Sports
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The University Daily Kansan
The cross country team ran in the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational Saturday in Topeka. The men took first while the women finished second behind K-State. PAGE 9A
sports commentary
12A
Monday, September 15,2003
Shane Mettlen smetten@hansan.com
Underdogs upset ranks fans factor meaning
Last week Kansas blew out UNLV. This week UNLV pounded nationally ranked Wisconsin.
Yet Ohio's Miami University easily handled Northwestern, who defeated the layhawks two weeks ago.
the jayhawks two weeks ago.
Ah, but don't forget that UNLV defeated Toledo, who defeated Marshall,
who almost defeated Tennessee.
who almost defeated Tennessee. On the other hand, Purdue defeated Wake Forest, who defeated North Carolina State, who went to triple overtime with Ohio State. But the Boilermakers lost to Bowling Green, who destroyed Kansas last year.
Kansas last year.
What does it all mean? Not a heck of a lot. All it does is give college football fans a lot to talk about while waiting for next week's games. But all the talk in the world doesn't make a difference when two teams step onto the field.
The only thing we now know about the Kansas football team that we didn't know a week ago at this time is its 2-1 record. But that doesn't keep fans from comparing scores and speculating about just how good Kansas is.
"Comparative scores are dangerous territory," coach Mark Mangino said after the Jayhawks defeated Wyoming Saturday.
Saturday. If rebuilding a program wasn't difficult enough, all of the sudden, fans have high expectations.
arously, Kansas must go again.
But you know, these are the same fans who just two weeks ago wondered if the 'Hawks would win two games all year. And they are the same fans who will turn on the team as soon as it loses a couple of games in row.
expectations.
Fans are like that. They see UNLV go to Madison, Wisc., one of the toughest places in the country to play, and defeat a top 15 team 23-5. They assume that, vicariously, Kansas must be good.
Fans tend to ignore the fact that Wisconsin turned the ball over five times and lost their starting tailback to injury in the first quarter.
They gloss over the Northwestern score and point to the UNLV score as proof their Jayhawks are for real.
UNLV's victory doesn't mean Kansas will now beat Missouri, Nebraska, or anyone else, despite what the fans at parties and bars or on the Internet were saying Saturday night.
The truth is UNLV defeating Wisconsin means about as much to the Kansas program as J.Lo and Ben splitting up. The Rebels upset of the Badgers was just that, an upset, and upsets happen. After all, when Kansas defeated a good Texas Tech team two years ago, it didn't make anyone shake with fear when they saw that lowly Jayhawk team on their schedule.
Kansas punter Nick Reid ran upfield on fake punt play for a first down in the first quarter of Kansas' 42-35 victory over Wyoming at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo.
ing Saturday night. Mangino is smarter than that. He's only cautiously optimistic.
"I don't know if it says anything but, I like to look at the bright side of it," he said. "Maybe it does say something."
Validity is something Kansas will have to earn itself by consistently playing well. If this team does that, then it will earn a big win of its own.
said. Maybe he didn't say.
What it says is that Kansas earned a nice victory last week. It's something they can look to for confidence in weeks to come, but it's not a stamp of validity.
Jayhawks win on road
Mettlon is a Lucas senior in journalism
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sports writer
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Usually when a quarterback throws for 269 yards on just 12 completions, the numbers have been compiled on a PlayStation 2. In this case, it marked the second consecutive big game for Kansas quarterback Bill Whittemore.
Whittemore, for the second straight week, threw for more than 250 yards, and became the first Kansas quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in a game since Matt Johner in 1996. Whittemore paced a high-powered offensive attack that sparked the Jayhawks to a 42-35 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys.
Even though they go home with a victory, the Jayhawks will work to correct the things that caused their near-fata second half collapse.
second half collapse. "We're gonna learn from this," Whitemore said. "We lost the second half."
Earlier in the week, the forecast in Laramie had called for temperatures in the 40s and rain. When the Jayhawks arrived at War Memorial Stadium Saturday morning, the crisp 48-degree weather was accompanied with nothing but sun. Both teams expected a shootout, and that is just what they got.
The two teams swapped early touchdowns, with Kansas scoring on a six-yard Whittimore toss to junior fullback Austine Nwabuisi, and Wyoming scoring on a 33-yard connection from senior quarterback Casey Bramlet to senior receiver Ryan McGuffey.
receiver. Rather, he received later in the first quarter Wyoming was granted a questionable first down on a third-and-four scramble by Bramlet. The lavwhaws made him pay three plays later.
Sophomore linebacker Brandon Perkins rocked Bramel with a blind-side blitz, jarring the ball loose. Senior defensive end David McMillan scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 53 yards for his second defensive score in three games this season. The sack was the first of the year for the Jayhawks.
of the year for the jenna. McMillan said after looking at the referee briefly to make sure it was in fact a fumble, he had no instinct to just fall on the ball and put the offense to work.
"Let's glove it and run with it," McMillan said. "That's how I do it."
After Bramlet hit receiver McGuffey for 13 yards on a third-and-11, he found sophomore receiver Jovon Bouknight for a 47-yard score on the next play.
On the ensuing drive, the Jayhawks were again haunted by a familiar foe defending third-and-long situations.
After the Cowboys' third offensive possession, the Jayhawk defense tightened up, not allowing a point for the remainder of the first half, despite losing sophomore linebacker Banks Floodman in the second quarter to injury.
Perhaps the biggest contributor to the defensive efficiency was sophomore defensive end Monroe Weekley. After being demoted to second-string on the
depth chart earlier in the week, Weekley registered two sacks in the first half
Early in the second quarter, with the ball on their own 43-yard line, Curtis Ansel faked a punt, dumping a shovel pass to linebacker Nick Reid who took the ball 26 yards and into Wyoming territory.
tory.
The team was 28-14 two plays later as Whittemore found freshman receiver Charles Gordon while scrambling from the pocket for a 32-yard touchdown toss.
"Worked like a charm," Reid said.
"Big plays can break the game, and that
one helped a lot."
one helped a lot.
Nwabuisi's second touchdown of the game, an eight-yard run, and a 70-yard touchdown bomb from Whittemore to sophomore receiver Mark Simmons gave the Jayhawks a 35-14 lead at the half.
Besides a third quarter touchdown from Whittemore to Gordon, the Cowboys took control in the second half.
The Jayhawks' mistakes began to pile up in the third quarter.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 8A
Soccer takes tournament title
By Nikki Nugent
nnuagent@kansan.com
Kansan Sportswriter
The University of Kansas' soccer team is off to its best start in school history.
on its best day The Jayhawks took the KUStore.com Crimson and Blue Invitational tournament title this weekend, extending their record to 6-1-0.
The University of Central Florida defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 1-0 in two overtimes in the tournament's first game on Friday. The Jayhawks then came away with a 3-1 victory over the Florida State University Seminoles.
In the tournament's final day the Aztecs fell to Florida State 6-1. The Jayhawks then defeated Central Florida 1-0 to take the tournament title.
The Seminoles held the Jayhawks without a shot for more than 15 minutes into the game, a first for FSU this year.
Amy Geha fought for position in yesterday's game against the University of Central Florida. Geha's effort helped the Jayhawks win 1-0.
The Jayhawks looked sluggish in the first half of Friday's game. Smith scored the team's first goal in the 33rd minute putting Kansas up -0 at the half.
Florida State scored in the 63rd minute of the second half in what Kansas goalkeeper Meghan Miller, Seattle junior, called a bonehead goal. Miller got tripped up, allowing FSU to tie the game at 1-1.
to take the tour Kansas coach Mark Francis said the team's confidence was apparent.
win," he said.
Forward Caroline Smith, Edina, Minn., sophomore, recorded her second hat trick of the season against Florida State. Smith's three goals extended her goals-scored to 23 all-time and 11 on the season.
"You could definitely feel it in the warm-up before the game from Friday's win," he said.
The jayhawks went ahead when Smith scored Kansas' second goal off an assist from Monica Brothers, Leavenworth junior, in the 70th minute.
season:
Smith also took over the top spot on Kansas' career points list with nine in the game and 54 all-time.
Kansas put the game out of reach for the Seminoles in the 85th minute. Smith, after limping around on a sore ankle, put a shot past the oncoming FSU goalkeeper
shot past the last round, but Kansas' victory over Florida State marks the Jayhawks first victory against an Atlantic Coast Conference team in the history of the program.
Central Florida at host Miami. The Jayhawks Rachel Gilfillan, Cottage Grove, Minn., junior, scored the game's only goal in the 27th minute. Defender Holly Gault, Spring Hill freshman, took a shot on goal that was deflected by the CFU goalkeeper, Gilfil-
history of the program. Yesterday opened with Florida State blowing out San Diego State 6-1. The Jayhawks then took the field against Central Florida at noon.
lan put the deflection in the net, giving the [ayhawks a 1-0 lead].
Miller made her way into the record books with yesterday's shutout. She tied Kansas' all-time shutout record with 11 career shutouts. Miller attributes her success to her teammates.
"It's just as much their record as it is
mine,"she said.
Both Miller and Francis said they were a little worried at the beginning of the season about the defense. The team lost three players from last season, but those worries have since been silenced.
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 8A