wednesday, october 1,2003
sports
the university daily kansan 3B
Cyclones spin from star players'injuries
By Josh Madden
Iowa State Daily via U-WIRE
Iowa State University
AMES, Iowa — The season isn't getting any easier for head coach Dan McCarney and the Cyclones.
Already dealing with a loss to Northern Illinois, the Cyclones will have to take on the No.1 Oklahoma Sooners this weekend without two of their best players.
Tailback Hiawatha Rutland and defensive tackle Jordan Carstens, both seniors, suffered injuries against the Huskies.
Rutland suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
"Unfortunately, Hlawatha Rutland's career is over at Iowa State. We're going to miss him dearly." McCarney said in Monday's weekly Big 12 Conference press meeting. "These things happen. It's part of the game and we're going to miss him, but we're very grateful for the contributions he's made in his career here."
McCarney said Rutland underwent a magnetic resonance imaging on Monday to confirm the extent of the injury, but the outcome was obvious, he said.
While Carstens' leg injury is not as serious as Rutland's, it is still not likely that he will see any action against Oklahoma.
Carstens also underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of his injury.
With players like defensive end Tyson Smith and punter Tony Yelk also going down earlier in the year, McCarney said he had never had a rash of injuries like this, but he was still trying to keep a positive attitude.
"It's tough when you have certain players that can really impact your football team go down but, in their absence, we look at it as a
Replacing Carstens against Oklahoma will be freshman defensive lineman Brent Survey.
great opportunity for the next guy to step up and do his part," McCarney said.
"He's a true freshman 290 pounder that had played very little going into last week's game, but he got a lot of snaps in that game and he's really improved," McCarney said.
McCarney also said junior lineman Andy Leaders would see playing time on the interior line.
playing in Rutland's absence, McCarney said now-healthy freshman Stevie Hicks would back up start-
"His role is changed now and, with Hiawatha going down, he's definitely our No. 2 man," McCarney said.
McCARRY SAID Hicks had one carry for minus-1 yard Saturday.
As the Cyclones started conference play, McCarney said he hoped this is the last he would see of these injury problems.
"It's hard. Every coach is the same; you get so attached to your players," he said, "you have so compassion for them and then something happens like this and it just tears your heart out."
Teams see potential in junior colleges
By Josh Witt
K-State Collegian via U-WIRE
Kansas State University
MANHATTAN — As if things couldn't get any worse for Bill Snyder's Wildcats. Already forced to sit and think an extra week about their confidence-bruising defeat at the hands of Marshall, the 'Cats had to cringe watching this past week's action.
Not only did K-State's two biggest rivals, Kansas and Nebraska, win in impressive fashion, but the loss to the Thundering Herd looks much worse with Marshall falling to Troy State 33-24.
That hurts.
This was supposed to be the year of the Powercat in the Big 12 Conference North. Colorado lost a ton of high-impact players, Iowa State was beginning the post-Seneca Wallace era, Missouri still wasn't going to have a defense.
It was looking good.
Nebraska's program appeared to be in disarray as assistant coaches were fired and hired left and right during the offseason.
Then there were the Jayhawks.
Then there were the jealousy "Yeah," everyone thought, "they got a chance to be good.
Haha. Right. Now you're going to tell me the Carolina Panthers will be undefeated after the NFL's first month."
How things change.
How things changed With last Thursday's 38-14 demolition of Southern Mississippi, the Cornhuskers jumped into the top 10 and crept ever so slightly back into a national spotlight they have not seen in two years.
Two days later in Lawrence, the "Border War" wasn't such a fair fight. Kansas destroyed Missouri by three touchdowns in a game that should have been a bigger blowout if not for a faulty Kansas kicking game and a dropped touchdown pass.
Now it appears that the Nov. 15 clash in Lincoln, Neb., will be even tougher than once thought, and the Kansas team that was once the laughingstock of the state no longer looks to be an easy win.
Add the contest at Oklahoma State and a home game against a Colorado team known to get better as the season progresses, and K-State's battle with Texas this weekend no longer looks to be one of a "few" tough games on the Wildcats' conference schedule.
It looks to be one of many.
This weekend, as the Wildcat defense attempts to contain the NCAA's second-highest rated passer Chance Mock, they also have the pleasure of looking forward to a fast-approaching meeting with the nation's fifth-highest rated quarterback, Kansas' Bill Whittimore.
This guy is the real deal
This guy is like:
He can run — 5.3 yards per carry and five rushing touchdowns. He can pass — 10 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He actually resembles a certain K-State quarterback at times.
No, not that quarterback — the one who's been forced to the sidelines the past few weeks.
Then there's Nebraska's own signal caller, Jammal Lord. Everybody knew Lord could run, but his passing skills left many wondering if Lord knew the definition of a completed pass.
This is all-around bad news for Wildcat fans.
Although the Jayhawks and Cornshuskers have proven they will be tough challengers, a victory in Austin, Texas — in the ESPN Gameday spotlight — would restart the hype, and the hope, that the road to the Big 12 title game goes through Manhattan, Kan.
By Chuck Brown
Daily Nebraskan via U-WIRE
University of Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. — Some people in the college football world equate giving junior college transfers scholarships to making a deal with the devil.
These players tempt coaches with their potential to provide immediate help, but often, their potential for problems equals their potential for success.
Academic problems that cause prospects to spend a year or two at junior colleges often make coaches cautious of signing these players.
players. With junior college athletes playing key roles in the rebuilding processes of several Big 12 Conference teams, the stigma attached to them seems to have lessened.
The 4-1 Jayhawks have 31 junior college transfers on their roster, including star quarterback Bill Whittimore, who played at Fort Scott Community College before transferring to Kansas.
Mangino is no stranger to successful junior college transfers.
coordinator at Oklahoma when junior college transfer quarterback Josh Heupel led the Sooners to a national championship.
In 2000, he was the offensive
Mangino said a transfer's success is a team effort between the player and the university.
player should have the right attitude, combined with help from a quality university support system, can work together to make a successful transfer situation for athletes.
Mangino said he was comfortable enough with the support system at Kansas that he felt the benefit of bringing in more transfer players outweighed the risk.
risk.
"We felt at times last year that we were kind of short-handed," Mangino said.
When coach Bob Stoops arrived at Oklahoma, he encountered a situation similar to what Mangino found at Kansas.
With the help of junior college transfers such as Heupel and linebacker Torrance Marshall, Stoops led a quick turn around at Oklahoma.
Like Mangino, he said it was intangibles such as attitude that made transfers such as Heupel successful.
Robin flies by Tulane, 'Cats next
By Clint Hale
Daily Texan via W-I-WIRE
University of Texas-Austin
AUSTIN, Texas — Heading into last Saturday's game against Tulane, it was likely that many underclassmen did not even know who Brett Robin was.
But Robin, who totaled 87 yards on 15 carries in the 63-18 win over the Green Wave, said that is just the way he likes it.
that "I like to be the that guy that no one knows," he said. "With all the great players we have in Chance, Cedric and Roy, it makes sense that I kind of get lost in there."
in there.
But after filling in admirably for Selvin Young in backing up Benson, it is not likely Robin is going to remain unseen against a Kansas State defense looking for some national respect.
"Kansas State is a really physical team, and they really like to hit you in the mouth," Robin said. "We just have to be ready to hit them back."
Robin, in addition to excelling in last Saturday's home win, also excels in several other facets of life.
Whether taking the MCAT test during two-a-days or studying in the morning because of an afternoon practice, the senior appears to have his life figured out.
In May, he and fiancee, Jenny, made their life together an official one.
Together since middle school, Robin said his wife knew him better than anyone, but that didn't mean he expected much feedback from his wife when it came to football.
"She likes going to the games, but we don't sit at home after games and break down film," he said. "Our relationship goes a lot deeper than that."