THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008
SPORTS
3B
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
last_season as Minnesota's starting left fielder.
"He's like Bo Jackson," Mortensen said of comparing Decker with the former pro two-way star. "Watching on him film, he can definitely make some plays. He's a great wide receiver. It's going to be a great challenge for our defense to stop him."
Kansas has 20 more days to both prepare for Decker, to rest and to heal some nagging injuries before it faces Minnesota. Quarterback Todd Reesing, running back Jake Sharp and wide receiver Kerry Meier all played at less than 100 percent against the Tigers but were able to contribute to a victory.
It wasn't the season they had hoped for, but the Jayhawks enter as 10-point favorites and appear set to finish on a winning note.
"This year we've just battled through with guys getting banged up," said defensive tackle Caleb Blakesley. "But we're fighting and we're going to go out and finish this season on top."
Edited by Brenna Hawley
Junior receiver Kerry Meier pulls in the game-winning touchdown to put Kansas ahead 39-37 before a made field goal against Missouri two weeks ago. Meier put forth 106 yards receiving and two touchdowns on a bum hamstring in a 40-37 win against the Tigers.
to a diversion.
MORRIS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Kansas coach Bill Self declined to say if he disciplined Morris any further. In August, Self said the matter would be handled internally.
for following the incident.
Self did indicate, however, that he had spoken with the players multiple times about their behav-
"Ive told Markieff and our guys that obviously they have to make better decisions and be much wiser in their judgment," Self said.
Self said it all started with communication from the coaching staff.
"We need to do a better job as a staff to educate them of not only on-campus policies, but housing policies," Self said. "If we would have done that, they would have known these types of Airsoft guns were not allowed on campus."
- Edited by Kelsey Hayes
NFL
NFL St.Louis makes defensive changes late in season
ST. LOUIS — Corey Chavous could have sulked after getting benched. Instead, the veteran St. Louis Rams safety made it easy on coach Jim Haslett when he delivered the news.
Seahawks, giving the secondary somewhat younger legs. He's been used mostly on special teams in two seasons with the Rams (2-11), getting his only other start last season when Chavous was sidelined by a pectoral injury.
"We had a great discussion," Haslett said Wednesday. "Before I even got it out of my mouth, he told me what I was going to tell him."
Todd Johnson takes Chavous' job on Sunday against the
elevating Johnson, who made 10 starts for the Bears in 2004, for a few weeks.
The Rams made one other move in the secondary, placing cornerback Tye Hill on injured reserve. Hill, a first-round pick in 2006, has been unable to recover from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after Week 4.
Haslett has been considering
Respect for the 32-year-old Chavous, an 11-year veteran and Pro Bowler in 2003 voted a team captain by the players, made him hold off until now.
Haslett considers Chavous the leader of the secondary and credits him for the rise of free safety Oshiomoghe Atogwe, who has four interceptions, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Associated Press
Tebow, two Big 12 quarterbacks selected as Heisman finalists
BY RALPH D. RUSSO ASSOCIATED PRESS
The last time all the Heisman finalists were quarterbacks was 2001, when Nebraska's Eric Crouch won the award and QBs held the first six spots.
Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Colt McCoy from Texas joined Tebow as Heisman finalists announced Wednesday.
NEW YORK — Tim Tebow will go for two against a pair of talented quarterbacks from the Big 12 when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night.
Archie Griffin won the Heisman as a junior in 1974 for Ohio State
Tebow, the rugged and multitalented junior from Florida, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman last year and is trying to become the second player to win it twice.
and again in 1975.
Tebow's Gators will play Bradford and the Sooners in the BCS national championship game Jan. 8 in Miami.
"It's a good thing I don't have a vote," Bradford said while attending an event with Tebow and McCoy in Orlando, Fla., where numerous college football awards will be handed out Thursday night. "I couldn't decide. It's just an honor to be one of the guys going up to New York."
Tebow became the first college football player with 20 touchdown passes and 20 rushing touchdowns in 2007, carrying a Florida team that finished 9-4.
This season, Tebow's stats were down, but his play has still been stellar. He is fifth in the nation in passer rating (176.7) with 28 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.
He hasn't been asked to run as much this season, but still has 564 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.
Most importantly, the Gators are 12-1 and a victory away from their second national title in three seasons.
"Tim is a winner," Florida coach Urban Meyer said during a news conference in South Florida with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops to promote the national title game. "He wants to win. He's motivated like all of us are. But he's a team-first guy.
That's why statistically he might not have the Star Wars stats like he had a year ago. However, he won 12 games. And if he could have either-or, he's going to take 12 wins and the chance to hold that crystal ball."
Tebow made a strong final case to win another Heisman, leading Florida's 14-point fourth quarter and comeback 31-20 victory in the Southeastern Conference title game against Alabama last Saturday.
As a former winner, he also has a vote.
"I'm taking his advice." Tebow said.
Bradford has directed the highest scoring team in major college football history, leading the nation in passer rating (186.3) and TD passes (48) while throwing for 4,464 yards.
The Sooners have scored 702 points and became the first college team in 89 years to reach 60 points in five consecutive games when they won the Big 12 title game 62-21 over Missouri last
Saturday.
McCoy, who had the imposing task of following Vince Young as Texas' starting quarterback, has turned out to be a multiple threat much like his predecessor.
"Players just follow him because of his commitment to them and how tough he is and how important the team is to him." Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.
McCoy set a major college record with his 77.6 completion percentage, breaking the mark set by Daunte Culpepper for Central Florida, and is the Longhorns' leading rusher with 576 yards and 10 touchdowns. Texas finished 11-1, with a victory against Oklahoma.
"If you're going to play quarterback in our league, you better be able to put a lot of points on the board," McCoy said. "There are
just so many good offenses in this league"
That victory wasn't enough to get McCoy and Texas into the Big 12 or national championship game instead of the Sooners.
Heisman organizers generally invite three to five players, based on vote totals.
Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was surprisingly not invited to the ceremony, to be held at the Sports Museum of America in downtown New York for the first time.
Harrell, the latest in a long line of prolific passers to run coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, leads the nation with 4,747 yards passing and has thrown 41 touchdown passes. He also led Texas Tech to a school-record 11 victories and a tie for first in the Big 12 South with Texas and Oklahoma.
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