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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FILE PHOTO
Coach Charlie Weis encourages Kansas players during the Sept. 14, 2013, game against South Dakota State. Weis is looking to turn around the football program this season by changing his coaching philosophy.
WAITING FOR WEIS
Coach seeks to turn football program around with improved roster, new coaching philosophy
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
"I know the sky is falling around Kansas football; I got that. I've heard," Weis said. "Inside the building, there's nothing falling around here because we're getting ready to go."
When a football coach triples his number of wins from year one to year two, he shouldn't be fighting for his job in year three. But that's exactly what Charlie Weis is doing as he enters the 2014 season with a combined 4-20 record.
The outside noise of displeasure has roared even louder after the Jayhawks' fifth consecutive losing season, despite Weis leading them to three wins and a conference victory, both for the first time since 2010.
He enters his third and most crucial year with arguably his most talented roster since coming to Kansas.
"This is the best we've felt
by a wide margin about the talent we have here," Weis said. "Now, that being said, I mean, we've done very little to back it up, from me right on down. So we'll see where it goes."
Defense will be a strong focus for the Jayhawks in 2014. They are led by one of the
"I'm going to be in every special teams meeting. I'm going to create the level of importance on special teams from today on."
CHARLIE WEIS
Kansas football coach
best defensive players in the conference, senior linebacker Ben Heeney. Not to mention a secondary that has drawn comparisons to the 2007 secondary that was stacked with NFL-caliber defensive backs.
"A year ago the secondary
"I'm really looking forward to being a head coach," Weis said. "I'm going to spend some time sitting in the offensive room and defensive room, but really I'm going to spend much more time on special teams. I'm going to be in every special teams meeting. I'm going to create the level of importance on special teams from today on."
Of course, Weis knows better than anyone that there will be some who are reluctant to believe Kansas football is on the rise. There will be naysayers who refuse to believe a better roster, a new offense and changed coaching habits will result in a change in the win column.
"We have run versions of the spread before, a lot more in 2007 when we fully adapted it," Reagan said. "We will have to look at how we are, in some spread offences you try to get as many plays as you can. But going really fast doesn't work if you aren't really good."
was a big question mark, now we are comparing them to the best secondary in Kansas football history," defensive coordinator Clint Bowen said. "But they have all the talent in the world to do it."
But Weis knows exactly what it will take to change all that.
But the Jayhawks will only go as far as their offense takes them. After another disappointing year, Weis stepped down from calling the plays on offense, handing that duty to offensive coordinator John Reagan, who plans to adapt the spread offense.
"The only way we're going to change anyone's mind is on the field," Weis said.
Weis even plans to change some of his coaching habits heading into his third year, which includes spending more time with the special teams unit.
— Edited by Lyndsey Havens
Taurasi lifts Mercury to 96- 78 win over Lynx
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX Diana Taurasi has always had a knack for playing her best in the biggest games.
Taurasi scored 31 points, including hitting a key 50-footer at the end of the third quarter, to lift the Phoenix Mercury to a 96-78 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night in the decisive game of the Western Conference finals.
Taurasi improved to 7-0 in her career in winner-take-all games.
Taurasi admitted that she hadn't made many halfcourt shots in practice.
"I never make them, I don't think I have made one all year," Taurasi said. "I'll miss them all year to make that one."
"There is no player in the world I would rather have on my team." Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said.
"For the most part, going in to the last couple of minutes of the third, they got the momentum, they were playing well, they were feeling good, they were making us feel uncomfortable," Taurasi said. "Couple of plays turns that."
Down eight points at the half, Minnesota clawed back to tie the game at 67 before Taurasi took over. She hit a jumper and then connected on her shot from the other side of halfcourt to give the Mercury a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
She then scored the first eight points of the fourth to put the game away and give Phoenix an 80-67 lead with 7:19 left. Minnesota had eliminated Phoenix in the 2011 and 2013 en route to winning the title.
Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello noted the shot got
the crowd back in the game after Minnesota had erased a double-digit lead in the final 90 seconds of the third.
"When anyone makes a big shot like that, you just think, 'okay, it's our night,'"
Brondello said. "The look in their eyes, we just knew."
The Mercury, which had the best record in the league, will face the winner of Wednesday's Chicago-Indiana game.
"I thought that Phoenix played great, they were hard to play against," said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, who got ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 1:58 left. "It's not like we played that bad. I got a good team. I thought that we just didn't get done some things we were trying to do on Griner and then Dee. I saw Dee before the game and I told our staff, 'Dee's got a bounce in her step.'"
Minnesota, which had made the WNBA Finals the past three seasons, missed its first 10 shots of the fourth period, falling behind 85-67 midway through the quarter.
Seimone Augustus had 13 of her 21 points in the third quarter as the Lynx erased a 10-point deficit. Lindsay Whalen had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists but missed four straight shots to start the fourth quarter.
"Taurasi hits a halfcourt shot, tough shot, that was momentum, that was a momentum play for them," Whalen said. "After that we had a hard time getting stops, we started taking tough shots, they weren't falling, the shots that were falling in the first, weren't."
Kansas' secondary compared to Orange Bowl team
STELLA LIANG
@stelly_liang
Going into the first week of the football season, there is one group Coach Charlie Weis doesn't seem too worried about: the secondary.
Despite the loss of junior cornerback Kevin Short, which was announced Tuesday, the group provides experience, proven production and stability.
"The secondary is rock solid," Weis said.
Junior safety Isaiah Johnson and senior safety Cassius Sendish, with senior cornerbacks Dexter McDonald and JaCorey Shepherd in particular rival the group of safeties and cornerbacks from 2007.
For the Kansas football program, drawing any comparison to the 2007 team tends to be a good thing. That team lost only one game and was bolstered by a strong
Senior cornerback JaCorey Shepherd breaks up a pass against Texas Tech on Oct. 4, 2013. Kansas secondary is one part of the team that Coach Charlie Weis isn't worried about.
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secondary that came up with three interceptions in the Orange Bowl victory. That unit had the likes of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Darrell Stuckey, who are all in the NFL right now.
"Just being compared to guys like that, it shows we really do have the talent," Shepherd said. "I feel like the expectations for us are really high."
McDonald will join Shepherd at the corner position, McDonald on the left side and Shepherd on the right side. Both players earned honorable mention on last year's All-Big 12 team.
The Kansas depth took a hit when Kansas Athletics and Weis announced Tuesday that Short would be leaving the program and withdrawing from school for personal reasons. Weis said Short had been practicing as a backup, as the team had been preparing the worst.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAI
"This is not something that just happened yesterday," Weis said. "This has been going on for a while."
At the safety position. Johnson led the team in interceptions last season (5)
after coming to Kansas from Iowa Western Community College. His interceptions were good for second in the conference, en route to being named the Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year and becoming the first Jayhawk to earn the award.
Perhaps the most important player on the secondary is Sendish. Already thought of as the leader of the group, his position was solidified when his teammates chose him, a senior free safety, in August as one of three team captains for the season.
Sendish came to Kansas last season as a junior college transfer and made an immediate impact. He admits there was a learning curve, but that didn't stop him from recording 68 tackles and becoming a known name for Kansas fans.
"Fish (Smithson) can play either safety (position)," Weis said. "Even though Alex (Matlock) is listed in the two-
Beyond the more experienced players, Weis also speaks highly of sophomore safety Anthony Smithson, who he said had a great camp.
As part of a defense Weis called "salty" the secondary could play an integral role in how the season turns out for
deep (depth chart), Fish would really be the first guy in at safety."
the Jayhawks.
"We are fortunate we have some returning players who have played a lot of football for us, especially in the secondary and linebacker level," defensive coordinator Clint Bowen said.
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