SPORTS
MISSOURI MATCHUP TO END SEASON
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Team faces off against its border rival tonight in Columbia in what promises to be a heated competition. SOCCER | 7B
LACE 'EM UP,GET READY TO EARN RESPECT
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Jayhawks eager to prove themselves at Big 12 Championships after weak showing at Pre-Nationals. CROSS COUNTRY | 6B
FRIDAY,OCTOBER 31,2008
COMMENTARY
PAGE1B
Reesing, Freeman stellar on, off the field
Edited by Rachel Burchfield
This weekend's Sunflower Showdown will feature two of the most extraordinary quarterbacks to ever suit up for the Jayhawks and the Wildcats. In the Jayhawks' corner, you have Todd Reesing, and for the Wildcats, you have Iosh Freeman.
SUNFLOWER COUNTDOWN
On the field, these guys look a lot different running their respective teams' offenses. Reesing's play is best described by Spencer Hall of the popular college football blog "Every Day Should Be Saturday." After the Orange Bowl, Hall said that Reesing looked like "the world's most badass high school QB playing at the college level."
Reesing, the little guy listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, has his Orange Bowl ring and is in the process of rewriting Kansas' passing records. Freeman, listed at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, may be the best NFL quarterback prospect at Kansas State since AFC champion and longtime Patriots veteran Steve Grogan played at K-State more than three decades ago.
Freeman, who has the size of an NFL defensive end, is a dual threat to opposing teams and can run the ball at will. At the moment, Freeman has 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 15 bombs through the air.
But off the field, these guys are something else, too. Reesing, a double major in economics and finance, is a straight A student likely headed to graduate school when he's done being the Jayhawks' gunslinger. Without a helmet and shoulder pads, you might not even be able to tell that Reesing is the starting quarterback for Kansas. Early this year, Lawrence Journal-World reporter Robert Riley didn't even recognize Reesing when working on an "On the Street" feature.
Standing over half a foot taller than Reeing, there's no mistaking Freeman. But what you may not know is that Freeman can tell a good story. When Freeman's not in class or studying game film of Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, he moonlights as a columnist for Sporting News Today. In his columns he's written about everything from spending his fall break talking to the media after a tough loss to his pet python Corby. In one column, he talks about feeding Corby rabbits and how his roommates don't like him keeping the snake in their living room.
Tomorrow's game marks the 106th meeting between Kansas and Kansas State. In the past, the Jayhawks have seen the likes of quarterbacks Bobby Douglass, John Haddl and Nolan Cromwell, The Wildcats have had Grogan, Lynn Dickey and Michael Bishop at the helm of its offense. Taking a look back into the history books, it's been a long time since both teams have had quarterbacks as good as they do now at the same time.
In 1968, Dickey and Douglass squared off in Manhattan. The Jayhawks won 38-29. Douglass went on to earn All-American honors and lead his team to the Orange Bowl. Dickey went on to set Kansas State passing records and was named the all-time greatest quarterback in the Big Eight conference by the Associated Press.
Forty years later, the game of football has changed quite a bit. The spread offense has turned the gridiron into what now seems more like the game of basketball with cleats. This new style of football has allowed Freeman to set the all-time Kansas State records for passing yards and touchdowns. Reesing has already broken the Kansas record for touchdowns and could break the record for yards if he gets 244 yards this weekend. With that, this year's Sunflower Showdown will be all about Freeman and Reesing.
Rivals talk trash,set to clash
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
A clock in the Kansas State training facility normally counts down the hours until the Wildcats' next game. But during the summer, instead of counting down to the teams' season opener against North Texas, the clock was set to count down to Saturday's Sunflower Showdown with Kansas.
"Well, I'm glad they know when they're playing us," running back Jake Sharp said when told of the clock.
Saturday's 11:40 matchup is a must-win game for the Jayhawks. With tough games remaining at Nebraska and against Missouri and No. 1 Texas, the K-State game appears to be the most winable game remaining on the schedule. And still needing a victory to become bowl eligible, players know they can't lose a third straight game.
"This game is huge," said linebacker Mike Rivera. "This is the biggest game for us this year. It's a must-win. We have to dig deep and give it everything we have and leave it all out on the field."
While Kansas has praised Kansas State and quarterback Josh Freeman, the Wildcats have been busy guaranteeing touchdowns and talking trash. Punt returner Deon Murphy told reporters on Monday that he was "going to take one to the crib" during one of his punt or kick returns and later said that the Kansas coaching staff "will wish
SEE COUNTDOWN ON PAGE 6B
Junior running back Jake Sharp cuts his way through defenders during Saturday's game against Texas Tech. The Jayhawks and Wildcats will renew their rivalry tomorrow at Memorial Stadium.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks look to avoid close losses this season
jjenks@kansan.com
BY JAYSON JENKS
ijenks@kansan.com
At the end of last season, though, she mixed it up. With the Jayhawks fresh off an 11th-place finish in the Big 12 Conference, Henrickson insisted her players join in watching the tournament selection show.
Each year come NCAA tournament time, coach Bonnie Henrickson and her assistants gather around a TV, brackets in hand, and watch as teams are slotted into the 64 team field.
"One, we really weren't sure they understood how the whole thing worked anyway, so it was probably an education session as much as anything," Henrickson said. "But also, they looked at teams that we beat or lost to in one-possession games getting in."
In conference play, the Jayhawks lost six of their 12 games by single digit margins and three games by six points or less. While those numbers may not scream close, heartbreaking losses, Kansas often
was a possession or basket away from pulling out a victory.
"Now, I know you're saying, 'Well, what do you mean close, you finished 11th?' Henrickson said. "We were that close. You're talking about consistency from media time out to media time out, from half to half and game to game.
And that was Henrickson's clear and simple message behind watching the NCAA tournament selection show for the WNIT-bound Jayhawks: We're close.
More than any improvements needed in quantitative fields, the layhawks must first learn to finish games. And it's something each player listed as an area in need of improvement at Kansas' media day.
"And then, having the discipline and toughness to finish a game and getting a stop or finding a way to score."
Part of the problem, sophomore Nicollette Smith said, dealt with Kansas'
SEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
y
Jon Goerina/KANSAN
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson makes her way to center court after Kansas's 82-62 loss to Oklahoma State last season. Henrickson wants her team to know that close losses last year likely kept the Jayhawks out of the NCAA tournament.
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks beat Tigers, head for the Wildcats
BY JOSH BOWE ibowe@kansan.com
While many of Kansas' players — and fans for that matter — might still be trying to catch their breath after the Jayhawks exhaling victory on Wednesday night, "Rivalry Week" continues for Kansas.
Kansas travels west to Manhattan
Saturday to face an in-state rival Kansas State at 7 p.m. While Coach Ray Bechard was understandably looking at the positives of Wednesday's five-set victory against Missouri, there were definitely some negatives.
"We're going to look at some things in sets two and three that kept us from closing the match out earlier," Bechard said. "We'll get ready to go."
Beachard specifically pointed out the hitting errors. In set three Kansas had 13 errors compared to 11 kills. If that sounds ugly enough, the percentage equates to -053. There are no teams that can win a set with that type of play, so Kansas will have to look to avoiding those sets against a far superior K-State, K-State has risen to No. 16 in the national polls and still sits in third place in the Big 12.
However, Oklahoma shocked No. 3 Texas at home Wednesday night, which
dented the Longhorns' lead of second place over the Wildcats to one match. With that extra incentive for K-State, Kansas will have to play a cleaner match Saturday night.
"There was definitely a different sense of urgency," sophomore outside bitter Jenna Kaiser said of sets two and three. "We came out in the first set intense and then somehow it kind of got lost in between."
But what was noticeably better about
volleyball notes
KEYS TO THE GAME
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 6B
Don't get too confident: While Wednesday night's victory was exciting and a potential season saver, Kansas can't let that get to its head. Kansas State is a far more talented team that is ranked nationally for a reason. The Jayhawks must stay grounded even though after Missouri they could be a few feet up in the air.
But still believe: There's a difference in confidence and overconfidence. Kansas played Kansas State to a five set match in Lawrence earlier in October. The Jayhawks still need to have the confidence that they can compete. Especially after Oklahoma shocked Texas in Austin and Colorado stunned Nebraska in Boulder on Wednesday. Those two matches prove anyone can beat anyone in the Big 12.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas: Jenna Kaiser
Kansas: Jenna Kaiser The sophomore outside hitter displayed a clutch performance against Missouri and complimented fellow sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington. But Kaiser has always followed a great match with a less than stellar one. If Kaiser can buck the trend, Kansas could create a little magic in Manhattan.
Kansas State: Natalya Korobkova The junior outside hitter from Russia torched the Jayhawks for a season high 20 kills. Potential All-American Rita Lilim and her impressive 4.12 kills per set can be credited to Korobkova's production and easing the pressure on Lilim. If Korobkova gets 20 kills in Manhattan, Kansas could be in for a world of problems.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Members of the volleyball team celebrate after a point during the fourth match, which Kansas won, sending the game to a fifth and final match. The team plays in-state rival, No.16 Kansas State, Saturday.