Page 10 University Daily Kansan, October 19, 1981
Sports
Wishbone rattles 'Hawk defense Sooners down Kansas
By RON HAGGSTROM Associate Sports Editor
When the defense is your strength and it gets ripped to shreds, you can expect a long day.
Oklahoma ran its wishbone attack at will, rushing for 464 yards and gaining 522 total yards, against Kansas, the nationally eighth-ranked total defense, in a 45-7 romp Saturday in Norman.
"they ran mostly outside. It was the speed of their backs that made the difference."
"I really don't know what the problem was," defensive tackle Broderick Thompson said. "We tried to tiek them down but couldn't."
They just nickeled and dimmed us to death," noseguard Greg Smith said. "They didn't get that much up the middle.
"Kansas had some real big defensive linemen in there—they were big," Oklahoma offensive guard Terry Crouch said. "They pulled in real tight on us, we went outside."
The outside speed of Oklahoma's freshman running back Steve Sewell, who rushed for 107 yards on 11 carries was displayed, in what ended up to be the game's turning point, with 45 seconds remaining in the half and KU trailing 10-7. Sewell took a pitch from quarterback Kelly Phelps and raced around the left end for 62 yards, setting up Oklahoma's second touchdown to increase the Sooner lead to 17-7.
"If we could have gone in (to the locker room) at 10-7, who knows?" Head Coach Fambrough said. "It could have been a different ball game. But that's what happens if you relax. We let down just a little bit, just for one play, and that's what happened."
Defensive end Bryan Horn said, "We played them tough the first and second quarters but that big play just before the half took it out of us, I guess. That turned the game around right there."
"The big run by Steve Sewell just before the half time made the difference in the game," Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer said.
"Any time a team goes 64 yards in two plays to score just before the half in a close game, it will take a lot of gas out of you."
Which is exactly what happened to the
Jayhawks. The Sooners added 28 second-half points.
"It was a bad day. We want to forget about it," linebacker Chris Toburen said. "We didn't play as well or as capably as we can. We feel we have a good defensive team. We need to prove it the rest of the season."
Helping the Sooners offensive attack were their lack of fumbles and their ability to be successful on third- and fourth-down conversions.
In its previous four games the Sooners fumbled 20 times. However, against the Jayhawks they only fumbled three times and the one they lost didn't come until the outcome of the game had been decided.
"With a team like Oklahoma, of course, you're
'It was a bad day. We want to forget about it. We didn't play as well or as capably as we can. We feel we have a good defensive team. We need to prove it the rest of the season.'
-Chris Toburen
always noping they're going to put the ball on the ground, but they didn't do that today," Fambrough said.
"Oklahoma is still Oklahoma (referring to the Sooners previous 1-2-1 record). They have a great offense. They just out-quicked us, and we couldn't stop them. When you have a football team with that much speed and that many good running backs, they're too much of a problem. Unless you're just as quick and strong and aggressive, you're not going to stop that offense."
Although the Jayhawks defense was struggling, it looked as if the offense would keep KU, which is 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference this year, in the game.
"Kansas started out like they would trade touchdowns with us," Swiss said.
The Jayhawks traded touchdowns but once. KU tied the game on its second possession of the game, 7-7, on a 80-yard drive capped off by Garfield Taylor's a 9-4 halfback option pass to
Wayne Capers. On its first two possessions KU gained 121 yards, 71 yards passing.
"Kansas ripped right through us early in the game," Switzer said. "I was thinking, 'not again.'"
"All week we worked on the line firing out and that's what they were doing," said quarterback Frank Seurer, who in the first two drives completed 3 of 4 passes for 66 yards.
"We made some big mistakes in the secondary early in the game giving up passes, but we are improving," Switzerland said.
However, after the first two possessions it was a different story. Seurer completed 4 of 14 passes and had one intercepted. KU's longest drive was 23 yards and it could net only 92 yards the rest of the game.
"The defense made some individual adjustments after their first two drives," said Oklahoma defensive tackle Rick Bryan, who had five tackles, three for losses of 20 yards. "We knew we had to get after it."
"I missed a few open people and we dropped some passes," Seurer said. "We kept doing the same thing, we just didn't execute."
Execution is exactly what the Jayhawks were lacking Saturday in Norman.
JAYHAWK NOTES: The Kansas junior varsity will host Baker today at 4 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks are 1-1. Baker's varsity team is 5-0 and ranked third nationally in the NAIA.
Running back Billy Campfield had 3 pass receptions for 8 yards in the Philadelphia Eagles '35-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Washington running back John Riggins scored on a 2-yard run, rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries and caught one pass for a loss of 6 yards in the Redskins' '13-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Safety Nolan Cromwell had two interceptions for Los Angeles in the Rams' 29-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Senior tailback Walter Mack breaks down after Oklahoma's 45-7 defeat of Kansas. Mack carried the ball 18 times for 67 yards.
Delaney spurs Chiefs past Denver
Bv United Press International
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Rookie Joe Delaney, who had a 70-yard touchdown wiped out earlier in the game because of a holding penalty, bolted 82 yards for a score with 5:27 left in the game to ensure the Kansas City Chiefs a share of first place in the AFC West with a 28-14 victory yesterday over the Denver Broncos.
Delaney carried the ball 21 times for 149 yards to become the first Kansas City running back to post three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. His touchdown came two plays after a brilliant defensive stand by the Chiefs after Denver had driven to the 8-yard line in an attempt to tie the game.
In snapping Denver's four-game winning streak, the Chiefs pulled themselves into a tie for the divisional lead along with the Broncos and the San Diego Chargers, all with 5-2 records.
Craig Morton hit Steve Watson with an 11-yard touchdown pass at 6:01 of the final period to cut the Kansas City lead to 21-14 and Denver linebacker Randy Gradishar intercepted a Bill Kenney pass three plays into Kansas City's next possession to give the Broncos the ball back at the 28.
A 14-yard pass to Riley Odoms and a 4-yard run by Dave Preston moved the ball to the Kansas City 8, but a 8-yard penalty for an illegal shift and a sack of Morton by nose was called. The play ended where Fred Steinfort missed a 37-field goal try.
The loss came despite a superb performance by Morton, the NFL's leading passer, who completed 25-of-38 passes for 342 yards—all season highs—and found Watson for both Denver touchdowns in the second half.
The Kansas City defense was very sharp in forcing five turnovers and limiting an opponent to 14 points or less for the fourth time this season. The Chiefs defense even scored a touchdown on a 47-yard fumble return by Whitney Paul to give the Chiefs a 14-0 lead.
National Football League
Kansas City 38, Denver 14
Cincinnati 27, Chicago 15
New England 28, Houston 10
Cleveland 20, New Orleans 17
Minnesota 38, Philadelphia 23
Colorado 29, San Francisco 14
Atlanta 41, St. Louis 20
Indiana 36, Miami 20
Miami 15, Washington 10
San Diego 43, Baltimore 14
Oakland 19, Tampa Bay 16
New York 18, Cleveland 17
Detroit 24, Seattle 17
YFSTERDAY'S RESULTS
Chicago at Detroit, 8 p.m.
Fambrough celebrates 59th, teaches self-discipline, respect
By TRACEE HAMILTON Sports Editor
"If you want excellence on the football field, if you want excellence off the football field, come to the University of Kansas," he finished. The crowd stood as one and applauded as the KU Marching Band burst through the doors playing, "I'm a Jayhawk."
The speaker pounded the podium, exhorting the young men to join him.
HEAD COACH Don Fambrough convinced most of the recruits that day last spring to come to KU. And not one person in that room, recruit, alum or coach, doubted a word he said.
Fambrigh, who celebrates his 59th birthday today, is in the midst of his third season back at Kansas. And when he says, "I never wanted to coach anywhere but the University of Kansas," he's not kidding.
"This is my school. Coaching some place else . . . this is more than just a coaching job," Fambrough said. "I played here, I've been here so long, it's not just a job."
Fambridge took over the head coaching job in 1971 and after two 4-7 seasons, his 1973 Jayhawk team went 7-4 and played in the Liberty Bowl. The next season again was 4-7, and the team won. The team assumed the head coaching inb and held it for four years.
Moore was fired, and Fambrough, who had been working for the Williams Fund office, was on the selection committee to replace Moore. Somehow, he became the replacement.
"I WAS SHOCKED because to my knowledge it had never been done before," he said. "It's hard to describe my experience."
"I hadn't fulfilled my dreams. When I was given the chance to come back it was a tremendous feeling. It took a long time to dawn on me. It was the furthest thing from my mind to be considered."
The task was not an easy one for Fambrough—taking over for an unpopular coach and facing a potentially terrible season. In Moore's final season the Jayhawks were transformed through inherited that team. The next season, they injured 3-8.
Then, Fambrough recruited a class of outstanding athletes, and in 1980 the Jayhawks finished 4-5-2, far better than anyone dreamed, except perhaps Fambrough himself. And this year, the Jayhawks are 4-2.
Athletic Director Bob Marcum is pleased with the decision made almost four years ago.
"We HAD TO stop the turnover," he said. "We've had 32 football coaches at the University of Kansas. We need to build a solid football program."
Rebuilding is exactly what Fambrough's aim has been.
Rebuilding is exactly what Fambrough's am has been.
"I really feel we've built a quality program in the last two years," he says.
Two years ago we could scrimmage every day; I wasn't afraid because we weren't going to hurt anybody.
"There's been a complete turnaround in attitude. The players believe in themselves. We're deeper, more skilled and we've got good, young football players.
"But we're not there yet."
Fambrough says he has learned patience in his 26 years as assistant and head coach.
"I'm not putting any time limit on it," he said. "I've been through this before. I know it takes time. It's not done overnight.
"We'RE TAKING IT one step at a time. "We're building a solid foundation. I don't want the mountain and valley.
More than anyone, Fambrough has experienced it. The 1975 team that Bud Moore took to the Sun Bowl was ripe with Fambrough recruits. And when Fambrough took over, his recruits were gone. It was time to start over
"I feel since Coach Fambrough came, the outlook of the
team is 100 percent better," senior linebacker Kyle McNorton says. "There's a more positive attitude toward winning, a good attitude toward schoolwork.
"I've noticed that during practice he'll be screaming his head off at someone but he'll have his hand on his shoulder."
"A coach has to be a friendly dictator. We like and respect him. Moore was a disciplinarian type. That's OK if you win but if you don't get any return . . ."
Offensive guard David Lawrence says Fambrough believes in discipline, but a different kind.
"THE FRESHMAN must take time. He'll try to intimidate you to keep you from going out too late. Once they're around they'll figure him out. They don't want to change of age of him. They respect his rules. It's a good relationship."
Fambrough admits he minimizes the emphasis on strict rules for his team.
"I'm a strong believer in self-discipline," he says. "I don't want to be the type that makes a player do this and that. Sometimes I've had to. If you have the right type of people, they'll do the things that are necessary.
"I try to establish priorities. Number one is education. Number two is to have the best football program we can have. It's nothing new—I like dedication and attitude.
"Old-fashioned things are important. You can't stand over a player and make him do all this. When a young man leaves here he's had that type of experience. He can be independent and do the things that are necessary to be a success. If I have a goal, that's it; that they can go out with self-discipline and be successful."
Those who have played under Fambrough reflect that attitude. Tom Hedrick, director of the KU sports network, tells a story of the first time he met former KU running back Delvin Williams.
"HE SAID HE WOULD do anything in the world for the University of Kansas and especially for Don Bambrough," Hedrick says of Williams. "He helped me get two things," Williams said. 'First he got me a college degree.'
Lawrence remembers the Oregon game for a different reason. In that contest, a 10-10 victory. Lawrence was the first player to score in an Oregon game.
"And with all the notoriety and money I've made, I'm more proud of being able to buy my mom a house."
injured and it was thought he'd never play football again.
"After I hurt my knee, he made three trips down to the training room. After the Oregon game he'd just won the big game and had only one injury—mine. But it bothered him. And I don't think it's because I'm a starter or a captain, but because I'm on the team."
"I PROBABLY treat the players differently than 25 years ago," Fambrough says. "I have to adjust, but certain things never change. Ask any coach what makes a successful player, you'll be talking about the same things. That's what makes success. I know lots of times people think I'm corny and old fashioned."
If corny and old-fashioned is his way, the players aren't complaining.
"Coach Fambrough and his staff really honestly care about us," McNorton says. "They're really fair. He's an honest man, and he treats you like a man."
As for Fambrough, the rewards of his job are easy to pinpoint.
"There's nothing like winning," he says. "It's the greatest thrill a player or a coach can have. Especially a coach. There's not a feeling like it. We're tremendous competitors or we wouldn't be in this business. There's not a feeling like it.
"BUT OTHER rewards are more lasting. The more lasting reward is to see what happens when they get out of school, the type of people they turn out to be."
Is Fambrough planning retirement in the near future? "No."
"I felt 'I can adjust' after quitting, but I never did. I wasn't ready. The next time I will be. I think."