Volume 126 Issue 7
kansan.com
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Kansas State loss makes bye week a success
COMMENTARY
It had to be an empty feeling. One that induced some anxiety. You held the remote to your TV instead of the playbook to your offense — and it sucked.
D dont be so gloomy, Charlie. Saturday wasn't so bad.
Sure, your team sat idling while everyone else showcased months of hard work. And yes, you spent hours watching college football Saturday, thinking it should be Kansas out there too.
"It was just awful," Weis said. "My least favorite day in the last six months."
"You just put a capital L on your forehead because that's what it felt like sitting there watching all these games," Weis said.
Chin up. Chuck.
There's one thing you must've watched that made your Saturday day better: Kansas State lost to North Dakota State 24-21. The Bison had an eight-minute drive to close out the game and finish off the Wildcats.
Now that had to make you smirk.
When you first came to Lawrence — literally your first day in town — you talked and talked about Kansas State. You wanted to figure out why they had won 10 games, while Kansas had lost 10. You even duplicated their recruiting tactic of bringing in loads of junior college transfers.
A good goal for the long-term success of the program isn't beating Kansas State, it's being better than Kansas State.
There's a chance.
No one is predicting Kansas will overcome Kansas State this year. As long as Bill Snyder is running the program, that day's a long way away. Heck, it's hard to say Weis will ever see it happen. But, after Saturday, a message was sent to the program: There is a chance
And that chance had to make you feel good, Charlie.
That's all of the work you've put in, the criticism you've taken, the career risk you took to come to Lawrence, is finally starting to feel right.
There's a chink in Bill Snyder's seemingly impenetrable force field out west, one that will surely be corrected, but a sign of weakness nonetheless.
Feel better, Charlie.
Feel better. Charlie.
Your team had to sit on their hands Saturday instead of using them to block an opponent.
To catch a football. To throw a pass. And that makes your team itching to play. That makes your team ready.
They watched the upset down the road. They saw what a team from the Dakotas can do, in case they had already forgotten.
Even though you hated Saturday, Charlie, just know Bill Snyder hated it worse. And that's not a bad start to your football season.
Edited by Chas Strobel
CLEANING UP
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAKING OUT THE TRASH
Kansas head coach Charlie Weis has a discussion with officials during an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, Nov. 10, 2012.
Nothing but the best is good enough for coach Charlie Weis
IMAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
The scenario has already played itself out in Charlie Weis' mind.
He can see his team beating South Dakota this Saturday, then winning against Rice in Houston, coming back to Lawrence the next week and defeating Louisiana Tech before really proving something to the fans with a homecoming victory over Texas Tech.
"Then, let's go to TCU and see what it's like if we're on a little streak and everyone's starting to get a little juiced around here. That's what I want to do." Weis said on Tuesday at his first press conference of the season.
It's been four years since Kansas started a season on one of those
streaks, and Weis isn't making a guarantee.
"Is it going to happen like that? I have no idea." Weis said.
But that's the mentality he wants his players to have going into this season. He wants them to believe that they can win every game.
It is his responsibility to be the leader of the shift in mentality. He has to instill in his players that losing will not be accepted in any form.
Kansas lost five games last season by a touchdown or less. Weis wants his team to disregard that stat. It doesn't matter what the score was if you take an "L" in the end.
"If we lose, we lose." Weis said,
"but I think part of the problem
when you're in an organization
that gets used to losing, is losing
is OK. Losing is accepted. If you play close to winning, it's OK, and that's a pile of garbage."
has been willing to give a number of wins they expect this season. And that's how Weis wants it.
No player or coach on the team
you deserve to be fired, or quit one or the other," Weis said.
It would be another example of what Weis considers a losing mentality for players to look at the schedule, think about how they match up with each team, and come up with the number of games they expect to win.
"You start winning a couple of those close games and the light switch goes on."
I mean, if you think like that
"You should never ever as a competitor think like that."
Of course, Weis would like to believe that there is a difference this season. Players have said they've seen a new mentality. More established leaders have stepped up this season. But none of that means anything until it's proven
"You start winning a couple of those close games and the light switch goes on, and the next thing you know your team — every week — is expecting to win those games. They're not waiting for something bad to happen. They're making something good happen when it's crunch time," Weis said. "Something good has to happen first."
The game has yet to begin, but the bitter taste of a 1-11 season hasn't left Wei yet. It's still too early to determine whether or not his team truly has a winning approach.
on the field.
Kansas was picked by Big 12 media to finish last once again this season, and Weis reiterated, as he did at Big 12 media days, that that is exactly where the Jayhawks should be listed for right now. But he also sent a message to his team:
CHARLIE WEIS Kansas Coach
"Until you start winning games, that's where you're gonna stay."
VOLLEYBALL
Jarmoc also
ported her sec
IBRIAN HILLIX
Jarmoc leads Kansas to victory at UMKC
Behind a career night from redshirt senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc, the Jayhawks topped University of Missouri-Kansas City 25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21 last night, to improve their record to 3-1 on the season.
Jarmoc, an Alberta, Canada native, eclipsed 1,000 kills for her Jayhawk career in the first set. While appreciative of the milestone, Jarmoc was quick to put things in perspective.
bhillix@kansan.com
and career double-double with 19
kills and 10 blocks for the match
"I'm happy to hear that," iarmoc said. "But whatever I can to help the team is what I care the most about."
Edited by Emma McElhaney
She leads the team with 64 kills and 18 blocks for the season. In
Jarmoc
her first year at Kansas, Jarmoc didn't play a competitive match due to a redshirt. Under NCAA rules, she was allowed to practice and travel with the team, but not play in a match. It allowed her to maintain four years of eligibility while gaining valuable experience. Coach Ray Bechard said it was a smart decision.
Jarmoc said it was never a goal to pass the 1,000 kill mark while at Kansas. With tonight's performance, she now has 1.015 career kills with a majority of the season remaining. Only one active player in the Big 12, senior Kaitlyn Pelger from Kansas State, has more career kills.
"The best thing she ever did was take a redshirt," Beard said. "It allowed her to mature as a player."
Both Bechard and Jarmoc attributed today's win to efficient and accurate passing. Senior setter Erin McNorton totaled 50 assists to mark the second time this season she's posted at least 50 assists. Junior outside hitter
UMKC has quickly improved under the leadership of former Kansas assistant coach Christie Posey. Jarmoc said the team struggled to get into an offensive rhythm with the Kangaroos' defensive schemes. UMKC matched Kansas with 16 blocks for the match.
Chelsea Albers had 15 kills and 16 digs to continue her recent hot streak. This marked her third double-double of the season.
"That's the best UMKC team I've seen since I've been at Kansas." Bechard said. "It's a feisty team."
The Jayhawks are now 19-0 all time against the Kangaroos.
The Hawks are now 19-0 all-time against the Kangaroos. Kansas will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Thursday, Sept. 5, to take on Arkansas in the start of a two-game series against the Razorbacks. The match will be at 7 p.m.
Edited by Kayla Overbey
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc attempts to hit the ball over the Oklahoma blockers on Nov. 14, 2012. The Jayhawks won at UMKC Tuesday.
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