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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS
Predictions for the Kansas vs. Texas football game on Saturday
The Kansan sports editors and football beat writers try to guess the outcome of Kansas' first conference game of the season. Associate sports editor Blair Shade is the only one predicting a Kansas win, thinking the Jayhawk running game will make a difference. Everyone else thinks the Texas defense will be too tough for the Kansas offense to muster enough points. No one thinks the Jayhawks will lose by more than three touchdowns.
Brian Hillix
SCORE: TEXAS 27, KANSAS 6
The major strength lies on defense for both squads, particularly in the secondary. Kansas may be able to run the ball a bit better than Texas, but Tyrone Swoopes is significantly more accurate than Montell Cozart. The big difference will be on the defensive lines. Texas averages about 4.5 sacks per game to Kansas' 1.33. I expect them to get at least 5 on Saturday, thwarting some of Kansas' offensive possessions. The defense will hang in, but it won't be enough.
SCORE: TEXAS 24, KANSAS 13
The Texas defense is stingy against the pass, ranking third in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed. That doesn't bode well for the Kansas air attack that ranks last in the conference in passing yards. This should allow the Longhorn defense to devote extra attention to the running game, where Kansas gains 200 yards per contest. While the Longhorn offense is shaky, it should muster up enough against a Jayhawk defense that allows a lot of big plays.
SCORE: TEXAS 27, KANSAS 17
The Longhorns are well-rested and ready for a victory. In their last outing, they lost a tough, close game to then No. 12 UCLA. The Texas defense is tough, especially against the pass, and the offense should be more comfortable with quarterback Tyronne Swoopes after his two starts and the bye week. Kansas' offense showed improvement last week and should be able to keep the game close. Kansas' last victory against Texas was 12 matchups ago, in 1938.
The Kansas offense has struggled to score at times. Going up against one of the best defenses, expect that trend to continue this Saturday against the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns have three players on the Bednarik Award Watch List, and are led by one of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12 in Malcom Brown. Expect Montell Cozart and the rest of this Kansas offense to struggle this weekend.
SCORE: TEXAS 28, KANSAS 10
SCORE: KANSAS 24, TEXAS 21
Coach Charlie Weis said the Jayhawks have a great chance of winning if they hold Texas under 30 points. I think Kansas will hold Texas to under 30, and the Jayhawks will find holes to open up the running game. The key to the game is who wins the line of scrimmage battle, which I think the Jayhawks will. If Kansas can score 24 points, it's the Jayhawks game to lose.
WHO HAS THE EDGE?
FOLLOW @KANSANSPORTS FOR UPDATES DURING THE GAME
TEXAS
KANSAS
POINTS 20.3/game 20.7/game
POINTS ALLOWED:
26.3/game 26.7/game
PASSING YARDS:
174/game 187.3/game
PASS. YARDS ALLOWED:
218.3/game 140.7/game
RUSHING YARDS:
200.3/game 123.7/game
RUSH YARDS ALLOWED
185.3/game 181.3/game
TURNOVER MARGIN
+1
Tigers beat White Sox 6-1, clinch postseason spot
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers looked dormant with the bats until a pitch from Chicago's Chris Sale hit Victor Martinez around the back of his left shoulder.
Then tempers flared, the benches and bullpens emptied — and Sale's shutout didn't last much longer.
Martinez came around to score the tying run in the sixth inning, and after Sale came out of the game, Chicago's bullpen was no match for the Tigers. Detroit won 6-1 on Wednesday — and clinched a spot in the postseason when Seattle lost to Toronto.
The worst the Tigers can end up with now is a wild card. Detroit is trying for its fourth straight AL Central crown, and the Tigers took a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place Kansas City, with the Royals playing later Wednesday.
With one out in the sixth and Chicago up 1-0, Sale's first pitch to Martinez hit the Detroit slugger. Martinez walked slowly to first, and the two started jawing at each other. Sale appeared to point out toward center field in agitated
fashion as Martinez went to first.
"They were claiming that someone with binoculars in center field was giving signs to Victor," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I think it's a little weak that they would hit him. If they injure Victor there and we're in the playoff hunt, that's bad news. That just can't happen.
"He clearly did it on purpose. He made it obvious."
Sale appeared to tip his hat toward the outfield in the third inning after striking out Martinez.
Sale didn't accuse the Tigers of stealing signs afterward, and he said he wasn't specifically gesturing toward center field.
1 was just throwing my arms
"There was a fan that was just wearing me out in the bullpen before the game, telling me that I wasn't any good, and telling me how much Victor was going to hit me," Sale said. "So that was just having some fun with him."
up, like you do when you are upset," the left-hander said. "I wasn't really trying to control where they pointed."
Justin Verlander (15-12) allowed a run in eight innings for Detroit.
Sale allowed a run and four hits in six innings. He struck out 10 and walked three, becoming his franchise's career leader with his 18th game of at least 10 strikeouts. Ed Walsh had 17.
Miguel Cabrera added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Detroit scored three runs in the eighth on a well-executed squeeze play by Andrew Romine and RBI singles by Rajai Davis and Kinsler.
Ian Kinsler's RBI double the following inning off Javy Guerra (2-4) put Detroit ahead, and when Kinsler reached second, he put his hands up in front of his eyes, pantomiming someone looking through binoculars.
1601 West 23rd Street
"I think he just woke the whole team up," said Martinez, who is 15 of 29 for his career off Sale.
Cabrera struck out four times, only the third time in his career that's happened and the first time since Sept. 17, 2010.
Verlander (15-12) has not been at his best this year, but the former Cy Young Award winner has made it to the eighth inning in back-to-back starts.
The benches and bulpens emptied, but order was quickly restored. J.D. Martinez followed with a double and Nick Castellano hit a sacrifice fly to tie it at 1.
The brouhaha involving Sale and Martinez overshadowed another fine outing by Verlander, who sevens hits and struck out six.
QUALITY START
But Chicago's slim lead slipped away after he hit Martinez.
"I think I was getting ahead of guys — good fastball control, good life on the fastball," Verlander said.
AMONG THE LEADERS
Tigers: Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez (pectoral strain) still has not pitched since being activated from the disabled list before Tuesday's game. He's now part of the Tigers' bullpen but was not used Wednesday.
White Sox: After the bench-clearing incident, Sale pitched the rest of the sixth before being pulled after 101 pitches. Manager Robin Ventura was already trying to ease the left-hander into the off-season. Sale finishes the year at 174 innings after missing a month early on with a muscle strain near his left elbow.
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TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (9-10) faces Kansas City RHP James Shields (14-8) on Thursday night.
816 W. 24th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046
Tigers: Tigers RHP Max Scherzer (17-5) takes the mound against Twins RHP Trevor May (3-5) on Thursday night.
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This was Sale's last start of the season, and he finishes with a 2.17 ERA, which will almost surely be good enough to win the American League ERA title. Seattle's Felix Hernandez is at 2.34.
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