Volume 124 Issue 60
kansan.com
Monday, November 14, 2011
COMMENTARY
Fans owe more on Senior Day
Senior Day is supposed to be the one game where the student body can celebrate four years of dedication to the football program, but the scene at Memorial Stadium on Saturday was as disappointing in the stands as on the field.
Kansas' struggles have been a well-documented embarrassment this season, but if there was one game that the students really needed to show the team support, Saturday was it.
I could not help but feel sorry for Jeremiah Hatch, Tim Biere and Steven Johnson as they took the field for the Senior Day pre-game ceremony only to see a virtually vacant student section in the backdrop. I realize that the basketball season started Friday, which means that Kansas football goes on the back burner until September; however, the Kansas fan base owes the seniors more than what it showed on Saturday.
As this season progressed, coach Turner Gill's support among the Kansas faithful decreased dramatically. The dissipating attendance is probably the most telling aspect of where Gill stands amongst the Kansas faithful. If Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger needed any more reason to make a coaching change, all he had to do was gaze at Memorial Stadium's crowd; the support for this team and coaching staff is gone.
After attending Saturday's game against No. 25 Baylor, it's hard to believe that Kansas football once competed amongst the elites, winning the Orange Bowl in 2008. While the 2011 Jayhawks have taken defensive deficiencies and turned it into an art form under defensive coordinator Vic Shealy, the players have never quit working and fighting for wins.
As Gill perhaps hopelessly tries to retain his job, he not only needs to show improvement, but he also needs to win games. Kansas has yet to win a road game in Gill's tenure, but the Jayhawks nearly ended that streak against Iowa State last week, losing 13-10. Kansas looked to sustain much of last week's momentum against Baylor but it would all end on a sour note.
The Jayhawks absolutely dominated the first three quarters of the game, leading 24-3 in the fourth quarter. Although the game was not televised, word clearly spread of Kansas' strong showing on Senior Day, as the stands began to fill up midway through the third quarter. To the disappointment of the then-nearly full student section, Kansas would surrender a 21-point lead in eight minutes and lose in overtime. Saturday's showing painted a depressing picture of the current state of Kansas football and if Zenger doesn't make a change now, more seniors will see their hard work go unrecognized in the future.
Success on the football field will equal fans in the stands; it's as simple as that.
Edited by Josh Kantor
BALANCED OFFENSE
Six players scored in double figures in 46-point victory PAGE 3B
QUIDDITCH TEAM FALLS IN SWEET SIXTEEN OF WORLD CUP IN NEW YORK PAGE 8B
NO HOLDING BACK
Coach Turner Gill loses his cool after an interception by Baylor in the second half of Saturday's game. Baylor scored 21 points in the 4th quarter, putting KU and Baylor tied 24-24 at the end of the 4th.
ARRY DAVIS/KANSAN
ALL OR NOTHING IN OT
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Sitting just three yards shy of the Jayhawks' first Big 12 win of the year, Turner Gill decided to end the game in its first overtime period. He could have prolonged it and kicked an extra point that would have sent the game into a second overtime, but instead, he went for the two-point conversion and the win.
The decision for Gill and his staff was an easy one. The Jayhawks are not bowl eligible; they were on a seven game losing streak and Gill's job had come further in to question every week.
"We gave it a shot and you can't fault us for that," sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb said. "We were
going for the win. I wouldn't have done it any other way and I don't think anyone else would have."
Kansas came out in the shotgun, hoping to see man coverage from Baylor. When Baylor lined up, Kansas saw exactly what it wanted. Webb received the球 and threw the ball to his first option, Tim Biere. When the pass didn't fall into Biere's hands, Kansas fell, losing 31-30.
Baylor cornerback, sophomore Joe Williams, left his man to break up Webb's pass and give Baylor the victory.
The play is one of many that offensive coordinator Chuck Long wishes he had back.
said.
"I'll do a lot of coulda, shoulda,
woulda tonight for sure," Long
Of the eight losses Kansas had suffered this season, this one may had been the toughest. Kansas blew a 24-3 fourth quarter lead. They allowed three Baylor touchdowns in the game's final 12 minutes. Baylor had the ball for just three minutes and thirty five seconds during that time span.
Losing on the final play of the game is not how any team wants to send off its seniors. For the 15 jayhawk seniors playing in their final home game at Memorial Stadium, the close loss couldn't have been any worse.
It appeared as if the Jayhawks
"it's probably the lowest I've seen them," defensive coordinator Vic Shealy said of his players.
were going to take a 17-0 lead into halftime, scoring their second touchdown of the game with 26 seconds left in the half. But, a questionable face mask penalty against Kansas allowed the Bears to hit a 37-vard field goal as time expired.
And the bad luck for Kansas continued.
Kansas looked like it would be the last team to have the ball, driving with less than one minute left in regulation. Kansas put themselves in favorable position and just needed a field goal to take the lead, but Webb threw an interception. Gill exploded on the sidelines. He and the crowd begged for a pass interference call. No flag was thrown and the game went into overtime.
"Sometimes it feels like were
cursed or something," Johnson said. "Nobody said a word after the game, usually you can hear a little bit of whispers and stuff, but it was completely silent in there. It was even hard for coach Gill to talk to us after the game."
The loss once again bolts down to Gill, who made the decision to go for two. He said he just had an instinct at the time to go for it, but it did not work and the jayhawks once again suffered a loss in conference play.
"We just came up a little bit short," Gill said. "It hurts."
Edited by C.J. Matson
SOCCER
Season ends in shutout loss to Georgia,2-0
RYAN MCCARTHY rmccarthy@kansan.com
Even with a packed house at Jayhawk Soccer Complex, Kansas soccer could not convert that energy into a victory against Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Soccer Championship, falling 2-0 on Sunday to finish the season 11-9-1.
junior midfielder Whitnev Berry kicks the ball unfield during the second half. Kansas lost to Georgia 0-2.
Throughout the match, the Jayhawks were limited on their scoring chances, mustering only four shots on goal in 90 minutes of play.
"Offensively we're normally pretty good, but today we just didn't create that many goal scoring opportunities," coach Mark Francis said.
Georgia defenders frustrated the Kansas offense knocking away any available chances.
"I don't think we were playing the right final ball in order to get a good scoring opportunity," junior forward Whitney Berry said.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Berry was the leading attacker for the Jayhawks on the day with three shots on goal. She also played all 90 minutes of the contest.
In the first half, Kansas kept the ball inside Georgia's area of the field but could not find a good look at the goal.
Georgia coach Steve Holerman said after the game that the Georgia and Kansas play very similar styles of soccer causing a temporary stalemate.
With the Jayhawks and Bulldogs mirroring each other during the first 45 minutes, both teams went into halftime hoping to break the tie.
In the 51st minute, Georgia finally found a seam in the defense when senior defender Jenna Buckley connected with senior forward Ashley Miller for the first goal of the game.
Seven minutes later, the Bulldogs added another goal when sophomore midfielder Alexa Newfield dribbed through the Jayhawk defenders and scored a well hit, left-footed goal to put the score at 2-0.
Kansas attempted to climb back into the match, but could not find any chances near the net.
Their best opportunity came in the last minute of the game when Kansas freshman forward Ingrid Vidal struck a ball that flew near the left side of the net. However, Georgia's junior goalkeeper Ashley Baker made an impressive save that negated the chance.
"We weren't very efficient with the balls in the final third and I think it made it a little easier on them defensively" Francis said.
The first came against Texas A&M on Oct. 2 and the second against Oklahoma Oct. 28.
This was the third time this year the layhawks had been shut out.
Although a disappointing end to the season, playing in the NCAA tournament was a memorable experience for the Jayhawks as their first tournament berth since 2008.
And with 20 of the 23 players returning, Kansas might be in an
They hope the experience will fuel them through spring training.
"It'll give us that little hunger and that little edge to come back and compete for more next year," Francis said.
even better position by next November.
"I really think we can accomplish some things next year that no other Kansas team has ever done," Francis said.
Edited by Laura Nightengale