Sports
The Kansas football team faces off against Missouri tomorrow at Memorial Stadium. See how they match up.
1B
PAGE 6B
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, September 26, 2003
Jayhawks take aim at Tigers
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
With 111 previous annual meetings between Kansas and Missouri, folks in the Midwest have grown accustomed to the back-and-forth banter among players, coaches and fans from both sides.
coaches and lans from both sides. However, the game has not had implications like this weekend's battle since 1997, when both teams entered the early season meeting with undefeated records. This year, the Tigers are 4-0, and are ranked 23rd in the nation by the Associated Press, while the Jayhawks are 3-1, looking to crack the Top 25 for the first time since 1998.
last year's crude post-game behavior from both Missouri's fans and players, there is a bigger focus at hand — stopping Missouri quarterback Brad Smith.
Smith and senior tailback Zack Abron lead the nation's ninth ranked rushing attack, averaging 232 yards per game, while the Kansas defense ranks tenth in
Smith is a multi-dimensional threat who can hurt a defense with either his arm or his legs. Although he has only 996 total yards through four games this year, which is down from his 1,269 at this point a year ago, but the Jayhawks are not going to be fooled.
"We have to do what we can do," junior defensive end David McMillan said. "You know we're athletes too, and I'm sure he can be contained by somebody. Hopefully we can do it."
the Big 12 Conference against the run, giving up an average of 186 yards. What the Tigers will be able to gain in terms of an advantage on the ground, the Jayhawks will make up for through the air.
Kansas comes into the contest ranked first in the nation in passing efficiency and 16th in total passing offense. Senior quarterback Bill Whittemore is looking to prove that he can keep putting up big numbers against big-time opponents.
bers against big-time opponents. The Jayhawks' biggest equalizer in the game will be a home crowd that they think will be among the biggest they've ever seen. That is stemming from what coach Mark Mangino said was the most enthusiasm he had seen around the football program since he's been here.
Mangino said. "I think it was John F. Kennedy who said, 'Victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan,' and that's true when you are talking about sports in our society."
sports in our society.
As Missouri comes to town with its national ranking and what is sure to be a solid amount of Tiger faithful, the Jayhawks still stand firm that they are undaunted and just want to stick it to their arch rival.
arch rival.
"We're hungry and we're willing to take on anybody," freshman receiver Charles Gordon said. "It makes no difference that they're ranked."
Edited by Dave Noble
Kansas, Missouri hostility triggered in 1891
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Even though the term Border War is new, the animosity between the states of Kansas and Missouri dates back to the Civil War. But in football terms, the rivalry dates back to 1891; 111 meetings, with the record even at 51-51-9.
After weeding through all of those games, these are five of the more significant matchups in the rivalry's historic journey. 1987
The 2003 season marks the second time in history that Kansas opens its conference schedule against Missouri. The first occasion was in 1997 at Memorial Stadium when Kansas won 15-7.
The victory was the 500th in school history, but it was also Kansas' first conference victory under first-year coach Terry Allen. The victory gave the Jayhawks a 3-0 start, but an embarrassing 34-7 loss a week later at Cincinnati snowballed into a 5-6 overall record and the first of five losing seasons at Kansas under Allen. The Tigers rebounded to finish 7-5 behind junior quarterback Corby Jones and land into the Holiday Bowl. Despite losing to Colorado State, 35-24, Missouri finished with a 23rd ranking in the Associated Press poll.
Between 1911 and 1960, Missouri's home meeting every two years versus Kansas served as its homecoming game. In the 25 meetings in Columbia, Mo., in this span, the Tigers went 17-6-2. Kansas
won the series' final game in 1960, 23-7. The upset shocked the college football world, as Missouri had entered the game as the top-ranked team in the nation. But the Jayhawks were forced to forfeit victories against Colorado and Missouri after it was found they had used an ineligible player. Kansas' record was dropped from 7-2-1 to 5-4-1, and Kansas was unable to compete in a bowl game. The Jayhawks still finished the season ranked 11th in the AP poll. Kansas' coach at the time, Jack Mitchell, is the last Kansas coach to leave with a winning record, going 44-42-5 over nine seasons.
1908
The Jayhawks completed the 1908 season with a 10-4 victory over Missouri, giving Kansas a 9-0 overall record
as well as the Missouri Valley Conference title. This was the school's first conference championship. Since this historic season, which saw the team allow only 20 points and post five shutout victories, the Jayhawks have won just two conference titles, the last in 1946. 1900
Kansas battles Missouri to a 6-6 tie in Kansas City, Mo., where 19 of the first 20 meetings between the schools would be played. It was the first of nine ties in the series. The Jayhawks had dominated the Tigers since the series' inception, with a 7-2 record and a combined score of 154-52.
1891
In the second year of organized football at Kansas, the team defeated Mizou 22-8 in Kansas City, Mo., in the first
on to miss the season. Yesterday night's An Evening with Coach Fam and Friends brought back many of Kansas' former greats, both on the field and on the sidelines. With the function falling on the same weekend as the Missouri game, some of the team's all-time football elite took the time to share some of their favorite Missouri memories.
installment of the Border War. The Jayhawks, coached by E.M. Hopkins, went on to finish the season 7-0-1.
memories.
Don Fambrough, Kansas Guard,
1946-47, Kansas Head Coach 1971-74,
79-82
"Seeing David Lawrence come down here, I think about the time when we
SEE HOSTILITY ON PAGE 3B
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact J] Hensley and Shane Mettlen at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM