SPORTS
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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, OCT.19, 2015
True freshman quarterback Ryan Willis flashes potential in near-comeback against Texas Tech
EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK
At a score of 23-20, freshman quarterback Ryan Willis raises his arms in an attempt to get the crowd cheering.
Trailing 20-0 at halftime to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, it seemed like it was going to be the same song and dance for the Kansas football team. However, on the shoulders of freshman quarterback Ryan Willis, the Jayhawks not only battled back, but also had a shot to pull ahead late in the fourth quarter.
The Jayhawks' comeback effort ultimately fell short at 30-20, but as is often the case in sports, a storyline emerged with greater long-term implications than just the final score.
ZOE LARSON/KANSAN
When Jayhawk fans first saw Willis — in the season opener against South Dakota State
he threw three consecutive passes into the dirt; it didn't feel like he belonged on the field. However, six weeks later, he looked like a completely different player.
On Saturday, Willis was 35-of-50 for 330 yards, with two touchdowns to just one interception. His 35 completions were just two off the school record Todd Reesing set in 2008 against Florida International.
"35-for-50: That's awesome," sophomore linebacker Joe Dineen said. "He has a bright future."
And after that 20-0 halftime deficit, Willis made play after play, slowly bringing the Jayhawks back into the game. And passing numbers can be deceiving in some games, such
was not the case on Saturday.
Willis' passing yards were not inflated with big plays; his longest pass of the day was 32 yards. He made a living continuously squeezing passes into tight gaps, as the Jayhawks slowly progressed down the field.
"He's going to be a great player," sophomore wide receiver Darious Crawley said. "I love that [he takes risks] because there's times in the game where you've got to take chances and let the receiver make a play. He gives us that opportunity."
In his first start — last week against Baylor — Kansas coach David Beaty said Willis was "just a kid having fun out there." However, this week, Beaty said Willis was doing more thinking, and for a quarterback with his arm talent, that seems to be a positive sign for things to come.
that information to the freshman quarterback.
"The answer was on the other side (of the field), he just didn't get there," Beaty said. "I know screaming at him instead of teaching him would be a huge mistake. When he makes a mistake the first thing coach (Rob) Likens and I do is start teaching. He takes that coaching well."
"He can flip that thing pretty quick now," Beaty said of Willis' throwing ability. "He can make all the throws, and he'll continue to get better as he gets chemistry with his players."
And all of that teaching is important. After all, it's easy
Now, Willis' day wasn't without flaws. Late in the fourth quarter, down just 23-20, the Jayhawks had the ball inside their own 10 with a chance to win the game. On third down, Texas Tech's JahShawn Johnson intercepted Willis, taking all the way back for a touchdown, which sealed the game.
And while Beaty said Willis should've made a different decision on the play, he also said he knew the right way to relay
to forget that Willis was originally fourth on the depth chart at the quarterback spot. But after injuries to Michael Cummings, Montell Cozart and Deondre Ford, Willis was thrust into the starting role, and he's answered the bell.
"I think it speaks volumes about him as a player and a person," junior safety Fish Smithson said. "I can't say that I would be able to do what he's doing as a true freshman."
Smithson said he has also been impressed with Willis' leadership ability, saying that he's even been in defensive huddles trying to pump them up.
In the end, even though the Jayhawks came up short on the scoreboard. Willis showed what kind of player he could
"I think our kids gravitate to him," Beaty said. "I think they appreciate they way he loves the game."
be.
"I told him on the sideline, 'You kind of remind me of a little Peyton Manning.'" Crowley said. "As a true freshman, he's showing that he's going to be a great player."
Senior running back DeAndre Mann agreed.
"I think Ryan (Willis) is going to be a great player," Mann said. "I don't want to put pressure on him, but I think he's going to be great."
Volleyball success drawing crowds
JOSH MCQUADE
@LOneW0lfMcQuade
The Kansas volleyball team is currently the most successful Kansas sport, sitting at 18-0 on the year and 6-0 in Big 12 play. However, that mark is not only a credit to the team's talent level, but the fact that it fills the Horejsi Family Academy Center past capacity at each home game.
The Horejsi Center can hold 1,300 fans, but Jayhawk fans falsify that number when they pack in more than 1,300 spectators each home game.
The past four home games have recorded over 1,500 in attendance, with the Kansas State game recording the season high of 1,565. These numbers have risen in the years after Kansas was ranked 29th in the NCAA for average attendance per game, according to KUathletics. com.
The players pump themselves up to the sounds of the band, screaming at the opposing team but waving the wheat for the Jayhawks. While the Jayhawks serve, the band is silent; however, when the enemy serves, the band makes as much noise as possible to distract the server.
Athletes rely on the crowd to keep the atmosphere intense and unwelcoming for the challengers, and the fans help make that happen. The band cheers for the Jayhawks and jeers at the guests.
Attendance for a sporting event can make or break a team. If a team, such as volleyball, has the support of its peers, then the team will play its hardest to prove itself worthy of its attendance. But if a team has little to no support, it won't feel motivated to try its hardest.
KU Men's Baseball 2015 Schedule
Opponent Date(s)
Arkansas-Little Rock Feb. 20
Northern Colorado Feb. 22, 23
Utah Feb. 26, 29
Oregon State Feb. 27, 28
BYU March 3, 4, 5
Creighton March 8, 23
North Dakota March 11
St. Louis March 12
Purdue March 13
Murray State March 15, 16
Stanford March 18, 19, 20
West Virginia March 25, 26, 27
Missouri State March 29, April 6
Baylor April 1, 3, 7
The fourth game is where
April 1.2.3
Right-handed pitcher Brandon Johnson pitches to Wichita State on April 21.
Opponent Date(s)
TCU
April 8, 9, 10
Nebraska-Omaha
April 13
Texas
April 15, 16, 17
Wichita State
April 19, May 17
Samford
April 22, 23, 24
Grand Canyon
April 26
Nebraska
April 27
Oklahoma
April 29, 30, May 1
Minnesota
May 3, 4
Texas Tech
May 6, 7, 8
Kansas State
May 13, 14, 15
Oklahoma State
May 19, 20, 21
Big 12 Championship
May 25-29
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Breaking down Kansas baseball's 2015 schedule
MATT HOFFMANN
@MattHoffmannUDK
Nonconference play
Like the break in a game of pool, the first few games usually determine how the rest of the season is going to go. Kansas baseball opens its season against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Kansas will be heavily favored in the game, as Arkansas went 16-33 last season.
Next comes Kansas' home opener: a two-game series against the University of Northern Colorado. The Bears were 16-32 last season; meaning Kansas could start the season 3-0.
The Kansas baseball schedule is highlighted with marquee matchups that will make or break Kansas' national ranking, with a few easier opponents sprinkled in so the Jayhawks can rack up wins.
Games five and six are the final "eight ball" shot for Kansas. The Jayhawks face No. 25 Oregon State in a two-game series, which is also part of the Pac-12/Big-12 challenge. The Beavers finished with an impressive 39-18-1 record last year and have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament each of the last six seasons.
For a Kansas team that didn't make the Big 12 Tournament last year, stealing one win over a ranked team could be a launching point for the season.
things get interesting. Kansas plays its first well known team in Utah for the start of Pac-12/Big-12 challenge. The Utes, while not toting a great record in 2015, should provide the first real test of the season for Kansas.
Kansas then settles in for a nine-game homestand with some fairly well known teams
BYU, 28-25 last season, and Purdue. 20-34 last season—and some lesser known teamsCreighton,the University of North Dakota,the University of Saint Louis and Murray State.
The Stanford series should be the perfect preparation for conference play and could potentially boost Kansas' national ranking,should the Jayhwaks have a decent record at that point in the season.
Conference play
Roundout out the nonconference schedule, aside from a Creighton road trip, is another game that be circled on fans' calendars: Kansas heads to Palo Alto for a three-game series with Stanford — a perennial powerhouse that, despite a poor season last year, has made the playoffs in four of the last six seasons.
West Virginia kicks off the conference slate for Kansas, which takes on the Mountaineers at home in a three-game set. Missouri State comes to
Kansas rounds out their conference schedule with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Oklahoma State, with nonconference opponents Minnesota and Wichita State mixed in.
Kansas has scheduled one game against Nebraska at Kauffman on April 27. The Jayhawks are hoping for a showcase game at a professional ballpark, while Nebraska will be looking to spoil the special occasion.
Kansas continues the theme of separating Big 12 and nonconference opponents by facing Omaha, Texas, Wichita State and Samford before heading into a matchup at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Hoglund Ballpark for one game before Kansas heads to Waco, Texas, for three games against the Baylor Bears.
Missouri State bookends Big 12 play for Kansas. The Jayhawks will also face Big 12 regular-season champions TCU at home in the second week of April.
The Jayhawks' schedule seems well-rounded, and early nonconference games should set them up for success ahead of the Big 12 gauntlet they will face in the spring. The coaching staff has put an emphasis on "home-and-home" series, likely to lure in teams like Missouri State and Wichita Static, which could use a recognizable team like Kansas to pack the stands
After missing the Big 12 tournament last season, a relatively easy nonconference schedule dotted with tough opponents should put the Jayhawks in a good position both record- and experience-wise. Even more so, a Big 12 schedule that is broken up by other nonconference opponents should keep the Jayhawks from coming up short in conference play.
- Edited by Rebeka Luttinger
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