Joe Dineen, Kansas defense face bigger test this week

Kansas football fans are still celebrating the season opening victory. The Big 12 rewarded Linebacker Joe Dineen, Jr. for Saturday’s effort.

Most Kansas football fans focused on the offense going into Saturday’s season opener. As a matter of fact, the quarterback story was only one big story. The return of linebacker Joe Dineen, Jr. is the story following the game.

It was great to see the redshirt junior linebacker Dineen stuff a ball carrier on the Redhawks second possession Saturday night. He had 15 tackles Saturday including 11 solo tackles. After what he suffered with a leg injury last season he looks strong. The Big 12 named him defensive player of the week. His leadership is critically important to this team and is one reason fellow players voted him as team captain. Dineen, Dorance Armstrong and Daniel Wise all played well.

During a Tuesday media briefing, coach Beaty spoke highly of Dineen. “He played his tail off. He played a ton of plays and I couldn’t be happier for him. I can’t get him to come out of the game. He wants to be in every play, special teams everything.

The Jayhawk defense held the Redhawks to under 100-yards on the ground in the opener. Forty-one of those yards came on one play. They held the SEMO to three and out on the first two series and forced second and nine or longer at least a dozen time.

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Dineen and the Jayhawk defense need to continue that intensity against Central Michigan. The Chippewas have an experienced senior transfer quarterback.

He will challenge the Jayhawks much more than the quarterback did in the season opener.

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