THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
SPORTS
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FANTASY FOOTBALL
Keeping up with weekend's action
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson runs against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter Sunday. As Johnson improves, he will become the focus of the offensive and will earn more carries.
LONG JOHNSON SILVER
The NFL saw a lot of drama over the weekend. Here are the headlines that stood out from the last-second victories and shootouts galore.
Chris Johnson continues to up the ante on NFL fields for the Tennessee Titans. Johnson compiled 109 rushing yards on 19 carries and had two receptions for 12 yards against the Bengals on Sunday. With or without quarterback Vince Young, the Titans do not rely heavily on the passing game. They are a run-first team, and Johnson's explosive ability will earn him more carries as the season goes on, making him the focal point of the offense.
WHERE'S THE BEEF?
Not in Atlanta. After a rout of Detroit in the opening weekend, gravity got hold of the Atlanta offense and brought it back down to Earth against Tampa Bay. Quarterback Matt Ryan looked like a rookie as he threw for 158 yards and two interceptions. Running back Michael Turner showed why he was a career backup until this season because he rushed for only 42 yards on 14 carries. The offense barely got over the 200-yard mark in total yardage. Consider the opening game a fluke because right now Detroit's defense looks awful, and in an NFC South division that is known for strong defenses, the Atlanta offense will struggle throughout the season.
"MY DAD SAYS YOU COULD BE GOOD SOMEDAY"
Fans of Comedy Central's "South Park" will immediately
recognize this line that was aimed at Jay Cutler. Well, it looks like Cutler's time has come. Cutler, quarterback of the Denver Broncos, threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns Sunday, leading Denver to a one-point victory against San Diego. Coach Mike Shanahan went for a two-point conversion at the end of the game, and Cutler connected with wide receiver Eddie Royal to earn the victory. Not all news is good for Cutler, though, because controversy surrounds a call that kept Denver's final drive alive. An inadvertent whistle bleed dead what would have been a Cutler fumble. Ed Hochuli was the official who blew the whistle and, according to ESPN, his grade will be lowered, which could affect his status for working the playoffs and his retention in the league.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Where was the Indianapolis offense in the first half of Sunday's game against the Vikings?
Quarterback Peyton Manning completed only 13 passes for 18 yards, and running back Joseph Addai gained a whopping four yards on nine carries. The Vikings looked to be in control, riding the tails of their defense and special teams for a 9-0 lead at halftime. But things turned around drastically in the second half, as Manning led the comeback with 226 passing yards in the second half, and the Colts escaped with an 18-15 victory. After the performance of the offense in the first two games, the Colts should feel lucky to be 1-1 right now.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF?
Is it possible for an entire team to have a collective case of turf toe? St. Louis looked pathetic in its first two games of the season. Its defense is never anything special, and it has given up 79 points in two games. But its offense was supposed to carry the load. The offense couldn't carry a sponge
right now, putting together a total of 16 points in its first two games. Quarterback Marc Bulger had a mere 177 passing yards against the Giants Sunday, and running back Steven Jackson didn't add much with only 53 rushing yards. If the Rams don't get their act together, they may find themselves in a heated battle with the Lions for the first pick in next year's draft.
NO SOUP FOR YOU!
That was Washington quarterback Jason Campbell's statement to the New Orleans defense. Campbell had a career day with 351 passing yards and a touchdown in the win against the Saints. It was a completely different story compared to the 133 passing yards he compiled in a week one loss to the Giants. With a strong running game to lean on, Campbell could gain confidence throughout the season and turn into a big playmaker.
Edited by Lauren Keith
FOOTBALL
South Florida fans respond to criticism
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
The story "Some KU fans rattled by insults at South Florida game," which ran in Tuesday's University Daily Kansan, generated lots of feedback from Bulls fans. Here are a few remarks from South Florida fans from e-mail and Kansan.com.
Web user MJMcDonough
"Dear KU fans, I for one want to send my deepest apology for the behavior of some of the Bull fans you encountered at the KU vs USF game. I tell all my friends we need to be like the Auburn fans who I feel are some of the best in all of college football. In the south football is king but sadly some of our fans do not realize that it doesn't give us the right to be total asses."
— Web user BullFreak
"It is unfortunate that a small portion of our new fans act in such a way that has caused such a negative impression on our Kansas visitors. Those young idiots are NOT representative of our overall fan base. Rather, they are punks who incorrectly assume that buying a ticket to a sporting event gives you a license to treat others with disrespect, an assumption that ALL of us feel is incorrect."
seen any game where fans were as abusive as you suggest. Did you actually see this or did you just here (sic) it from disappointed KU fans?
"I don't think that your comments on the USF fans were accurate or unbiased. I have been to almost home game since football started here, and I haven't
Obviously, I can't say that nothing happened as there were 58,000 people there, but I can tell you that there was nothing like the outburst that you have suggested, and I find it is dishonest for you to portray it as such. That's a shame because I was there for the tailgating for over 3 hours and saw many people with KU jerseys freely intermingling with USF fans and I saw nothing more than friendly kidding."
Eric Lamison
"I have to say I am disappointed to hear that so many KU fans felt they were treated poorly. This is not the image our university wants to portray. I know many fans, myself included, that went out of their way to welcome KU fans and wish them luck. However, like at any school, there are a few rotten apples. I think this is even more prevalent at USF because of our surprisingly quick rise in national rankings and relevance. I believe there are many uneducated, first-time fans at USF who just don't understand what it means to be a football fan. Granted, some of the actions mentioned have nothing to do with "being a football fan", but rather simple common courtesy. I can assure you the majority of USF fans are far better behaved than that."
— Jose Pizarro
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