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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
VOLLEYBALL
Longhorns stampede past Jayhawks
MATT GALLOWAY
mgalloway@kansan.com
The volleyball team was swept for the first time this season on Saturday against the eighth-ranked Long-horns.
The Jayhawks will have four days to put the loss behind them before facing another na-
larmoc
tionally ranked conference op nent
Mayfield
The Jayhawks (11-2) lost in
three straight sets, 20-25, 21-25,
17-25.
"We felt like we were pretty well prepared, but we didn't take care of some of the basic fundamentals at the net," coach Ray Bechard said.
Despite being swept, the Jayhawks had strong individual performances from senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield and sophomore middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc. Mayfield led all players on the court with 14 kills while Jarmoc led all players with four blocks.
While individual performances help, Mayfield said balancing the workload is just as important to the team's overall success.
"If you have just one player, it's easy for the defense to step up
and stop that player," Mayfield said. "You have to be balanced on attacking and setting different players."
Junior middle blocker Tayler Tolefree finished with three kills and a .143 attack percentage. Tolefree is familiar with stand-out individual performances, having been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 19. She said the performances by Mayfield and Jarmoc give the team hope that all is not lost.
"That gives us some confidence that we're not completely breaking down," Tolefree said. "But they can't do it by themselves. We've got to step up and help them to create some options so they don't always have
the same pressure on them."
When a team continues to lean on one player like the Jayhawks did with Mayfield on Saturday, Bechard said it can create predictability.
"Every team has their tendencies," Bechard said. "We understand Allison will get her fair share of swing attempts, but the more we can diversify, the better we'll be."
The team was haunted by service errors in the three sets, recording three in the first set and eight total. Bechard said the most discouraging part of the errors were that they were into the net and not out of bounds.
"It's just a lack of concentration in my opinion," Bechard said. "You have full control over that
skill, like shooting a free throw. It's mind over matter in that situation."
The Jayhawks return to action at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 against No. 16 Iowa State. The contest will be the first home game for the team in more than three weeks.
"Everyone comes out with a little more fire at home," Mayfield said. "It's our house, and we don't want someone to come in and beat us on our home court. Everyone plays with a little more drive and motivation to get the win at home."
Edited by Jayson Jenks
FOOTBALL
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Kansas assesses issues, prepares for Texas Tech
There have been question marks surrounding Kansas' secondary all season. Against Texas Tech, the Jayhawks will have an opportunity to erase those question marks.
The Red Raiders bring in a pass-happy offense that peaked two weeks ago when junior quarterback Seth Doege threw 44
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
While New Mexico proved to be a vastly inferior opponent against the Red Raiders that day, Doege's accomplishment is one that will not be taken lightly.
passes and completed 40 of them at New Mexico.
"Forty for 44 is very impressive against anybody," freshman safety Keeton Terry said.
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson said he is confident the issues will be corrected in time
for the Texas Tech game this Saturday.
"I have no doubt that we're going to come out after this bye week against Texas Tech and get a win at home," Johnson said after the Georgia Tech loss.
MOVING ON FROM GEORGIA TECH
The Kansas coaches haven't shown the Jayhawks the tape of Kansas' game against Georgia Tech, when the Yellow Jackets rushed for 600 yards.
than three yards once on first down. In that same time span, Georgia Tech's lead increased by 28 points.
In the first half of that same game, Kansas averaged more than five yards a play on first down. The offense had 17 points at halftime, and the team was only down seven.
Johnson said the 66-24 loss was a wake-up call for a team that might have been too happy too early in the season.
"We might have gotten a little unfocused," Johnson said. "It's a humbling experience. You can only move from it and move on."
"We didn't watch the tape," Terry said. "We just threw it out the window, knowing that we weren't going to play another team with the triple option in our league."
But that doesn't mean Kansas is forgetting what happened.
FIRST DOWN WOES
A large chunk of Kansas' struggles on first down came with the Jayhawks using the Wildcat formation which had been successful in the first two games. Offensive coordinator Chuck Long gave credit to the Yellow Jackets for stopping it.
In a run-heavy offense, like the one Kansas has used this season, first down becomes even more of a priority than normal. When you rely on the run, you try to get yourself in short-yardage situations on third down.
"They're a good defensive football team," Long said. "We just sputtered in the third quarter. It was the only lapse we've had offensively all year."
The Jayhawks had done a great job of that in their first five halves this season. Their sixth half — the second half against Georgia Tech — was a different story.
The Jayhawks came into Atlanta confident after their 2-0
In the third quarter Saturday, the Jayhawks only gained more
Edited by Jayson Jenks
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA STATE WINS HIGHLIGHT BIG 12 ACTION
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III continues to make him an early Heisman favorite. Griffin threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 51 more yards and another score. He has now thrown more touchdowns (13) than incomplements (12) this season. The Baylor defense added to the lead in the third quarter when cornerback Ahmad Dixon returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown.
OKLAHOMA STATE 30,
TEXAS A&M 29
John Hubert rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, and the Wildcat defense stopped Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris on fourth-goal with less than a minute left as the Wildcats upset the Hurricanes in Miami. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein threw two touchdowns and ran for another.
BAYLOR 56. RICE 31
Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for a school record 438 passing yards, helping fuel the Cowboys' comeback against Texas A&M. The Aggies entered halftime with a 17-point lead, but the Cowboys scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter and grabbing the lead, which they wouldn't relinguish.
KANSAS STATE 28. MIAMI 24
TEXAS TECH 35. NEVADA 34
Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege threw a touchdown pass to Eric Ward with 36 seconds left in the game, giving Texas Tech its first lead since the second quarter. Doege threw three touchdown passes, and Eric Stephens ran the ball 26 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
OKLAHOMA 38, MISSOURI 28
Oklahoma fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter before scoring 28 unanswered points to take the lead. Oklahoma then stuffed any hope of a Tiger comeback when Landry Jones threw a four-yard touchdown pass, giving the Sooners a 17-point lead with 3:35 left in the game. Jones threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns but tossed two interceptions.
Ethan Padway
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