Sports
Coach Amy Hall said the Kansas tennis team was ready to make a statement at a regional tournament in Salt Lake City this weekend, and she was proven right. PAGE 2B
sports commentary
The University Daily Kansan
1B
Monday, October 27, 2003
Shane Mettlen
smettlen@kansan.com
'Hawks rely too much on Whittemore as Superman
It was something we all knew but didn't want to admit. Bill Whittemore is not Superman.
We asked the senior quarterback to put the weight of the Jayhawk world on his shoulders and the he gladly accepted the challenge. We wanted to believe he could handle it, and he could, for a while.
Superman occasionally had to ward off villains armed with kryptonite and set on taking over the world. Whittimore was constantly battered by linebackers and strong safeties set on dashing the lavhawks' dreams.
In the movies and comic books, Superman always recovers just in time to save the day. In real life. Whittmore can't always be expected to do the same.
As much as we wanted to believe that he was an immortal being sent down from a planet far, far away to defend truth, justice and the Jayhawk way, deep down we all knew it could end at any moment.
The weight of the Jayhawk world was too much for the Whittemore. Apparently the shoulder of one man wasn't quite enough to carry it. We should have seen it coming. Maybe we did but were afraid to say it out loud.
But it was so much fun dreaming of football glory with a golden armed quarterback at the helm. Who wanted to ruin that with talk of a Whittemore getting hurt?
We had seen it before, though. He showed us he was human last year when he went down with an injury against Missouri. He was hurt his sophomore year at Fort Scott Community College too. And it's not like Whittemore isn't tough enough.
tough enough. A lesser man wouldn't have lasted this long. Whittimore had already taken hits this year that made spectators cringe. A lesser man would have already been knocked out for the season when Kansas State took him out.
And at that time the Jayhawks' dreams were still alive. The Wildcats led only by a 7-3 margin. Kansas had out-gained them in terms of total yards, despite two turnovers.
But neither Brian Luke nor John Nielsen proved to be adequate replacements. The Lex Luther in purple they call Bill Snyder had his boot on the throat of the Jayhawks and proceeded to stomp.
That's what happens when so much rests on one guy. He tries to do too much. He stays in the pocket looking for a receiver just a little too long. He lowers his shoulder and goes for the extra yard when conventional wisdom says he should slide and avoid the hit. That's what Whittemore did all season and it finally caught up to him.
SEE METTLEN ON PAGE 3B
Kansas quarterback Bill Whittemore was buried under a pile of Kansas State defenders near the goal line. Whittemore injured his shoulder on the play and did not return to the game. Kansas scored a field goal after the incident but lost the game 42-6.
Kansas knocked Whitt-less
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
MANHATTAN - It was just one play late in the first quarter, but it was the one play that spelled disaster.
Not only did it doom Kansas for the rest of the afternoon at Kansas State, but possibly the remainder of the 2003 season.
On a third-down scramble at the Kansas State three yard line, senior quarterback Bill Whittemore dove toward the goal line.
goal line.
Upon landing, a swarm of Wildcat defenders smothered him. After Whittemore emerged from the pile a yard shy of a touchdown, trainers escorted him to the locker room, barely able to hold up his right arm under his own power with what is suspected to be an injury to his collarbone.
Kansas State defeated Kansas for the 11th straight year by a count of 42-6, but that was a moot point compared to the bigger loss the Jayhawks suffered. Whitemore, the nation's second-highest rated passer, may never play in a Kansas uniform again.
"It's unlikely you'll see him the rest of
the year," coach Mark Mangino said after the game. "There's no excuses. We dressed 70 kids today and one of them got hurt. And 69 others played, and we didn't get it done."
Backups Brian Luke and John Nielsen both struggled to get the offense moving after Whittemore's departure.
departure. In just a freak moment, this 2003 season just took one very interesting twist. Many questions are now left hanging about the remainder of Kansas' season.
Is a bowl game even a reasonable possibility anymore?
How do the Jayhawks respond in another hostile environment at Texas A&M next weekend?
Will Mangino lift the redshirt on his quarterback of the future, freshman Adam Barmann?
Adam Bahnam The first two questions will be answered over the course of the next four weeks as Kansas wraps up its regular season, but Mangino addressed his quarterback situation immediately.
"Don't be surprised to see Adam Barmann show up to play at College Station." Mangino said about next week.
"We'll probably make a decision
Monday night or Tuesday morning."
Morning's game featured two different Saturday's game featured two different Jayhawk offenses — pre-Whittemore and post-Whittemore.
and post Whittemore left for the season. Kansas had momentum in its corner.
After both teams swapped fumbles early in the game, Kansas State scored first on a three-yard run by quarterback Ell Roberson.
The ensuing Kansas drive was when Whittemore went down, but how the Jayhawks got into the Kansas State red zone was impressive.
The seven play, 61-yard drive included pass plays of 22 and 26 yards.
Johnny Beck capped the drive with an 18-yard field goal that made the score 7-3.
More importantly, it showed that Kansas was not intimidated by a defense that has traditionally shown the Jayhawks no mercy.
Along to the locker room with Whitte-more went the second dimension to the Kansas offense—a quarterback who can make plays with his feet.
A completely different offense took the field on the next Kansas possession.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 6B
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Wildcats overpower Jayhawks
The 2005 installment of the Kansas State-Kansas rivalry football game ended the same way it has for the previous 10 years.
Kansas left the field dejected and humiliated while Kansas State marveled at another victory over an underachieving Kansas team after Saturday's 42-6 result.
The Kansas State fans seemed intent on keeping their upstart rival in place, chanting "same old Jayhawks," late in the fourth quarter when any chance of a Jayhawk comeback became obliterated.
SEE WILDCATS ON PAGE 6B
Volleyball tied for fifth in Big 12
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Buffaloes defeated the Jay.
The Kansas volleyball team split its two matches this past week, failing to secure sole possession of fifth place in the Big 12 Conference.
Instead Kansas finds itself tied for fifth with Colorado. Kansas has never finished higher than sixth, and the top five teams in the Big 12 last season were selected for the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas won the first game 50-24 behind the strong play of sophomore middle blocker Josi Lima and Michaels.
"I took up in game three and couldn't believe how many kills I had," Michaels said. "I really don't pay attention to that until the match is actually over."
hawks 3-2 Friday in Boulder, Colo., just two days after Kansas defeated Texas 3-2, in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
In the Texas match, junior middle blocker Ashley Michaels led the Jayhawks with a season-high 24 kills.
Lima had five kills and zero errors and Michael's added seven kills.
After a 30-28 victory in game two, it looked as if it would be a short night for the Longhorns.
But Texas battled back, taking games three and four by a score of 30-19, and 30-25, to force a fifth game. Michaels tallied the final kill of the match, as the crowd of 611 Jayhawk fans erupted.
"We should have had them in three, we know we should have," Michaels said. "But I think our team likes the suspense, and we do that every time."
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said he
was not only happy with the victory, but the way the team has played through the first half of the Big 12 season.
"This is the best finish we've had in the first round of Big 12 play, we are 6-4 but we need to get 11 or 12 conference wins so the NCAA will not have to make the decision," Bechard said.
That decision is whether or not the Jayhawks will be invited to the NCAA tournament. A victory in Colorado would have helped the decision-making process.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 3B
By Nikki Nugent
nnugent@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Soccer wins twice on weekend
Perhaps Friday's soccer match between Kansas and Oklahoma was a sign of what's to come for the Jayhawks.
With the 3-1 victory, the Jayhawks tied a school record 13 wins in a season. The last Jayhawk team to record 13 wins in a season was the 2001 team.
Kansas coach Mark Francis said Friday's victory helped the Jayhawks in the quest for their season goal: a trip back to the NCAA Tournament.
"We've still got to take care of business
in the last two games," he said, "but I think this is a great start going into the last couple of games."
Kansas dominated a game that went from warm and sunny at kickoff to windy and cool moments later.
The Jayhawks came out strong early, with forward Rachel Giffillan firing the team's first shot at Oklahoma goalkeeper Catherine Wade before the first minute of play elapsed.
Just six minutes later, Kansas junior midfielder Lauren Williams put the ball in the net for the Jayhawks.
Kansas forward Caroline Smith's breakaway shot was deflected by Wade, but Williams, waiting for the rebound
put the ball in from five yards out, giving the lahvawbs the early lead.
Oklahoma answered the Jayhawks' goal in the19th minute on a shot by forward Becky Nelson.
Nelson shot the ball around Kansas goalkeeper Meghan Miller from about 12 yards out, placing the ball just inside the right post.
The game didn't stay tied for long. Kansas junior forward Monica Brothers scored on a put-back in the 23rd minute, giving the Jayhawks a 2-1 lead. Amy Geha and Gilfillan were credited with the assist.
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 3B
John Nowak/Kansan
Kansas forward Caroline Smith slid a pass through the Oklahoma defense. Smith added the final goal in the first half as Kansas rolled past the Sooners 3-1 Friday afternoon.
1