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SPORTS
16A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002
KU prediction settled in a virtual...
By Ryan Greene and Jonah Ballow
Kansas Sportswriters
SMS:21
Instead of the normal ho-hum prediction segment for this weekend, the Kansan began to take it one step ahead and going virtual; on a Playstation console. On the Kansas
schedule for week three was Division 1-AA, otherwise known as the Southwest Missouri State Bears. As dusk settled on Lawrence in front of a quarter full Memorial Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks and the SMS Bears were ready to kick off on the television.
SMS came in without much respect from the announcers, and Kansas was ready to don their new uniforms for the home crowd for the first time.
Bill Whitemore and Reggie Duncan were tabbed as backfield starters for Kansas, looking to improve on an 0-2 start. The Jayhawks chose to kick, and the game was underway.
the game was underway. 1st Quarter
SMS took the kick and immediately abused the Jayhawk defense. SMS quarterback Ryan Porter had three big completions to wide receiver Mark Marcos. The 12-play, 92-yard drive that consumed most of the first quarter was topped off by a 2-yard touchdown run by
running back Eddie Linscomb SMS7. KU0
Jonah Ballow
The Jayhawks got off to a rough start when Dan Coke's 50-yard kick return
was called back to the 20 after a hold by tackle Danny Lewis. Kansas drove downfield as well, including a fourth-and-two conversion by Duncan, and then a 52-yard bomb from Whittermore to wide receiver Byron Gasaway. Johnny Beck ended the drive with a 20-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter. SMS 7, KU 3
2nd Quarter
SMS began the second quarter by going three-and-out, but on their punt, another spectacular return, this one from Derek Vann, was called back after a clipping call on tight end David Hurst.
After another failed possession by the Bears, Whittemore led the Jayhawks on a long, time-consuming drive to cap the half. Kansas drove 60 yards in seven plays, including a 26-yard run by Duncan on a third-and-five, to put the ball deep in SMS territory. The Jayhawks capitalized with a 7-yard touchdown toss from Whittemore to Derick Mills as time nearly expired in the half. KU 17, SMS 7
The teams would then swap possessions, however, on the next SMS punt. Vann returned the ball to the SMS two, setting up a 2- yard touchdown plunge from Duncan, who was off to a bittersweet night. KU 10, SMS 7
In the first half, Duncan ran for 66 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown, but was replaced by Clark Green after his inability to catch four screen pass attempts. Porter was held to completing
3rd Quarter
SEE FACE-OFF ON PAGE 13A
Field renovation leaves club team homeless
Club soccer team looking for new place to play while Shenk Field gets redone
By Steve Vockrodt
Kansan Sportswriter
Even after posting consecutive 4-0 victories against Kansas State and Central Missouri State over the weekend, the University of Kansas men's club
soccer team still does not have a field to practice and play on.
With renovations at their former location at Shenk Field, 23rd and Iowa streets, well underway, the team has scrambled around town for a
place to play. Last night, the team was asked to leave a practice field at Holcom Sports Complex in favor of Lawrence High School's junior varsity soccer club.
"When you get bumped from a field for
a J.V. soccer team, that is when you have hit rock bottom," graduate student Cedric Sunray said.
After Student Recreation Services failed to secure a facility for the team until renovations at Shenk were completed, the team turned to the Athletics Department, which also denied the team.
The soccer team offered $2,500 plus any incidental costs to the department but the offer was rejected.
"With $500 per game plus incidents, if they said no,' it could not be for a financial reason," Sunray said. "The money will far overgo the cost of repairing the field."
Officials from the athletic department disagreed and
"As a group, with the women's soccer coach (Mark Francis) and Gary Kempf,
added that two of the KU men's team's games would conflict with the varsity women's teams at Super Target Field on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20.
associate athletic director, and myself, we decided we didn't want to risk the field being unplayable for our women's varsity soccer team," said KU director of facilities Brad Nachtigal.
The financial offer provided by the club team could not compensate for the damage the field could incur with additional games played at SuperTarget Field.
"When you get bumped from a field for a J.V. soccer team, that is when you have hit rock bottom."
"With a one or two inch rain, that field gets pretty soggy," Nachtigal said.
Two years ago, the women's varsity team played six of its eight home games at the Blue Valley School District Fields in Overland Park because of weather conditions that made the field unplayable. Nachtigal said.
In the interim, the team will practice on a day-by-day basis at Broken Arrow Park, 31st and Louisiana streets, while they attempt to secure a permanent location at either Haskell University or the YSI Complex at 31st and Wakarusa streets.
Coach Matt McCune said his team would find out today whether they could
Cedric Sunray Soccer player
"The reason we don't have a field is (the University) is building a better one, and we are in that transition stage," McCune said.
play at Haskell, but he remained optimistic Haskell officials would approve the request. McCune doesn't seem as upset about the lack of a location for practice and home games.
The team will play its next home game against Pittsburg State University at 1 p.m. Sunday, location pending.
Contact Vockrodt at svockrodt@kansan.com. This story was edited by Matt Norton.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
The University Daily Kansan sports desk has gathered Kansas football news from other newspapers to bring jayhawk fans different insights into the team and its Saturday game against Southwest Missouri State University in Lawrence.
Look for "What Others are Saying" every Thursday during the season. You can also find a post game version every Monday.
Compiled by Jessica Tims
Associate sports editor
By Gary Bedore Lawrence Journal-World
That wasn't Kansas University placekicker Johnny Beck on the Jayhawks' kickoff return team last Saturday at Nevada-Las Vegas.
Reporters misidentified Beck (No. 46) for true freshman Kevin Kane (No. 45), who made his collegiate debut on the KU return squad.
"We're trying to move people around and get them in the right spots but we're not going to have our placekicker be the guy who does the double-team kickout block. I think we'll spare him that," KU head coach Mark Mangino said Tuesday.
By Jason King
The Kansas City Star
Like it or not, it's something they'll have to get used to.
The Kansas Jayhawks got a taste of life without linebacker Banks Floodman in Saturday's 31-20 loss at UNLV.
Head coach Mark Mangino on Saturday confirmed reports that Floodman had torn a ligament in his right knee and would be in the rest of the season. Mangino said he assumed that surgery would be needed to repair the damage, but he didn't know when that would take place.
By Rick Plumlee
The Wichita Eagle
Mark Mangino didn't need a trip to Sin City to realize he's not holding many aces.
But Kansas' football coach apparently figures if he keeps pulling enough fresh cards out of his deck, he'll eventually find something to improve his hand.
That seems to be the gist of Mangino's plan as he sifts through a roster woefully short on Division I talent, and it was certainly what he was doing in Saturday night's 31-20 loss at UNLV.
"We're searching to get the right people in the right places," he said. "We're trying to utilize our talent."
Support football,but don't forget other teams playing Saturday
"KU First" T-shirts, free entrance with said shirts and a KUID,$1,000 scholarships and the Jayhawks' best chance to pick up a victory so far have been the focus of most sports talk and sports news this week.
Almost all of the hype surrounding this weekend's sporting events at the University of Kansas is centered around the football game between Kansas and Southwest Missouri State Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
While the Jayhawks face the Bears in Memorial Stadium, there's another Kansas team just as significant playing this weekend—the volleyball squad.
The Jayhawks are undefeated in five games this season and will attempt to continue that perfection in the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic, which will also feature Marquette (5-1), Purdue (7-1)
and Southeast Missouri State (6-2)
Since coach Ray Bechard began coaching at Kansas in 1998, the Jayhawks are 43-5 against non-conference opponents and there's no reason to think they won't run that record to 46-5 by late Saturday afternoon — well before the 6 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium.
The Jayhawks, who won the Hofstra Invitational last weekend, have rolled through the early part of their schedule losing just one game. A fast start is nothing new for the Jayhawks, who began last year with a school-record 10 straight victories after going 9-0 at the beginning of the 2000 season.
Kansas has been pretty good at home early in the year, too, having not lost a home opener since 1989, and Friday's game at noon against SEMS should be the 13th straight.
COMMENTARY
Levi Chronister
|chronister@kansan.com
While the team has been spectacular early on, two Jayhawk middle blockers have been just as successful and should put on a show this weekend for fans at Horjesi Family Athletic Center.
Sophomore Ashley Michaels set a new Kansas record for hitting percentage (which is kills minus errors all divided by total attacks) in the Jahawk's season-opening victory against Creighton. Michaels had 11 kills and no errors in 12
attempts for a .917 hitting percentage against the Blue Jays, and then recorded nine kills with no errors against Wichita State on Tuesday.
While Michaels keeps approaching perfection, Josiane Lima continues to adjust to volleyball in the United States with quick improvement.
Lima led the Jayhawks with 31 kills and was second in total blocks with eight in the team's three tournament matches. She also committed just six errors in 63 attacks. After leading her 19 and under Brazilian national team to a second-place finish last year, Lima should be a
with quick impressions.
The freshman from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had a rough first match, with just five kills and four errors in 25 attempts, but her team-leading 13 digs proved her potential, as did winning the Most Valuable Player award at the Hofstra Invitational.
force to be reckoned with once the Big 12 Conference portion of the schedule rolls around and could help lead the Jayhawks to their first. 500 finish in conference play since 1986.
Sarah Rome, who was named to the Hofstra all-tournament team along with Michaels and Lima, freshman setter Andi Rozum, junior middle blocker Jordan Garrison and senior middle blocker Kylie Thomas have also played pivotal roles for the Jayhawks' attack.
Kansas fans are looking forward to Saturday and the opportunity to see their Jayhawks in action on the gridiron. Just don't forget the undefeated, title-holding team playing in the small gymnasium on the other side of campus.
Chronister is a Lawrence senior. He is the Kansan sports editor.