Volume 124 Issue 43
kansan.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
NOT MAKING THE GRADE
The Jayhawks received failing marks for their 59-21 loss PAGE 6-7
COMMENTARY
Gill needs more time on the job
I can think of three or four coaches at Kansas that should go before Gill does, but that's a whole different discussion.
- Edited by Jayson Jenks
Gill should at least have another season or two because he is making progress with this team. He is doing a good job recruiting — he had the 34th-best recruiting class last year according to Rivals.
FORMER RECRUIT BRAEDEN ANDERSON JOINS FRESNO STATE @KANSAN.COM
Yes, it's been difficult to watch this team get blown out. Yes, it's been difficult to watch the defense surrender as many points and as many yards as it does, but to compare this team to the teams that won the Orange Bowl and Insight Bowl is asinine.
When Gill became coach he had nothing to work with. He didn't have Todd Reesing, who is considered to be one of Kansas' greatest quarterbacks. He didn't have Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier or Darrell Stuckey; all three are in the NFL.
But those who say Gill should be fired are ludicrous.
That 2007 team exceeded expectations and set a new standard for what Kansas football should be. It was a team that defeated Nebraska, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Baylor when all four of those teams were struggling. If Kansas had played Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma, I am confident Kansas would have lost to all three.
Coach Turner Gill has been scrutinized lately for the Jayhawks' ineptitude. Kansas' 5-14 record since he took command of this team is certainly disappointing, three years removed from an Orange Bowl victory.
Athletics director Sheahon Zenger's statement about allowing Gill to finish the season shouldn't even have been said. Even evaluating Gill after the season is finished is a little too far. Gill has three years and $6 million remaining on his contract. If Kansas fires him, it must pay Gill the remaining $6 million. Why pay Gill and then a new coach?
Gill had a young and inexperienced offense last year, and he has a young and inexperienced defense this year. He expended his eligibility as a quarterback at Nebraska. All he can do is call plays; it's up to the players to perform.
His players have his back, especially linebacker Steven Johnson. He was almost in tears after Saturday's loss.
But through seven games, this is uncalled for.
SUNFLOWER NO-SHOWS
The offensive play-calling needs to change — it's very predictable. Kansas runs on first and second down and then throws on third down. It makes it easy for defenses to stop Kansas. Gill needs to change things up.
Awful is an understatement when talking about the defense. To his credit, though, defensive coordinator Vic Shealy took over the job right before the season, so there isn't real familiarity between players and coach.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb and senior offensive lineman Jeremiah Hatch try to recover a fumble Saturday against Kansas State. Kansas did not recover the fumble and lost the game 59-21.
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Coach Turner Gill had a chance to ease the pressure that has been weighing on him from Kansas fans and media alike when an undefeated No. 12 Kansas State team came to Lawrence. Instead, the microscope has zoomed in further on Gill, as the Jayhawks failed to compete, with 'the Wildcats' domination starting
early and never letting off.
After punting on its first possession, Kansas State scored a touchdown that started a trend of eight consecutive scores. The scoring streak ranged from the first to the third quarter, leaving Kansas little to no chance of defeating its instate rivals.
It is something that has happened before, with the Jayhawks getting blown out consistently throughout Gill's tenure. Sophomore cornerback Tyler Patmon pointed to lack of energy and preparation for the game because of the way the team practiced all week.
"It's very hard when you don't go hard in practice and then you come into the game and try to go full speed," Patmon said. "It's a whole different picture."
expect his team to play to their potential. Yet Gill said it was all three phases of the ball — offense, defense and special teams — where guys did not make the plays they needed too.
With Gill not getting all he could out of the team in practice, it's almost impossible for him to
Gill said he will continue to evaluate where the team is offensively and defensively, but when the entire team fails to compete, like it did in Saturday's 59-21 loss, it's tough to pinpoint what exactly went wrong. It was Gill's eighth
loss by 30 or more points in 19 games as coach at Kansas.
"I think today maybe took a little step back," Gill said. "I think a lot of things that are coming to surface is our inexperience."
Midway through the season, inexperience should not still be a problem. Where this young Kansas team should be gaining experience and toughness is on the practice
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 9
BIG 12
Missouri closer to departure
ANDREW JOSEPH
ajoseph@kansan.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After weeks of speculation, the Tigers — though getting closer — are still not ready to leave the Big 12.
The Missouri Board of Curators announced on Oct. 21 at the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City that the board unanimously granted Chancellor Brady Deaton any and all authority to make decisions regarding Missouri's conference affiliation, including entering into contracts with new conferences.
The board's announcement comes after meeting for two days at UMKC. Missouri athletic director Mike Alden's presence at these deliberations reaffirmed the belief that conference realignment would be on the closed executive session's agenda.
Although the resolution was similar to the board's Oct. 4 decision in St. Louis, Deaton can now act solely on his own regarding Missouri's course of action.
"There's no expectation that I would come back to the board," Deaton said while addressing the process of reaching a decision.
The announcement also included a directive to seek basketball and football games in Kansas City
SEE MISSOURI PAGE 9
V
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks seize first conference win
MATT GALLOWAY
mgalloway@kansan.com
While she had a bumpy start to Saturday night's game, it was only fitting that senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield got the decisive kill that gave the volleyball team its first conference victory of the season.
Mayfield led everyone on the court with 56 total attacks, more than twice as many as any other individual teammate, and recording 21 kills and 16 errors. She said she felt the victory coming as she smashed the ball over the net for the game-winning kill in the fourth game.
Despite dropping the first set and nearly collapsing in the second, Kansas (13-8, 1-7) positioned itself out of the cellar of the Big 12 by defeating Texas Tech (14-9, 0-8) at home, 22-25, 25-23, 25-11, 25-19.
Mayfield moved into seventh place all-time in kills for the Jayhawks. Coach Ray Bechard said his team has to have better balance and added that he was impressed with how Mayfield finished.
"I didn't want it to go any longer," Mayfield said. "We just wanted to end the game right there. I was swinging as hard as I could."
"Mayfield took some heavy swings," Bechard said. "She was pretty high error tonight, but she stayed at it and that paid off."
After dropping a first set that featured nine tied scores and six lead changes, the Jayhawks led for the entirety of the second set. But that statistic does not tell the whole story. Facing a 24-15 hole, the Red Raiders rallied for eight consecutive points with the Jayhawks serving for the set.
"It's frustrating because you want to terminate so badly, but sometimes we try too hard to terminate and we make errors," jarmoc said. "We just have to be efficient in putting the ball away"
The third set was all Jay-hawks, as the team closed on a 10-2 run. With the memory of the Red Raiders' second set run in the back of their minds, the Jayhawks finished off the fourth on a 10-4 run.
Sophomore middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc, who finished with 13 kills and only three errors, said the Red Raiders' rally was due to the Jayhaws' own inefficiency.
"I think we, did a pretty good job of keeping a level head," Mayfield said. "We got excited at times, which is good, but we didn't get overconfident and lose track of them."
Bechard said his team will be in a mad dash for victories during the second half of Big 12 play as it tries to reach the postseason for the first time since 2005. With her career as a lajhawk winding down, Mayfield agreed with Bechard.
"We have to remember what it feels like to have this win and what it feels like not to win," Mayfield said. "We have to use that as motivation. We feel like we have good talent. It's a matter of executing and getting the job done."
Edited by Rachei Schultz
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield scores in the first set against Texas Tech sophomore middle blocker Dravon Rangel and senior settler Karlyn Meyers. Kansas won with scores of 22-25, 25-23, 15-11, and 25-19.
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