SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994
SECTION B
BIG 8 FOOTBALL
Coach's wife helps 'widows'
Class at Missouri teaches football
By R.B. Fallstrom The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Feet anchored, knees bent, hips low, head up and eyes open, the middle-aged mother of two prepared to deliver a telling body brow.
All in a night's work for Cheryl Smith, the wife of Missouri coach Larry Smith and a secret linebacker wannabe. While standing by her man at his jobs at Tulane, Arizona, Southern California and now Missouri, she occupies her falls by holding lively classes for "Football Widows."
This is her 14th year on the job, and she's pretty good at it. Demonstrating proper tackling form on students, diarraming basic plays and letting a little of the animal out, Smith has commanded the rapt attention of 100 or so brand-new students of the game during the four-week, no-credit course.
"She's pretty astute," said her admiried husband, a guest speaker at last week's two-hour session. "She likes to stay current with trends on offense and defense."
"She's a fireball in her own right," Missouri athletic director Joe Castilione said.
Cheryl Smith is so knowledgeable that the football team's lone female beat writer, after doing a story on the class in session one, kept coming back to soak up more terminology.
However, she also knows from experience that too much information can be a dangerous thing—especially with this crowd.
Kansas junior Tim Lattimer practices his setting. Lattimer is a member of the Kansas men's volleyball club, which practiced last night in preparation for its first game against Kansas State tonight at about 9:30 at Allen Field House.
Most of the students came in for session three, "The Defensive Approach," ignorant of blitzes and stunts and confused by the financial implications of the nickel and dime defensive-back alignments. In an earlier session, one "widow" was truly concerned for the well-being of the center, who must snap the ball while dealing with a pair of hands near his crotch as well as an opponent just inches away.
"You've heard all the words before," said Julie Walters, a student in Smith's class. "But like 'blitz,' you never knew what it was."
"There we so many women who really didn't understand the game," Smith said. "But they were all going to the game, I thought, 'How awful.'"
Fan interest was high as Tulane went 9-3 and played in the Liberty Bowl, but Cheryl Smith felt sorry for the uninformed fortunates being dragged along.
She's far from alone. Smith, who picked up a lot of her know-how helping her husband chart opponents late at night earlier in his career, started teaching the class as a public service in 1979.
Chance to play in Allen thrills volleyball team
By Kent Hohlfeld Kansan sportswriter
Kansas State brings out strong emotions in Kansas athletes, no matter what level the competition is.
"I want K-State on a platter," saio junior Tim Lattimer.
Lattimer is a member of the men's volleyball club, which will play its
Tim Lattimer
Kansas men's volleyball player
first home game of the season against K-State tonight.
The game will follow the women's match against K-State at about 9:30 tonight at Allen Field House.
While the women's team is looking to close
make some organizational changes this year."
"We don't get the chance to play at Allen too often so we wanted to try to get in any game that we have a chance to," Ward said.
out its season with a victory, the men's squad is competing in a preseason tournament aimed at conditioning players. The competitive portion of the club's schedule will begin in January.
The club travels to many of its competitions during the season, which makes playing at home even more important to team members. The team, which usually plays at Robinson Center, has not played a match in the field house in two years, partly due to organizational problems.
"In the past, the club has had some problems with getting uniforms returned." Ward said. "We had to
Jason Ward, the club's tournament coordinator, said that he was glad to get the opportunity to play at the field house.
Senior team member Nezar Adbelfattah said playing the game in the field house added to the atmosphere of playing an intrastate rival.
"It'll be my first game at Allen," Abdelfattah said. "I think it'll really add to the excitement of the game."
"Last weekend, you could really feel the k-state fans cheering," said Abdelfattah. "It's a really loud sport where people can really get into it."
The club will try to use that atmosphere to help average a tournament loss last weekend to the Wildcats at Manhattan.
Lattimer said that despite the heat.
ed rivalty between the two schools, the game had to be kept in perspective. The club competes in the Men's Intercollegiate Volleyball Association which doesn't begin its competitive season until January.
"We use the fall
portion of the season to get back to the basics," Lattimer said. "Sometimes when you play at this level you have to go back and make sure you get the little things right."
Lattimer feels that the team has the talent to do well during the regular season, he said.
The club has competed in two tournaments so far this season, placing in the top four in each, which has left Lattimer confident about its chances of making the MIVA championships next spring.
To qualify for MIVA championship, the club must place in eight tournaments. For a team to place in a MIVA tournament, it must advance past the first round.
Lattimer said he was confident about the club's ability.
Senior ready for final match
"One of the Nebraska players told me if we're on we're tough," he said. "If our intensity is there nobody can beat us."
By Chesley Dohl
Kansan sportswriter
Janet Uher will savor every Jayhawk dig and kill tonight in Allen Field House when the Kansas volleyball team plays intrastate rival Kansas State.
As the only senior on the team, Uher will compete in the last volleyball match of her college career.
And Kansas has every intention of making it a memorable experience
for her, Kansas Coach Karen Schonewise said.
match in the field house."
It's been a rough year for Uher. Last spring, the outside hitter underwent shoulder surgery. She has spent the majority of this season in the training room rehabilitating her right shoulder.
"I've finally started feeling like a part of the team and now the season's coming to an end," Uher said. "The team's pulling together for me, and we all think it would be nice to go out with a couple wins."
Uher hopes to turn in a solid performance against the Wildcats tonight to close out the home season.
Kansas enters the match 5-19, while Kansas State brings its 14-11 record to Lawrence. Though the Big Eight Volleyball Tournament is out of the Jayhawks' grasp, tonight's match is crucial for Kansas if it wants to finish fifth in the conference.
Though Kansas dropped three games to the Wildcats earlier in the season, Schonewise said the Jayhawks had improved their game after a month of practice and competition.
Kansas State coach Jim Moore said although his team was out of contention for the Big Eight Tournament as well, it would come to Kansas ready to compete.
The Wildcats defeated the Jayhawks 15-11, 15-12, 15-1 in Ahearn Field House, but tonight Kansas has the homecourt advantage.
"Obviously we're disappointed we're not going to the tournament, but now we have to regroup and work on our game for Kansas," Moore said. "Playing at home or away doesn't seem to make a difference to us. I don't think the philosophy of playing home or away holds any water. I think it's all overrated."
BRIEF
Cross country teams going to nationals
Kansanstaffreport
The wait is over for the men's cross country team. The team was notified late Monday that the men's team will receive one of the three at large bids to the National Championship meet Nov. 21 in Fayetteville, Ark.
The men's team will join the women's team who won their District V meet and qualified automatically. The men's team finished third in its district race, one point behind second-place Oklahoma State. The top two district teams qualify for automatic bids to the National Championships.
This season will mark the first time in school history that both the men's and women's teams have qualified for the meet. The men's team has not competed in nationals since 1991.
TV SportsWatch
Beginning today, the Kansan sports section will print daily the top college and professional sporting events games appearing on television. The following times are C.S.T. and are subject to change.
1 p.m. ESPN — Men's tennis, ATP World Championship, early rounds, at Frankfurt, Germany
7 p.m. PRIME — Women's tennis, Virginia Slims Championships, early round matches, at New York
6:30 p.m. ESPN — College Basketball,
Preseason NIT, first round, George Washington at Swacuse
7:30 p.m. WGN — NBA Basketball, Chicago at San Antonio
midnight ESPN — College Basketball, Preseason NIT, first round, New Mexico St. at Southern Cal
Big 12 title game in doubt
Big 12 title Conference will be realigned in future
In 1996 the Kansas football team will have no chance of becoming Big Eight Conference champion.
By Matt Irwin
Kansan sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
"My sense is that there will not be a division championship," Frederick said. "We think that we have a better chance to get two teams into the alliance."
Bob Frederick, Kansas athletic director, said that the conference would be split into two divisions and that the divisions' champions probably would not play in a conference championship game.
The conference is going to become the Big 12 Conference that season, and the Jayhawks may not have a chance at its championship either.
The national alliance contains three bowls and is set up to decide the national championship. The Big 12's top team will be a part of the bowl alliance. Frederick said.
Because of the Big 12's scheduling, it is possible for two teams from the separate divisions to be undefended after the regular season. Frederick said that if two teams from the Big 12 were
The decision whether there will be a Big 12 championship game has not been made, but a decision has been made on how the teams will be split.
One division of northern teams will consist of Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado and Iowa State.
ranked high enough, they may both be selected to play in one of the alliance's three bowls. If there was a championship game, the loser would be less attractive to the alliance, he said.
The other division will consist of current Big Eight teams Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and current Southwest Conference teams Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech.
Kansas' schedule will consist of the other five teams from its division, three teams from the other division and other nonconference games.
Half of the Big 12 teams will go to bowl games provided they have the required six Division I-A victories.
Frederick said the Big 12's second-place team would go to the Cotton Bowl, third place to the Holiday Bowl, fourth place to the Alamo Bowl, fifth place to the Copper Bowl and sixth place to the Aloha Bowl.
Frederick said he was very pleased.
"We were able to sign a $100,000,000 television contract, and we arranged for six teams to go to very nice destinations for bowl games," Frederick said.
Kansas' Big 12 schedule
nansas' schedule in the Big 12 will follow this format, then home and away games will alternate after every four years. North division games in bold.
HOME: Colorado, K-State, Texas, Texas Tech
1996
AWAY: Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma
Nonconference
HOME: Northern Illinois
AWAY: TCU, Utah
1997
HOME: Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma
WHERE: Iowa State, Texas, Tennessee
Nonconference:
HOME: UNLV, TCU, Utah
AWAY: Cincinnati
AWAY: Cincinnati
1998
HOME: Colorado, K-State, Texas &M; Oklahoma State
AWAY: Iowa state, Nebraska, Missouri, Baylor
Nonconference:
1999
HOME: North Texas
AWAY: Utah, UNLV
HOME: Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Baylor
AWAY: Colorado, W-State, Texas & AM, Oklahoma State
Nonconfidence:
HOME: Utah, UNLV
AWAY: North Texas
Source: Richard Koenem. Assistant Athletic Director
Dave Campbell / KANSAN
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