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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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TENNIS TITANS
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Three talented freshmen combine forces with veterans to start season strong. TENNIS 3B
Maryland
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19,2008
Edited by Kelsey Hayes
COMMENTARY
PAGE1B
Before doing that chant remember Hurricane Ike
With the football team's heartbreaking loss to South Florida last Friday, some Jayhawks fans are itching to see Kansas demolish Sam Houston State tomorrow. You want to see junior quarterback Todd Reesing get out on the field and throw all over the Bearkats' secondary. You want to see senior linebacker James Holt continue his reign as a fumble-forcing freak on the field. But mostly, you want to see Kansas win, and win big. You want to know that the Jayhawks' magic from last season's Orange Bowl is still alive.
It is safe to say a blowout is likely. Kansas is out of Sam Houston State's league, Iterally, The Division FCS Bearkats' last competition against a Big 12 opponent resulted in 39-3 loss to Oklahoma State in 2007. The year before that? A 56-3 whipping by Texas. With scores like that, you're probably warming up your vocal chords right now for the infamous student section tradition. You know it by heart. You think any Kansas kickoff would be incomplete without it. Come on, say it. You know you want to. "Rip his (expletive) head off!"
But as much as you love the profane chant, it is time to retire it. Pack it away, put it in your scrapbook and move on. For what should have never became a tradition in the first place, this weekend, more than ever, is a time for students to show they have a little class. In case you're wondering why it is appropriate to drop the chant, Sam Houston State fell victim to Hurricane Ike this past weekend.
FOOTBALL
Early Saturday, like neared Huntsville, Texas, home to Sam Houston State University. Though the hurricane had moved more than 100 miles from Galveston, where it was strongest, residents felt more than a splash. When like first hit. The Huntsville Item reported that more than 90 percent of residents were left without power. Trees uprooted, leaving one woman dead from a tree crashing through her home. Roughly 1,500 people from areas affected were relocated to shelters in the town. On Wednesday, the city issued a press release that there was still a 9 p.m. curfew and that the Walker County Emergency Operations Center had "water, ice and MREs (meals, ready to eat)" available on a limited basis.
With everything the team has been through down in Huntsville over the past week, no fan should be screaming for anyone on Sam Houston State's roster to have his head ripped off. Coach Mark Mangino acknowledged the Bearkats have had a "difficult" time because of the hurricane in his weekly press conference; the fans should recognize that too. So cheer loudly, stand up and be loud. It's what fans are supposed to do — but forget "Rip his (expletive) head off!"
On campus, things were not quite as bad. Because of the problems off campus, classes have been cancelled through Monday, Sept. 22. In a statement issued on Tuesday, university President Jim Gaertner issued a statement saying, "A major component in our decision was that many of our students, faculty and staff commute from areas where gasoline is scarce, and a commute to campus would be a major problem, if not an impossibility"
For the football players of Sam Houston State, things have been tough as well. Last Saturday's game against Prairie View A&M was postponed, and the team hasn't played since its season-opener against East Central Oklahoma University Tigers on Aug. 28. The Bearkats also did not get an opportunity to practice for tomorrow's game until this Monday.
Angus Quigley, a third-string running back, leads the Jayhawks in rushing with 153 yards in three games, including their loss at South Florida last Friday. Starter Jake Sharp and transfer Jacques Crawford have recorded 62 and 64 yards, respectively. The team hopes to use tomorrow's game against Sam Houston State to jump start its running game.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Wanted: a stronger running game
BY B.J. RAINS rains@kansan.com
A quick look at the Kansas football stat sheet shows that the Kansas running game has averaged just 105 yards per game. Angus Quigley, the team's third-string running back at the beginning of the season, leads the team in rushing with just 153 yards in three games.
The problem for coach Mark Mangino and Kansas is not that the run game is struggling, but trying to figure out why.
"The run game is obviously not where we want it to be at this point in time," Mangino said. "We are behind in that area and there are several reasons for it."
One group to blame, obviously, is the running backs. Junior college transfer Jocques Crawford has just 64 yards on the
ground and Jake Sharp, who has started all three games, has only 62.
"I don't think the running backs at times are seeing things as well as they ought to"
Mangino said. "I think there are times when there are creases and lanes and we are just not seeing them."
Another group to blame is the offensive line, which features three returning starters on the interior but
les." Mangino said. "And when we watch the tape, those guys are a small part of the problem. They're not the problem."
Perhaps the biggest reason for the run-
"I'm guilty of this myself — we've put a lot of it on the shoulders of the two tack-
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two freshman tackles on the outside, jeff Spikes and Jeremiah Hatch are playing in their first few games at the college level, but Mangino said it would be unfair to put the blame on them.
Listen to the Kansan's football writers discuss the game on The Hot Route at kansan.com/podcasts.
given reason for the running game's struggles has been the blocking of the wide receivers. Several plays have been close to becoming long runs, but opposing corner-backs have been able to break lose from the KU wide receivers and make
the tackles. Mangino has been critical of the wideouts in recent days, but Jonathan Wilson said that they are working to improve.
"It's not as easy as everyone thinks it is." Wilson said. "You're out in the open, and the refs can see a lot more of what's going
on. You can't do all that holding and stuff like that. They can dodge out of the way, so you have to keep your feet under you and keep a good base. We're going to work on that. I expect us to do better."
SOCCER
Playing a sub-par team such as Saturday's opponent, Sam Houston State, should provide a much-needed chance for the Jayhawks to get their running game going. With a bye week to follow before Big 12 Conference play starts Oct. 4th at Iowa State, the offense needs to get their running game going or else.
"We will do the things that are necessary." Mangino said. "Obviously we will practice it and if it does not improve we will make personnel changes if we need to."
Edited by Kelsey Hayes
Weekend schedule features ranked foes
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@ku.edu
The smooth sailing is over for No. 21 Kansas.
One week after suffering its first defeat of 2008, Mark Francis' team is heading into choppy waters.
Kansas will spend this weekend in the hurricane-weary sunshine state, taking on No.18 Central Florida tonight at 6, then in a matchup with No.15 Florida on Sunday afternoon.
"It's going to be two tough games for us," Francis said. "I knew that when I scheduled it."
Kansas is prepared to put its 5-1 start to the test against two ranked foes on the road—a scenario that has frustrated Francis' teams since he arrived in Lawrence. From the time Francis took the reins in 1999, the Jayhawks are 2-13-2 against ranked opponents away from the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
That number is even more ominous considering Kansas has been outscored 39-8 during those 17 games. But those were different teams, and Kansas isn't letting those foreboding statistics keep them from entering the weekend expecting to walk away with positive results.
"You go into it wanting to win both games," Francis said. "If you go outside of that, then you just kind of see what happens."
What happens will largely be determined by whether Kansas can bounce back from last Sunday's disappointing lost to Loyola-Chicago. Though the Jayhawks outplayed the Ramblers for long periods, two defensive lapses and inefficient play going forward cost them in a 2-1 defeat.
Against UCF and Florida, Francis' team
Florida is 4-1-1, and rolling since losing to UCF. But by the time the Gators face Kansas Sunday at noon, they will be playing their third straight game against a ranked opponent. Part of that trio of games includes a clash with No.5 Portland Friday evening on the west coast, followed by a cross-country flight to return in time for Sunday's contest.
wont have the wiggle room to make up for those types of mistakes. The Knights are 5-0-1 since losing to Florida State in their season open with victories against Florida and then-No. 18 Illinois.
"They play in Portland on Friday night then travel all the way across the country Saturday," Francis said. "They are going to be tired, too. I think it's just going to be whoever deals with it better."
Senior midfielder Jessica Bush said she was eager to see how Kansas will emerge from this weekend after hitting its first rough stretch last weekend. Not to mention the weather and the competition both promise to be top notch.
"We are playing in great weather, against great teams and I think this is going to be a good test for us," Bush said.
Regardless of this weekend's results, Kansas will emerge from its most difficult test thus far road-tested and prepared for what promises to be a challenging Big 12 slate.
Francis said he scheduled this weekend's final nonconference tune-up with an eye toward showing his team the kind of commitment it would take to equal or to improve on last season's third-place conference finish.
"We put that right before conference because I think it gives us a great com-
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 3B
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Senior midfielder, Jessica Bush, advances the ball past the defender in Sunday's game. The Jayhawks will face off with two ranked teams, Central Florida and Florida this weekend.