Section:
B
The University Daily Kansan
Sports trivia
What movie gave us the famous line, "Go in there and win it for the Gipper?"
Sports
SEE PAGE 2B
Inside: Former Kansas basketball player Nick Bradford recently signed with the newly formed Kansas City Knights of the ABA.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: The Kansas men's rugby team won the Heart of America tournament last weekend.
SEE PAGE 2B
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Allen will return for fifth season
By Jason Franchuk sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
There's $35 million invested in Terry Allen as Kansas' football coach and don't expect Kansas to abandon ship anytime soon.
Kansas athletics director Bob Frederick said yesterday that Allen would be the coach at least through next year.
"I fully support coach Allen," Frederick said. "We're going to stay the course."
Since Allen arrived at Kansas in 1997, the program has received several upgrades in order to compete for recruits and remain formidable in the Big 12 Conference. Memorial Stadium got permanent lights for night games in 1997. The concourse got a facelift, and a spacious new locker room was added in 1998. A new press box and luxury suites were
added in 1999, and new artificial turf was installed for this season.
Part of the reasoning behind the improvements was to keep up with Kansas State, which has turned into a national power and won the last eight Sunflower Showdowns.
With all the renovations, however, not
Terry Allen
much has changed in the record books for the Jayhawks. It could be argued that the program has regressed since Allen's arrival. After a promising 5-6 record in 1997, Kansas has gone 4-7 and 5-7 the last two seasons.
In Allen's first season, Kansas defeated Oklahoma and Texas Christian, which are
now ranked eighth and 12th, respectively. In 1988, Kansas defeated then-ranked Colorado, which is Allen's only victory against a top 25 opponent. That same year, the Jayhawks won at Alabama-Birmingham, which remains Allen's lone road win.
Allen labeled last year's squad as a possible bowl contender before the season started. This year he was optimistic, but Kansas started with a demoralizing season-opening loss at Southern Methodist, which has dropped five in a row since.
Frederick, however, said that a main reason to keep Allen was his ability to recruit the past couple of years.
"Our last two recruiting classes are very promising," Frederick said.
This year, Kansas is 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 games after losses to Oklahoma and Kansas State, both of which are ranked in
the top eight nationally
Despite losing to a pair of national championship contenders, Allen was perturbed with his team's 52-13 loss Saturday to Kansas State. He said he felt the need to intensify practices and possibly make some personnel changes.
Allen was particularly upset with sporadic play against the Wildcats.
"Some guys played hard one play then they'd take three plays off." Allen said.
Nose tackle Nate Dwyer said the team's attitude had been different since losing to Kansas State.
"After the game, people had some stuff to say to each other." Dwyer said.
Dwyer said there were arguments in the locker room as players vented frustrations. The last two practices have been more aggressive than earlier this year and Allen has been more of an "in-your-ear"
type coach. Dwyer said.
"There were a lot of fights out there," Dwyer said. "But guys get it out of their system, and when we're done with practice we're friends again. We needed this."
There had been talk from a few players, who wished to remain anonymous, who were concerned that Allen's job status was not safe if the Jayhawks did not win at least one "big game," referring primarily to games against ranked opponents such as Nebraska and Texas.
Some critics have argued that winning the Missouri game Saturday is do-or-die for Allen's job, but Frederick said that was not true.
'Hawks want elusive win at Missouri
"Absolutely not," Frederick said. "I would never make a decision on a coach based on one game."
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
By Sarah Warren
sports@kanson.com
Kansas sportwriter
Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard has been waiting for that turnaround win.
His team goes to practice — killing, blocking and digging just as it did when it was a record setting 9-0.
Now 11-6, 2-6 in the Big 12 Conference and reeling from losing four straight matches, the Jayhawks are looking for an answer to their problems: their three five-game conference losses; their multi-record breaking season; but multieror
games; their
seemingly sud-
den loss of
snark.
Micro information
For more
voleytball.
"We won game five against Colorado. but
since then we haven't been able to do it," said Bechard of Kansas' first conference game of the season.
Bechard said beating Missouri would be difficult.
At 7 tonight, Kansas faces Missouri (14-2, 5-2) in Columbia, Mo. Missouri has been surprising Big 12 teams all season, posting a 7-0 home record. All of this after 10-21, 4-16 conference records in '99.
"We're playing well, we just aren't finishing," said Kylie Thomas, sophomore outside hitter. "We just need to keep pushing ourselves when we're ahead."
Pulling out a win tonight would tie the Jayhawks in the schools' all-time series, which Missouri leads 31-30.
However, Missouri, now ranked No. 24 in the nation, won't just lay down tonight for the sake of series balance. And the "Hawks know this, as they beat Missouri twice last year, with the second match going to five games.
"We're going to go out and play our best," Thomas said. "That's all we can do."
— Edited by Amv Randolph
Kansas safety Carl Nesmith tackles Kansas State wide receiver Martez Wesley during Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium. Fox Sports Net will broadcast Kansas' next home game Saturday, Oct. 21 against Colorado. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Fox Sports helps boost Jayhawk morale
By Allan Davis
By Allan Davis
sports@kansan.co
Senior co-captain John Oddonetto, an offensive tackle, said he would rather
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas football team received a welcome surprise yesterday when Fox Sports Net announced it planned to broadcast the Saturday, Oct. 21 Jayhawk homecoming game against Colorado. To accommodate Fox Sports, the game is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
For a team reported to be a bit down on itself, a television date can't help but make it feel better, even if it is earlier than the usual early afternoon or evening kickoff times.
play a morning game than sit around waiting for a 6 p.m. game.
"I feel early games are better because you leave the hotel when you wake up, eat breakfast ... wake up ready to go — (and) don't have to wait until 6 o'clock games," he said. "Those are pretty much harder."
Senior free safety Carl Nesmith, also a co-captain, said he didn't have a problem starting a game at 11:30 a.m.
"I don't see any difference," he said. "I get up early anyway for game day. It just takes a little time off, and (you) get ready for the game a little faster."
Oddonetto was sick and missed practice yesterday because of what he said was the stomach flu. He will, however, play Saturday.
Senior co-captain Moran Norris, a fullback, said the important thing was being on television — not what time the game started.
"It's cool. It's on TV — get national exposure," he said. "I guess being a senior, you like playing on TV, so you can catch other people's eyes. They might see something they like."
Coach Terry Allen said Saturday after losing to Kansas State that the Jayhawks would build on what they have, repair some egos and prepare to play Missouri, which last week beat Oklahoma State 24-10. This week, he put that plan into action.
The Jayhawks want to show TV viewers and fans a better performance than they have in the last two weeks.
"We'll have to see how we react to all of this," Allen said. "Momentum and confidence is pretty critical, also. And obviously, it was a big win for Missouri last week. They come in with some confidence, and our game — obviously, it was a disheartening loss for us that led us to do something a little bit different.
"Hopefully, they respond from what we're doing. Obviously, we're changing our routine up because we saw some concerns."
Allen said that the running game and offensive line were struggling and that the offensive line needed to perform well
See TV on page 3B
Coach must turn program around this season to salvage his job
Kansas football coach Terry Allen is approaching a fork in the road of college football coaching. Take the right path, and prosperity could await. But choose the wrong one, and it could spell the end of his Kansas career.
who is the beyonder.
Bob Frederick, Kansas athletics director,
announced yesterday that Allen would return
as coach of the Jayhawks next year, quieting
the speculation that Allen could be fired after
this season. But it seems as though Frederick
is giving Allen an ultimatum — win, and win
now. Or else.
For Allen, Saturday's game against Missouri is more than just a match-up of two college football rivals that are mediocre at best. It's the game that will define his career with the Jayhawks.
Win on Saturday, and this season won't be a total bust. The 'Hawks will be 3-3, and while a bowl bid is out of the question, a victory
against the Tigers could add a bright spot in the middle of a bleak Big 12 Conference schedule.
But lose, and it could spell the end.
Many people don't have a fond opinion of Allen right now. After yet another shellacking by Kansas State, who can blame them?
It doesn't help Allen's case that a number of formidable opponents loom on Kansas' horizon. The 'Hawks still must play Colorado, Nebraska and Texas — three teams they cannot beat. These games will only add fuel for Allen's critics.
And, really, the 'Hawks can't be expected to hang with teams such as Nebraska and K-State right off the bat. Judging by Kansas' level of play this season, the Jayhawks can't currently expect to be among the Big 12's leaders.
Sports Columnist
But improvements must take place for Allen
Jason Walker
sports@kansan.com
to keep his job at Kansas. He must prove the team is making strides to be able to compete with the "Huskers and Wildcats of the world." Getting blown out 52-13 against K-State is hardly an improvement from past years, and the Nebraska outcome could prove uglier. While it is unrealistic for Kansas to immediately be able to beat top teams, improvement must occur and it hasn't.
Allen also must prove he can mentally prepare his team. The botched punts in the Southern Methodist game, the five interceptions against Oklahoma and the first-drive fumble against K-State are mental mistakes that shouldn't happen. Good coaches instill mental toughness in the minds of their players, and Allen has not done that.
Allen must become a better recruiter. Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A. isn't exactly the center of the Earth, and top football recruits tend to head to more pleasant, sunny locales like Florida and Texas. How Bill Snyder gets top players to come to Manhattan may be a mystery, but Allen needs to find out how to recruit those same players to Lawrence. Two-year eligible junior college transfers such as Carl Nesmith and Dylen Smith are not the answer. Recruits need to be instilled with Allen's ideals from the moment they arrive
on campus, and stick with it for four or five years.
Allen is at a crossroads in his coaching career. The status of his future with the Jayhawks is dismal, and there is a definite end in sight. He must quiet the critics and prove he is a winner. He must prove he can recruit, train and produce top-notch, NFL-quality players. He must prove that Kansas football is heading in the right direction and not floating in a stagnant pond of constant failure. If he can't, Frederick should reconsider his decision and Allen should be fired.
Choose wisely, coach Allen. Saturday at Mizzou is the kind of game that can make or break a career. And if the 'Hawks can't start winning, yours at Kansas should be shattered.
Walker in a Mulvane senior in journalism. No he is the associate sports editor.
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