SPORTS
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PAGE 1B
MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FOOTBALL
Quarterbacks drop the ball
Rvlan Howe/KANSAN
Junior linebacker Nick Reid wraps up redshift freshman wide receiver Dexton Fields during the first half of the spring game. Heids caught seven passes during the scrimmage while Reid tallied six tackles. The blue team defeated the white team 24-6 Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Interceptions, incompletions permeate spring game
BY RYAN COLIAANNI
rcolaiani@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Saturday's spring game did nothing to ease the quarterback controversy at Kansas, as the blue team defeated the white team 24-6 at Memorial Stadium.
Sophomore Adam Barmann and junior Jason Swanson both saw a lot of action, but both did nothing significant for their cases to be the starting quarterback when the season begins Sept. 3 against Florida Atlantic.
"I feel like we made strides this
spring, and our offense is really coming around," Barmann said.
Both quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in the first half. Barmann completed 10 of 15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Swanson was 6-for-10 for 75 yards. Swanson's highlight of the half was a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brian Murph, who is a junior college transfer.
The second half was a different story as Barmann and Swanson combined for three interceptions and only nine complete passes.
Freshman cornerback Qalib Talib had two interceptions for the blue
team. Coach Mark Mangino said he had the defense blitzing often during the game to put pressure on the quarterbacks.
Mangino said going against the defense that the quarterbacks face every day in practice may have played a part in their struggles, because defenders were aware of the plays that the offensive unit runs.
Swanson said it was difficult to get into a rhythm because he rotated with Barmann.
Mangino said Swanson had made strides since last season.
"I thought Jason did some nice things at the line of scrimpage on
some checks," Mangino said. "He threw the ball reasonably well. He understands a lot better now the coverages and what he is seeing."
Mangino said that neither of the quarterbacks left the spring practices with an edge in winning the job.
Junior Brian Luke played most of the game at quarterback for the white team and struggled. Luke was 13 of 32 for 88 yards and three interceptions. Mangino said after the game that Luke's role on the team was to be a relief player.
The running game was virtually
SEE SPRING GAME ON PAGE 3B
THE RANT
RYAN COLAIANNI rcolaianni@kansan.com
Game spurs speculation over team's next season
Now that the spring game has ended there will be about three months of speculation for how the Kansas football team will look next season.
Both quarterbacks struggled often against the second-team defense. Both quarterbacks underthrew balls and missed onen receivers.
Coach Mark Mangino said that the defense had the edge against the offense in the game because
they see each other in practice every day, but that shouldn't be an excuse, when you are playing against the second unit.
Junior Adam
Barmann and senior
Jason Swanson both
have a lot to offer,
but both are going to have
to be better and more
accurate to win the
Neither of Kansas' top two quarterbacks did much to make their case for a starting job.
job. Otherwise, this team will struggle offensively like it did so many times last season. Combining for three interceptions against an inferior defense does not help either candidate's case to become the starter. Senior Ryan Luke threw another three interceptions of his own Saturday, proving that he's not starting material.
There may be more fire added to the controversy come August when incoming freshman quarterback Kerry Meier arrives on campus. If Barmann and Swanson continue to struggle, he easily could be in the mix. Mangino has made it clear that he doesn't care what year his players are in school — he wants the best players on the field.
SEE SPECULATION ON PAGE 3B
FOOTBALL
Former player arrested for battery
Former KU football player John Randle was arrested again early Saturday morning.
Charged with battery, Randle was hooked into Doulas
Randle
He was released about an hour later after he posted a $150 bond, according to tail records.
Randle was also arrested for battery on March 12 after
County jail at 2:44 a.m.
This is the fifth time Randle has been arrested since November 2003.
a police officer witnessed a fight outside It's Brother's Bar and Grill. 1105 Massachusetts St.
A hearing for his March 12 arrest is scheduled to begin June 8.
He has been previously arrested' for unlawful use of a driver's license, attempted theft and suspicion of domestic battery for incidents that occurred in November 2003 and March 2004.
In April 2004, a judge ordered Randle to serve two days in jail. — Joshua Bickel
Rachel Sevmour/KANSAN
BASEBALL
Matt Baty, junior outfielder, scrambles back to second base after sliding off the bag Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark. He was unable to get back on base before being tagged by Baylor's senior shortstop. Paul W. Kansas came just short of a 3-inning loss last year.
Ninth-inning play vexes Kansas
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
The Kansas baseball team dropped a heartbreaker yesterday afternoon and closed out a disappointing series sweep at the hands of Baylor in Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks seemed posed to salvage the final game of the three-game conference series. After eight innings, Kansas clung to a 2-1 lead, but Baylor won the game 3-2. Kansas coaches decided to send junior pitcher Kodiak Quick out for the ninth inning despite his pitch count, which had climbed
Quick, who was masterful leading up to the final inning, struck out the first batter before surrendering a single to junior catcher Zach Dillon. After walking the next batter, Kansas summoned junior closer Don Czyz. Czyz promptly threw a wild pitch, advancing the runners to second base and third base. An RBI groundout by sophomore outfielder Chase Gerdes scored the tying run, and another wild pitch scored what proved to be the game-winner.
to 115 for the afternoon
"I think our thought process was that he deserved the opportunity to close it up, as well as he'd been throwing the baseball,"
Kansas coach Ritch Price said of his decision to leave Quick in to start the ninth inning. "I trink you reward somebody that gives you that great effort."
Junior Abe Woody picked up his fourth victory of the season in relief for sophomore Cory VanAllen.
Quick was the hard-luck loser, falling to 8-4 on the year. He allowed three runs on five hits in 8 2/3 innings of work. Junior Ryan LaMotta closed the book on the series with his third save of the year.
"That hurts," Kansas senior catcher Sean Richardson said. "Kody pitched his butt off today, threw eight innings strong.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get it done in the ninth."
Kansas loaded the bases off VanAllen's and Woody's hits with two singles and a walk. Richardson followed by rolling a ground ball to Baylor senior second baseman Michael Griffin. Griffin fumbled the ball before throwing Richardson out
SEE VEXES ON PAGE 3B
After falling behind by a run early, Kansas tied the game 1-1 in the fourth innning. Junior outfielder Gus Milner hit his seventh home run of the season. The line drive over the left-field fence gave the Jayhawks momentum that carried them into the fifth.
Kodiak Quick, junior, pitches during the sixth inning of yesterday's Baylor game. Quick pitched a little more than eight innings until he was replaced by Don Czyz.