University Daily Kansan / Friday, October 9, 1987
Sports
11
Kansas faces players, tradition when taking on No.2 Nebraska
By CRAIG ANDERSON
Staff writer
Nebraska will have only 11 players on the field at a time against Kansas tommorrow, but Jayhawk coach Bob Valesente said his team would be up against more than just that.
"We're playing a program of 25 years' ability," he said. "This '18 Nebraska team is great, but they didn't get there overnight. They've been building up for years."
The Cornhuskers have gone to a bowl game for 18 straight years. The last year the didn't go, 1968, was also the last year Kansas beat Nebraska. The Jayhawks won that season 23-13, but haven't defeated the Cornhuskers since.
Kansas has been outscored in its last 10 match-ups, or perhaps better described as mismatch-ups, against Nebraska by an average score of 53.7. Last year's 70-0 rout by the Cornhuskers was the widest margin of victory in the series or Kansas history.
Valesente said games like that had more meaning than just in the standings.
"What it points up is no parity in the Big Eight," he said. "We're working hard to close the gap, but there has to be a continuity of our program and that takes time."
So far this season, no indication has been given that the gap between football programs is decreasing. Kansas had to struggle last week for a one-point victory against Southern Illinois. Nebraska is ranked No. 2 in the country in the latest Associated Press top 20 poll.
Despite the approaching doom that seemingly awaits the Jayhawks, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said Kansas does pose some threats to his team.
"They've got some skilled athletes playing for them," said Osborne, who has coached at Nebraska for 26 years. "We can't take them lightly."
Osborne was saying about the same things last year when his team was preparing to play Kansas. What resulted was a 10-touch victory for Nebraska, and Nebraska had already scored two touchdowns.
downs before Kansas could complete an offensive play.
Valsente said games like last year would not be easily forgotten.
"They leave a lasting impression on you," he said. "When was the last time you were embarrassed in front of 50,000 people? I felt bad for our fans, alumni and players. It should make us work harder to avoid that kind of situation."
The Kansas defense will be trying to avoid being pounded by a Nebraska offense that has averaged almost 41 points a game. Tailback Keith "End Zone" Jones has rushed for 410 yards and scored six touchdowns in the Cornhuskers first four games. Jones, however, is questionable for tomorrow's game because of a sprained ankle he received in the South Carolina game last weekend.
Starting Nebraska quarterback Steve Taylor will probably miss tomorow's game because of a shoulder injury. There should be little drop-off, though, in the Cornhuskens offensive production with second-term signal caller Clerel Blakeman taking the snaps.
Last season, Blakeman threw three touchdowns against Kansas as he started for the first time in his college career. In the Cornhukers 30-21 victory last week against South Carolina, Blakeman was at quarterback when Nebraska rallied for 17 fourth-quarter points.
"He's a good quarterback," Kansas safety Clint Normore said of Blakeman. "He doesn't run as well, but he's tough."
Kansas senior defensive tackle David White said the Jayhawk defense would have to be mentally ready to play if they had any chance of stopping the Nebraska offensive machine.
"We've got to come out of the locker room on fire," he said. "We have to come off the ball aggressively and hit someone."
Freshman quarterback Kevin Verdugo was a big hit with the Kansas coaches and players after he scored two touchdowns last week in a 16-15 victory against Southern
"It will be an unbelievable experience for him," he said. "Attitude-wise, he'll handle it."
Illinois. Valesente said facing the tough Nebraska defense and a crowd of 70,000 would be a big challenge for Verdugo.
Having a good attitude is one thing, but questions exist on whether or not the Kansas team can perform well on the field. Before the Jayhawks' first game against Auburn, coaches and players said they were ready to play, then proceeded to fall behind 35-0 with more than a minute gone in the second quarter. Kansas players said the blitzkrieg-type game against Auburn helped them in preparing for Nebraska.
"We know what to expect out of a powerhouse football team like Nebraska." Normore said. "I look forward to playing big teams in big games."
nevaska is a big team that has been made an overwhelming favorite going into tommorrow's game. Some betting lines out of Las Vegas have made Nebraska as much as a 50-point favorite. "Everything points to Nebraska winning the game Saturday." Valesen said. "I don't know what'll happen. We have to go into the game expecting good things to happen."
Going to Nebraska to play will have special significance for Jayhawk freshman fullback Maurice Hooks. Hooks attended Omaha South High School last year. He was offered a chance to play at Nebraska as a walk-on.
"I'll have friends and family at the game, so it'll be exciting," he said. "I know the Nebraska crowd will be big and loud."
The crowds at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln say as much about the Nebraska football program as anything else. Nebraska has had 152 consecutive sellouts for games in Memorial Stadium.
"If you don't enjoy playing football in front of a crowd like that, then there's something wrong." Valesente said. "We won't find out until Saturday just how far we've come from the Auburn game."
Kansas Jayhawks
Coach Bob Valesente
Record: 1-3/0-0
Game 5
Nebraska
Cornhuskers
Coach Tom Osborne
Record: 4-0/ 0-0
Series: Nebraska leads the series record with Kansas 69-21-3. Last year's 70-0 Commusker victory in Lawrence was the worst defeat in the history of the Jayhawks. In fact, the Jayhawks haven't beaten Nebraska since 1968.
History: The first game between Kansas and Nebraska took place in 1892 in Lincoln, Neb. The Jayhawks, under the direction of coach A.W. Shepard, lost the game 12-0.
KU baseball team preparing to go it alone
Coverage: The Kansas-Nebraska game will be carried locally by the Kansas Jayhawk Network. The game can be heard in the Lawrence area on KLZR (106 FM) and KLWN (1320 AM). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Nebraska's Memorial Stadium. Radio station KJHK (90.7 AM) will also provide coverage of the game.
KANSAN graphic
Staff writer
By DARRIN STINEMAN
In its first Saturday afternoon baseball game of the season, the Kansas baseball team will have to deal with another first — its first game without Coach Dave Bingham in the dugout.
Bingham left Wednesday morning for Havana, Cuba, where he will be an assistant coach for the United States Intercontinental Cup team. He is expected to be back in about three weeks.
game day.
The two remaining coaches, assistant coach Lee lee and pitching coach Wilson Kilmer, will accept the role of running the team on
"Coach has told us that practice time is our time to teach, and game time is his," Ice said. "Like Coach Kilmer said. 'We're not trying to steer the ship, we're just trying to keep it afloat.'"
tice since Bingham left.
Ice said that the team just seemed to be going through the motions at yesterday's practice, the first prac-
The KU crew will try to keep the ship on course tomorrow when they play Neosho County Community College. It will again be a 15-inning game, with junior Scott Taylor, sophomore Steven Renko and senior Mike McLeod starting the beginning of each five-inning segment.
"The pitchers weren't throwing strikes, and the guys weren't playing good defense," ice said. "They may have let down a little because coach wasn't here to scream at them, but I don't think that was the case."
Sophomore first baseman Jeff Spencer said that Bingham, before heading south, warned the team about becoming complacent.
"He told us the pressure is on us," Spencer said. "He told us to keep making progress and not lose what we've gained. (His absence) really hasn't made that much difference vet."
Freshman shortstop Mark Pre-
nice said that he thought Bingham's departure may have caused the team to be somewhat disinterested with practice yesterday.
"I don't know if there was much of a leetdown," he said. "I think people just thought they could relax a little more."
But the temporary loss of Bingham wasn't all negative, ice said.
"I think this gives Coach Kilmer and I more chances to deal with the players one-on-one," he said. "The players have never had a chance to come to me and coach (Kilmer) before."
The starting time of the game will be 12:30 p.m.
No love lost between Cards and Giants
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — The bad blood that led to a brawl between managers Whitey Herzog and Roger Craig last season is resurfacing this year in the National League playoffs.
The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants do not like each other — and they traded taunts and barbs across the field while splitting the first two games of their best-of-seven series.
"We're definitely the intimidator in this," Brenny Brenden, Giants catcher, said after a workout yesterday. "We've got the confidence and they've got the track shoes on."
"Now, who would you rather see in
an alley?" he said. "Someone with big sticks or someone who runs fast?"
Game 3 is scheduled for tonight as the series moved to Candlestick Park for three games this weekend. Even in one of the most romantic cities in the world, there is no love lost between these two teams — and there is a chance of things getting rough
"There have been a few incidents so far." Candy Maldonado, Giants right fielder said. "It's becoming a little rivalry."
Brenny helped stir a chorus of catcalls from the dugout directed at St. Louis shortstop Ozzie Smith late in Game 2. Smith let a bases-loaded
Smith, the flashy Gold Glove fielder, led the Cardinals onto the field for the first two games by doing a backward somersault in the middle of the infield.
grounder skip through his legs for a two-run eighth-inning error that sealed San Francisco's 5-9 victory.
Last season, the Cardinals and Giants mixed it up at Busch Stadium in a bench-clearing altercation. The Giants were angered that Vince Cole
"He thinks about his style too much," Brenly said. "He looked real good making that error."
Craig tried to downplay any animosity, but admitted that it seemed like ill will was brewing.
man stole two bases with the Cards leading 10-2 and threw at him in his next at-bat.
That triggered a full-scale fight — and Herzog and Craig wound up in the middle scuffing. They were separated just when they were about to start swinging.
"I'm not going to start any controversy with White," Craig said. "We never had any problems. Just one thing — not much."
The Cardinals are particularly peeled at Jeffrey Leonard, who is the leading hitter in the series with five hits in eight at bats, including two monstrous home runs.
Twins beat Tigers 6-3, lead playoff series 2-0 in American League
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Tim Laudner and Dan Gladenhove drove in two runs each, and the Twins dealt Jack Morris his first major-league loss in the state of Minnesota, beating the Detroit Tigers 6-3 in the second game of the American League playoffs last night.
The Twins, who were 0-6 in playoff games before Wednesday night's 8-5 victory, took a 2-0 lead in games in the best-of-seven series, which moves to Detroit for game three tomorrow. Detroit will start Walt Terrell, 17-10, against Twins rookie Les Straker, 8-10.
Morris, a Minnesota native and 11-0 in his career against the Twins in Minneapolis, allowed a two-run double to Laudner in a three-run second inning and a two-run single to Gladden in the fourth. The runs all were scored with two outs.
Morris also gave up a fifth-inning homer to Kent Hrbek, who led the Twins with 34 during the season.
Bert Blyleven, who pitched for the Twins the last time they were in the playoffs, in 1970, worked seven innings. Detroit's Chet Lemon hit a two-run home off Blyleven in the second, and Lou Whitaker hit a solo homer in the eighth. Juan Berenguer
The game easily could have become a home-run hitting contest. Blyleven, 15-12 in the season, led the majors in allowing homers, giving up 46, and Morris gave up 39. The Tigers led the majors with 225 homers; the Twins had 196.
got the final five outs, four on strike-outs, for the save.
But this game did not turn on home runs, although three were hit. It turned on defense and speed. Randy Bush stole two bases in the pivotal Minnesota fourth to tie the playoff record, helping hand Morris, a free agent the Twins didn't want, his first postseason loss.
Morris, 18-10, had a 1-0 playoff record and a 2-0 World Series record, all compiled in 1984 when the Tigers won the Series. He had lost his last three regular-season decisions. Last night, Morris went eight innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out six.
Minnesota had a 56-25 home record this year, best in the majors. Add two more.
Blyleen, acknowledged as having the best curveball in the league, allowed seven hits, walking one and striking out six in his first postseason outing since 1979, when he won one game each in the playoffs and World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wet workout
Chris Duval/KANSAN
Kansas swimmer Pat McCool practices his butterfly stroke. The KU swim team practiced yesterday at Robinson Center
KU women's soccer team makes position adjustments
It's too early to be thinking about the fact that the Kansas women's soccer team hasn't won any of its first four games, Coach Kevin Connor said yesterday.
Staff writer
BY ROBERT WHITMAN
But Connor said it was not too early to be thinking about a variety of players scoring more goals.
Kansas, 0-2-2, has scored only four goals, all by co-captain forward Leigh Strom. The Jayhawks will play at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow against Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo., and at noon Sunday against Missouri in Columbia.
Connor also said some of the players had asked him to add a fourth forward from one of the three midfield positions.
Since Strom has scored all of Kansas's goals, Connor said he had the forwards working harder this week in practice on finishing, or scoring on the opportunities the forwards get.
"We've worked so much on our midfielders. Now that we've been successful in controlling the midfield in such a way that I don't want hunger," Connor said.
Connor said he had moved Dulcie
Gira from midfield to forward, a move that he said would help the offense.
"She actually provided some punch last week, but didn't finish anything (score a goal)," Connor said. "If she gets the ball up front, she'll do some things with it."
A misunderstanding between two coaches has forced the Kansas men's soccer team to play games today, tomorrow and Sunday.
The Jayhawks, 2-1-1, will play Johnson County Community College at 4 p.m. today in Overland Park. They will play home games at 2 p.m. tomorrow against Iowa State and at 2 p.m. Sunday against Central Missouri State, both at Memorial Stadium.
Kansas coach Glenn Shirtliffe said that Dan Dailey, coach of the Johnson County Community College, thought today's game was supposed to be played tomorrow.
Since the Jayhawks already had a game scheduled for tomorrow, Shirtlife and Dailey agreed to play the game today.
Another scheduled game, Sept. 19 against Nebraska in Memorial Stadium, was not played because the Cornhuskers did not show up.