Thursday update

No major injures this week. Usual suspects out: Jimmy Bennett, John Yurek, Kihuan Dabney, Robbie Frey and Cody Endres.

Scout teams player of the week: Offense is Steve Greene, defense is Tevrin Brandon, and on special teams Marcus Aiken.

As far as the game.

Jordan Todman had a terrific game two weeks ago at Cincinnati with 154 yards and four touchdowns. Since Andre Dixon's 155 yard performance against Louisville, Todman has been the better back. He is ahead of Dixon on the depth chart and will start, and while they have been splitting carries, I think Todman has wrestled the starting back from Dixon again. Dixon will get carries, but Todman is adding something different to the running game.

I asked Todman about running inside, which he did well the last couple of weeks, and he said he always could run inside. He was a bit defiant about that, and to me that's a good thing.

What does Edsall see?

"Patience to the line, and speed through the hole."

The Huskies can run the ball on Notre Dame and my gameplan would be taking the air out of it and pounding the Irish with Dixon and Todman, and a lot of play action. That's just me.

Game plan for the defense? How about running Dixon and Todman and using clock.

Condolences to running backs coach Terry Richardson whose mother died after a battle with cancer on Monday. He won't be at Saturday's game.

The Huskies may be in 6th in the Big East in football, but they are tops in the league in graduating players, with 82 percent of Huskies earning degrees. That's a tremendous accomplishment for the program. It may not draw in recruits, but it should.

Edsall Kansas chatter?: I have read a couple of stories about Edsall as a replacement for Mangino at Kansas if that job opens up. Mangino is in hot water and of course Lew Perkins brought Edsall to Connecticut back in 1998 so it's natural internet chatter.  This is all speculation here of course and it's the Perkins connection that's driving this.

Just a word of caution, Edsall's buyout is still prohibitive. First off, he is getting paid about $1.5 per year, and the buyout is as follows.

"If the Coach accepts a position during the term of this agreement as a head coach at a NCAA Division I institution, or as a head coach in any professional league, the following sums will be due to the University from the Coach: $1,500,000 from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008; $1,250,000 from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009; $500,000 from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010; $400,000 from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011; and $250,000 from January 1, 2012 to August 1, 2012."

For Edsall to take the job in December (which you should for recruiting issues), then UConn is due a $1.25 buyout. Will Kansas pay that on top of what they are going to pay him and also buyout Mangino? Also, Edsall's son Cory is a junior quarterback at East Catholic. Family is always a big concern. Next year, the buyout is halved on Jan. 1. Would Kansas wait until after Jan. 1?

Edsall has no recruiting ties in the midwest and out west and I have a hard time thinking he would leave the team after what has happened this year and the chance the Huskies could make a serious run at the Big East title next season.

I would be skeptical. Also, I just don't think flat out Kansas football is that great a job.