Volume 124 Issue 16
kansan.com
Monday, September 12, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
PAGE 9
FOOTBALL
Kansas will face strong NIU offense
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
twitter.com/IDK_B12fhall
The Kansas Jayhawks effectively shut down the McNeese State rushing attack in their season opener, allowing the Cowboys to average just 2.8 yards per carry.
Northern Illinois, the Jayhawks week two opponent, represents a steep jump in the level of competition, as the Jayhawks will face an offense that shredded Army for 49 points and 509 yards last weekend.
FRIDAY,SEPTEMBER 9,2011
"They're a great team, they have a great quarterback, and I watched the film and they have a couple of great running backs too," senior linebacker Steven Johnson said. "We're going to have to bring our big boy pads to be able to play."
The Northern Illinois attack starts with senior quarterback Chandler Harnish. Harnish threw for 195 yards and five touchdowns against Army. He also added 80 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
"It's exciting for us, because we're expecting him to come at us," junior linebacker Malcolm Walker said. "It's good for us knowing he's not looking to slide. Since we're a fast defense, there is no slowing us down knowing he is going to go out there and play aggressive."
Just as impressive for the Huskies last week was senior running back Jasmin Hopkins who picked up 138 yards on just 14 carries, averaging 9.9 yards per rush.
SEE OFFENSE | 12
FOOTBALL
Jayhawks ignore underdog talk
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Taking on the underdog role isn't so bad — if you use it to your advantage.
Kansas can kiss its days as a favorite goodbye. Northern Illinois is not your typical small school football team coming into Memorial Stadium on Saturday, and the odds set in Las Vegas prove it.
The Jayhawks opened as a seven-point underdog against the Huskies, a team that is favored to win the Mid-Atlantic Conference.
Being projected to lose is not necessarily a bad thing for the Jayhawks, as they have taken the lack of respect to the practice field.
"Kansas is always the underdog, so it's nothing new," senior linebacker Steven Johnson said. "When we go out to practice, we'll be able to go out and use it as motivation and really use it to be able to push ourselves when we get tired."
After this Saturday, the Jayhawks' only remaining non-conference game will be in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. Once that's
done, Big 12 play starts and as Kansas was picked to finish last in the conference, it will be the underdog from here on out.
When senior center Jeremiah Hatch notified sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb of its underdog status to the Huskies, they didn't let it get them down. In fact, it did the opposite.
MIKE GIUNNOF/KANSAN
"Hatch was the one who told me, and he was like 'I like it, I'll play the underdog role.' Webb said. "We came into last week with people saying we might lose against McNeese, so it doesn't really matter, I guess."
It's worked before as Kansas showed the fire that can be ignited from being disrespected nationally in the media last season.
No one believed Kansas would beat No. 16 Georgia Tech after suffering the embarrassing season opener to North Dakota State. While the Yellow Jackets ended up being vastly overrated, Kansas responded to the lack of respect by winning the game and sending the students scrambling onto the
SEE UNDERDOG 12
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb hands the ball off to sophomore running back James Sims in the first half Saturday. Sims finished the game with 104 rushing runs.
COMMENTARY
Weak secondary should be first priority
The young unit was more than burned last Saturday against McNese State. It was roasted, scorched and sautéed, giving up an unacceptable 325 passing yards to quarterback Cody Stroud and his backup Riley Dodge, Overall, McNese State quarterbacks were 31-for-41 on passing attempts with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
In a season sure to have many growing pains, the most painful may come in the inexperienced Jayhawks secondary.
Stroud, who finished 22-for-27 with 218 yards passing, notched an 81.5 percent completion percentage. That is one of the highest marks in McNeese State history. He twice completed eight consecutive passes.
Ultimately, the Kansas offense bailed out the defense by scoring 42 points. But even when Kansas went with a 55-to-10 run-to-pass ratio, McNeese State still dominated the time of possession, 34:47 to 25:13.
One of the biggest challenges the members of the Kansas secondary face is their unfamiliarity with their positions. Two of the starters on defense, senior cornerback Isiah Barfield and junior safety Bradley McDougald, are converted wide receivers. That experience at wideout might help give the two perspective eventually, but that will serve as no consolation to jaded Kansas fans if the secondary continues to blow coverage as they did last week.
It is tough to criticize coach Turner Gill for converting McDougald, who
some considered the team's best wide receiver heading into last season, while simultaneously praising him for a similar decision. In a move that was widely panned at the time, Gill decided to convert junior Toben Opurum from running back to defensive end prior to the 2010 season. Opurum blossomed into a critical asset on defense by year's end, outperforming senior jake Laptad at the position. Opurum picked up where he left off last season, recording a sack and 11 tackles against McNeese State.
Moving Opurm also opened the door for James Sims, now a sophomore, to take control of the Kansas ground game. Like Opurm, Sims led the team in rushing in his first season. He finished last Saturday's game with 104 rushing and a touchdown
Perhaps Gill sees something in McDougall that screams shutdown safety. Or maybe converting him opened a door for freshman JaCorey Shepherd, who wowed fans against McNeese State with three reactions
for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Whatever the case may be, there will be no room for error against the precise passing attack of the Northern Illinois Huskies.
If the underdog Jayhawks pull off the upset at home tomorrow, Gill may make another important conversion: his skeptical fanbase.
Tomorrow against Northern Illinois (1-0), there will be no bailouts. The Huskies mauled their first opponent Army en route to a 49-26 victory. Quarterback Chandler H夹窜 threw only 19 passes, but he made the most of each. He finished with five touchdowns to five different receivers.
The Kansas secondary's performance tomorrow will be very important in projecting this team's prospects for the rest of the season. Is there potential here, or just potential for disaster?
— Edited by Jason Bennett
LAWRENCE
Thirteen escape unharmed from Tennessee Street blaze
A house burned on the 1300 block of Tennessee Street Sunday. All occupants escaped unharmed, but the house suffered severe damage.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
All of the occupants escaped with no injuries, but the fire destroyed virtually all of their possessions, and the house is severely damaged. At least 13 people were in the house, including seven students who lived there, according to James Hennahane, a sophomore from Leawood. Hennahane said he was asleep inside when the fire started.
Fire engulfed a house on the 1300 block of Tennessee Street around 6 a.m. Sunday.
"We're just so happy everyone
Hennahane was one of the last to exit; neighbors lent him shoes and a shirt. He watched the fire from outside as a propane tank on the porch by the grill exploded, destroying part of the roof. He said every part of the house was damaged by fire and water.
"The fire alarm was going, but people were still sleeping." Adford
Andrew Adford, a sophomore from Moorpark, Calif., was one of the first to discover a sofa on fire on the porch. After waking several people on the first floor, Adford saw that the fire had grown out of control and consumed the porch.
got out alive;" he said.
Some residents will stay with family in the Kansas City area while they make decisions about what to do next. Kathryn Tuttle, the Vice Provest for Student Success, contacted the students Sunday to
"You don't really have time to think," he said. "Just try to get everybody and get out. The fire started so fast, and the smoke was so thick."
ndex CLASSIFIEDS 11A CRYPTOQUIPS 4A SPORTS 12A CROSSWORD 4A OPINION 5A SUDOKU 4A
said. After helping to warn people on the second and third floors, he exited the house through a third-floor fire escape.
offer help obtaining textbooks, temporary housing and emergency funds. Students can donate household items and money at collection boxes located at the Student Union Activities office in the Kansas Union or at the office of the Jayhawker Towers.
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire-Medical is investigating the cause of the fire, according to Sgt. Randy Roberts, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.
Chance Penner and Matt Gasper contributed to this story.
John Kindscher, a sophomore from Leawood, also was asleep when the fire started.
Edited by Laura Nightengale
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
This is the last week to add or drop a class. Make sure your schedule is set. You can't do this one online — stop by the registrar's office.
Today's weather Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 74.
HI: 94
L0: 61
★