FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2006
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Brian Murph, junior wide receiver, scores the first touchdown of the Fort Worth Bowl Dec. 23 in Fort Worth. Kansas defeated Houston 42-13.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Nick Reid, senior linebacker, is congratulated by Kansas fans after KU defeated Houston 42-13 in the Fort Worth Bowl. Reid had five tackles during the Kansas victory.
Fort Worth Bowl victory helps morale and recruiting
FOOTBALL
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRITER
Kansas may have secured a recruiting foothold in the state by defeating a Texas team in Fort Worth. The bowl victory could also pay dividends for Kansas in the long run with a boost in team confidence.
Nearly two months before the bowl game, after Colorado beat Kansas 44-13 in Boulder, few pictured the Jayhawks making a postseason appearance. Questions arose about the coaching staff. But following that loss in Boulder, the fourth of the team's conference schedule, senior quarterback Jason Swanson's improved play sparked KU's resurgence.
Kansas finished the season on a roll, winning four of its last five games, losing only to eventual national champion, Texas, in Austin.
Freshman cornerback Aqib Talib showed the potential to be a top defensive back in the Big 12 by replacing junior Charles Gordon in several defensive sets. Junior running back Jon Cornish stepped up and became the home run hitter the team seemed to lose before the season when junior John Randle was dismissed from the team. Players such as
The game marked the first bowl victory in two chances for Kansas coach Mark Mangino and the first for the program since 1995. Even after beating Missouri for the third straight time and snapping a 36-game losing streak to Nebraska, questions still arose about Mangino.
With the impressive bowl victory, the football program seems to be on the rise in Lawrence.
freshman Mike Rivera, junior Eric Washington and freshman Brandon Duncan filled the gaps on special teams and will have the opportunity to replace outgoing seniors Nick Reid, Charlton Keith and Kevin Kane.
If the Jayhawks are able to carry their momentum from the bowl game into next season, they may be in the mix for the Big 12 North title. Kansas will also have the advantage of a Big 12 schedule, including 2005 cellar dwellers Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Baylor rather than bowl teams Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech.
Kansas dominated the University of Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl, on Dec. 23, winning 42-13.
Jon Cornish, junior running back, looks for a hole through Houston's defense during the Fort Worth Bowl. Cornish scored two of the six touchdowns.
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Edited by Meghan Miller
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Clark Green, senior running back, fights past Houston's defense before being tackled in the Fort Worth Bowl game. Green gained 23 rushing yards for KU during the 42-13 victory.
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