SPORTS
RUNNING OUT OF GAS
Cornhuskers win in three sets as Jayhawks fail to post first victory against Nebraska since 1975. VOLLEYBALL 8B
KANSAS TOO MUCH FOR SACRED HEART
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17,2008
Jayhawks win by 42-point margin to kick off season. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 7B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
COMMENTARY
Senior day proves 2007 was a fluke
PAGE1B
There wasn't much to say after this one, James Holt still tried.
Kansas senior outside line-backer sat back, looked straight ahead and tried to make sense of Kansas' 35-7 loss against Texas. But really, what could he say? He had just played the last game of his career at Memorial Stadium — his last chance to find some of that 2007 magic. He was spent. Hed chased after Texas' uber-gift quarterback, Colt McCoy, for 60 minutes.
So really, what could he say?
They're just Texas, Holt say And that's all he could say.
Kansas is now 6-5. They've played three top five teams — Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech — and lost by a combined score of 143-59. And more than that, the Jayhawks have been humbled, beat up and exposed by the Big 12 gauntlet.
So can you blame Holt or fellow seniors Mike Rigawa and Prona Control.
After a season of sweet, 2008 has been filled with sour.
Holt didn't want to go out like that. He grew up in Altus, Oklahoma. A place where you either hate the Texas Longhorns or you find a new place to live.
— the three players with the postgame duty of explaining what it's like to lose on your own senior day — if they didn't have much to say.
"It sucks," Holt said.
Holt and the rest of the seniors wanted to prove that this year was the fuke.
And this was senior day. There's also something special about senior day. Maybe it's a little schmalty, but there's something idyllic about the seniors and the families and the culmination of a four-year career.
And for nearly two quarters, they did. Holt, Rivera and Joe Mortensen.
— not last year. They wanted to prove that Kansas could play with a team like Texas.
"We were playing like that old KU defense," Riva said.
— Kansas' three senior linebackers — played with the urgency of three seniors playing their last home game. The trio combined for 32 tackles, Holt recovered a McCoy fumble, and Kansas' defense stopped Texas on three straight drives during the second quarter.
Well, at least for awhile.
As Holt conceded, Texas is Texas. And Kansas' offense sputtered. Todd Reesing, who practiced once last week, got knocked around, Kerry Meier, slowed by a hamstring injury, played on one good leg, and Jake Sharp went to the locker room in the first half after taking a big hit.
You can't beat Texas with guts on defense and a wounded offense. You need more. You need perfection.
Nope. There wasn't much to say after this one. Kansas played another great team. And Kansas isn't a great team. So Kansas lost.
"I wish we could have had a better effort for those seniors." Reeased said.
Reeing shouldn't worry too much. Holt, Rivera, Mortensen, Cantrell and the rest of the seniors will be remembered for more than one lopsided score against Texas.
They helped Kansas finish bowl eligible for four years. They helped Kansas win the Orange Bowl. They helped Mangino build his program from scraps.
Holt sat forward. He looked worn down.
"Nobody got injured," he said That was about it
Edited by Ramsey Cox
These seniors have one more shot. They can go to Arrowhead Stadium in two weeks and knock off the No.12 Missouri Tigers. They can avenge last year's crushing loss. They can feel good again.
TEXAS 35, KANSAS 7
And really, that's all they can do.
"Either we're going to lay down and die," Holt said. "Or we're gonna fight." And really, that's all they can do.
Junior safety Darrell Stuckey tries in vain to block a touchdown pass to Texas receiver Quan Cosby during Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium. Texas defeated Kansas 35-7.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
OFFENSE STALLS AGAINST LONGHORNS
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
The most telling moment of Saturday's 35-7 loss to No. 3 Texas may not have even come during the game.
Asked afterwards if he thought his team was better than they have played the last two weeks, quarterback Todd Reesing had to pause. He couldn't answer the question. Maybe he wasn't sure if they actually were
any better. Maybe that's just who this team is — a squad struggling to hold its own against a much tougher schedule.
The silence lasted almost three seconds.
Not just a better team — a much better team. Playing with national title hopes
The silence lasted almost three seconds. "I think so," Reesing finally said. "I think the guys are fighting. I don't think anyone's giving up. It's not like there's a lack of effort. I think everyone's playing hard. Today, we got beat by a better team."
still alive, Texas played like the football powerhouse that Kansas someday wants to become. It was another tough reminder that Kansas football has a long ways to go to be considered one of the elite teams in the Big 12 Conference.
After playing the three Big 12 South teams that they didn't have to play a year ago — Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech — the jayhawks went 0-3 and raised even more questions about the validity of last
year's magical 12-1 season.
"There's a lot more to look at than the teams we played." Mike Rivera, senior linebacker, said. "We have a lot of new guys on the team. It's a different team than it was last year."
The team may be different, but so are the results. A year ago the Jayhawks were taking an 11-0 record and a No.2 national
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 4B
KANSAS 71, UMKC 56
Aldrich has big opening night
The center finished with 13 points, five rebounds
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Sherron Collins raised his hands above his head and clapped. His teammates on the bench jumped up and down and waved their towels.
Cole Aldrich, sophomore center, just put his head down and ran to the other side of the court after he threw down a goal-shaking dunk on a fast break to assure Kansas a victory against UMKC.
Aldrich was in no mood to celebrate. To Aldrich, the Jayhawks' 71-56 victory was simply a relief.
"He just wasn't satisfied," Collins, junior guard, said. "Cole is a hard worker. He's going to keep working."
Aldrich finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in the game against the Kangaroos. All of it came in the second half.
Aldrich could only watch as his team staggered through a mistake-laden first half. He recorded two fouls in the first three minutes, which forced Kansas coach Bill Self to bench him for the remaining 17 minutes of the half.
They out-scored the Jayhawks in the paint and only grabbed two fewer rebounds. With Aldrich out of the game, the Kangaroos never trailed.
Without Aldrich's 6-foot-11 size, the Kangaroos were able to be more versatile offensively.
It all changed when the Jayhawks came out for the second half with Aldrich solidifying their front court. UMKC forward Dane Brumagin hit a three-pointer from the wing to put the Kangaroos up 35-32
"We're not exactly near as good as a team without Cole playing at all." Self said. "We had to play with makeshift line-ups in the first half"
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
Weston White/KANSAN
Sophomore center Cole Aldrich slams down a dunk in the second half against UMKC Sunday night: Aldrich was 5-7 from the field and 3-4 from the line in Kansas' 71-56 victory.
SOCCER
For 34 minutes Kansas fought to keep its season alive, weathering the first-half pressure applied by No.1 seed Stanford in the NCAA Tournament's second round.
Blowout ends Jayhawks' hopes in tournament
Stanford (20-1-1) added two more goals in the second half to rout Kansas 5-0 Sunday afternoon at Cagan Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif., and advance to the Sweet Sixteen next weekend.
Francis said he was disappointed that his team didn't cut off shooting lanes toward the goal, but admitted the Cardinals made the most of their opportunities.
Playing on the Cardinal's home field, the Jayhawks (13-8-2) never found an offensive rhythm while their opponents did what they had done all season — score and score often.
"I don't know if they were five goals better than us," he said. "But they were clearly better than we were on the day."
BY ANDREW WIEBE awiebe@kansan.com
In the span of seven minutes, the Cardinals effectively extinguished the Jayhawks' tournament hopes with three rapid-fire goals to bring a disappointing end to 2008 for coach Mark Francis and his team.
Junior goalkeeper Julie Hanley had two saves as Stanford peppered her with seven early shots, but there was nothing Hanley could do when junior forward Kelley O'Hara sent a long-distance effort into the top corner in the 34th minute.
The goal opened the floodgates as Stanford's junior forward Hillary Heath and freshman midfielder Camille Levin both scored from distance to create a three-goal cushion.
"It's disappointing because for the
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 6B