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University Daily Kansan, September 29, 1980
Kansas falls to new low with loss to Louisville
BvGENEMYERS
Louisville safety Sebastian Curry successfully blocks out KU flanker David Verser as strong safety. Jamie Perrin comes in for the hit, Verser had trouble with the Louisville secondary all day Saturday, collision calls for 24 yards. He did, however, become only the fifth KU receiver to a mass more than 1,000 yards during his career.
Sports Editor
BEN BIGLER/Kansan staff
The Coke-covered celebrated in one locker room. The lover lamented in the other.
In one room, Louisville was celebrating like a champion. There was enough Coke-dousing and smiles for a television commercial.
In the other room, Kansas was lamenting like a loser. There were enough long faces and frowins for two teams. They were the frowns of the convicted, guilty of giving in to the lesser op-
"This is the lowest our program has been the last two years," Head Coach Don Fambrough said. "We really hit an all-time low—you can't get much lower."
The Jayhawks, 0-2-1, lost 17-9 in a game they were supposed to win by a rout. Instead of a laugher, they were laughed at. They were whipped, walloped and demoralized. They hit a
The low was even lower than last year's 55-7
loss to Missouri. The game was at least one giant
step backward for Fambrough's 2-year-old
rebuilding program.
rubbing progeny.
"We go out in the first half and stand around,
and they make fools out of us," Fambrough said.
"I don't know the answer.
'we've got a lot to talk about. We've got to look at the film. We've got to look at the players. We've got to look at the coaches. We've got to do something.'
The question is what that something will be. The main problem, as usual, was offensive inertia. The passing attack was usually grounded and the rushing attack was effectively sabotaged. KU's had only 158 yards of total force, 103 of which were from tailback Kevin
The KU defense was sturdy but depressed. the defense held its ground, despite Louisville drives of 54 and 97 yards and five KU interceptions and two fumbles.
"It always makes it hard when you have to be on the field all the time," said linebacker Chris Toburen, who had KU's first interception of the year. "It's dazzling."
It's also demoralizing for the offense, which has had only one touchdown all season.
"This is worse than the Missouri game," David Verser, Big-Big Eflanker said. "I think it is worse because Louisville is not a ranked team and they just whipped our butts."
One change Fambrough doesn't plan to make is at quarterback. He stuck with freshman Frank Seurer on Saturday even though Seurer fumbled once, tossed a bad pitch that was fumbled and threw five interceptions, his first interceptions of the season.
"I hope I was not being unfair to him," Fambrigh said. "I bothers me to lose a football game, and I can stand to lose a football game. I do not want to destroy a young backer."
"I still feel he has tremendous ability and I hope this game doesn't affect him. I hope he
Seurer went 10-of-25 for 98 yards and five in
terceptions. He lost 58 yards for the nine times he was sacked or forced to scramble.
Searer, however, wasn't KU's only inefficient offensive player. Fullback and captain Harry Sydney had 10 carries for 14 yards. For the season, he has needed 26 carries to gain 68 yards.
verser, an All-America candidate, had three receptions for 34 yards. He missed 50 yards well.
"One of the best pass receivers in the country was muffin and meeting around." I asked, "I don't. Did you?"
In the Louisville locker room no one was asking the question why. The players had carried their coach, Bob Weber, off the field and continued celebrating in the locker room.
For the Cardinals, who were 0-3 and 13-9 losers to Murray State, the victory earned the Super
"Last week everybody said that we were not
playing in our league against Murray State." quarterback Pat Patterson said. "We just wanted the reputation of beating a Big Eight team. They were definitely in our league."
The Cardinals were in a different emotional league from the start. They were psyched and ready. KU seemed stale and tentative. On the way back, they made a point of being but slapped and shook and praised each other.
"Seuer said in our paper that KU had audibles he thought would hurt us," Cardinal safety Frank Minnifield said. "We got fired up about that.
"KU didn't seem excited about the game. They
were not so focused on their weight. I think
Kouga used to look lightly."
Verser thought the same thing.
"Maybe this is for the best," he said. "Maybe we'll learn that we can't lay down for a team like
Louisville, because Louisville will not lay down for us."
JAYHAWK NOTES: Even though David Verser did not have a spectacular game, his three receptions for 34 yards gave him more than 1,000 yards for his career. He is fifth on the all-time career charts, about 50 yards behind Otto Schnellbacher.
Five Louisville players had to wear KU road uniforms in Saturday's game because $750 of equipment was stolen from Louisville's locker room sometime Friday night or Saturday morning. According to KU police, 10 football jerseys, six pairs of practice shorts, six pairs of football shoes, three team bags and three pairs of football pants were stolen.
The Cardinals' two touchdowns were the first that their offense had scored in season. Their victory was a record-setting achievement.
problems have occurred in the game. Two KU players were injured in the game.
Cornack海 Dawris, the Big Eight defensive player-of-the-week after the season opener, had to leave with a back injury. His sub, Roger Foote, sustained a leg contusion.
Kenny Robinson ladied Louisville with four shots called by KU's secondary the slowest he had faced.
"We noticed from the film against Pittsburgh that their secondary didn't have overall good team speed," he said. "They had to play back and we were able to throw quick passes and get under the secondary and linebackers. They were about getting burgled deep than anybody else."
KU started the game without Frank Wattelte, defensive captain and free safety. He had back up for a few minutes before the game.
Defensive tackle Greg Smith led KU with 11 tackles. Tackle Jeff Fox was next with 13 tackles. Tackle Randy Hoyt was next with 20 tackles.
Fans' support for women's athletics is nothing to cheer about
And I was always told the same thing by all of them: "Girls can't play ball."
I grew up in a boy's neighborhood.
There was a big brother and a bigger little brother in my house, three boys next door, two on the corner and four more across the street. Most of them were older than me, all of them were
That belief was reinforced when I started playing in a girl's softball league. The belief strengthened in high school. But now that I've watched KU women's sports for four years, I know girls can play ball.
I can remember going home bruised and hurting from the neighborhood baseball and football games, but always going back the next day. I wanted to prove to them that girls could play ball.
That can clearly be seen by looking at the KU women's teams of the few best.
Girls not only can play ball, but they can swim, play tennis and golf, run and do just about anything else they set their minds to.
The women's swim team is the perennial conference power and won its sixth-straight Big Eight championship last season.
The tennis team won the Big Eight title two years ago, but also went through five coaches in nine months. Under new coach Randy McGrath, the women now can settle down and work toward regaining that title.
The women's cross country team is running for fun and running its way to some good times this fall. The team just won the KUInvitational last weekend
and another new coach, Carla Coffey, could be the one to drive the women to national contention.
The volleyball team is young, but good. Coach Bob Lockwood has had
nothing but praise for his youngsters as well as his veterans. With some more experience and a few more floor burns they will be contenders, they will be conference contenders.
A little-known team, the women's golf
team with four players
year had the winning single season in KU history, perhaps is ready for its finest season. The softball team broke almost every offensive record last season and looks to re-do the record books again this year.
KU coach Bob Stancilift offered only three new scholarship this season, and his first three choices took him up on his offer.
The softball team, the team that last
In their first game this season, an 18-inning scrimmage with Johnson County Community College, the Jayhawks pounded out 40 hits and scored 35 runs. Johnson County didn't get a runner past third. In fact, only one got that far.
The best known women's sport at KU,
basketball, is also in the running for
the NCAA championship.
college today. And she is at KU. She can become the all-time leading women's scorer this season and can be the second woman to be named to the All-America team for four consecutive years.
Lynette Woodard is hands down, the best woman basketball player in
Woodard is not the only person on the KU team worth watching. The entire team is strong, and Coach Marian Washington has made it even stronger than last year with two high school All-Star players, and several other blitzchippers.
It's really too bad that there aren't more people who realize the caliber of women's athletes at KU. Fans pay $19 for a football ticket and then complain about a poor team. They pay $11 for a basketball ticket and then boo when Ted Owens puts his team into a stall offense.
The admission to a women's basketball game, softball game, swim meet, track meet or any other event is a KUID. And every KU student has one.
It is a pity that people in New York know Lynette Woodard better than people in Kansas—her home state. Kwelen's women's athleticism as being highly competitive, but at home, they are met not with cheering crowds, but with apathy.
The crowds at KU women's sporting events are usually limited to family, friends and roommates of the players who was just in the neighborhood.
I wish the boys from my neighborhood were around to watch these girls play. I am able to them that girls can play ball. And that at KU, they play well.
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