PAGE 6
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
From right Missouri running back Henry Insev is tackled by Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown and defensive back Nigel Malone in the first quarter of last Saturday's game in Manhattan.
Kansas State's defensive line motivates team with spirit
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANHATTAN — The most significant improvement in the Kansas State defense this season can't be found by scouring the stat sheet.
Sure, this year's unit ranks 17th in the country and stops opponents on third down nearly 70 percent of the time, but those numbers are merely manifestations of a larger change that has taken place since Bill Snyder came out of retirement for his second tenure as head coach.
"If you remember two years ago when we first got started, I was
really concerned about the spirit of our football team," Snyder said. "Last year, I still had some — but not as much — concern about the spirit of our football team. Defensively, we have begun to express that spirit a little bit more."
The result is the first 5-0 start for the No. 17 Wildcats since 2000, and a lot of momentum heading into Saturday's game at Texas Tech.
Wide receiver Chris Harper knew the Wildcats had changed from the start of the first padded practice this fall. The offense was a little sluggish, but the defense
came out fired up and that carried over to the rest of the team. Some of the best practices since then, Harper said, have been when the defense sets the tone for the rest of the team.
"They've always got some kind of energy," Harper said. "As far as bringing the spirit to this team, they're the catalyst for us. We kind of feed off of them."
Center B.J. Finney sees the camaraderie within the defense as a primary reason for the unit's success on the field. Players hang out together in the locker room. They crank up the energy level with chants before games. All of that
inspires the offense to join in the fun.
That enjoyment translates directly to the field on Saturdays.
"Getting a huge stop just lets us know that the defense has our back," Finney said. "Now it's time to show them that we have theirs."
Through five games, Wildcats have allowed only 13 touchdowns. They've held opponents to fewer than 300 yards per game and limited them to 24 minutes of possession. Both of those stats are among the best in the nation.
Snyder is always a little suspicious of numbers. But the Wildcats forced Missouri into three- and-out on four of 11 possessions last Saturday, the red zone defense has allowed only five touchdowns in five games and Kansas State is stopping opponents from converting on third down at an incredible rate.
Kansas State routinely had some of the best defenses in the country during Snyder's first tenure as head coach, and he's the first to point out there is much work to be done if this year's unit wants to reach the same lofty level. But he also knows that this team is trying
All of that is enough to please the veteran head coach.
to define itself, and that preaching too much about the past takes some of the focus off the present.
That's why Snyder doesn't spend too much time talking about Kansas State's history on defense. After all, many of the players aren't old enough to remember those teams.
"After a while, you get tired of hearing about the way it used to be," Snyder said. "You want to hear about how it is right now, so I'm a little more focused on that than I am past history. I think it's important for them to make their own history. That's what they'll remember in time."
VOLLEYBALL FROM PAGE 10
"Overall, it comes down to a focus issue," said senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield. "You're the only one in control of your serve, and you have the occasional missed serve, but missing nine is too big of a number. We just have to get back to our service."
committed nine service errors on the night, including one in the fourth from sophomore middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc, who was serving for the set.
Outside of the error, Jarmoc continued her recent string of impressive outings. She finished with 15 kills and a team-high .323 attack percentage. None of the Jayhawks had a negative attack percentage on the evening, and the Jayhawks actually bested the Tigers in that category, .212 to .191.
"It's definitely a positive sign," said senior setter Nicole Tate. "The hitters did a great job of
playing clean and we kept that up the entire match."
Bechard was coaching the game with a heavy heart. His mother passed away over the weekend and the team attended her wake on Tuesday. Bechard attended her funeral Wednesday morning before traveling to Columbia to be
ALLISON MAYFIELD Senior outside hitter
"You just do an inventory about how that loved one would feel about how you spent that day," Bechard said. "My mom was a huge Kansas volleyball fan. If she had her way, she would've said I needed to be with my team helping them out."
end of the season is going to be a big game."
with the team.
Lawrence Electronic Recycling Event
Rain or Shine
to recycle unused or obsolete electronic equipment.
Electronic recycling will be provided by Extreme Recycling, Inc. A recycling fee applies for computer monitors ($10) and televisions ($15). Cash or check only. There is no charge for other electronics. Items accepted for recycling:
Computer Monitors, Desktop, Laptops, Keyboards, Other Peripherals,
Printers, Copiers, Scanners, Fax Machines, Telephones, Hand Held Devices,
Televisions, VHS/DVD Drives, Small Appliances (Microwaves and Toaster Ovens).
The City of Lawrence Invites residents and small businesses
pursued or obsolete electronic equipment.
Saturday, October 15th,2011 9:00am to 1:00pm
Free State High School Parking Lot 4700 Overland Drive For further information call 832-293-1000
City of Lawrence
PUBLIC WORKS
WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING
For further information call 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org.
The road does not appear to get much easier for the Jayhawks, who will square off with No. 22 Oklahoma on Saturday night in Norman. However, last year the team got one of their signature wins in the last game of the season against the Sooners, toppling the nationally-ranked squad on their own court.
T
"It's really important. None of us saw this coming." Mayfield said. "But I feel like every game now from here until the end of the season is going to be a big game. We have to prove ourselves if we want to have any chance of making it to the postseason."
Edited by Sarah McCabe
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