Section B·Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Big 12 Football
Monday, August 21, 2000
Huskers look unstoppable on path to national title
Nebraska player Corrall Buckhater pushes past Kansas defensive back Kareem High, Gartland, Texas, senior, last season. The Nebruskers, who are returning 20 starters from last year, are expected to continue strong this season. Kansan file photo.
Does anyone have any kryptonite hand?
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
By Michael Riga
Because that may be the only way to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 2000 season.
2000 season.
Just when everyone hopped off the Cornhusker bandwagon following a 9-4 psuode-debacle in 1998, Nebraska came out of the chutes last season and produced a 12-1 season that culminated with a 31-21 defeat of Tennessee in the Flesta Bowl. What's scary is the fact that the Cornhuskers return twenty — yes, twenty — starters from 1999, including seven preseason All-Big 12 Conference selections.
All this makes Nebraska the preseason favorite by most college football magazines from Philadelphia to Puget Sound to win the national championship.
"Our focus is on becoming number one," linebacker Carlos Polk said.
But the expectations can also become a burden, coach Frank Solich said.
"The expectations will be there," he said. "And there is no way to control that. I think our players are confident, but it is impossible to predict how the ball will bounce."
Funny, because bouncing balls — or lack thereof — will be one of the themes along Nebraska's run toward the national title. The Cornhuskers averaged more than four fumbles per game last season — one of the nation's worst marks — and played five games where they fumbled five or more times. The pressure to keep the ball off of the ground falls squarely on to the able shoulders of quarterback Eric Crouch, a leagit-
mate Heelsman Trophy candidate.
He will be surrounded by all ten starters from last season's offense, the nation's top
offensive line and wingback Bobby Newcombe, who also may make a run at the Heisman. This experience helps immensely, Crouch said.
"The major difference this year is the leadership," he said. "Everyone seems to be on the same page. This team has a close relationship and we expect a lot from each other and ourselves."
And if that's not enough, Nebraska returns kicker Josh Brown and all-Big 12 punter Dadenfeldt.
Of course, experience is a major theme on the other side of the ball as well, where the Cornhuskers return
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Coach: Frank Solich, third year, 21-5
Key Players: QB Eric Crouch, WB Bobby Newcombe, TE Tracey Wistrom, LB Carlos Polk, DL Kyle Vanden Bosch, P Dan Hadenkel 1999 Record: 12-1, beat Tennessee 31-21 in Fiesta Bowl
1000 Prediction: 11-0, Orange Bowl
To be successful, the Cornhuskers must not choke. Simply put, the only people standing between Nebraska and a national championship are themselves.
seven defensive starters. The only possible question mark could be the defensive backfield. Nebraska must replace Mike Brown and Ralph Brown, who both graduated after scooping up first team All-American honors last season. Still, Polk isn't worried.
Wildcats' weapon Allen has eye on backfield position
"We feel we don't have any questions on defense this year," he said. "We are still the blackshirts, and we will always be the blackshirts."
No questions, eh? How about how cornHusker红 Swimsuits look on the beach? Because, the way Nebraska fans see it, they'll be in Miami celebrating a national title in 2001.
By Jason Franchuk
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kick or punt returns, that is.
The move is kind of a surprise. Allen, a senior, has seven career punt returns for touchdowns, which ties the NCAA record. As a rusher last year, he had 74 carries for 364 yards. Allen has gained 970 more yards (1,523 to 553) as a punt returner than as a running back.
For Kansas State to stay where it is might depend on who returns.
The Wildcats will not have David Allen on special teams to start the season, said coach Bill Snyder. Instead, Allen will focus on being a running back.
But Allen is competing for the tailback spot. Senior Chris Claybon will also be
righting to save.
"I think both of those positions should be extremely competitive," Snyder said.
"All the youngsters that are involved with
close positions understand every single day we're on the field they are either going to gain ground or lose ground and probably not stay the same."
The other position Snyder referred to was quarterback. Incumbent Jonathan Beasley threw for 1,805 yards as a junior after being relegated to benchwarmer his first two years because Michael Bishop was playing. Beasley started 11 of 12 games last year as the Wildcats finished 11-1 and No.6 nationally.
"I feel a lot more comfortable heading into this season," Beasley said. "But I know I still have a lot to improve on so that I can continue to lead this team."
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Coach: Bid Snyder, twelfth season, 8B-40-1
Key players: WR Quincy Morgan, FS Jarrod Cooper, RB David Allen, PK Jamie Rheem, QB Longhann Beasley.
1999 Record: 11-1, defeated Washington 24-
20 in Holiday Bowl
—Edited by Amy Randolph
For the puzzle to come together, the Wildcats must improve their non-conference schedule. Even though we're beating a dead horse, K-State will be shut out of the BCS year after year until Snyder makes teams like Ball State and North Texas disappear from the schedule.
These days K-State expects to win 11 games, and some folks in Manhattan would like to see freshman Ell Roberson get a chance to play. Roberson, from Baytown, Texas, has received favorable comparisons to Bishop, who started the Wildcats' surge to dominance.
Wildcats fans — and the rest of the country — should delight in a more stringent non-conference schedule. Sure, the Wildcats will play Louisiana Tech, Ball State and North Texas. But they'll open with Iowa in the Eddie Robinson Classic at Arrowhead Stadium, the same game Kansas played in last year at Notre Dame. Part of the reason Snyder chose Iowa is because he was an assistant there from 1979-1988.
"I have a great deal of respect for Iowa, for Iowa City and for the University and have thousands of friends there at this point in time," Snyder said. "As I've said before, I just think this is a great opportunity. They have great fans, we have great fans—we'll fill the stadium. I think it's good for the Midwest."
Jayhawks hope to pick up pieces
Continued from page 1A
look any more ominous than the rest of the pieces, but the puzzle can't be built without a framework.
Without players like Nesmith or defense and Norris and Smith controlling the offense, it wouldn't be quite as clear how the other players fit in.
Senior running back David Winbush, who will compete with Norris for the position, is the exact
opposite of Norris in just about every way: short and swift, a veritable Road Runner to Norris' Popeye. So the running game could determine how the picture develops. Kansas was ranked fourth in the conference and 36th nationally, in rushing offense last season, amassing 171.2 yards per game on the ground.
"You can't win if you can't run the football," Norris said. "Everyone knows that."
What everyone also knows is that these Jayhawks kind of look like Tom Cruise: Scoring should never be a problem. The big question is whether the defense can not only make the occasional brilliant play, as it did last season, but be better as a whole.
Hard-hitting Nesmith will anchor a pass defense that must show improvement. Allen has made strides, adding junior college transfer Jamarel Bryant to try to thwart the attacks that have become more prevalent in the Big 12 Conference in recent years.
Kansas ranked last in the Big 12 and 102nd nationally in pass defense efficiency, surrendering 233 yards per game and 18 touchdowns. This year, along with knocking out opposing
receivers with Nesmith's vicious
hits, Allen knows the cornerbacks and safeties must do a better job of making the routine breakup.
"Let's be honest," Allen said. "Our pass defense was pathetic at times last."
"Let's be honest," Allen said. "Our pass defense was pathetic at times last. We have to be courageous."
So that part of the puzzle is foggy. As is the defensive line, which graduation and transfers tore apart. Only nose tackle Nate Dwyer has Division I experience, and his cohorts will be chosen from a pack of freshman and junior college transfers.
The box's contents have been
dumped on the floor, but a few of the pieces were already joined. Allen knows what the receivers will be like. Talented last year, the pass-catching posse will be even better with the return of Termaine Fulton and Byron Gasaway, who each sat out last season. Fulton will still be a junior after receiving a medical redshirt that allowed him to retain his year of eligibility. He was hurt in the opening game last season, suffering an ankle sprain that forced him to sit the remainder of the season. Gasaway was involved in a freak weightlifting accident that involved dropping 315 pounds of free weights on his jaw and breaking it in three places.
"It'll be great to have those guys back," said wide receiver Harrison Hill, second on the team last year with 29 catches. "I really think it
could be a very strong position for us."
At this time last year, Kansas was mired in a hot quarterback battle. The problem was that the incumbent, Zac Wegner, could not run the offense, and the new guy, Smith, did not know the offense. But Smith, a junior college transfer, will be sure to start every game of his senior year. After trading off with Wegner to begin last season, he started the fifth game against Southern Methodist. The offense gradually grew comfortable with his versatility and constant scrambling. He passed for 1,599 yards while connecting on 51.3 percent of his passes. Kansas started last year 1-3 before Smith's promotion, and he led the Jayhawks to a 4-4 record the remainder of the season, including a close 24-17 loss to Nebraska.
Allen knows what everyone else
en knows what everyone else knows. The Jayhawks have talent at the skill positions. The rest of the positions, as Allen says, are not rocket science. "We have, I guess you would say," Allen said, "the pieces of the puzzle to be a very good team."
No one's sure what the picture is yet. It's still early. The defensive line is
chock full of inexperience. Allen is also worried, like every coach, about the offensive line.
"I've coached for 13 years, and
each time it's been the same," Allen said. "You're only as good as your offensive line."
Allen is in his fourth year at Kansas. Ultimately, he wants the pieces to come together and produce some kind of bowl.
jayhawkheaven.com
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