Section:
B
Yesterday in sports
Recruit Michael Lee, from Portland, Ore., verbally committed to the Kansas men's basketball team late last night, according to Insiders Report.
Check out tomorrow's Kansan for more information.
The University Daily Kansan
Sports
Inside: The Kansas soccer team lost two games in Texas this weekend to Texas and Texas A&M.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: The Kansas women's basketball team had its first practice of the season Saturday.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
SEE PAGE 7B
'Hawks win illustrates Tigers' new ineptitude
Kansas linebacker Tim Bowers is congratulated by his teammates after running back an interception for a touchdown during Saturday's game at Missouri. The Kansas defense punished Missouri throughout the game and possibly had their best effort of the season. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
COLUMBIA, Mo. — This was not the homecoming Missouri fans expected.
Columbia, in all its dreary glory, was bathed in black and gold on Saturday in anticipation of a Tiger triumph. Nearly every car was adorned with either a tiger paw sticker or a silly tiger tail fluttering from its bumper.
About 60,000 Missourians all thirsty for blood — flooded the stands surrounding Faurot Field.
But rather than feasting on Jayhawk, Missouri was forced to eat crow — and plenty of it.
Not even the usual array of Kansas mistakes could keep this game close. And the game wasn't even as close as the final score — a 38-17 drubbing — suggested.
Take away the 11 Kansas penalties for 92 yards and the three turnovers — one a fumble in the end zone that Missouri recovered for a score
— and Missouri starts to look as inept as Division II Southern Illinois, which the 'Hawks beat 42-0.
Jayhawks thrash hapless Tigers
It's tough to pick just which statistics best describe the Kansas domination. Perhaps it's the number of first downs Kennege 25 Missouri 11.
Or maybe it's Kansas' 453 yards of total offense compared to Missouri's 247.
Or, for pure in-your-face manhandling, it could be Missouri's 26 rushes for a total of 10 yards (that's .38 yards per carry).
It was probably a bit of both,
combined with a dash of history.
Watching the game, one wondered just how Missouri had been tabbed a seven-point favorite. Had Kansas been underestimated? Or had Missouri been overestimated?
After all, the Jayhawks hadn't won a Big 12 Conference road game since 1996. They hadn't won in Columbia since 1994.
But the 'Hawks threw all that baggage out the window for this one. The behind-the-woodshed whipping K-State gave them last weekend? Forgotten.
Yes, Kansas ran its usual array of draw plays — but some of them actually worked. Dylan Smith broke loose on draws for 35 and 34 yards, both of which almost went for touchdown<sup>e</sup>.
Coach Terry Allen changed practice routines, last week leading up to this game, and his players responded with their best effort yet. The plays that looked desperate against K-State looked unstoppable against Missouri.
While nearly everything Kansas ran was working, Missouri's offense looked anemic. Soon-to-be-former Missouri coach Larry Smith employed a gaggle of fancy formations and trick plays, but the only eggs laid were rotten.
And, all due credit to the Jayhawks, the biggest impression from this game was just how rotten Missouri is. By the middle of the third quarter, even the Missouri fans had figured it out as they funnelled from the stadium, off to drink away their sorrows.
Prater is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
By the end of the game, Kansas fans and players were the only ones celebrating, revealing in the pleasure of being a homecoming wrecker — a role they've long been denied.
Kansas excited for next game after big victory
By Jason Franchuk
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The fall foliage peeked over the south stands of Missouri's Faurit Field on Saturday, showing just how much change is taking place now.
Kansas' football team members didn't notice the leaves' brilliant shades of red and yellow. But their 38-17 win against Missouri showed that they're not ready to be dismissed like summer and let basketball become the only talk of the town.
"It's a whole new season now," said Kansas junior wide receiver Roger Ross. "We're 0-0 now, and we think we've given the fans something to come watch us for."
Kansas coach Terry Allen called it his most emotional win with the Jayhawks, and Kansas played like it. Fueled by a disappointing start and a humiliating loss to bigbrother Kansas State last weekend, Kansas played with vengeance and a mission.
The extra day of practice Monday and additional challenges in the more-physical sessions left the Jayhawks invigorated about a season that, up to this point, was widely considered a flop.
"It was the best week of practices we've had since I've been here," said Kansas junior cornerback Andrew Davison. "We have to keep doing it. We have to keep going with what's working for us."
Numbers were not on Kansas' side initially. Sensing that he was taking too many players, Allen cut the travel roster to 64 players from 85. Few Jayhawk fans sprinkled the stands, and the band did not travel.
But despite these obstacles, the win offered a feeling that the Jayhawks would like to bottle up themselves.
man Marc Owen. "That's what we've been looking for.
"It felt like we were really together as a team," said Kansas senior offensive line-
"God, we needed this road win so bad." Kansas ended a 14-game conference road losing streak and won for the first time in Columbia since 1994. The Jayhawks improved to 3-3, and 3-1 against Missouri with Allen as coach.
"It's our homecoming next week, and we're 3-3," Allen said of the upcoming game against Colorado. "But in our players' minds we're 1-0."
Davison and his teammates in the secondary were major factors. Kansas had four interceptions, two by Carl Ivey. Tim Bowers returned his pickoff 32 yards for a touchdown that ran Kansas' lead to 17-7 midway through the second quarter.
Allen said he was thankful for the faithful who made the trip to Missouri. After the team's prayer, Allen and the team crooned the Jayhawk chant to the crowd near Kansas' sideline. Running back Moran Norris introduced a more modern tune. "Who Let the Jayhawks Out," a spoof on the popular song.
Football: Kansas 38, Missouri! 17
For more about Saturday's game, including a statistical breakdown and news around the Big
1.2 Conference.
See page 4B
For more game photos
See page 5B
Norris used "Jayhawks" instead of the word in the actual song, for obvious reason: On the road, the Jayhawks are dogs no more.
- Edited by Clay McCuistion
Jayhawks dance, dunk into Late Night
Kansas senior center Eric Chenowith, left, and senior guard Kenny Gregory, right, laugh at the expense of junior forward Jeff Carey, who had his head partially shaved by members of the team. Senior guard Luke Axell asked him to end his reign of being the only longhaired member of the team. Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
Players display dance moves acting abilities
By Chris Wristen sports@kanson.com Kansas sportwriter
Instead of a nightmare, Friday,
Oct. 13th was fun for the Kansas
men's and women's basketball
teams.
Late Night with Roy Williams kicked off the season for both teams and consisted of skits to the theme "Surviving Friday the 18th."
"I enjoy seeing the guys acting crazy, watching the women's team and the men's team do those things that they normally don't get a chance to do," coach Roy Williams said. "I've always enjoyed Late Night just for having a chance to watch them, seeing Bryant Nash see if he can dance."
Players performed dance routines and parodied the movies I Know What You Did Last Summer, Charlie's Angels, The Blair Witch Project and JAWS while a guy in a Missouri Jersey wearing a Jason mask a la Friday the 13th lurked in the shadows.
Seniors Jennifer Jackson, Brooke Reves and Jaclyn Johnson did a seniors' dance as Marian's Angels. The women's team performed a dance routine to TLC's song "Waterfalls" before coach Marian Washington took center court for a dance to "I Will Survive."
Senior Kenny Gregory stole the show as Michael Jackson, silver glove and all, with the women's team strutting in zombie fashion for a rendition of the classic "Thriller" video.
The men emerged from the northeast tunnel to the tune of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys.
"They had me as Michael Jackson even though I didn't
A Battle of the Bands competition ensued. Juniors Jeff Boschee and Jeff Carey and senior Eric Chenowith performed a bottom-of-the-charts cover of Blink 182's "All the Small Things."
know what I was doing." Gregory said. "I had a lot of fun."
Outduelling them was senior Luke Axtell, who performed an original country song he had completed that day, bringing the crowd to its feet.
Axtell's prize for winning was ordering Carey to get a haircut; Carey hadn't cut his hair since March and was sporting a mop style shag. All that remains now is a shiny, clean-shaven scab.
"He said he was going to do it,
but I didn't believe he was going
Williams received the biggest ovation during a presentation about him prior to his dance. Sound clips of past games and interviews during his "I'm Staying" summer brought the crowd to a minute-long standing roar.
"It felt very good. It reminded me of 13 years ago," Williams said of the beginning of his Kansas career. "Coaching at Kansas is very special."
to do it." Gregory said.
More Pictures
For more Late Night pictures
See page 58
— Edited by John Audelhelm
Scrimmage shows strong hustle but was marred by mental errors
The annual scrimmage following Late Night with Roy Williams was like a teenager's first car: a tad on the unaesthetic side, but able to get the Jawhests from Point A to Point B.
"It was pretty ugly, actually," said senior forward Kenny Gregory.
While there were some occasional rays of light in the blue team's 28-24 victory early Saturday morning, most of the contest was a scattered
most of the school display of missed layups and forced passes.
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
Kansas coach Roy Williams was impressed with the all-out hustle.
"I liked Eric Chenowith's rebounding more than anything," he said. "But I don't put a lot of stock into
"Coach Williams won't allow us to be soft and we won't allow ourselves to
"We're going to be a lot more hardnosed, no question about it. Coach Williams won't allow us to be soft, and we won't allow ourselves to be soft."
be soft."
that scriffimage, to say the least. Other than that, it gives them a chance to go up and down the court, test their legs and see what it looks like to be in basketball shape."
After the sloppy scrimmage, increased hustle was about all the 16,000 fans could take home.
Luke Axtell Kansas basketball senior guard
That is exactly what senior guard Luke Axell was trying to do, leading the blue team with eight points.
Late Night Notes:
Friday was the first time Axell played in front of fans at Allen Fieldhouse since January, when he cut his season short because of an undisclosed medical condition.
He also noticed the Jayhawks' increased hustle.
■ Gregory said Thursday he wouldn't participate in the pre-scrimmage dunk contest and might not even play in the scrimmage. He said his back, which he hurt in his apartment on Monday, would be bothering him too
He said he was surprised with the fans' reception.
"I didn't really know," Axell said. "Dropping out of basketball like last year, coming back, and then getting that kind of reception — you don't get that at most places."
"That's something we're definitely going to do this year," Axell said.
much to play much of a role on Fridav.
He was wrong.
Thanks to what he called peer pressure from his teammates,
Gregory awed the capacity crowd with an assortment of
dunks before the scrimmage, then played a hey role in the practice game. Still, Williams wasn't exactly thrilled with Gregory's exploits.
"He's so wacko," he said. "I said, 'Don't go crazy out there,' and he said, 'I'm only going to dunk one or two,' then all the sudden it looked like he was flying through the air."
Because of his back, Gregory will be limited this week in practice.
One of the loudest ovations came when all four of the Jayhawks' recruits entered the fieldhouse.
Kansas welcomed Josh Childress from Lakewood High in Lakewood, Calif. Michael Lee and Aaron Miles from Jefferson High in Portland, Ore., and Jamal Sampson of Santa Ana High in Santa Ana, Calif. They walked onto the court to a standing ovation and were presented with Jayhawk jerseys with their names and numbers on them.
Edited by John Audibleh