4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Big 12 teams to continue showdown with Big East
BY TAYLOR BERN
tbern@kansan.com
The Big East has probably benefited more than any other conference from ESPN telecasts on nights normally reserved for high school football or new episodes of "The Office."
Such games helped teams like Rutgers, Louisville and South Florida rise to national prominence. The Big East is still at it, and this week, Big 12 teams Kansas State, Colorado and Baylor get in on the action with nationally televised games against its eastern foes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.
"I like it because that's what we're doing," Baylor coach Art Briles said, "It's good exposure not just for us, but for everybody."
Last Friday night on ESPN2, Kansas kicked off the four-game conference clash with a heartbreak-ing 37-34 loss at South Florida. Wednesday night, Kansas State lost round two with a 38-29 setback at Louisville on ESPN2. Before last night's loss, Prince's team had not played since Sept. 6 because of a bye week. Because of its Wednesday night game, Kansas State won't play again until Sept. 27.
"I've never been involved with a schedule like this before," Wildcat coach Ron Prince said.
Tonight, Colorado hosts No. 21 West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Mountaineers and quarterback Pat White have had nearly two weeks to stew over their 24-3 loss to the East Carolina Pirates, and Buffalooes coach Dan Hawkins knows his team will face a difficult challenge.
"He's one of the best quarter-
backs in the country." Hawkins
Baylor's quarterback Robert Griffin runs for a 58-yard touchdown past Washington State's Mike Graise in a game, Sept. 12, in Waco, Texas.
On Friday night, one-loss Baylor travels to undefeated Connecticut for the final game of the inter-conference competition on ESPN2. Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors last week for rushing for a school record 217 yards on 11 carries. Griffin rushed for two touchdowns while also throwing for 127 yards and another score.
said. "He's a dual-threat and their offense makes it seem like there's always an extra guy to defend."
Most coaches agree that the exposure is what's best for the conference, but that doesn't mean they all like the situation it puts them in.
"I'm very conflicted about (non- Saturday) games," Prince said. "It's important for our teams to be seen nationally, but football coaches love a routine, doing the same things every week.
"But that horse is out of the barn."
MACK BROWN:
COUCH POTATO
With the postponement of his Saturday game against Arkansas due to Hurricane Ike, Texas coach Mack Brown got to do something he hasn't been able to in a long
time: sit down and watch football.
"I watched Kansas — South Florida Friday night and I didn't move off the couch until the Wisconsin
Fresno State
Brown
couch and had all the football 1 could watch"
At the beginning of the year, Brown thought he had a perfect schedule. On Wednesday, when he and his staff found out the game would be postponed to Sept. 27, Brown looked at the schedule again and cringed.
game was over Saturday night." Brown said. "I never got off the
"We were going to play four non-conference games then have a week off to heal up and get ready for conference play," he said. "Now we play on nine consecutive Saturdays."
ASSOCIATEED PRESS
MIKE LEACH:
SPOKESMAN
Jones AT&T Stodium was in serious trouble on Friday.
Texas Tech's home stadium, which has no roof, flooded when
a pump lapped while trying to keep up with all the rain from Hurricane Ike.
On Friday morning, the entire field was covered with two feet of water.
Leach
The Lubbock Fire Department helped out by pumping 300,000 gallons of water out of the stadium to prepare for a 6 p.m. kickoff with SMU on Saturday.
The field held up to the rain and then some, according to coach Mike Leach.
In addition to promoting FieldTurf on Monday's conference call, Leach also defended his pass-happy system. Leach was asked if his offensive system made NFL coaches look at his quarterbacks
"The amazing thing was the field was like new," Leach said. "We ought to be on a commercial for FieldTurf."
"I doubt it," he said. "If they are, then the NFL coaches are stupid coaches. The NFL has busted on a lot of quarterbacks because they look at the wrong things. You can't make a quarterback accurate in the NFL if he hasn't already become accurate."
Texas A&M players when he hurt his shoulder in last week's victory over New Mexico.
BATTERED AGGIES
Punishing tailback Jovorski Lane didn't play at all in week one because of a neck injury, and he's been limited to just 19 yards on seven carries this season.
Quarterback Stephen McGee joined a growing list of injured
Starting wide receiver Ryan Tannehill, also the team's third string quarterback, is nursing an ankle injury and could miss this weekend's game against Miami (Fla.). In the first two games, he caught eight passes for 116 yards.
Back-up quarterback Jerrrod Johnson performed well in place of McGee on Saturday, throwing three touchdowns and leading the Aggies to victory. McGee has been throwing this week, but coach Mike Sherman has yet to name a starter for Saturday.
"He'll get some rehab and hopefully keep getting better," Sherman said. "It's a day-to-day thing."
Edited by Scott R. Toland
FOOTBALL
QB Thigpen prepares for first NFL start
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Thigpen, the first player from
Coastal Carolina selected in the NFL draft, will be the first to start at quarterback.
The 24-year-old Thigpen will be under center on Sunday for Kansas City when the Chiefs go to Atlanta. It will be exactly
11 months after the struggling young Chiefs (0-2) last won a game.
A 23-8 loss to Oakland on Sunday, in which Thigpen came off the bench and finished 14-for-33, was their 11th straight regular-
season defeat.
"For what we're trying to do, I think he can do a good job of it," coach Herm Edwards said. "He'll be limited in some things but we want to take a look at him."
After coming in for Damon
Huard against Oakland, Thigpen looked every bit like the inexperienced second-year pro that he is, and sent several passes glancing off the hands of defensive backs.
But he appeared to settle down, and eventually hit tight
end Tony Gonzalez with a short downpass and converted the 2-point conversion. He also threw an interception and finished 14-for-33 for 151 yards.
Associated Press