4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY KANSAN
FOOTBALL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009
Freshman Smith brings passion for tackling to starting lineup
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
In interviews, freshman safety Lubbock Smith remains quiet. He looks the questioner in the eye and politely offers his response, but he does so with little expression on his face.
Lubbock Smith tackles Oklahoma running back Chris Brown in a game Oct. 24. Smith just entered the starting lineup.
Then, Smith gets onto the subject of tackling. His eyes light up and a sly smile creeps across his face.
If an observer notices one thing about Smith's play, it's this: Smith loves to tackle and, generally, he does so very well.
"He's not afraid to put his face on people, run through and wrap up," defensive coordinator Clint Bowen said. "I say all the time; Tackling is about a little bit of want-to and toughness. He has both of those."
Smith's affection for tackling stems from — where else? — the football-crazed state of Texas.
Yet it certainly wasn't an initial connection between player and contact.
"When I first started playing," Smith said, "I was actually very scared to go and tackle."
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Smith overcame his fear of contact as a seven-year-old. He was playing with boys two or three
The objective was straight-forward. When the coach called a certain player's number, Smith had to run and collide with the player wearing that jersey.
It was then, only after thudding pads with 11 or 12 of his teammates, that Smith's current appreciation for tackling took hold. It hasn't left him since.
"And it grew through the years," Smith said. "Playing against different great players at a young age, I just wanted to go out and initiate that I was a great hitter. Inflict the pain on them, not let them do the same to me."
The Sunday after Kansas' 41-36 victory against Iowa State on Oct. 10, Bowen approached Smith with a rather simple proposal: Practice well this week and the starting job is yours.
Smith upheld his end of the bargain and subsequently started against Colorado in Kansas' next game. But even before Bowen's proposal, Smith, who redshirted last season, was never too far away from earning a spot in Kansas' starting lineup.
"He needed to make me trust him a little bit more early with his eye-control," Bowen said. "A safety, it's a bad thing to stare at the quarterback, and Lubbock likes staring at the quarterback. I told him when he proved to me that he would read his keys, then he'd get to play. And he's done that."
Since entering Kansas' starting lineup, Smith has routinely displayed a knack for tackling, especially around the line of scrimmage.
In three games, Smith has made 19 tackles. He has also helped to cure a Kansas defense that was severely ailing after the disappointing loss against Iowa State.
Coach Mark Mangino also inserted freshman cornerback D.J. Beshears and freshman defensive lineman John Williams into the starting lineup before the Colorado game.
The defense, meanwhile, has drastically improved.
has helped because he's a tough customer," Mangino said. "He doesn't back down."
"Putting Lubbock back there
That's certainly been the case so far this season.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Senior safety Darrell Stuckey described Smith's tackling as "very
consistent", while Bowen praised Smith's aggressive playing style.
For his part, Smith simply said,
"I love contact." It's a phrase dripping with football toughness. And it's a phrase that seems to sum up Smith's football personality.
"I want to be the first person to get up after a hit," Smith said. "And I want to see the expression on their face after I get up."
Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
VOLLEYBALL
Team wins third Big 12 road game
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
The Kansas volleyball team continues its hot road streak as it swept Colorado 3-0 on the road. The sweep marks Kansas' third conference road sweep in a row, the first time Kansas has ever had three straight Big 12 Conference road sweeps.
Senior libero Melissa Grieb led Kansas with 17 digs during the game while sophomore outside hitter Allison Mayfield set a career-high with 21 kills to surpass her previous high of 20, which she just set last match. Mayfield said it was because of her teammates that she was able to get so many kills.
Outside Hitter Allison Mayfield tips the ball over Texas A&M defenders in Kansas' 3-1 loss, Saturday night at the Horeisi Family Athletics Center. Mayfield set a career-high record with 21 kills, surpassing her previous high of 20 kills against A&M last weekend.
"All night we did really well passing and digging." Mayfield said. "It was a good set up and easy for me to terminate the ball, but it was as much the passing and sets than it was just me."
Kansas had a really good scout on Colorado and knew what they were going to do, Grieb said. Everything was clicking from the very beginning, and everyone was playing well with each other too, Grieb said.
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
"A lot of support and energy from not only the floor but the bench as well." Grieb said.
After falling behind in set two and set three, Kansas started serving really well and the team stepped up when it needed to, coach Ray Bechard said.
"We had good defensive runs when we needed to," Bechard said. "When we needed to score in transition, we did."
The first set started very even, but after being tied at 15-15, Kansas scored five straight. Kansas held its lead to the very end winning the set 25-22 despite a late push by Colorado.
Kansas had a lot of confidence and never felt panicked after being down, Grieb said.
Kansas came out aggressive in the second set, taking a 5-1 lead early. Colorado came back quickly and took a lead at 10-9. Colorado stretched its lead to four at 14-18.
NBA Bryant guides Lakers past Rockets into overtime
"We just got more aggressive in some of the things, and after that it just kind of fell into place." Grieb said.
HOUSTON — Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 17 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers won in overtime for the second straight game, beating the Houston Rockets 103-102 on Wednesday night.
NBA
Carl Landry scored 20 points to lead six players in double figures for Houston. Luis Scola added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Chuck Hayes had 14 points and 14 rebounds. —Associated Press
After falling behind 2-6 early, Kansas fought hard to take a lead at 13-12. Kansas never let up after taking its lead and won the set 25-16. Kansas only had one error in the third set and had a 500 hitting percentage for the set.
but then Kansas scored the next seven to take the lead. Colorado came right back and tied the set 22-22, but Kansas then scored three of the last four to win the set 25-23.
Kansas improved to 13-10 (5-8)
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for the season while Colorado continues to struggle and fell to 6-17 (1-13). The 13 victories equals the number of victories Kansas has had in its last two seasons.
— Edited by Jonathan Hermes
SCORES
Kansas 25 25 25
Colorado 22 23 16
Wednesday, November
5:30- 7:00pm
2049 Malott
(Pizza will be served)
KU OFFICE OF STUDY ABROAD The University of Kansas
ST. LOUIS — Posting on his Twitter account Sunday night, SJ39, Steven Jackson said aches and pains from a big day against the Detroit Lions were "starting to get to me."
You should see the other guys.
JOSH BROWN Rams kicker
ASSOCIATED PRESS
winning score.
He can hit the hole, he can create his own holes and he can put a team on his back,
too.
The 235-pound running back was at his bruising best in the St. Louis Rams' slump-busting victory at Detroit, dragging tacklers while piling up 149 yards on 22 carries and breaking free for the
NFL
Last season, he staged a 27-day training camp holdout
The Lions certainly got their fill and then some
that reflected a me-first attitude, and then missed four starts and most of a fifth due to injuries — all losses. Consistently he's been the most outspoken Ram, whether it's criticizing music choices and a general drab setting at home games, chafing as Marshall Faulk's understudy as a rookie in 2004, or voicing lofty goals.
"Man," said Detroit defensive end Dewayne White, "he's a big guy."
"When he's determined to get somewhere, it's going to take four or five large people to stop him."
from the unique hybrid, a runner who can get the tough yards but with wheels to match. On a contender, he'd probably be one of the NFL's top stars.
"When he's determined to get somewhere, it's going to take four or five large people to stop him,"
Jackson was so determined to put a halt to the Rams' 17-game
For better or worse, jackson has been the face of the franchise for years.
losing streak, he accidentally ran over an official on one of his rambles. For that, he apologized on Twitter.
No need to revisit anything else in that game, or virtually his entire season for that matter. Jackson has consistently produced despite a lack of playmakers around him in the NFL's worst offense; the Rams have scored just 77 points.
Rams kicker Josh Brown said. "When he's an angry person, you have to get out of his way."
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