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MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOTBALL
Spring game shows defensive improvement
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
In one of the Kansas football team's practices last week, sophomore linebacker Michael Reynolds had three different coaches talk to him about running the play full speed.
At the end of practice, coach Charlie Weis called him out for it, trying to explain to him that they are going after him because he is one of the few players on the team who can make that play.
"My whole coaching point to him
points per game in the NCAA Division 1 last season.
Reynolds, along with fellow linebacker senior Toben Opurum, played a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position normally seen more in a 3-4 defensive scheme than in the Jayhawks' 4-3.
"I'm very comfortable with it because it gives me the chance to stand up and rush the passer and also play in coverage," Reynolds said.
Weis likes playing more versatile players at both positions because it allows him to keep his best players on
what his role will be in the fall. Because of Jackson's bigger build, he has the ability to play in the traditional halfback position as well as a bulkier fullback.
"He could very easily be at 230 with a couple of cheeseburgers," Weis said. "That's what were going to have to decide, what weight we want him at, but you can see he has some natural running instincts."
Sophomore running back Tony Pierson noon's Spring Game at Memorial Stadium
The zero on the board beneath the white squad's name is an impressive feat, but it must be noted that the teams were not matched equally. The
KANSAS 67. KANSAS STATE 49
COMMENTARY
JANUARY 4,2012
Weis'infl
On a day when the University honored one of its football program's most significant figures, former coach Don Fambrough, it embarked on a new era.
An estimated 15,000 Jayhawk fans caught a glimpse of the new Kansas football team under the leadership of new coach Charlie Weis during the spring game Saturday.
New quarterbacks Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps showed off their extraordinary passing ability that Kansas fans haven't seen since Tode
Kansas opens conference play with victory
Freshman guard Naadir Tharpe shows perfect form while shooting a three pointer in the first half of the game on Jan. 4 at Allen Fieldhouse.
JESSICA JANASZ/KANSAN
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
When Kansas State coach Frank Martin was asked about the rebounding margin in his team's 67-49 to Kansas, he just laughed. It wasn't a good laugh, though, not for Kansas State fans.
"27 years, including coaching 13 yr olds," Martin said. "And I've never been a part of a game where our team got its tail whooped in the physical part of the game like we did today. It was a complete mismatch."
The Wildcats entered Jan. 4 game as the nation's sixth best rebounding team grabbing 41.8 per game, but were out-rebounded 50-26 by Kansas in the loss. It was a seasonlow for Kansas State.
"That's effort," Martin said. "Rebounds to me, is discipline and effort. When you're not willing to lay your body into somebody, that's not very good. We take a lot of pride in doing that and we obviously didn't today and we got what we deserved."
Kansas coach Bill Self said his team focused more on rebounding heading into Wednesday's game in preparation for Martin's physical style of play. It doesn't mean he wasn't surprised with the outcome, though. Self said he "never could have dreamed" his team would out-rebound the Wildcats by such a high number.
"I think so much of this game is what you
emphasize," Self said. "And guys respond to that I made a pretty big deal against North Dakota, I didn't even play guys in the second half at all because they didn't go after the ball. Sometimes guys respond to those things."
One of those guys was junior center Jeff Withey, who played just eight minutes against North Dakota. He saw 24 minutes of action against Kansas State, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds.
"We knew they were going to be physical and we definitely prepared to go have a physical game," Withey said. "We were working on rebounds all week and it showed up"
Perhaps the biggest benefactor of the added emphasis on rebounding was junior guard Travis Releford, who recorded his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
"Coming into this game coach had me guarding Rodney [McGruder], and in the past he's been out-rebinding us on offense and defense." Releford said. "so he just told me to get after it and make sure he doesn't get any rebounds."
McGruder grabbed his season-average of five rebounds, but the 21 total rebounds from the rest of the Wildcats hampered most efforts to stay in the game.
"Before coming into the game we had out minds set on controlling the glass," Relefon said. "And we came and did it."
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JESSICA JANASZ/KANSAN
Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor plays heavy defense against junior guard Martavious living during the first half of Jan. 4 game at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas broke Kansas State's six game win-streak.
"William Faulkner was a Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Member." What other English Literature courses and assigned novels were written by fraternity men and sorority women authors?
Which KU fraternity man was founding editor of the Book of the Month Club and ran for Kansas Governor on an Anti-Klu Kux Klan Ku Platform?
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