Game'Hawks downed 26-22
Wildcats end streak at 14
And that was that
BY STEVE SHRIVER
Kansan Sports Writer
As time runs out, wingback Steve Conley leaps high in the end zone for a last ditch pass from Jim Ettinger. K-State defensive backs, Mike Kolich (15) and Clarence Scott (26) smothered him and KU's hopes for victory, as the ball fell to the ground.
In its best effort of the season, Kansas still took an unfamiliar back seat to Kansas State, losing to the Wildcats, 26-22 in the Big Eight opener for both teams. State won its first game in this fierce intra-state rivalry since 1955.
Playing before a Memorial Stadium record crowd of 51,000, the teams kept everyone tense until the final second when two Wildcat defenders batted a KU pass away from wingback Steve Conley in the end zone.
KANSAN Sports
The game was marred by mistakes and penalties as emotions ran high on both sides of the field. But from the opening kickoff both teams left no doubt they were out to win.
On its first possession, K-State drove confidently for 80 yards and a touchdown behind the leadership of cool Lynn Dickey. The tall and lanky Osawatomie junior mixed passes and running plays beautifully and totaled 159 yards for the afternoon on 9 of 15 passes.
Kansas took the Cat kickoff and promptly marched 62 yards to paydirt and a 7-6 lead. Jim Ettinger passed to John Mosier for 32 yards to the K-State 21-yard line on the key play of the drive. Ettinger finished the game completing 11 of 23 for 190 yards, in his finest performance of the season.
It was practically an even battle in total offense yardage, K-State getting the edge, 333 to 330 yards for KU. The Jayhawks had 20 first downs to 17 for the Cats.
Coach Pepper Rodgers and his team have been under fire recently for their slow start this season (1-3 record) and a lackluster performance against New Mexico, Oct. 4. Fans and writers claimed the Jayhawks were not playing up to their potential and Rodgers countered that his team was "overrated" and "not that good."
But Kansas was up for this game and came through with a tremendous effort to counter the favored Wildcats. This game had to be regarded as the best of the young season for KU.
Two key plays
Although there were several turning points in the game, the backbreakers for KU were a long desperation pass completion by Dickey at the end of the first half, and a goal line stand by K-State in the third quarter to deny KU a touchdown and the lead.
On a broken play, Dickey had to scramble when his pass protection broke down with 30 seconds left in the first half. He spotted
flanker Lloyd Yarnell racing down the sideline a half a step ahead of Mark Geraghty, cornerback who replaced the injured John Mears, and heaved the ball 62 yards. Yarnell made a circus catch at the one. On the next play, Mack Herron scored over right tackle with four seconds remaining to give the Cats a 20-16 halftime lead.
Bill Bell had given KU the lead just 30 seconds before on a 42-yard field goal into the wind.
KU came out at the start of the second half and carried the game to the Wildcats, but they still couldn't score. In an 18-play, time consuming drive, the Jayhawks marched from their 20 to a first down on the Wildcat six. Two rushes by Ron Jessie put the ball on the one where K-State responded with a crushing goal-line stand. In two tries John Riggins gained nothing and the Cats took over on downs.
Oct.13 1969
The Hawks drove from their own 31-yard line to the Cat 21. From there Ettinger tossed three incomplete passes in the last 15
Both teams scored once in the fourth quarter and it appeared to be over until KU launched its last ditch drive with only 1:07 remaining.
Mets even Series
6 KANSAN
BALTIMORE (UPI)—Al Wens, a soft-spoken utility man who helped make manager Gill Hodges' two-platoon attack work, lined a two-out single in the ninth inning Sunday to give the New York Mets a tense 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of the World Series.
SPECIAL NIGHT BUS To Campus & Downtown
After the game Rodgers said, "If one man really hurt us it was Mack Herron. He didn't make any long runs or anything but he got the yardage when they needed it."
Ellsworth to Campus and Down-
town:
6:30 p.m., 6:50, 7:30,
8:10, 8:50, 9:30, 10:10,
10:50
"We played well today. When you consider that we lost John Mears on the third play (for the season with a knee injury), lost Skip James (quit the squad last week), had Dale Holt in a new position and put McGowan back on offense, we didn't do bad," Rodgers said.
Neismith and Oliver to Campus
and Downtown: 6:25 p.m.
6:45, 7:25, 8:05, 8:45, 9:25,
10:05, 10:45
seconds. The final play almost won it for KU but the ball slipped frm Conley his fingers and fell to the turf as time ran out.
Although disappointment was
G.S.P. to Downtown: 6:42 p.m.
7:02, 7:42, 8:22, 9:02, 9:42,
10:22, 11:22
Union Bldg, to Downtown and G.S.P. 6:40 p.m., 7:00, 7:40, 8:20, 9:00, 9:40, 10:20, 11:00
G.S.P. to Campus and Ellsworth: 6:15 p.m. 6:35, 7:15,
7:55, 8:35, 9:15, 9:55, 10:35
9th and Mass. to K.U. Dormi-
tories: 6:10 p.m., 6:30, 7:10,
7:50, 8:30, 9:10, 9:50, 10:30
high on the Kansas side, coach Vince Gibson summed up the outcome most aptly, when he
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Bob Blank, Owner
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said, "When we (Vince and Pepper) came here three years ago, neither school had a football program. When you looked into the stands today you knew that big time football is now here in Kansas. The two teams couldn't have played better or hit harder."
The Statistics
State Kansas
First Downs 20
Rushing Yardage 177 20
Passing Yardage 156 190
Return Yardage 5 24
Att'd (Had Int'd) 9-15-1 11-23-2
Punts (Bad)
*Punts (Number-
Average)* 9-15-1 11-23-2
Punts (Number-
Average) 5-36 5-26
Fumbles Lost 2 0
Yards P penalized 70 72
by Quinters
KANAS STATE 6 15 0 6-26
KANAS 6 15 0 6-26
KANAS 6 15 0 6-26
--'FG Bell 42
KSU-Herton 5 run (pass failed)
KAN-Herton 5 run (kick blocked)
KAN-Jessie 1 run (pass failed)
Attendance--51,000
KSU-Herron 3 run (kick failed)
KSS-Iessie 1 run (Bell kick)
KAN-Harrison 3 run (kick failed)
KSU-Harrison 3 run (Montgomery
pass from Dickey)