Volume 124 Issue 42
kansan.com
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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PAGE 10
STARTING LINEUP
OFFENSE
For the first time all season, the Kansas offense held the Jayhawks back. The offense totaled six second-half yards against Oklahoma and only one first down. The Jayhawks offense has the 23rd best rushing attack in the country and they'll have to move the ball on the ground early and often. If the running backs can get going, sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb will be able to have a strong day against Kansas State and Kansas will have a chance to win.
Webb
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Pos. NAME No. Year
QB Jordan Webb 2 So.
HB James Sims 29 So.
FB Nick Sizemore 45 So.
WR Daymond Patterson 15 Sr.
WR D.J. Beshears 20 Jr.
TE Tim Biere 86 Sr.
RT Tanner Hawkinson 72 Jr.
RG Duane Zlatnik 67 Jr.
C Jeremiah Hatch 77 Sr.
LG Trevor Marrongelli 69 Jr.
LT Jeff Spikes 74 Sr.
K Alex Mueller 10 Fr.
DEFENSE
While giving up 47 points and 610 yards are not numbers to boast about, the Kansas defense has started to turn things around. Holding Oklahoma to three third-quarter points and four field goals throughout the game has given the defense some confidence that should carry over into the Sunflower Showdown.
Pos. NAME No. Year
DE Toben Opurum 35 Jr.
DT John Williams 71 Jr.
DT Kevin Young 90 So.
RE Keba Agostinho 96 So.
OLB Steven Johnson 52 Sr.
MLB Darius Willis 2 So.
OLB Tunde Bakare 17 Jr.
CB Isiah Barfield 19 Sr.
CB Greg Brown 5 Jr.
FS Keeston Terry 9 RFf.
SS Bradley McDougald 24 Jr.
P Ron Doherty 13 So.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of times Kansas and Kansas State will have played each other after Saturday's game.
the number of wins Kansas has against Kansas State
109
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011
65
AT A GLANCE
Kansas is riding the energy from an improved effort in its 47-17 loss to Oklahoma. The Jayhawks were trailing 27-17 at halftime against the Sooners, as the defense showed progress for the first time in Big 12 play, stopping Oklahoma on multiple occasions. No. 12 Kansas State provides a different challenge for Kansas, in that it reiles on its rushing attack rather than a high-powered air attack like Kansas' past three opponents.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson: recorded a team high 13 tackles against Oklahoma and was the leader of the re-energized Kansas defense. With Kansas State
bringing in the 25th best rushing attack in the country. Johnson and the Jayhawks defense have an opportunity to prove that the defense is improving. Johnson will have to be an energizing leader once again in his last game against the Wildcats.
Johnson
Freshman kicker Alex Mueller hit a 36-yard field goal against Oklahoma giving him his longest field goal of the season. Senior receiver and kick returner B. Deshears has totaled 779 yards
SPECIAL TEAMS
on kickoff returns this year, including a 155-yard performance against the Sooners. Kansas State brings in the 11th best kickoff return game in the country, so the Jayhawks' kick coverage will be key in Saturday's game.
Beshears
Turner
Gill's had
a bit of the
heightened
fan pressure
taken off after
the team's
improved
performance
against
Oklahoma.
But the
media has
questioned
his offensive
coordinator, Chuck
Long, after
his offense
COACHING
Gill
Long
produced a scoreless second half, in which it totaled only six yards. The Kansas State game will give Gill an opportunity to reassure fans that he is taking the program in the right direction.
MOMENTUM
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Is finally back on the Jayhawks side after they competed with a 7-0 Oklahoma team. They know Kansas State is a must win game to get their season turned around and their increased momentum from the first half of the Oklahoma game will carry over and potentially go a long way in helping defeat the Wildcats.
QUESTION MARKS
How will the offensive line hold up if Hatch can't go
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF ...
With senior center Jeremiah Hatch listen as questionable for Saturday's game, the offensive line could be facing some diadems. Gill said if Hatch is forced to sit, junior guard Trevor Marrongelli will shift to center, senior tackle Jeff Spikes will move to guard and sophomore lineman Riley Spencer will start at guard.
The defense plays like it did against Oklahoma and the offense plays to its season averages. If Webb and the offense can manage to score 32 points, it could be just enough for the Jayhawks to take down the Wildcats.
WHAT PLAYER COULD SURPRISE FANS THIS SEASON?
I'll go with forward Kevin Young, the transfer from Loyola Marymount. Coach Billy Self said Young has a chance to be a starter, and he will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself this season. With forward Jamari Traylor ineligible, Young looks to be the third scholarship forward on the roster, garnering him plenty of playing time. Thomas Robinson will be consistent, somewhere around 12 points and eight rebounds a game. The rest of the production down low will have to come from Jeff Withey and Young. At Loyola in 2009, Young broke freshmen records in total rebounds (224) and rebounds per game (7.2). He's also played for the Puerto Rican under-19 team, so the experience is there.
Edited by Jonathan Shorman
the moves were based on football, women's basketball was also affected by the changes.
Coaches such as Oklahoma's Sherri Coale stressed the strength of the conference that sent seven of its 12
our relationship has no value to him, and then he asks to sleep with me, the answer is: no."
KIM MULKEY
Baylor coach
"When you play in a league that has the strength that the women's basketball conference or the Big 12 Conference and women's basketball has, you don't want to see that broken up for any reason," Coale said. "And that's not good
Coach Bonnie Henrickson watches on as the one-on-one interviews progress at the 2011 Big 12 media day at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. This is Henrickson's eighth season as coach. The Jayhawks look to improve on their 21-13 record of last year.
teams to the NCAA tournament last season.
The Jayhawks feature seven players from Texas and one from Oklahoma. Henrickson said the additions of
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
petitive standpoint, it is even more challenging because of the strength that the southern part of the league has and how talented those teams are," Hendricks said.
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As the conference continues to change, the rivalries that have lasted through the existence of the conference will also be affected.
southern games would be more motivating for those athletes and would be a good opportunity for recruiting.
When asked about whether she
Tensions were highest regarding the decision of Texas A&M to leave the Big 12 for the SEC. The Aggies are the defending national champions and are predicted to
"Our rivalry belongs in the Big 12." Henrickson said.
would continue to schedule Missouri if the school left the conference, she paused and winked.
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey compared the abandoned rivalry with Texas A&M to an ended marriage and admitted that she did not want to continue the competition beyond the conference.
finish second in the conference despite the loss of two starters.
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"If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no
5
value to him, and then he asks to sleep with me, the answer is: no," Mulkey said. "We are not going to play them anymore, because they decided that playing us was not important to them."
Edited by Sarah McCabe
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