Section B
Sports Trivia
The University Daily Kansan
Army's team is nicknamed the Cadets. What is the team nickname of Navy, Army's arch-rival?
Sports
SEE PAGE 2B
Inside: Tomorrow's first Kansas men's basketball game is already prompting students to camp out for good seats.
SEE PAGE 4B
Inside: No one came close to rivaling Texas at this weekend's swim meet, but Kansas women pulled in a second-place finish.
SEE PAGE 6B
For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Jayhawks to challenge 'Husker past
By Jason Franchuk sports@kansan.com Kansan writerwriter
Kansas will play away from home Saturday, but it's familiar territory.
The Jayhawks have been here, in this situation of trying to rally back from a tough loss, plenty of times before. The six-game schedule Kansas coach Terry Allen implemented three weeks ago has been cut in half, starting at Nebraska for a 2:30 p.m. game on national television. If Kansas does not win two of its next three games, its season will end again without postseason play. "I think we still have a chance," said junior cornerback Andrew Davison.
Allen has seen this a few times before, this season alone. Kansas lost the opener against Southern Methodist. It regrouped with two consecutive wins against Southern Illinois and Alabama-Birmingham. Kansas then lost to Oklahoma — a loss that doesn't look so bad now considering how well the Sooners have played this year — and Kansas State before Kansas reeled off two more wins in a row, against Missouri and Colorado.
It's hard to classify Nebraska a must win because of how good the 'Huskers are, but it's fair to say Kansas has played its best in its most desperate times.
But Nebraska is desperate, too. Oklahoma is the unanimous No. 1 team after trouncing the then-No. 1 Cornhuskers 31-14 last Saturday, dropping the Cornhuskers to fifth. And just like last year, Kansas must now face Nebraska the week after a Cornhuskers loss. The only difference is this year the game is in Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence seniors Stephanie Bishop (left), and Jessica Friberg fight for possession of the ball during rugby practice. The team has 25 members and is one of the strongest programs in the region. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
"it's going to be hard," said senior safety Carl Nesmith. "But it's just like last year. I feel we have a good chance of beating them."
"I believe they will be able to come back," Allen said. "They've come back every time so far. They came back pretty well on Saturday."
The Jayhawks insist they're as confident as ever, despite the 45-39 loss to Texas Tech Saturday that dropped their record to 4-4 (2-3 conference) and made their bowl eligibility hopes more difficult.
Last year, however, Kansas went into the Nebraska game on a higher note. The Jayhawks shut out Missouri, 21-0, and then clung with the Cornhuskers until a late fourth-quarter surge. Nebraska, historically noted for playing especially well coming off a loss, was expected to pummel Kansas. But Nebraska barely escaped, 24-17.
Still, Kansas trailed by 17 points in the final quarter against Texas Tech. That gives Allen reason to believe that his team can respond again.
— Edited by Amy Randolph
History is nowhere near Kansas' side. The last time the Jayhawks beat Nebraska was 1968 (at Lincoln). The last time Nebraska lost two consecutive regular-season games was 1976. The last time Kansas played closely with the Cornhuskers, a 21-20 loss in 1993, Kansas lost 45-17 the following year.
Rugby team at the top
Club heads into last fall games 6-1
By Michael Sudhalter
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriters
Kansan sportswriter
Despite stereotypes about rugby being a male-dominated sport, the Kansas women's rugby club has evolved into one of the region's elite groups.
The 25-member club has defeated Missouri, Nebraska twice, Wyoming and two area club teams en route to a 6-1 record. The team's lone backcame at the hands of Northern Illinois, one of the Midwest's stronger programs.
The club has benefited from the returning nucleus of six seniors as well as the solid contribution of seven newcomers.
"The number of people that return every year along with overall team fitness have helped this team," she said.
Team captain Heidi Spann, Fayetteville, Ark., senior, said different factors contributed to the team's success.
Spann also cited the spirit and competitiveness of the club's new members as a prime reason for the team's impressive record.
"This year's newcomers are phenomenal athletes who haven't been afraid to show their aggressiveness." she said.
Club president Megan Danner, Naperville, Ill., senior, said she was pleased with the club's vast improvements and attributed it largely to the club's go-getter recruiting approach.
Jenny Peck, Plymouth, Minn., freshman, is competing in her fifth year of the aggressive sport. Although Peck brings a great deal of experience to the team, she said being part of a college team helped her work on different aspects of the game.
"I have learned how to become a better defensive player on this team," she said. "I have also been able to work on my tackling skills."
"We handed out filers, set up booths and used word of mouth to recruit," she said. "And I think we got a lot of good rookies this year."
While Danner may refer to the club's first-year members as "rookies," some of these players have rugby experience.
Peck and other members of the team have set a goal of reaching the national competition, which changes its site every season.
To qualify for nationals, the team must win games known as Merit Table, or championship qualifier games, and place first or second at the 10-team Western Regional Competition, which will take place in April at Lawrence's Westwick Rugby Complex.
"If we keep having girls come out for the team, we could have a shot at nationals," Spann said.
Spann said she had several goals for the spring season when the Jayhawks would truly be tested.
"I would like to see us win Westerns and keep the positive energy going," she said. The Jayhawks' ultimate success will be determined this spring, but they still have plenty of rugby to play this fall.
The club will close out the fall season against Truman State and Southwest Missouri State Saturday in Springfield, Mo., then compete at the Little Rock Tournament Sunday. Nov. 12, and Monday, Nov. 13. in Little Rock, Ark.
- Edited by Warisa Chulindra
Hitter winds up for rematch against Cyclones
Senior outside hitter Amy Myatt tries to smack one past blocker. Myatt is ranked third in the Bia 12 Conference in kills per game. Kansan file photo
By Sarah Warren sports@kansans.com Kansan sportswriter
Amy Myatt will take the court as the grim reaper unmasked tonight — sucking the life out of the Iowa State Cyclones with every blow of her powerful arm.
Myatt, ranked third in the Big 12 Conference in kills per game (4.86), could help make quick work of the Cyclones, 2-20 overall and 0-13 in the Big 12 Conference, at 7 tonight at the Horesei Family Athletic Center.
"We want to come out hard," said Myatt, a senior outside hitter from Iowa City, Iowa. "We want to take care of business."
Kansas, 12-10 overall and 3-10 in the Big 12 Conference, plays Iowa State, 2-20, 0-13, at 7 tonight in the Horesi Family Athletic Center.
The Jayhawks took care of business Sept. 23 when they blew through Ames, Iowa, halting the Cyclones in just three games. Myatt led the Jayhawks in that shutout, smacking down 11 kills. That match, however, was only part one in the web of revenge that the Jayhawks are spinning for the Cyclones after losing to them late in the season last year.
"We had kind of a rough game with them last year," said Myatt, referring to a 3-2 loss at Iowa State that ruined Kansas' chances of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
TONIGHT'S GAME
Sports Columnist
The Cyclones: know that if they are to have any chance of competing with the Jayhawks tonight, they will need to shut down Myatt. It seems, however, that the Cyclones should bet on Myatt being more of a quiet riot than a short storm fading quietly into the night.
"Her ability to read the ball is awesome, and she's very athletically gifted," said Danielle Geronymo, senior middle blocker. "She doesn't complain, and she's very positive."
Chris
Wristen
sports@kansan.com
The excitement and energy from that game dissolved throughout the week and resulted in a season-low crowd of 26,000 fans who witnessed Kansasas' frantic comeback that fell short against Tech.
Lack of trust causing drop in football attendance
Heading into the weekend, the football team had won two straight games, including its previous home game against Colorado during which a group of probably drunk students stormed the field and attempted to tear down a goal post.
Was anyone aside from the Kansas football team surprised that the stands were relatively empty at Saturday's 45-39 loss to Texas Tech?
Surprising? Hardly.
Fan support has been stronger than in recent years - until Saturday. The reasons for lack of attendance are pretty clear.
For starters, the 97th playing of the game of the century, Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, was going on during the Kansas game. Fans probably wanted to watch that game instead. Also, K-State was busy losing to Texas A&M. Maybe fans wanted to watch K-State lose again.
I'm sure those reasons explain the absences of some regular attendees of Kansas football games, but there's more to it than that.
I talked to, and overheard, many students talking during the latter part of last week. The main discussion topic was, not surprisingly, the sexual assault case against two Kansas football players who allegedly assaulted a female Kansas soccer player.
The students' conversations mostly reflected anger and disappointment because they thought the accused players had gotten off the hook. The students didn't believe that none of the witnesses could remember anything. Coincidentally, the witnesses also were Kansas football players.
Some football players were surprised by the poor fan turnout at the game.
There are many students, myself included, who do not think fairness was shown toward all the student athletes involved in this case — especially the female one.
"The die-hard fans were there, but we can't get anyone else to come to our games," said senior Carl Nesmith. Junior Algie Atkinson also did not expect the low turnout.
Coach Terry Allen has taken the fall for the allegations against his players. Allen said the team's focus was to completely cooperate throughout the investigation process and to be fair to all the student athletes involved.
It's hard to get excited about cheering for some guys you don't trust. I have a lot of respect for most of the guys on the team, people such as seniors Moran Norris and Tim Bowers, who do a lot of good for the team and the community. Those guys make Javhawk fans proud.
"I would have thought the stadium would have been filled up more than it was," said junior Algie Atkinson. "But to come back like we did without much of a crowd says a lot about our character."
Perhaps the absence of fans was a response to the team, sending the message that fans won't support a team if its character is in question.
Or does it?
Regardless, a team is only as strong as its weakest links. I'm sure Norris and Bowers are tired of distractions involving their teammates holding the team back from the success it is canable of.
Fans are sick of it, too, and their message will continue to be shown by small attendance numbers until they feel they can trust all players again or the weak links are eliminated.
Wriston is a Leawood junior in journalism.
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