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SPORTS
FIFTH-PLACE FINISH FOR WOMEN'S GOLF The team finished ahead of 11 other teams at the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo. SPORTS |6B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008
Try to beat the Kansan staff members by picking the winners of this week's college football games. | 2B
PAGE 1B
FOOTBALL
Mangino: Iowa State shouldn't be overlooked
BY TAYLOR BERN tbern@kansan.com
Saturday's game at Iowa State won't come soon enough for some Kansas players.
The idle slot on the Jayhawks' schedule last week meant they had an extra week to heal and assess their performances. But it also meant another seven days of beating up on each other, rather than putting those hits on someone in a different uniform.
The break and reversion to a pre-season style has sophomore cornerback Chris Harris looking at this weekend's game as the beginning of something new.
"It's definitely the start of a new season because it felt like camp practices all week," Harris said. "It's like starting the first game of the year."
Last year's 30-24 victory at Kansas State was the only time Mangino won one of those initial road contests. The odds of adding a second win to that stat are certainly in the layhayk's favor, as No. 16 Kansas (3-1) ranks ahead of Iowa State (2-2) by most calculations.
Saturday is the first day of conference play for every team in the Big 12. It's also the fifth time during coach Mark Mangino's tenure at Kansas that his team has started the conference season on the road.
Those stats don't mean much to quarterback Todd Reesing, who said last weekend's upsets of five of the top 16 teams in the country proved everyone is vulnerable.
"Just because you're ranked high doesn't mean you're going to be able to win." Reeing said. "We've got to learn from those losses and come out and take everybody seriously. At this stage anybody can beat anybody."
Iowa State has struggled mostly because of its youth. Coach Gene Chizik starts sophomores in the backfield with quarterback Austen Arnaud and running back Alexander Robinson. He has also played 11 true freshmen, the sixth most of any team in the country.
Despite that inexperience and the mistakes, Iowa State's defense has excelled in a couple of areas, thanks
senior defensive end Kurtis Taylor and junior safety James Smith.
Led by those upperclassmen, Iowa State has surrendered only 176 yards per game through the air. the
Smith
fourth fewest in the conference. The Cyclones also lead the Big 12 with 13 takeaways.
Reeing said he was fully aware of Iowa State's ability to pluck the ball from its opponents' possession.
"Whenever you can get the ball back into the hands of your offense, it deflates the other team." Reesing said. "We've got to limit our turnovers because those are game-changers."
Mangino said the turnover battle was up to the offense as much as it was the defense.
"It's our responsibility to protect the ball," he said. "Sometimes it's just good fundamental play that creates turnovers, and sometimes it's ineptitude of the opponent that creates turnovers."
Mangino said warned against underestimating Arnaud and backup Phillip notes, who will see.
BOUNCING BACK
time at quarterback.
"They can beat you with their athleticism, so you can't take them lightly as far as their ability to run the football," he said.
iowa State will
Taylor
Edited by Lauren Keith
probably continue to struggle as Chizik attempts to apply his Texas Longhorn-style of play in Ames. But as eager as the Jayhawks are for Saturday, they must avoid becoming Chizik's first marquee victory.
"They're a team that's building their program, and they've got guys that just want to come out and compete," Reesing said.
Players overcome early injuries
Kendrick Harper and Dexton Fields set for start in Big 12 opener against Iowa State
Weston White/KANSAS
Senior cornerback Kendrick Harper makes an open-field tackle against a Louisiana Tech receiver on Sept. 6 at Kivisto Field. Harper would later leave the field with an undisclosed head or neck injury as Kansas went on to shut out Louisiana Tech 29-0.
JOT coaching/KAKA Members of the Kansas Medical staff tend to senior receiver Dexton Fields after he injured his left foot on a play in the first quarter against Florida International play. Fields is set to return from Saturday against Iowa State after missing the three games.
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
Defensive back Kendrick Harper and wide receiver Dexton Fields are expected to play on Saturday against Iowa State in the Big 12 conference opener despite both missing significant time this season because of injuries.
Harper, who was injured in the second game of the season against Louisiana Tech, sustained the more serious injury of the two. The Hartwell, Georgia, native got hurt when he attempted to tackle a Louisiana Tech player. He remained in the game for one play but began losing his eyesight and hurried off to the bench.
"I couldn't see anything." Harper said. "I hit No. 6 and then my body just started feeling woozy and stuff. I don't remember what was going through my head because I was in shock. I couldn't see anything."
Harper fell to the ground on the sidelines and was immediately attended to by the teams doctors and trainers. A stretcher was brought out and Harper was strapped down and taken to the hospital with an undisclosed injury. He remained overnight for tests but was released the next day.
"I had a positive attitude about the situation," Harper said. "I was just hoping all of the tests would come back pretty good. I'm back now. I'm feeling better. I'm just going to continue doing what I do best — just go out and have fun."
The news of Harper's return is welcomed by the Kansas defense, which has seen three young cornerbacks all struggle in his absence. Coach Mark Mangino confirmed on Tuesday that Harper and Fields had been practicing and that he planned to have both in the lineup when the Jayhawks take the field in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday.
"It's the type of thing with Kendrick where you just have to see every day how he responds on the practice field," Mangino said. "Do we expect him to play? Yes. Do we expect Dexton to play? Yes."
Fields sustained an injury to his left foot while attempting to catch a pass in the season opener against Florida International on Aug. 30. Fields, who led the Jayhawks in receptions the past two seasons, limped off the field and hasn't dressed since.
"I'm ready to get back in there," Fields said. "I'm just thanking God that my injury wasn't as serious as it could have been. I took a pretty hard fall but I'm back now. It's been hard sitting back and seeing the team struggle at certain times knowing I can help."
Fields, who dislocated his pinky against Oklahoma State in 2006 and returned to catch a touchdown later in the game, attempted to get back for the Sam Houston State game but couldn't. He was forced to sit in the stands with his teammates' families and watch as the Jayhawks lost to South Florida.
"It felt ward because I hadn't really seen the games from that perspective in a long time," Fields said. "I wasn't waving the wheat, but I was definitely jumping more than I should have been."
Edited by Mary Sorrick
VOLLEYBALL
Hawks get ready for Wildcats
Kansas focuses on improving first-set scoring average against K-State
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
The Kansas Volleyball team could stand to improve in several areas heading into tonight's match, but they may want to focus on this one. The Jayhawks have averaged just 17 first-set points in four Big 12 matches this season — they have lost each one.
And tonight's opponent, No. 17 Kansas State, will make it tough to break the trend. Kansas (7-6) hosts K-State (13-2) at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center at 7 p.m.
Coach Ray Bechard knows it's a daunting task to excel in the Big 12, and Kansas past two matches have provided solid proof. Kansas lost to two now top-five teams — Nebraska and Texas — and faces K-State.
"It's another really good team. They obviously are very deserving of their ranking." Bechard said. "They have a lot of senior leadership and will present a great challenge for us."
The Wildcats have plenty of quality
seniors, with two of those being outside hitters Rita Liliom and Nataly Korobkova. They pace the Kansas State offense, averaging 4.35 and 3.00 kills per set respectively. In fact, freshman setter Abby Fay and sophomore outside hitter JuliAnne Chisholm, are the only players to start that are not juniors or seniors. It is a powerhouse program that had been to 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments in a row before missing the tournament last season.
Bechard is also ready for some of the close sets Kansas has lost recently to start swinging the Jayhawks' way. Even though the disasters of the first sets are evident, for sets two through five, the average loss margin for Kansas in Big 12 play is four points. Those small defeats, such as a 25-23 set four loss to Texas on Saturday, are sets the Jayhawks hope to turn around.
"We'd like to get an opportunity where we could extend the match, to have some sets that would go our way," Bechard said "We had a couple of sets against Texas tha
didn't."
Not to mention that sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington also had one of the worst matches of her career on Saturday against Texas. Garlington finished with just four kills total, lowering her season average to 3.94.
But Garlington, like any great player, knows to have a short memory when it comes to matches like Saturday's.
"It's actually pretty motivating right now," Garlington said. "It's motivating me to step up and show them what I got for K-State."
Bechard also knew that Garlington was ready to have a different mindset and game plan for tonight, as she came in early for practice on Monday with assistant coach Ken Murczek to fine-tune aspects of her game. Bechard will not go as far as to offer any predictions for how Garlingen will play tonight. He said that Garlingen had put in the right effort to get back on track.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 5B
SAS KANSAS KANSAS
Weston White/KANSAN
Senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart touches a shot back over the net Saturday night for a Kansas point. Uhart had seven kills and two digs in Kansas' 3-1 loss to Texas.