8A SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2009
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
where you really shouldn't run a bad play or make mistakes because the checks are coming from the guys who designed the plays. We take only what the defense gives us."
Kansas' offense, especially at the wide receiver position, is based around two things: chemistry between the offensive parts and developing an understanding of opposing defenses' tendencies.
Grasping those points, Fields said, comes with experience.
On Kansas' first offensive play in the Insight Bowl against Minnesota last season, Briscoe noticed a hole in Minnesota's defense, released from his original route and opted to run deep down the left sideline.
Reesing noticed, too, and delivered a 60-vard touchdown pass.
"That was a designed play, but
Beginning in the spring, Meier said Kansas' offense instantly started clicking, despite Briscoe's absence from spring practices for disciplinary reasons.
he adjusted to it on the run, "Fields said. "He has the option to do that."
Now that the entire unit is intact, Kansas possesses the most experienced offense in the Big 12 North.
While only two players return along the offensive line, the Jayhawks return their top three receivers, along with Reesing and senior Jake Sharp, who rushed for 860 yards last season.
"We're always adding wrinkles to our offense and defense," coach Mark Mangino said. "We are always going to expand our package. And with veteran players, we'll ask them to do more than they've done in
With so many proven playmakers, Kansas' offense creates a dilemma for defenses: Who, exactly, does an opposing team try to stop?
the past."
If a defense favors stopping Briscoe's, deep-threat ability, they risk leaving their underbelly exposed for Meier to slowly gain chunks of yards.
And if a defense focuses too much on the pass in general, Kansas possesses a capable run game.
"If defenses switch their coverage and try to stop me, hey, we've got Kerry on this side or John Wilson on this side," Briscoe said. "Or we can just give to Jake Sharp or Rell Lewis. We just have a lot of weapons."
— Edited by Lauren Cunningham
SOCCER (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
The Jayhawks will be without senior forward Shannon McCabe, who was walking gingerly after practice with ice on her left knee. But Francis thinks his team is more than capable of adjusting to playing different positions as they did Sunday against Arizona State.
"The travel part of it wears you out," Francis said.
For the first time this season, the Jayhawks will be playing at home, which Francis feels is a definite plus. He cites last week's trip to Knoxville, Tenn., as an example of why playing at home matters so much. The team left Thursday morning at 7:15 a.m. and arrived in Knoxville at 6 p.m.
Senior forward Kim Boyer said she thought playing on their home surface in front of the home crowd is a huge advantage.
Another factor that may be especially important this weekend is the distance Long Beach State and rhode Island, Kansas' opponent on Sunday, have to travel to get to Lawrence. Both teams will deal with changes in time zones.
Even with all these factors considered, Boyer said winning matches really comes down to one thing.
"I think the key is just scoring goals," Boyer said.
Edited bv Meaan Morriss
MLB
White Sox defeat Cubs 5-0 in makeup game
Chicago White Sox right fielder Dewayne Wise makes a difficult catch on a wind-tossed fly ball hit by Chicago Cubs' Koyie Hill during the fifth inning of an interleague baseball game Thursday at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Rookie Carlos Torres threw seven crisp innings, Dewayne Wise made a great throw to cut down a runner at the plate and the White Sox beat the Cubs 5-0 Thursday in a makeup game between two city rivals whose seasons have gown awry.
BY RICK GANO
Torres (1-0), recalled from the minors two days ago, earned his first major league win in his third career start. He allowed five hits, walked none and struck out six.
Wise, whose highlight-reel catch preserved Mark Buehrle's perfect game back in July, made a strong throw from right field to preserve a 1-0 White Sox lead in the seventh. Jake Fox tried to score from second on Jeff Baker's single but Wise delivered the ball to A.J. Pierzynski, who was able to tag the sliding Fox for the second out.
Baker took second on the play, but Torres fanned Koyie Hill to end the threat.
Soriano had a cortisone injection in his sore left knee Sunday and had missed three games earlier in the week. After his miscue, what appeared to be a T-shirt came flying out of the left-field bleachers. Soriano also was booed loudly when he struck out to end the game.
The White Sox added two in the eighth, taking advantage of a key Cubs error. Gordon Beckham scored from first when left fielder Alfonso Soriano missed Pierzynski's fly. Paul Konerko followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 and chase Ryan Dempster (8-8).
The makeup of a June 16 rainout featured two defending division champs whose playoff hopes have faded greatly. It was the latest makeup for an interleague game since Kansas City played Arizona
on Sept. 4. 2003.
The Cubs entered six games out of the NL wild card with four teams in front of them. They remained $10\frac{1}{2}$ games back of the Central-leading Cardinals, who lost 4-3 to the Brewers. After a disastrous road trip, the White Sox returned to town in third, seven games back of the Tigers in the AL Central.
"I never thought we were going to collapse in two weeks the way
that we did because if you look at the lineup every day it's a pretty good lineup." White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Chris Getz singled with two outs in the second and went to second when Fox — subbing at first base for Derek Lee — dropped a pickoff attempt from Dempster for an error. Alexei Ramirez then delivered an RBI single into left field.
Looking like a team that went 2-8 on a 10-game trip to Boston, New
York and Minnesota, the White Sox ran themselves out of a potential big inning in the first. Leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik drove a ball into the right-center that would have been a triple, but the ball got lost in the ivy and became a ground-rule double.
Beckham then hit a comebaker to Dempster and Podsednik got caught between second and third. Dempster threw to third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who ran
Podsednik back to second and tagged him. Beckham, who took off for second, was tagged out by second baseman Baker in a rundown to complete the double play.
Cubs HR and RBI leader Lee was scratched, missing the game to be with his wife, who gave birth to their second child early Thursday morning. The White Sox lead the overall series that began in 1997, 37-35.
STUDY ABROAD FAIR
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SEPTEMBER 9,2009
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FOOTBALL Darrell Stuckey named as candidate for award
Senior safety Darrell Stuckey was named as one of 30 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidates, the award announced on Wednesday.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season.
The award is given to a Division I senior who "has notable achievements in four areas of excellence — classroom, character, community and competition."
Jayson Jenks
MLB
McGehee leads Cardinals to win
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Rookie Casey McGehee wasn't about to be fooled twice by John Smoltz.
After looking at a called third strike he time up, the streaking McGehee hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Smoltz and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep.
"He abused me pretty bad on breaking balls," McGehee said of his first-inning at-bat. "He finally got one up enough to where I could get a hold of it."
McGhee homered in the sixth to break a 2-all tie, connecting right after the Cardinals failed to turn an inning-ending double play.
"The three guys in front of me who are getting on base are the ones getting it done" he said. "A guy like Prince (Fielder), you don't even want to mess with, so I'm getting good pitches to hit."
The shot capped off an amazing series for McGehee, who drove in nine of his teams' 13 runs during the three-game set. McGehee, a Chicago Cubs castoff, was 5 for 11 at Busch Stadium with two homers in a 72-hour span.
Manny Parra settled down after a slow start and pitched into the seventh inning for Milwaukee, which has won four of six.
Smoltz struck out Ryan Braun, then got Fielder to ground into a potential inning-ending double play. But second baseman Julio Lugo jugged the ball momentarily and could only throw out Fielder as the tying run scored.
Trevor Hoffman closed for his 30th save, striking out Albert Pujols with a runner on base to end the game. Hoffman, the career saves leader, reached the 30 mark for the 14th time.
The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead into the sixth, but Craig Counsell led off with a double and took third on an infield single by Frank Catalotto.
Matt Holliday, who had three hits, brought the Cardinals to 4-3 with a leadoff homer in the eighth. It was his 10th as a Cardinal and 21st overall. He singled earlier in the game for his 1,000th career hit.
McGehee followed with a go-ahead drive just inside the left-field foul pole for his 13th homer of the season. He also drove in the Brewers' first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
St. Louis loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Reliever Mitch Stetter struck out Khalil Greene looking and Claudio Vargas got Pujols to ground out on a 3-2 pitch.
Pinch-hitter 'Colby Rasmus walked later in the eighth, but was picked off by Vargas. Hoffman worked around Lugo's one-out bunt single with one out in the ninth.