Monday, August 28, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
Big 12 Football Gasaway ready to play with jaw intact
Bv Jason Franchuk
By Jason Franchuk sports @kanson.com
Kansas writer sport
Byron Gasaway was comfortable talking at Saturday's Get Ready Rally.
Wearing denim shorts and his Kansas football jersey, he flashed his smile to fans who wished him a better season.
As Gasaway signed autographs, he was happy just to talk at all.
Last year's season was shattered when Gasaway broke his jaw in three places in a preseason weightlifting accident.
His jaw was wired shut for last year's rally, leaving Gasaway sounding like a novice ventriloquist.
"It's nice when people come up to me
"It don't have to mumble," he said.
Although Gasaway still lifts weights with the same ferocity, he said he appreciated football more and some foods less. He lost 25 pounds as his jaw healed and he could only consume liquids.
"I can't eat that stuff anymore," he said. "Had too much of it."
Gasaway said he does not take anything — even Kansas' two-a-day practices in sweltering heat — for granted.
Gasaway now avoids sports drinks and Campbell's soup.
"I enjoy the game a lot more because I had to stay away from it for so long," he said.
But injuries continue to plague the wide-receiving squad. Gasaway has had a sore ankle; Termaine Fulton a heat-related illness; Barry Goodrich a pulled hamstring; and Harrison Hill dehydration.
Yet as the Jayhawks prepare for Saturday's opener at Southern Methodist, it looks as though all receivers but Hill are a go.
"It's definitely been frustrating for everybody." Fulton said. "We all want to be out there and make an impact and help this team out. But these things happen."
Gasaway retained his sophomore year of eligibility because of the injury. He
showed promise in 1998 when, as a freshman, he played in all 11 games, started one, and caught 11 passes.
A toddler approached Gasaway on Saturday at the rally, held out his pen and shyly asked Gasaway for an autograph. Gasaway obliged, and the child's father asked Gasaway how his health was.
The ankle is healthy. He can walk the walk.
"I'm ready to go," Gasaway said, looking up and smiling again after finishing the signature.
The jaw is healed. Gasaway will talk the talk
- Edited by John Audlehelm
Tigers facing shortage of players for the season
By Chris Wristen
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The season opener against Western Illinois Saturday is beginning to look much tougher for the Missouri Tigers, now that they have dwindling numbers.
The most recent loss came this past week when junior quarterback Jim Dougherty, once considered a candidate for the starting job, tore ligaments in his right elbow. He will undergo surgery next week and will miss the season.
To make matters worse, Coach Larry Smith announced in a press release that two more Tigers had been suspended last
weekend. The players, sophomore wide receiver Travis Garvin and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Cliff Young, were suspended for what Smith described as team rules violations. Both will miss Saturday's game but will be eligible to play Sept. 9 at Clemson. Smith would not elaborate as to the specific cause for the suspensions.
These suspensions are just the latest for the Tigers. Sophomore cornerback John McPherson was suspended July 27 and then excused from the team a week later, following his arrest. During a traffic stop, police pulled McPherson to the side of the road and found 100 pounds of marijuana in
a shoebox in his trunk.
In other Big 12 Conference football news, Kansas State opened its season with a 27-7 victory against Big 10 Conference doormat Iowa in the Eddie Robinson Classic. The Wildcats were not satisfied with the win, and with good reason.
All-American kick returner David Allen, who also starts at running back, suffered a twisted left knee on a punt return in the fourth quarter.
In addition to Allen's injury, K-State struggled with holding onto the ball. The Wildcats had four fumbles but lost only one. Quarterback Jonathan Beasley also threw two interceptions.
Read more Big 1.2 football news, including more highlights of Saturday's K-State game. See page 8B
More information
"On the (first) one the guy made a great play. The other, I didn't even see him," he said.
Defensively the Wildcats were superb, holding the Hawkeyes to 156 total yards and seven points, scored on a touchdown by Ladell Betts, junior running back. They were the first points given up by the Wildcats in the third quarter for more than a year.
—Edited by Glisson Abreu
Students get pumped at Get Ready Rally
Continued from page 1B
"This is our big push." Mullen said.
it's going to "be" a dramatic incident,
senior running back Moran Norris said.
Konner
"This is our big pusit, Munir saath."
After most fans received their football tickets, they listened as a few of the captains addressed the crowd. "It's going to be a fantastic, fabulous season."
Everyone healthy — Kansas' football team is finally healing now that two-a-day practices are finished. Several players missed action because of the heat. Junior wide receiver Harrison Hill is the only one still ailing. Senior safety Carl Ne Smith is back after suffering a second-degree concussion last Saturday in Kansas' first full-contact scrimmage.
Passing grades — Coach Terry Allen also announced Friday that all of the Jayhawk newcomers have been declared eligible by the NCAA.
"We are always positive about this situation, but it is a relief when we found out for sure," he said.
Thank the Lord for the nighttime — KU had a night practice under the lights at Memorial Stadium for the second straight evening Friday. The team played a situational non-contact scrimmage.
"Tonight we tried to give them more of a mental scrimmage," Allen said. "There were some mistakes, but that's to be expected. Overall, we were relatively sharp on what we were looking for."
All five quarterbacks on the Kansas roster saw action during the scrimmage. Senior starter Dylan Smith completed five-of-10 passes (three drops) for 49 yards. Redshirt freshman Zach Dyer went five-of-five for 41 yards, freshman Kevin Long was two-of-five for 38 yards, sophomore Jonas Weatherbie finished two-of-four for 10 and freshman Mario Kinsey completed three-of-five attempts for 21 yards.
Edited by J. R. Mendoza
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