in this draft)
Jake Sharp 2007-2008 seasons
Missing a few good runs but got what i could find, decent amount of footage.
Jake Sharp 2007-2008 seasons
Missing a few good runs but got what i could find, decent amount of footage.
Gi-15
Mentor
dwid said:
thank you!
your welcome, i cant believe he got 860 yards despite not getting significant carries in the first 4 games, and getting cracked ribs in the texas game. Plus, the coach played him weird sometimes, like letting him get into a groove, and then not playing him an entire quarter.
If he had gotten significant carries in at least 2 of those first 4 games he wouldve gotten past the 1,000 mark, well he may have been able to do it in just one.
edit: and i didnt realize how quick and fast he is, most of those clips are from game footage, not sped up at all, but it looks like it is, unless the program i have to edit things speeds things up to go with the pace of the song, but i havent seen that before in the program so its highly unlikely. The only footage i cant be sure if its regular speed is some of the kansas st td runs from 08, and the iowa shovel pass because i got those from youtube. The rest is regular game speed footage. The 07 kansas st runs are mine too.Edited by: dwid
If he had gotten significant carries in at least 2 of those first 4 games he wouldve gotten past the 1,000 mark, well he may have been able to do it in just one.
edit: and i didnt realize how quick and fast he is, most of those clips are from game footage, not sped up at all, but it looks like it is, unless the program i have to edit things speeds things up to go with the pace of the song, but i havent seen that before in the program so its highly unlikely. The only footage i cant be sure if its regular speed is some of the kansas st td runs from 08, and the iowa shovel pass because i got those from youtube. The rest is regular game speed footage. The 07 kansas st runs are mine too.Edited by: dwid
Gi-15
Mentor
yeah, I was seeing that too, on a run next to the side line against K-State it looks like he is on fast foward!
Dwid,
I know you're probably really busy with those videos, but if you ever get a chance I think you may want to look into producing one for Montana's Chase Reynolds. I know he's only a redshirt junior this year, but you can find plenty of footage of him on YouTube if you search for Montana football highlights. He's definetly a guy who could benefit from the exposure. Great work again, can't wait to see what you churn out next.
I know you're probably really busy with those videos, but if you ever get a chance I think you may want to look into producing one for Montana's Chase Reynolds. I know he's only a redshirt junior this year, but you can find plenty of footage of him on YouTube if you search for Montana football highlights. He's definetly a guy who could benefit from the exposure. Great work again, can't wait to see what you churn out next.
PhillyBirds
Mentor
Terrific video, dwid! Awesome stuff. I liked the Jedi Mind Tricks track too.