monday, november 24, 2003
sports
the university daily kansan 7
7A
Quarterbacks result in difference for teams, victory
By Kevin Flaherty kflaherty@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Saturday's 36-7 Kansas victory over Iowa State was almost a clone of the 2002 45-3 Cyclone victory over the Jayhawks. It featured two programs headed in completely different directions.
KANSAS - 36 IOWA STATE - 7
Iowa State Kansas
First Downs 11 22
Rushes-Yards 36-97 44-180
Passing Yards 79 221
Punt Returns-Yards 1-3 3-30
Kick Returns-Yards 6-110 0-0
Punts-Avg. 8-40.1 5-44.0
Penalties-Yards 3-29 4-25
Time of Possession 24:49 33:10
Kansas struggled to a 2-10 record last season, including 0-8 in the Big 12 Conference, while Iowa State thrived under Seneca Wallace, a senior quarterback who made everyone around him better. The Cyclones struggled at the end of the season after starting 6-1, and finished with a 7-7 record and a bowl berth.
This season, the roles are reversed. Iowa State (2-9, 0-7) needs a victory in the last game against Missouri to finish the season with a Big 12 victory.
Kansas started the season successfully under the guidance of senior quarterback Bill Whittemore, starting the season 5-2 before sneaking into bowl contention with a 6-6 record.
So how did Kansas rise in the Big 12 while Iowa State fell back to the pack?
The major reason for Kansas's turnaround and Iowa State's struggles this season has been the play of both teams' quarterbacks. Both Austin Flynn and Waye Terry are good athletes but inaccurate passers who make mental mistakes with the football.
Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said he didn't feel comfortable with Iowa State's offense because of the mental errors committed by the quarterbacks.
"Offensively there was no consistency whatsoever at the quarterback position," McCarney said. "We don't need Marino, we don't need Sonny Jurgensen, we don't
need a Terry Bradshaw. We'd just like to have somebody step in there with some consistency to stop the nonsense of rolling quarterbacks through there."
Charles Gordon flipped Iowa State quarterback Waya Terry on a rush in the first half. Gordon notched four tackles during the afternoon.
In no game was this more evident for Iowa State than in Saturday's game.
John Nowak/Kansan
The Iowa State offense only accounted for 16 total offensive yards in the fourth quarter and 176 yards on the game. The most accurate quarterback on the Cyclones team was Terry, who hit five of his 12 passes for 50 yards. Meanwhile the punter, Tony Yelk, hit on his only pass attempt for a first down on an early扑 fake.
lace torched Kansas 252 total yards, despite not playing much the second half. This time, it was Whittemore's turn as the senior accounted for 306 total yards and three touchdowns.
Both Flynn and Terry had decent runs in the game that showed off their athleticism, but neither could keep the Iowa State offense moving on a consistent basis. After Terry fueled two consecutive drives with the help of strong running by Stevie Hicks, the Iowa State offense fell apart. McCarney used five quarterback changes in the game but never rekindled the offensive firepower the Cyclones showed in the first half.
In last season's game, Zach Dyer and Bill Whittemore were inefficient at best, completing just 10-31 passes as the Jayhawks struggled and put up 150 offensive yards in the loss. Seneca Wal-
While Kansas could be receiving a bowl berth in the near future, Iowa State may stay home with the distinction as the worst team in the Big 12, as Kansas did last season.
Recruiting for McCarney is a must. McCarney is generally considered the one who turned around Iowa State, but he did so rather abruptly. The Cyclones suffered five straight losing seasons under McCarney, before going 9-3 in 2000 with an Insight.com bowl berth, which he then followed with two bowl seasons.
The key to McCarney's good teams has been the quarterback. Sage Rosenfels and Seneca Wallace both ran the offense efficiently in the bowl seasons by adding a passing threat. If Flynn or Terry cannot step up, and the Cyclones cannot sign anyone, they may be headed for another streak of losing seasons.
Iowa State is a team that has lost 15 of its last 18 games and seems to be losing its confidence.
"We've got a lot of kids on this team giving us a great effort, but who aren't getting any reward."
McCarney said.
As for the last game of the season this year, Iowa State will go about preparing for Missouri the way they would any other game, but for the seniors it means so much more.
Jordan Carstens, Iowa State senior defensive tackle, said he had been to a bowl game in each of his three seasons prior to this one.
"With the sort of talent that we know that we have, to not be able to exploit it, it's disappointing, that's really all I can say about it." Carstens said.
Edited by Abby Sidesinger
FOOTBALL: Experience helps quarterback lead team to victory
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
the Iowa State backfield.
Coming out of the locker room from halftime with a 12-7 lead, the Kansas defense locked down any Iowa State attempts to move the ball. The Cyclones were able to gain 137 yards in the first half, but could only muster 39 in the final two quarters.
"We've been hearing stuff, and we know the third quarter's been
killing us the past couple weeks," sophomore linebacker Gabe Toomey said. "We knew we had to come up and keep the momentum if not turn it up a couple notches, and that's what the guys did."
The Kansas offense remained efficient in the second half but was not relied upon as heavily as in the first half. Kansas was constantly granted with favorable field position by both forcing three-and-
outs, as well as turnovers. The most unlikely star was sophomore safety Rodney Fowler.
Fowler picked off two late Cyclone passes, including returning one for a 10-yard score to cap off the Jayhawks' first victory since defeating Baylor on Oct.18.
The Jayhawks are now boweleligible for the first time since 1995 and could receive an invitation from either the Fort Worth
Bowl or the Tangerine Bowl, both of which had representatives at Saturday's game.
The team realized that it might need a little help with victories from Nebraska and Texas, in addition to a sixth victory, to solidify its bowl hopes. Whittemore said just knowing that the first order of business had been taken care of was a big relief.
- Edited by Abby Sidesinger
John Nowak/Kansan
Linebacker Nick Reid wrapped up quarterback Waye Terry on a run. The KU defense limited Terry to 19 total rushing yards and Iowa State's offense to 51 yards during the last three quarters.
Chattanooga forward Champion still not impressed with Allen Fieldhouse
By Joey Berlin
jberlin@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas coach Bill丝 watched as his Jayhawks scored a victory against UTenn-Channooa Fridavnight. The Jayhawks wounded 90-76.
Sean Smith/Kansan
The tradition and mystique of Allen Fieldhouse didn't mean much to Tennessee-Chattanooga senior forward Ashley Champion before his team arrived there for Friday night's season opener with Kansas.
"You see one gym," Champion said before the Moccasins traveled to Lawrence, "you've seen them all."
Even after losing 90-76 at the hands of the Jayhawks in front of a packed Fieldhouse, Champion stood by his original statement.
So, there's no difference between Allen Fieldhouse and anywhere else he's played?
"No," he said. "No, there's not."
Even if Kansas' arena didn't faze Champion and his teammates, the team that plays there did its part to rattle them. A strong start for the Mocs collapsed under the weight of 18 first-half turnovers, including five in the final two minutes.
Steals by junior forward
Wayne Simien and junior guard Aaron Miles, and two by freshman guard Jeremy Case, keyed a breakneck 13-0 Kansas run to end the half. Chattanooga's lead; which had grown as high as 21-12, was a distant memory at the break as Kansas led 42-30.
Chattanooga coach Jeff Lebo said it was hard for his team to simulate the Jayhawks' defensive pressure in practice because his team doesn't play the same type of defense. Kansas finished with 30 points off turnovers.
of the ball in the second half, turning it over just five times. But Kansas' top post players, Simien and freshman center David Padgett, got more involved on the offensive end, ending any thoughts of a comeback.
"We were getting knocked off our routes, so to speak, and bobbled the ball at different times," Lebo said. "We weren't making good, strong, hard cuts, and their pressure really bothered us in the first half."
Simien and Padgett killed the Mocs with their combination of size and ability to run the floor, getting several baskets in transition. Simien finished with 21 points.
Champion and senior guard Jason Rogan did their part to make the Fieldhouse seem like just another gym, especially early on. The pair each scored eight of the Mocs' first 16 points, fueling Chattanooga's early charge. Champion finished with 20 points, and Rogan led Chattanooga with 22. But Champion's six turnovers led the Mocs.
"We got a little fatigued," Lebo said. "They got some easy ones in transition inside, and that bothered us a little bit.
Chattanooga took better care
Padgett, who had been held scoreless in the first half, finished with 13.
"They're awfully hard. They're big and strong, and they wear, on you."
— Edited by Shane Mettlen
BASKETBALL: Team to adjust with shuffling starting lineup
Freshman center David Padgett was one Jayhawk who wasn't scoring in the first half. He contributed in another way, grabbing six first-half rebounds. Padgett said he was not getting open looks in the first half.
"Getting the first basket makes everything easier," he said. "I'm trying to get every ball I can and play hard, and the rest will take care of itself."
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
In the final nine-and-a-half minutes of the first half, the Jayhawks went on a 30-9 scoring run, giving the 'Hawks a 42-30 halftime lead. Kansas' defense played as well as they have played all year during that run according to Self, forcing 18 Chattanooga turnovers in the first half. Self said that the team's defense during that stretch changed the game.
Padgett did lead his team in scoring in the second half, when all of his 13 points came. He also had 10 rebounds, five blocks and three assists.
Self said that Padgett has locked up a place in the team's starting lineup over senior forward Jeff Graves for now. Graves
"He hasn't been himself lately." Self said. "Jeff has to adjust on how to come off the bench and give us some production.
"I think it was weird for a lot of people to not see No. 10 and 4 run out of the tunnel," Langford said of Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison. "It was weird for me not seeing them. At the same time, we've got to go with what we've got."
"I told him 'You to have to make a great play to stay in the game. You just have to be Jeff,'" Self said. "But sometimes we get out of character and his knee really didn't allow him to play the way he's capable of."
What about former coach Roy Williams?
Langford was the Jayhawks leading scorer with 24 points. He said that this game helped to create this team's new identity.
"It didn't cross my mind," Langford said.
played only six minutes, registering zero points, two rebounds and two fouls. He has been bothered with a sore knee.
Edited by Erin Riffey
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