SPORTS
TERTAVIAN GOES HOME TOTAMPA
The redshirt sophomore faces South Florida on familiar turf. FOOTBALL | 4B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The Hot Route
The Kansan's football writers provide commentary on tonight's game. Go to KANSAN.COM/PODCASTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008
COMMENTARY
Stuckey contributes beyond statistics
THE DEFLECTION
With Kansas narrowly holding a 3-0 lead, Louisiana Tech managed to put together a 22 play, 82-yard drive lasting over nine minutes and was threatening to score. At the lajhwakes five-yard line, on second-and-goal. Builds quarterback dropped back for a pass over the middle.
M. Stoops
Turning back the clock to last week's match up against Louisiana Tech, two plays by junior safety Darrell Stuckey had a bigger impact on the outcome of the game than the box score would suggest: a tackle and a pass deflection. But these two statistics do not give justice for what happened on the field. If not for these two plays, Louisiana Tech could have scored two more touchdowns that would have given fans and media more to gripe about than Kansas' struggles running the ball.
You may ask, just how invaluable were these plays? In case you missed Stuckey's touchdown saving efforts, here is what the box score will not tell you:
So often fans and media get caught up in statistics. You can look at all the box scores and records books in the world and still not have the entire story. Statistics don't take into account junior point guard Sherron Collins fending off a foul from Memphis' Derrick Rose in the National Championship setting up a three-point shot for Mario Chalmers. Statistics don't take into account a junior wide receiver recovering an onside kick in the Orange Bowl to help ensure a Kansas victory.
Stuckey is in the end zone covering Bulldogs' senior tight Anthony Harrison. Harrison, at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, is in perfect position to make a reception over a 6-foot-1, 205-pound Stuckey.
"All I remember about that play is, oh man, I let him get inside on me," recalls Stuckey.
Though Stuckey slipped up, he does not give up and fights through Harrison's hands, knocking the ball out into sophomore cornerback Chris Harris' hands. Harris records an interception and downs the ball in the end zone. Louisiana Tech touchdown averted.
THE TACKLE
Dodging tackle after tackle, sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe's 48-yard touchdown reception not only gave the Jayhawks a 20-0 lead early in the third quarter, but the momentum to put Louisiana Tech away.
After Kansas' kicked the ball off for a touchback, Louisiana Tech started its drive at its 20-vard line.
But as Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend."
On a reverse running play, sophomore wide receiver Phillip Livas darts towards the left sideline and with help from his blockers, breaks into the open. With 4.4-second 40-yard dash speed, Livas would seemingly dart for a touchdown.
But Stuckey is fast too. Over the summer, Stuckey also ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
PAGE 1B
After seeing Livas, Stuckey instinctively puts his down and started sprinting
CORRECTION
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 3B
B. Stoops
Thursday's story "Rival coaches share common roots" misidentified Bob Stoops as the football coach at Arizona. Stoops coaches at Oklahoma. His younger brother, Mike Stoops, coaches football at Arizona.
MORE THAN A ONE-HIT WONDER
Hawks seek recognition
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe slips the first of a handful of tackles on his way to a third-quarter 48-vard touchdown reception. The touchdown put the Hawks up 20-0. Briscoe made seven catches for 146 yards.
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
TAMPA, FL — It was nearly eight months ago that Kansas football players and its fans descended upon the Sunshine State and defeated Virginia Tech 24-21 to win the Orange Bowl in Miami.
Now, once again, they are back in Florida and on the big stage — an ESPN2 matchup with No. 19 South Florida in the home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raymond James Stadium.
As hundreds of fans make the journey to Tampa to root on the lahawks, coach Mark Mangino and his players are out to prove that they are indeed as good as last year's record indicated.
“This is the game where we prove were for real,” said receiver Dezmon Briscoe.
Because ESPN2 wanted to television the game, it was moved to Friday night instead of the originally scheduled Saturday date. Mangino has always been against playing on Friday nights because it interferes
with high school football games. It's only the second Friday game that the Jayhawks have played since he arrived.
"I'd prefer not to play on Friday nights," Mangino said. "I'm a former high school coach, and I'm kind of old-fashioned, so to speak, in the sense that Friday nights have been reserved for high school football around the country. Traditionally. Friday nights are high school football nights, but you have to do what you have to do."
After hearing repeatedly in the offseason that their 12-victory season was the result of a weak schedule, the Hawks now have the chance they've been wanting. In front of a national TV audience, they will get to put to rest the "cupcake schedule" talk and play a ranked team on the road.
"It will be a good challenge for us," Mangino said. "It's a big challenge because it's our first road game of the year and you're always anxious to play well in your first road game but also because it's against a ranked opponent on the road."
Quarterback Todd Reesing has picked
up the slack for the struggling running game, passing for 668 yards and six touchdowns through the first two games of the season. Running backs Jake Sharp and Jocques Crawford have combined to rush for only 113 yards in two games, less than Angus Quigley — the third-string running back when the season began — who has rushed for 133 yards
Briscoe has 16 receptions for a team high 201 yards, and freshman Daymond Patterson made his first career start against Louisiana Tech, with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
The Kansas offense will get a big test from the South Florida defense, especially from George Selvie, a first-team All-American defensive end from a year ago. Trying to slow him down will be Jeff Spikes, a freshman tackle playing in his third game as a Jayhawk.
"Yeah, absolutely," Reesing said when asked if Spikes was up for the challenge of guarding a first-team All-American. "He believes he can do it, and I believe he can
do it. Selvie's a great player, one of the best in the nation, so it's not going to be an easy task, but I know Jeff is going to go out there and give it his best."
- On defense, Kansas will be faced with the tough challenge of stopping quarterback Matt Grothe. The junior is third all time on the Big East rushing list, with 1,567 yards rushing for his career. He accounted for 400 yards of total offense against Central Florida last week when he passed for 346 yards and rushed for 54.
"He's a lot like the quarterbacks of the Big 12," said safety Darrell Stuckey. "Most of our quarterbacks in the Big 12 can run and throw. It's one of those things that we haven't seen, but it's one of those things that will prepare us better to play better in our conference games."
Kansas hopes to enter the conference season undefeated at 4-0. That goal becomes one step closer tonight in a game the team hopes will show the nation that Kansas football is indeed for real.
SOCCER
— Edited by Adam Mowder
Team showcases talent,competes for playing time
BY ANDREW WIEBE awiebe@kansan.com
Mark Francis looks down his bench and sees nothing but options: 17 players ready and waiting for their chance to contribute.
Kansas' roster depth is a luxury Francis has taken advantage of and one he doesn't take for granted. One year ago, the Jayhawks lost senior goalkeeper Julie Hanley and junior defender Jenny Murtaugh for the season with long-term injuries. The team struggled to find a cohesive rotation until Big 12 play.
Sophomore defender Lauren Jackson battles to head the ball away in front of the Kansas goal during the second half of Sunday's game against Auburn.
But heading into this weekend's games against Missouri State and Loyola Chicago, those worries are in the past. Hanley and Murtaugh are back, and the never-ending battle for playing time has been jump-started by a gifted freshman class spicing up the mix.
Francis said the competition at practices had created a squad in which any player can earn the opportunity to play on weekends. The statistics tell the same story. Through Kansas' first four games, all victories, 26 of 28 available players have seen playing time and the starting lineup has been shuffled multiple times.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
"It makes practice more competitive because people are competing to play," Francis said of the constant struggle to see the field. "But it's not a vindictive competition. It's a healthy competition."
The infusion of talent has made bringing fresh players in off the bench during critical points or late in games less of a risk. That confidence is something junior defender Estelle Johnson said wasn't always present a year ago.
"Last year the tempo of the game would decrease or you would feel like you had to cheat to one side" Johnson said. "This year we don't think about that at all. We just play our game and know the person next to us is going to do their job."
Part of that transition was the return of the ultra-versatile Murtaugh, Johnson said. Murtaugh's ability to anchor the defense as well as fill in capably in midfield has given Kansas options where it lacked them in her absence. Her flexibility has been especially valuable as Francis attempts to fill the hole left by senior midfielder Missy Geha's absence due to an undisclosed illness.
UCLA transfer Sarah Salazar also adds another proven midfield option along with freshman Jordyn Perdue, and Hanley has been a presence in goal when Kansas has most needed it. Senior midfielder Jessica Bush said the high level of competition for places has given the jayhawks an extra
edge come game time.
"We are extremely flexible with what we can do." Bush said. "At any point in time different people can step in week to week."
With games coming every Friday and Sunday for the next seven weeks, Bush said having a wealth of options available could be the difference between winning and losing on Sundays.
Those options will come into play this weekend when the Jayhawks travel to Springfield, Mo., to take on the Bears then return to Lawrence to clash with NCAA Tournament participants, Loyola Chicago.
GEHA RETURN DOESN'T
LOOK IMMINENT
Senior midfielder Missy Geha remains out because of an undisclosed illness that has prevented her from regularly attending practice. Francis said.
Geha was allowed to visit practice Tuesday, and she said she was trying to stay positive and support her teammates while she waited to return to action.
When asked if there
Geha
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 3B