University Daily Kansan
Jayhawks surprise bumbling Sooners, 23-3
Photo by JAY KOELZER
Bowl prospects soar
KU's Eddie Lewis shows how he feels after blocking second quarter OU punt
By YAEL ABOUHALKAH
NORMAN, Okla. —And to and behold, it
came to pass—a miracle.
Sports Editor
No one except the most optimistic University of Kansas football fan could have expected what happened here Saturday, when the Jayhawks manhandled the powerful Oklahoma Sooners, the second-ranked team in the nation, 23-3.
But it more importantly propelled the Jayhawks, now OWS, into the race for a post-season spot.
THE VICTORY THRUST national attention toward the Jayhawks. The most immediate result of the upset win was the probability that the game Saturday with Colorado in KU's Memorial Stadium would be televised by ABCTV.
it was a victory punctuated with solid play by KU's defensive corps, which forced an incredible eight turnovers. And it was up to the Kansas offense to capitalize on those errors, handing the Sooners their first loss in 38 games.
Head coach Bud Moore was reluctant to talk about that possibility. He knows that any looking ahead could cost the Jayhawks against the potent (72) Buffaloes.
"THE ONLY BOWL game we're thinking about is next Saturday's game with the University of Colorado," he asserted. Anybody thinks any different than "should."
Moore was much more willing to talk about Saturday's win. immediately after it, sitting in the KU locker room, he had yelled, "This isn't just the greatest victory in football and I'm going to get to be the greatest victory in football! We beat a fantastic team."
"DEFENSE," HE STRESSD. "Our whole defense had to play well. We played with injury and pain and went on to shut off a great offensive team."
More subdued yesterday, he went over
the same reasons behind the swaying victory.
Opportunistic offense paves way to upset
By ALLEN QUAKENBUSH
Associate Sports Editor
NORMAN, Okla. —In the waning minutes of Saturday's game, the elevator carrying University of Kansas offensive line coach Vince Semary stopped at press level.
As the doors opened, Semary's voice boomed into him. "I'm so excited!" his voice danced. Hot damn! I can't wait to get down to the floor.
And for good reason. Semary had just seen his young offensive line manhandle Oklahoma enroute to a shocking 23-3 upset of the highly-favored Soopers.
"OUR BLOCKING WAS really good," offensive coordinator Mike Piazza said for us to face him in the final. Morgan had a fantastic
Morgan, KU center, had the unenviable task of trying to handle all-Rig Flight noseguard Dewey Selmion. But Morgan did it well enough to help the Jawhays establish their inside running game.
Guard Butch Mascarello said the KU defense had a lot to do with the success of the offense.
"He's big and strong and hard to push around," he said. "We were always slanting. That took him out of a lot of plays."
The defense forced eight turnovers, seven in the
"OUR DEFENSE KEENT getting the ball back for us," Macarello said. "Their defense wasn't used to being on the field that long. You could tell at the end that they were dragging a little bit."
Soccer wins; rugby ties
SOCER WIN$ - The KU Soccer Club defeated Iowa State 5-0 Saturday in Memorial Stadium.
RUGENKS TIE-The KU Kruggie Club tied the River Quay Club of Kansas City 10-10 Saturday on the field at 23rd and Iowa streets. Scoring for KU were Joe Kieltyka, Craig Huntley and Bill McGowan. The club's next game will be Sunday in Kansas City on the Kansas City Blues. KU's season record is 7-4-1.
"It was unbelievable how everything turned out just like we hoped it would," quarterback Nolan Cromwell said. "We went into the game thinking we had no chance, but couldn't throw away any scoring opportunities."
second half. But the important thing was that the offense turned three of those turnovers into 16 pockets.
"WE GOT THE CHANCES thanks to some great defense, and we were able to capitalize on Oklahoma's mistakes. We believed in ourselves and I don't think Oklahoma really expected that."
Tight end Jim Michael's sensed a feeling of belief in the locker room before the game. The Jayhawks, although they didn't seem to have a right to, they could also fight the second-ranked Sooners.
"There was just a feeling in the air," Michael's said, "that it was possible for us to beat them. We felt we could do it. I did not feel like they were down, but they weren't as fired up as we were. We just were."
MIDWAY THROUGH THE third quarter, with Kansas holding a slim 10-3 lead, the Jawhacks faced what may have been the turning point in the game with a fourth-and-one situation from the OU 21.
Cromwell took the snap, optioned right and pitched the ball to running back Laverne Smith. Smith got to the corner, turned on the speed, put a move on the last defender and sped 21 yards for the touchdown.
Smith said of his move on Sooner cornerback Zac Henderson which allowed him to score, "I got up to him and stopped a little bit to slow him down. Then I turned it on and went back outside."
"It feels great," Banks said. "There's no question about it. It's the greatest thrill of my life."
THE JAYHAWK OF FENESE was cannons the real game. But it still managed to move the ball enough to put another touchdown on the board Fullback Nick Ranks, who added 38 yards to the Jayhawks' 235-yard total, summed up the feelings of the offensive players.
Photo by ANGELO LYNN
Laverne Smith sped to two touchdowns and 88 yards Saturday
For those KU fans back in Lawrence listening to the game, the victory must have seemed as if it took magic to accuse Jayhawks and some lackadaisical play by the Sooners.
"We were ready to play," safety Kurt Knoff said in KU's locker room. "Okay, maybe they were looking past us. But at halftime, when they were behind, they should have been able to get it together and come out fighting. But they didn't."
OKLAHOMA PLAYED EVEN worse in the second half than it had in the first. After KU took the kickoff and was stopped, the Sooners went to work on their 33 yard line. Halfback Joe Washington, OU's bread-and-butter running back who was held to 63 yards all day, rushed for seven yards left and left and reached for a pitch from QUarterback Steve Davis. He couldn't get it and end Tonn Dinkel recovered for KU.
That was the start of the end for Oklahoma. A nightmare of mistakes was to fall, as the Sooners lost the ball on four consecutive saves in seven second half offensive possession.
EDDIE LEWIS, A starting safety, blocked a second quarter punt by Tinker Owens to set up the first KU seize. Quarring from an onslaught on an third down, was hit at the four, spain around and reversed direction toward the middle. He was crunched from the side by two Sooner defenders but still managed to stretch enough to get the ball over the goal
BOB SWIFT KICKED a 32-yard field goal after the fumble by Peacock. On OU's next offensive series, following a fumble by Horace Ivory that John O'Rear covered, halfback Laverne Smith sped right 21 yards to score on a clutch fourth-and-one play with 7:07 left in the third quarter. It was 16-3 after Swift missed the extra point.
Visions of a comeback by the Sooners may have danced in the heads of their fans. But it wasn't to be. Ivy fumbed again, Davis threw an interception, Davis fumbled to set up Smith's 28-yard run which clinched the win. But then he took a last-gasp measure to score an epossaving touchdown, a final Davis pass was filmed by John O'Rear.
"He was carrying the ball real
manly," Ererson said, "but went for it."
Linebacker Rick Kovatch said that the KU defender has been looking for fumels in the back.
THERE WAS NO DOUBT in any of the minds of KU's defensive personnel that the turnovers were mostly caused by the Javahaws.
The KU scores in the second half followed the rash of turnovers by OU.
"We knew they fumbled a lot. We knew if we stuck them they'd fumble and they did. We just went in looking for the ball on the ground."
Nosegard James Emerson stripped
the second half, then reposed the
hobbit.
"There wasn't anybody dropping the football out there," defensive coordinator Lance Van Zandt noted. "I don't think fumbles just happen—the're caused."
★★★★
**KANSAS**
First days 12
Ranches-yards 67-255
Ranches 59-255
Return yards 14
Passes 10
Passes 10
Scores 3-36
Scores 3-36
Scores lost 5-36
Scores lost 5-36
Manies-yards 5-34
OBLACOMA
SCORE BY CITY
KANAS 0 7 0 7 23
OKLAHOMA 0 7 0 7 33
ORLAMAHO - Difuimbo 32 field goal.
KANSAS-Cromwell 10 run (swift kick)
KANSAS-32 skill 32 field goal
KANSAS-South 18 run (swift kick)
KANSAS-South 18 run (swift kick)
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Passing
KANSAS- CITY 18-16, Cleveland 28-15, Houston 13-16
ALEXANDRIA- FORT WORTH 21-19, Washington 13-14, Pecksville
ALEXANDRIA- FORT WORTH 21-19, Washington 13-14, Pecksville
Passing
AANSAS—none
OKLAHOMA—Davis 3-12-4, 63
INDIVIDUAI
Rubbing
RXNASS—Abbey
OKLHAMA—Lund 1-30, Owens 1-18, Ivory 1-9
Evolving
KANSAS - O'Rear 9-3-6.0
OKLAHOMA - Owens 2-46, Team 1-0
Stingy defense shackles OU's vaunted attack
Photo by ANGELO LYNN
Kansas defenders Tom Dinkel (93) and James Emerson (76) celebrate one of Oklahoma's turnovers in the second half
BUTLER, WHO SUFFERED A dislocated knee in last week's win over Kansas State, wasn't expected to play in the OU game until Friday. Even then, Butler wasn't sure about his availability for the game.
"To tell you the truth, even today and last (Friday) night, I was hoping I wouldn't play," he admitted amud the hubbus in the happy KU locker room. "I didn't think my knee was right to play on."
But Butler, who shared duty with backup Paul Margheim, soon learned that the knee was sound. That was why the team doctor had told both him and Moore last Thursday that it would be all right to make the trip and play.
Minutes later, though, Butler was back and dressed. More than anyone, he exemplified the guts and desire Jayhawk defensive players showed Saturday. Banged up and allying, they went into the game missing two starters and three reserves, with three others injured and playing in pain.
"Hey, hang on, okay? I've got to take a shower," he said, begging off an interview in the jubilant Kansas hocker John McCarthy. He won over Oklahoma here Saturday.
NORMAN, Okla—Mike Butler, KU's mamthom defensive tackle, was stripped bare, ready for a shower.
Oklahoma's powerful wishbone attack had the best rushing offense in the Big Eight going into the game, averaging 307 yards. The Sooners gained 285 on the ground Saturday. But KU's defense only gave Oklahoma one offensive explosion that could have started an Oklahoma rout.
"Our younger guys just kept coming through, time after time," said defensive end Tom Dinkel, mentioning in particular the play of Margheim and his son Kurt Knoff in an at bat when Kurt Knoff injured his harringin
"WE HAVE CAPABLE replacements," linebaker Rick Kowatch said, "and they came in and did a hell of a job."
KOVATCH SAID, "WE wanted to stop three things: the fullback inside, the option and their counter play. We worked on that in practice all week."
Other members of KU's defense handed some of the credit to play by KU's replacement personnel. The most people think, then they said,
By YAEL ABOUHALKAH Sports Editor
gang breaking.
Franklin King, another of the walking wounded, with a pulled groin, also raised KU's defensive game plan.
"I WANTED TO TEST it," but Barbara said of the knee. "I was worrying—I was really scared that I might get it hurt worse. It was on a play that I really took a shot. He wasn't so scary. Then I played with more abandon. I gambled more after that."
"We knew we could stop them up the middle," he said. "It was just a matter of containing their outside plays. So we watched a lot of film and worked our craft. We expected them to be really physical. But they weren't."
"We felt we really had to have a lot of players around the ball. We had a lot of sang tackling."
"JEV TURNER HAD two big plays," Van Zandt said. Then he began off the names, "Benson, Fitzloe, Offen (Terry), Beeson, Kovatch, Knoff."
Defensive coordinator Lance Van Zandt was in the middle of analyzing Colorado game films Sunday evening, already preparing for KU's next opponent. KU players graded the highest score he had earned against defensive Harry Murphy, subbing for Steve Jones, grading a sky-high 97 percent.
had a great week of practice. Everybody was really loose."
Nursing staff insisted nurses an injured ankle, said, "We just played their center head up. We fed our linebackers and they did the rest of them. We made many backs but I don't care. We really took it to them, didn't we?"
Photo by ANGELO LYNN
OU's Joe Washington was held in check, gaining just 63 yards