THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
College Football
Sports
Missouri linebacker Barry Odom, Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost and Texas A&M specialist Dante Hall are the Big 12 players of the week.
Tuesday September 23,1997
Pro Football
The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-21 last night to improve to 3-0 this season.
Section:
College Basketball
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Courtney James, who started for Minnesota in the Final Four, will play professionally in Greece. He was suspended for the season because of a domestic assault conviction.
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Quarterbacks attempt to prove strengths in past weekend's games
Frost, Manning played games to define careers
It would be the weekend that defined their collegiate careers.
Separated by 3,000 miles and three time zones, Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning and his Nebraska counterpart, Scott
Frost, took the field this past Saturday with their respective states, universities, fans and pollsters watching their every move.
It was two of college football's premiere matches-up: No. 3 Florida vs. No. 4 Tennessee and No. 2 Washington vs. No. 6 Nebraska.
Manning, the son of football legend Archie, is college football's golden boy: intelligent.
Harley Ratlif
sports@kansan.com
upstanding, the Heisman trophy front-runner and from one of football's most prestigious bloodlines.
Only one thing separated Manning from becoming a cultural football icon: his glaring inability to defeat Florida.
Manning embodied everything that was right about college football. He graduated high school in three years with a 3.6 GPA. He is modest and polite and in a time when star players almost never stick around longer than they have to, Manning, who would have certainly been the first pick in last year's National Football League draft had he come out, decided to return to Knoxville, Tem., for his senior year.
Frost, from tiny Wood River, Neb. (pop. 1,156), seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had attended Stanford but returned home to Nebraska. Frost is big, fast and has a cannon for a right arm. Unfortunately, he was in the unenviable position of replacing former Huskers quarterback Tommie Frazier — Nebraska's answer to Manning.
Saturday, in front of the more than 83,000 screaming Gator fans, Mattened on the squish grass field of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin stadium — affectionately known as "The Swamp" and one of college football's most intimidating stadiums — poised to vanquish the demons of his past.
No matter how many games his team won, no matter how many yards he threw for, it would never be enough to escape Frazier's Nebraska-sized shadow. In one of his finest statistical performances since he arrived in Lincoln, Neb., Frost was greeted with a smattering of boos from the home crowd when the Huskers offense stalled two weeks agaain Central Florida.
In front of more than 72,000 screaming Washington fans on Saturday, Frost stood on the hard, bright green turf of Husky Stadium — surrounded by placid Lake Washington and one of college football's most intimidating stadiums — poised to vanquish the demons of his past.
As the two games began, it soon became apparent that only one quarterback would be able to live out the fairy tale ending.
As Manning and his Tennessee teammates slowly succumbed to Florida's blitzing defense and "The Swamp's" deafening noise, Frost and his Nebraska teammates seemed to be building momentum, rolling up vards on the Washington defense.
Ratliff is a Norman, Okla., junior in journalism.
While Manning's passes turned into Gator points. Frost's two touchdown runs broke the back of the highly-touted Huskies.
It wasn't supposed to end like this. But it did.
Manning will finish his career having never beaten Florida, a superstar quarterback who could never finish better than second in his division.
Frost, on the other hand, may have finally emerged from Frazier's shadow. The Huskers' win against Washington—keyed by Frost's brilliant playing—cleared a relatively smooth path to a possible national championship showdown in the Orange Bowl.
Wilt may return for celebration
Century of Kansas basketball will be featured at game
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Associate sports editor
A season-long celebration to commemorate the 100th year of Kansas basketball will be highlighted during one weekend in February.
Former Kansas center Wilt Chamberlain has not been in Lawrence since 1975, but he could return for a potential jersey-retirement ceremony at the Feb.8 game against Missouri.
Kansas Athletics Director Bob Frederick said former Kansas point guard Bob Billings talked with Chamberlain about the reunion. Chamberlain said the date was one he could make, and he would think about it. Frederick said.
"We're expecting about 300 players to return for the ceremonies that week and." Frederick said. "Invitations are
going to be released shortly, and every player still alive will receive one."
Those players will be honored during halftime of the Missouri game. Other events that weekend will include a legends game, a banquet for former Kansas players and coaches and a tribute to the NCAA championship teams of 1952 and 1968.
Frederick said the
have the ceremony anyway." Williams said. "When we go to halftime, I'm thinking about my team. I have a game to worry about that day."
But the ceremonies will not start or end that weekend.
Frederick said the weekend coincided with the NBA's All-Star weekend to allow most Kansas alumni in the NBA to attend.
A logo combining a peach basket and today's steel rim will be placed at two spots on the Allen Field House court.
"I didn't bring any tradition when I came here—those people before me helped create that tradition."
"We would have to play a game to
"When we talked about the date, it was primarily determined by the NBA," Frederick said. "We had no clue that Missouri would be the opponent because our schedules had not been finalized."
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said he also did not know that Missouri would be the onponent.
Roy Williams men's basketball coach
The logo is featured on Kansas merchandise selling in local stores.
Details of the ceremonies for the Jayhawks' season opener against Santa Clara on Nov. 14 at Allen Field House will be announced later.
A nine-foot statue of former Kansas coach Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, with help from Allen's family, has been cast and should be on display in front of the field house before the Santa
Clara game.
Frederick said more announcements concerning retired jerseys would be forthcoming. Also, game tickets will honor cherished players and coaches of years past.
Williams said he was eager to celebrate Kansas tradition.
"When I came here 10 years ago, I was aware of the tradition here," Williams said. "I didn't bring any tradition when I came here — those people before me helped to create that tradition."
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams discusses plans for celebrating 100 years of Kansas basketball. Two new logos were distributed yesterday. The logo on Williams' shirt is the primary licensing logo. The logo on the lectern is the media and publications logo. Photo by Pam Dishman/KANSAN
Women's tennis team serves up victories
The Kansas women's tennis team concluded its first fall tournament with two fifth-place finishes and victories in four of five matches yesterday.
Christie Sim, ranked 90th nationally, won fifth place in Flight-A singles of the William & Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, Va.
In Flight-A doubles play, Kris Sell and Sim defeated Boston College's Del Valle and Fernando 8-6.
In Flight-B singles play, Chiller lost to Maryland's Stacy Walkowitz 6-2, 6-4. Sell defeated Boston College's Mercedes Del Valle 6-1, 6-2 Friday and Kiren Fernando of Boston College 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) yesterday.
In the Flight-B doubles competition, Brooke Chiller of Kansas and Terri Hirt of Wake Forest defeated Maryland's Thea Ivanisevic and Adrienne Pavelko 8-5.
The Joyhawks play next on Oct. 2-5 at the National Clay Courts Championships in Orlando, Fla.
Both members of the Kansas men's tennis team who entered the prequalifying round of the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championship in Baltimore advanced
Two players net wins in men's tennis meet
to the qualifying rounds.
If Tucker and Uribe survive the qualifying rounds today and tomorrow, they will join fellow Jayhawks Enrique Abaroa and Xavier Avila in the main draw competition Thursday. Abaroa and Avila did not have to compete in the qualifying rounds because of their performances last season.
Luis Uribe defeated
Alabama's Alin Taranga 6-7
(6-8), 6-3, 6-2 and Southern
Mississippi's Andreas Tiltscher
7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
Trent Tucker defeated Vanderbilt's Danny Tym 6-1, 6-4 and Loyola Marymount's Juan Aulele in a long three-set battle 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.
Women's basketball tryouts rescheduled
Both Tucker and Uribe are 4-0 this season.
The dates of the Kansas women's basketball team tryouts have changed. Tryouts for walk-on positions will be held 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 30 to Allen Field House. Participants are encouraged to attend both workouts.
Participants in the annual women's basketball tryout are required to show proof of personal health insurance to participate.
For more information, call the women's basketball office at 864-4939.
Kansan staff reports
Jayhawks aim for new goal
Team sets sights on Sooner game, not weekend loss
By Kelly Cannon kcannon@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas football team is still healing after its disappointing 34-7 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.
While Kansas football coach Terry Allen described the Jayhawk offense as inep, the team tried to forget the loss and focus on playing Oklahoma Oct. 4.
"Well, we have two weeks," Allen said. "We can come back and look at this thing and realize our faults and know what our weaknesses are.
"We'll come back and try and perfect some things to give us a, better chance scheme-wise offensively and keep our heads up defensively because we didn't play that badly," he said.
Kansas' possession time was 18 minutes and 32 seconds. Pressure was put on the Jayhawks' defense because Cincinnati had the ball for more than 40 minutes. Allen said.
Quarterback Zac Wegner said that Cincinnati's defense left few options for Kansas' offense.
"Football is a game of emotions," he said. "Some of the things we did offensively put the defense in pressure."
"They were bringing nine guys at a time," Wegner said. "We had to have max protection, so we had to keep nine guys in. We could only have two receivers. That's tough, because you only have two choices. With two guys open, you're pretty much up a creek."
Allen said he thought the team was prepared and the longer he was with them, the better he could gauge their readiness.
"In defense of things, I haven't been around these guys," Allen said. "I think you have a better chance of knowing those situations down the road after you've been with the team a year or two. Mentally, I thought we were pretty much into it."
Game day began poorly, and that was a bad omen, Allen said.
"It was such a bad day that the escort from the hotel got lost," Allen said. "It started off bad."
"Doctors say that it is the posterior cruciate ligament," Allen said. "It can be braced, and he may be ready for Oklahoma."
Allen said linebacker Jason Thoren had an MRI performed on his left knee yesterday. Thoren tore a knee ligament in Saturday's game.
Another injured Jayhawk definitely will return for the Oklahoma game, Allen said. Wide receiver Eric Patterson fractured a rib in the game against Texas Christian but is healed and ready to play.
Despite a poor offensive showing Saturday, Allen commended the performance of defensive players Ron Warner, Pat Brown, Maurice Gaddie and Tony Blevins.
Warner led Kansas with one sack against Cincinnati and led the team in tackles. He has 6.5 sacks for the season. Gaddle scored Kansas' only touchdown on Saturday when he returned a fumble 10 yards. Both Warner and Brown have been voted Big 12 Conference defensive player of the week.
Allen also had positive things to say about Kansas' kickers. Punter Dean Royal is averaging more than 45 yards per kick after four games, Allen said. His longest kick was 82 yards against Missouri.
Place-kicker Joe Garcia also has performed well, Allen said.
"For a true freshman, you can't ask for anything more," Allen said. "He has only had two kickoffs returned. You can't bang a ball any better."
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