INSIDE: Cross Country squad shows improvement in home meet. SEE PAGE 2B. INSIDE: Soccer team takes title in San Diego. SEE PAGE 3B.
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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,2001
Commentary
Brian
Hanni
Columnist
sportsseakansan.com
Kinsey shines in challenge for top spot
After losing round one by default, Mario Kinsey came roaring back on Saturday to win round two of the Kansas quarterback bout.
While Kinsey was far from perfect (the only touchdown he threw was to the other team) the Kansas offense was clearly at its best when he was at the helm. The chains were moved and points were scored with Kinsey in the lineup, two things that didn't come easy for Kansas against UCLA.
Despite the promising start, Kinsey's efforts weren't good enough to beat the Bruins or grab sole possession of the quarterback job. But Kinsey was able to show Jayhawk fans what the future of Kansas football might look like with him leading the offense.
On a day when the Jayhawk offense couldn't buy a rushing yard with a pocket full of gold, Kinsey gave the team hope. He avoided sacks, ran for first downs and even found the end zone twice in the afternoon in Kansas' 41-17 loss to the Bruins.
Would Kansas have won had Kinsev plaved the whole game?
Not a chance.
Will the Jayhawks win more games down the line because he's their quarterback?
Absolutely.
Mario Kinsey is a special talent. He has gifts that many of his teammates, including Zach Dyer, just don't have. His quickness can help him escape when the walls are closing in around him. His arm allows him to throw across his body while on the move and hit the open man 30 yards down the field.
Unfortunately for Kinsey, he has more than his share of off-the-field problems and inexperience playing at the college level. Those factors could perpetuate the quarterback controversy.
He was suspended from Kansas' opening game for violating unspecified team rules.
The Jayhawks are lucky to have two quarterbacks capable of leading the team. Terry Allen has a pleasant problem — though not as pleasant as the one Mack Brown has at Texas.
With both Chris Simms and Major Applewhite, Brown has two Lamborghinis and only one garage to park them in.
What Allen has is a sporty little Mazda that needs some fine tuning, and a steady pickup truck thatll carry some weight until its counterpart is ready to hit the open road.
They'll be plenty of bumps along the way and lots of growing pains, but if Kinsey stays on course and out of trouble, expect Allen and the Jayhawks to dump the truck and pile into the Miata before the season's over.
Hanni is a Topeka senior in journalism.
UCLA runs Kansas defense ragged
Bruins' Heisman hopeful Foster ran more rushing yards in the first half than the Jayhawks' offense made all game
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
Weak-side linebacker Leo Etienne trotted off the football field after the University of California-Los Angeles drove the ball 70 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.
As Etienne and his teammates were given defensive instruction on the sideline, Kansas quarterback Zach Dyer was slammed to the turf on a third-down pass play. The Jayhawks were unable to move the football on their second consecutive possession.
Before he had a chance to catch his breath, Etienne was back on the field.
Depending that much on the defense was unfair, Kansas coach Terry Allen said.
"We were so inept offensively that we put all the pressure on our defense," Allen said. "We put a lot of effort to making today the way it was, and to be dominated the way we were by their defense with our offense was very disappointing."
Kansas controlled the momentum in the early stages of the game.
On UCLA's first play from the 20-yard line, star running back Deshaun Foster was corralled by linebacker Marcus Rogers and defensive end Charlie Dennis at the goal line.
After a UCLA punt, freshman Johnny Beck drilled a 52-yard field goal to give the Jayhawks an early 3-0 lead. Within minutes, defensive lineman Nate Dwyer pounced on a UCLA fumble at its 20-yard line.
SEE DEFENSE PAGE 6B
Senior defensive back Quincy Roe tries to stop possible Heisman candidate DeShau Foster. Foster rushed for 179 yards as the UCLA Bruins defeated Kansas Saturday at Memorial Stadium, 41-17.
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN.
Kansas' running game nonexistant in outing against No.14 UCLA
By Brent Briggeman Kansan sportswriter
Kansas football coach Terry Allen could do little more than shake his head when talking about his team's running game on Saturday.
"We have to sit down and make some hard looks at things, because what we were doing out there today was not giving them a chance," Allen said after watching his team gain only 89 yards on the ground in a 41-17 loss to UCLA.
Allen said he would first look at the personnel he had on the field, those doing the blocking and the running.
Next, he will consider the scheme possibly adding a fullback and tight end to help the offensive line and create holes for the backs.
As it is now, the Jayhawks' offense is lining up with four receivers split wide, leaving only the five interior linemen and the running back to contend with the opposition's defensive front.
With Kansas quarterbacks completing only 12 of 33 pass attempts, UCLA defensive coordinator Phil Snow had the luxury of using only four or five defensive backs to stop the Kansas passing game.
He therefore had the other six or seven defenders committed to stopping the run.
"They brought more than we could handle," junior offensive lineman Nick Smith said Saturday. "They would bring six guys and we've only got five." Kansas running backs found little daylight to work with as they ran plays off tackle and a few option sweeps to the outside.
Sophomore running back Reggie Duncan managed only 18 yards on 11 carries, an average of 1.5 yards per carry. As a team, the Jayhawks averaged just 2.4 yards per rush for the game, and only 1.2 against the Bruins' starting defense.
The same problems haunted the Jay
hawks in the first game of the season. Though they defeated Division I-AA Southwest Missouri State 24-10, the Kansas offense averaged just 2.8 yards per rush.
Despite the running woes, Allen stopped short of saying he would abandon the shotgun, no-huddle offense put into play this year.
"We've committed ourselves to that," Allen said of the offense. "We believe with personnel we have and the things we want to do that it's the thing to do for us."
Contact Briggeman at 864-4810
seller Molly LaMere claimed the All-Tournament Team MVP Award at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic on Saturday. LaMere helped the Jayhawks cruise past the University of Portland, 3-0.
PHOTO BY AARON LINDBERG/KANSAN
Volleyball squad aces tourney
Hawks keep streak alive with weekend wins at home
By Steve Laurenzo
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to eight games with three wins this weekend at the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Invitational.
The 'Hawks defeated Georgia Southern and Montana on Friday and Portland on Saturday. Kansas won its matches against Georgia and Portland in three straight games while it took four games to conquer Montana, in the best three out of five game matches.
Sarah Rome, senior setter Molly LaMere and junior middle blocker Molly Scavuzzo were awarded all-tournament honors. LaMere was the tournament MVP.
"It was a well-rounded tournament," coach Ray Bechard said. "Obviously not top ten teams, but good mid-major competition."
Sophomore outside hitter
Beachard watched Rome pound a team-high 43 kills. She added 21 digs in the three matches, including five service aces in the third match.
The team had 23 service aces on the weekend. The highlight was junior defensive specialist Jennifer Kraft's six-ace effort in the match against Montana.
"I just thought our serving game was outstanding," Bechard said. "It seemed like we had a lot of
options for our setter, and they didn't have too many for theirs."
Bechard said he thought good fundamentals helped the Jayhawks win this weekend.
With Big 12 competition beginning tomorrow night, the Jayhawks know the road ahead will be a difficult one.
"The majority of the teams are pretty even," Rome said of the Big 12 Conference. "It's just who's on and who's going to play error-free, especially with the new scoring rules."
The Jayhawks' next match is against the Missouri Tigers.
The match is at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center.
Contact Laurenzo at 864-4810