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SPORTS
Column: How Kansas stacks up to its only FCS foe, SDSU
EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2015
With so much uncertainty for the Jayhawks heading into the 2015 college football season, it's difficult to know what to expect when they take the field this Saturday against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
As a result, the jayhawks are just five-point favorites over their FCS foe, according to the sportsbook Twitter account @5Dimes.
According to @5Dimes, KU a 5-point favorite over SDSU. Using that line, KU is -64% to win the game. Jesse Newell
Generally, home-field advantage is worth three points in the point spread, meaning the Jayhawks would be just two-point favorites on a neutral field.
Junior Montell Cozart, who was benched midway through last season, will start at quarterback. Last season, it appeared he was thinking too much rather than playing with his instincts as he totaled just five touchdowns to seven interceptions last season.
Coach David Beaty's air raid offense should make life easier on Cozart because he will have to make fewer decisions, but the result won't be known until he faces a live, foreign defense.
The layhawks need Cozart to be a leader because he's one of the only experienced players
one of those players remains on the roster.
Over the summer, Beaty brought in some transfers that are immediately eligible, including senior defensive tackle Corey King (Miami, Fla.), junior linebacker Marquis Roberts (South Carolina) and junior wide receiver Joshua Stanford (Virginia Tech).
However, even that host of transfers didn't offset the expected top returning defenders vanishing from the roster. Senior safety Isaiah Johnson transferred to South Carolina this offseason, and linebacker Jake Love — the top returning tackler — retired for health reasons.
South Dakota State doesn't have the same reputation as four-time FCS defending national champion North Dakota State, but they are a formidable opponent. Last season the Jackrabbits went 9-5 and earned a playoff bid for the fifth consecutive year.
Heading into the season, Kansas has just 64 players on scholarship, which falls well below the FBS limit of 85. However, the FCS limit it 63, meaning the season opener is the only time Kansas will be almost equal to its opponent in scholarships.
In less than a week, the Jayhawks will enter Memorial Stadium full of new faces, both on the sidelines and on the field. The Jackrabbits will have a lot of the same players as last
But even though the Jackrabbits have far more stability, the Jayhawks still have better athletes and talent, which is enough to make them a slight favorite.
on the roster.
EVAN RIGGS
Kansas returns just four starters from last season — by far the fewest of any school in a power five conference. It's rare for such a small spread between a FBS and FCS school, but, with almost no big names returning from last season, a new coaching staff and new system, it's almost impossible to know what to expect.
Thanks to former coach Charlie Weis's risky recruiting strategy and some bad luck, Kansas has a major numbers crisis that will take Beaty years to overcome.
During his first season, Weis dismissed 29 players from the program and signed 16 junior college players. This season,
season, but they also have stability off the field in their head coaching position.
John Stiegelmeier is entering his 18th season on the job, which gives the Jackrabbits an advantage over a Jayhawk squad that has gone through five different coaches since their last winning season.
But even though the Jackrabbits have far more stability, the Jayhawks still have better athletes and talent, which is enough to make them a slight favorite.
Being favored by just five points over an FCS school may not be ideal, but considering the gap in stability between the two programs, it's probably deserved.
Quarterback Montell Cozart reads the Southeast Missouri State defense on Sept. 6, 2015. SEMO is in the FCS.
Volleyball starts season with 3 wins at Arkansas Tournament
AMIE JUST
@amiejust
Ainise Havili sets the ball on Oct. 5, 2014
Three matches, three wins, and the Kansas volleyball team is off to its hottest start since 2011.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Kansas defeated both Army and McNeese State in its first two matches of the season. In the third and final match, the Jayhawks dropped the first set to Arkansas, then bounced back to beat the Razorbacks in four sets to recap the weekend at the Arkansas Tournament.
Kansas swept Army in three sets (25-14, 25-14, 25-20) on Friday. Senior outside hitter Tiana Dockery led the team in offensive production with 15 kills, and sophomore right-side hitter Kelsie Payne hammered out 11 more. Sophomore setter Ainise Havili registered 33 assists during the match, while junior libero Cassie Wait registered 16 digs.
"I was really happy with the way we came out first and foremost in the first set," coach Ray Bechard said on the KUAthletics postgame radio show. "The first two sets were really clean. Third set got a little bit like volleyball does, some unpredictable bounces, calls don't quite go your way. We got a nice stretch there late in the third game to put it away."
On Saturday, the team carried over its momentum from defeating Army and annihilated McNeele State in three sets (25-9, 25-14, 25-10).
"The first set, we really came out and pass and served well — but we were really dominant at the net," coach Ray Bechard said in a news release. "This was a match where our team, who saw them play last night, could have overlooked them a little bit going into the Arkansas match tonight, but they did
not. I thought they played at a high level."
Payne paced the Jayhawks on offense with 11 kills, and Dockery came in right behind with nine. On defense, Cassie Wait recorded 32 assists and added eight digs.
Kansas won the team's final match of the weekend, but not as easily as the first two. The Jayhawks dropped the first set against the Razorbacks, but bounced back to win the final three to win the tournament (21-25, 27-25, 25-15, 25-15).
Four Jayhawks earned tournament honors over the weekend. Havili walked away as MVP of the tournament. During the tournament, Havili notched 113 assists and 31 digs. Against Arkansas, Havili came up with 14 digs, a new
career high, and recorded her 15th career double double (14 digs, 48 assists).
The Jayhawks offensive brigade of Payne, junior middle blocker Tayler Soucie and outside hitter Madison Ridgon all threw down double digit kills. Payne recorded 19 kills, a new personal career record. Soucie finished the match with 15 kills, and Ridgon amassed 13.
"My team did really well to make me look good," Havili said after winning the honor.
Wait earned the Outstanding
"My team did really well to make me look good."
AINISE HAVILI
Setter
Libero award for the tournament. Over the three matches, Wait tallied 48 digs.
Dockery and Payne were tabbed to the All-Tournament Team. Payne registered 41 kills over the weekend — 13.7 kills per match. Her performance of 19 kills against Arkansas was a career high. She had another personal record breaking
performance against Army, as she shattered her previous career record of digs (3) with 8.
Dockery posted 31 kills in the tournament. This is the second time Dockery appeared on an All-Tournament Team. In 2013, Dockery was named to the Inntowner Invitational All-Tournament Team.
The three wins over the weekend inch coach Ray Bechard closer to 300 wins at Kansas. Going into the Kansas Invitational, he sits at 298 wins.
Beachard already is the winningest coach in Kansas volleyball.
Kansas hosts the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 4 and 5 against Western Illinois, No. 25 Duke and UMKC.
Edited by Emma LeGault
Kansas soccer beats SMU and North Texas to grab first wins
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
Kansas soccer recorded its first two wins of the season over the weekend, topping North Texas and Southern Methodist University, both by a score of 2-1.
Kansas beat North Texas on Sunday afternoon after freshman Anna Courtney came off the bench and scored her first career goal in the 76th minute to make the score 2-1.
Senior forward Ashley Williams gets ready to shoot against Missouri on Nov. 15, 2014.
Senior midfielder Liana Salazar scored in the 35th minute as well. Both goals were assisted by sophomore defender Lois Heuchan.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
"I didn't think we played great (Friday) to be honest," said coach Mark Francis in a news release after the game against SMU. "I challenged them at halftime and we came out with more energy."
Freshmen Grace Hagan and Parker Roberts were the scorers on Friday for Kansas, as SMU pulled a goal back with a penalty kick late in the game. Freshmen have scored in the last three games for Kansas.
The Jayhawks escaped the game ahead in shots, 13 to 11, with each goalkeeper — Maddie Dobyns for Kansas and Shannon Moroney for SMU —
However, after the game on Sunday, Salazar said her team played "how we should play all the time."
tallying four saves. The Mustangs threatened the Jayhawks' goal with nine corner kicks, including a pair in the final minutes.
After an away loss and tie to begin the season, the Jayhawks have since improved with their second win in a row.
Kansas overwhelmed North Texas in the shots category, 22 to 10. Salazar led the team in shots with four. North Texas goalkeeper Jackie Kerestine was forced into six saves, but Dobyns made five saves.
"I'm really proud of the kids," Francis said in a news release after the game on Sunday. "Coming into this weekend I was hoping we could pick it up in terms of our finishing. Offensively, this weekend was a big step forward for us."
Salazar added: "We kept the ball a lot and we played our game. With our speed, we dominated the game."
The goal for Salazar was her first of the season. At this point last season, Salazar had scored five times. Kansas, however, had scored 12 goals last season at this point compared with four scored so far in 2015.
"I've been waiting for this
moment since the start of the season," Salazar said. "I'm happy for having the opportunity to score today. I wasn't able to do a lot of things, sometimes you have to wait for the right moment and I guess it was the moment for me to score."
Just after halftime, Salazar's goal was equalized as North Texas tied the game up with a goal from Rachel Holden in the 47th minute. The goal came against the run of play, as Kansas had recorded two shots in the first four minutes of the second half.
Courtney's goal, which would ultimately be the game-winner, came off a Heuchan pass into the six-yard box. Courtney put it into the back of the net with ease to give the Jayhawks a 2-1 lead that stuck.
The Jayhawks will return to Rock Chalk Park on Friday, Sept. 4, to play Santa Clara at 5 p.m. in the team's regular season home opener.
— Edited by Emma LeGault
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