4B the university daily kansan
wednesday, october 8,2003
sports
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Kansas splits Border War on ice
Kansas and Missouri have met in many heralded battles on football fields and basketball courts. Last weekend the two teams proved the rivalry doesn't lose anything on ice.
The KU ice hockey team (3-1-1-0) faced the Missouri Tigers this weekend in two extremely close games in a series that has come to define them. On Friday night, the two teams took the ice, and the presence of the Border War took over with some hard checks and a few elbow throws.
Missouri scored in the first period, but Joe Barghini, St. Louis Park, Minn., junior, came back with the first Jayhawk goal of the evening.
That seemed to get the bad blood flowing. In the third period, Kansas' Dave Hall, Wichita junior, and a player from Missouri were ejected following an on ice altercation.
As the clock wound down in the third period things looked bleak for the Jayhawks, who were down
In overtime, Jeff Engel, St. Louis senior, scored the winning goal only 55 seconds into the extra period, giving Kansas a 3-2 victory.
Saturday night, the Jayhawks took on the Tigers again in another tight match. No one got kicked out, but there were quite a few punches thrown on both ends. Kansas scored four goals, two from Davis, and one each from Dave Hiebsch, Wichita senior, and Ryne Tusten, Olathe freshman.
KitLefler/Kansan
Sophomore Jeff Evans and junior Geoff Knight battled for the puck during practice yesterday. The KU ice hockey team plays Southwest Missouri State Friday at the Canlan Ice Sports Complex in Shawnee.
"It's always great to score the winning goal. It is even better to score it versus Missouri," Engel said.
In goal for Kansas was Marty McSorley, Webster Grove, Mo. senior, and Richit Prendergast, Overland Park sophomore, who combined to stop 25 shots on goal.
2-1. But Matt Davis, Topeka junior, proved to be the savior, netting a goal with only 17 seconds remaining to tie the game.
The Jayhawks outshot the Tigers 32 to 28, but still lost the contest, 5-4 on a late shot by Missouri.
Tech QB Symons keeps record-setting tradition
By Jeff Sheldon Daily Nebraskan via U-wire University of Nebraska
Edited by Dave Nobles
LINCOLN, Neb. — TexasTech coach Mike Leach boasts an impressive resume of quarterbacks who piled up impressive statistics executing his pass-happy spread offense.
Tim Couch at Kentucky, Josh Heupel at Oklahoma and, most recently, Kliff Kingsbury at Tech all took advantage of Leach's aerial schemes to break nearly every passing record at their respective schools.
The senior completed 54-of-46 passes for 505 yards and a conference-record eight touchdowns against Texas A&M, to earn honors as the Big 12 Conference's offensive player of the week.
"We kind of let the numbers speak for themselves," Leach said. "There's no question in my I think the best player in the country is."
But, even Leach can't help but be impressed by the gaudy numbers put up by his current phenom, B.J. Symons.
Those numbers say a lot. In fact, Symons' total yardage was his lowest in three weeks. The Houston native broke the Big 12 record for yards in a game in back-to-back
weeks. He torched Mississippi for 661 yards in Tech's 49-45 win the week after throwing for 586 yards in a loss at North Carolina State.
Last year Kingsbury threw for 5,017 yards and 45 touchdowns in 14 games. Symons is well on pace to break those records in 11 games.
On the season, Symons has racked up 2,467 yards through the air and 24 touchdowns in Tech's five games. The Red Raiders lead the nation in both passing yards and total offense.
"I don't know of any numbers I've ever heard of like that," said Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, who has the unenviable task of facing the Red Raiders this week. "I don't think I've seen anyone slow them down. You're not going to stop them."
Symons has the Texas Tech offense running even more efficiently than his predecessor, Kingsbury, who holds virtually every Tech career passing record in three seasons as a starter.
Symons also benefits from an experienced and deep receiver corps. Senior wideouts Wes Welker and Carlos Francis and junior Nehemih Glover each caught six balls against A&M. Welker and Francis had more than 100 yards receiving, while Glover found the end zone three times.
"Kingsbury was phenomenal last year, but B.J. looks like he's playing better," McCarney said. "His arm strength looks like it's better and
In his lone season as the starter, Symons has a chance to surpass Kingsbury's best single-season totals.
"He'd be a lot of fun to watch if you didn't have to coach against him."
With the absence of a consistent running game, this is Leach's version of offensive balance: having five explosive skill players on the field capable of shredding defenses into demoralized pieces.
"It's one of the main objectives in what we do offensively," Leach said, "to get the ball in a lot of people's hands. I think that's what makes the offense go, is to utilize every skill player out there with good distribution."
"Balance isn't necessarily handing it to one running back part of the time and periodically throwing it to one of two receivers the other part of the time." Leach said. "Balance is utilizing all five skill positions and making sure they touch the ball."
he's definitely more elusive. He's playing like a quarterback who has been starting for three years.
DETROIT — Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Charles Rogers broke his right collarbone in practice yesterday and is expected to miss at least a month.
Rogers, the No.2 overall pick in the draft, got tangled up with cornerback Dre' Bly and was taken to a local hospital.
Lions' Rogers breaks collarbone in practice
"It looks like it is going to be a matter of weeks before he is going to be able to return," coach Steve Mariucci said.
Rogers led the Lions with 22 receptions for 243 yards and three touchdowns in five games.
With Rogers out, Mariucci said Az-Zahir Hakim, Bill Schroeder, Scott Anderson and Shawn Jefferson will have to pick up the slack.
"They got to get it done. That is what I told them and told the team after practice." Mariucci said.
Running back Shawn Bryson was the Lions' second leading receiver with 16 receptions for 124 yards. Tight end Mikhael Ricks has 12 receptions for 179 vards and one touchdown.
During training camp, Rogers dislocated his left ring finger and missed the first two preseason games.
He started his first professional game and caught two touchdown passes in a season-opening 42-24 victory over Arizona.
By Doug Gillon
The Maneater via U-wire
University of Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. — When the Missouri football team came out of the visitor's locker room after a devastating 35-14 loss to the Jayhawks on Sept. 27, coach Gary Pinkel and the Tigers looked hurt, confused and dejected. On Monday, the team had clearly regrouped as it prepared for Saturday's game against the undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The Associated Press
Senior wide receiver Darius Outlaw said having a bye week this past week helped Missouri recover.
Tigers out for redemption on Saturday
"It took us until that Monday to get over the loss," he said. "With no media day, we sat back and relaxed, and we put in our game plan."
Since then, the Tigers have
The shift in attitude hasn't just been limited to the offensive side of the ball. Senior cornerback Michael Harden also said he noticed a significant change in attitude.
been practicing with increased fervor as they prepare for the Huskers to come to Columbia, Mo.
Pinkel has said a football team played like it practices, but Missouri may need more than increased intensity Saturday.
"Our eagerness to get out and play again has really increased," Harden said. "I see a lot of people getting really excited to get out there and play again because that loss hurt them as much as myself."
"Everything has gone up." Outlaw said. "Intensity-wise, focus-wise, just playing-wise. We've gotten after it the last couple practices, and we're in it to win it now."
A struggling Tiger offense will find the No. 1 defense in the nation in the Cornhuskers — the unit averages almost four forced turnovers a game.
Nebraska free safety Josh Bullocks has intercepted a pass in every game so far this season, and he will be looking to do so again as the Tigers try to open up their offense by throwing down the field more.
MU quarterback Brad Smith, however, has not thrown an interception yet this season.
Senior tight end J.D. McCoy said he would return to play in Saturday's game after missing the contest against Kansas because of an injury.
He worked out on a treadmill Saturday and took a few reps in
practice Sunday, his first full day back in practice.
"I feel good," he said. "I'll defi-
nitely play."
Junior college transfer Victor Sesay, though, will start at tight end this week as McCoy continues to recover.
Pinkel said another key to this week's game is in the defense's ability to improve in third-down situations.
"On defense, our biggest problem has been third down," he said. "It's been frustrating for everybody, and we've been working on that."
Junior safety Nino Williams II also cited blown third-and-long opportunities as a problem.
"That's something we have been focusing on, and we have to make plays and make tackles and take what's given to us," he said.