THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013
PAGE 3B
FOOTBALL
Victory against Rice could end Kansas' football woes
CONNOR OBERKROM
coberkrom@kansan.com
During Kansas' weekly team meeting this Tuesday, Charlie Weis asked his team to raise their hand if anyone has won a road game at Kansas. There were no hands in the air to be counted.
Last year the Rice game defined the Kansas football season and was an indicator of how the remainder of the season unraveled. This season Kansas faces Rice again - on the road - with a different, unfamiliar feeling on their mind — a road win.
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the fourth quarter, before surrendering its lead and losing 25-24 to Rice.
Junior quarterback Jake Heaps passes the ball during Saturday's game against South Dakota. The Jayhawks won 31-14.
While some of this team's new faces weren't at Kansas for the loss, junior linebacker Ben Heeney was and recalls how it spelled out how the rest of the season would go.
He knows how crucial Saturday's Rice game is and what mark it will carve out for this season.
just didn't finish," Heeney said. "That was the big thing last year, just not finishing games."
"This is a really pivotal game for how our season is going to go. We're ready for it."
That's what we are really focused on through this year," Heeney said. "This is a really pivotal game for how our season is going to go. We're ready for it."
Kansas, who currently holds a 19-
"We had that game...we kinda
BEN HEENEY
Junior linebacker
game road-losing streak, last experienced a victory away from home on Sept. 12, 2009 at University of Texas at El Paso.
Weis knows his team has a chance to get talked to about a discouraging
losing streak.
"Winning this week could get losing on the road out the way," Weis said. "And winning in three weeks against Texas Tech could get the conference losing streak out of the way. So this, this just gives us an opportunity to put one of those aside."
Kansas, who saw multiple leads crumble last year - including games against Texas Tech, Northern Illinois and Texas where they had viable opportunities to close out the game - knows how one game can write a different script for the rest of the year.
Weis has emphasized winning
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
and winning alone can cure the transition for the Kansas program. The Jayhawks have a chance to validate that claim when they face Rice.
Weis, however, doesn't treat the Rice game as a one-game agenda or latch any type of revenge to this game. Instead, he chalks it up as
another one in the process of cultivating a winning culture.
"I don't talk about revenge for what they did because we were the ones that bleit it. Weis said."
Keon Stowers, along with Heeney, is the other defensive captain of the team who also knows the severity level of this game and knows that
everything changes with a win on Saturday.
"This is another step in the maturation process of our team," Stowers said. "If you want to be a factor you have to win on the road, there's no excuses, this is a must-win game."
— Edited by Hannah Barline
Jayhawks hope for lucky season after eight-day training in Ireland
ANDREW CRISTAL acristal@kansan.com
The women's golf team geared up for its 2013-14 season by practicing in Ireland.
Head coach Erin O'Neil, encouraged by Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger, took the team overseas for eight days in mid-August. O'Neil said the trip was "a one- in-a-lifetime experience that exposed
"We have to have the mindset of everyone is a leader on this team, leading in their own particular way."
ticing on courses that Rory McIlroy often plays on while he's home. They experienced a whole new type of golf, which many on the team hope to bring back to Kansas to im-
ERIN O'NEIL Women's golf coach
players to new golf courses, a different culture and a beautiful destination for team bonding."
prove their game.
In Ireland, the Jayhaws had many opportunities that golf fanatics could only dream of, like prac-
The team also got to compete against the Irish National Team. Despite playing well on a foreign course, Kansas fell to the Irish National Team 5.5 to 3.5.
Fresh off one of the program's best seasons in Kansas history, the jayhawks aim to achieve what they fell short of last season.
player," O'Neil said. "Last year we were so close to our first NCAA tournament. Out of 59 teams that got in, we were ranked 64th. This year we are trying to focus on the little things."
O'Neil and her assistant coaches are always looking for areas of improvement outside of their own teachings. This year, they attended a seminar with one of the best putting instructors in the world. Mike Shannon, to try to bring back new techniques and tips for the team.
"We talked about setting goals and we decided on trying to have a team stroke average of 299, which would be a stroke average of 75 per
When it comes to the success of the season, it's important to view the team as a whole.
"We have to have the mindset of everyone is a leader on this team, leading in their own particular way," said O'Neil. "To be successful, everyone has to think and play like a leader."
- Edited by Sarah Kramer
FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas State quarterback Daniel Sams is brought down by Louisiana-Lafayette cornerback Sean Thomas (24) and safety T.J. Worthy (27) during the first half of Saturday's game in Manhattan.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sophomore quarterback Sams electrifies at K-State
MANHATTAN — Gerald Leonard remembers watching Daniel Sams perform on the high school fields along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. There were times when the coach would stand back and simply marvel at his talented young star.
Plays would break down and Sams would make something out of nothing.
"It has a unique quality to have," Leonard told The Associated Press this week. "The improvisation stuff that he was able to do on the field for us when things broke down and didn't go as designed, they were a lot of times highlight roll material."
Sams only threw for 577 yards his senior year at Salmine High School near New Orleans, but he piled up more than 3,000 all-purpose yards while also playing wide receiver,
It was just like magic.
running back, kick returner and, yes, even the punter. That got the attention of schools such as Oklahoma and LSU, many of which wanted him to play just about anything except quarterback.
但 when Kansas State coach Bill Snyer gave Sams a shot to play the game's marquee position, he jumped at the opportunity. Now, Sams is the Wildcats' leading rusher while coming off the bench in a two-QB system, and he's making it hard for Snyer to keep him off the field headed into Saturday's game against Massachusetts.
Sams backed up Heisman Trophy finalist Collin Klein last season, and was in a heated race with junior college transfer Jake Waters to start this season. Waters won out for an opening loss to North Dakota State and a 48-27 win over
"I'm just thinking about making the most of my opportunities," Sams said. "If I'm successful, I'll see my playing time increase."
Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday night, but with every hip-swiveling run, Sams is making his mark on the Wildcats.
"Daniel has the ability to accurately distribute the football either down field or in a short controlled passing game," Leonard said. "As he grows and improves on his read in that offense, he has plenty of capabilities to be a great throwing quarterback."
In the meantime, the Wildcats are rolling with a two quarterback system.
Waters is completing more than 70 percent of his passes for 279 yards per game, while Sams has run for 80 yards on just 10 carries — including two electrifying touchdown runs.
You've got two guys who need to be on the field and we have to find ways or continue to find and cultivate ways in order to utilize both of them." Snyder said.
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