Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Monday
November 9, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
More action pictures of the Kansas football win against North Texas and the Kansas basketball win against the California All-Stars. See Page 6B
Kansas Swimming
The Kansas women's swimming team upset Texas A&M Saturday at Robinson.
SEE PAGE 3B
College Basketball
Page 1
Kansas basketball great Fred Pralle and former Kansas State coach Jack Hartman both died last week.
SEE PAGE 3B
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Running back David Winbush lies in the end zone enjoying his five-yard touchdown run while quarterback Jay Alexander celebrates. Winbush also rushed for a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Photo by Matt J. Dauaherty/Kanson
Saying goodbye
Kansas football seniors happy to win last home game but disappointed about offensive performance
By Laura Bokenkroger
Kansan sportswriter
It wasn't quite the send-off they'd dreamed about.
On a cold, wet Saturday afternoon, the seniors on the Kansas football team played their last game at Memorial Stadium. Although the Jayhawks defeated the University of North Texas 23-14, senior offensive tackle Dan Dercher said that this game wasn't the team's best performance.
"It was ugly," Dercher said. "It was a pretty poor offensive performance. With the weather like that, we had a lot of penalties and fumbles, but we know we're a better offense than that."
The Jayhawks' offense had 298 yards, completed just nine of 19 passes, and failed to score an offensive touchdown in the second half.
Offensively, the soggy third quarter was dismal as both teams had more penalties and fumbles than first downs. Neither team mustered a score. North Texas
"It was a defensive show today," said senior offensive guard Justin Glasgow. "I was hoping for a more emotional win, like being up by 30 points so we could bring out the seniors one by one. But I'm so glad that we won."
only had one first down and Kansas only had three.
"The weather hurts the offense more than anything else," said Michael Allen, senior strong safety. "But we just had go out and do the things we were capable of."
The Jayhawks' defense was the highlight, creating two bigplays to ensure victory.
Defensive back Andrew Davison intercepted a pass by North Texas quarterback Chase Corley and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. With seven minutes and 31 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Kansas led 23-14.
But North Texas recovered running back David Winbush's fumble, and the Eagles took control at their own 49-yard line. North Texas running back Ja'Quay Wilburn ran for 39 yards to the Kansas 23-yard line for a first down. An unsparsmanlike-conduct penalty on Kansas moved the ball to the 11-yard line, giving North Texas a first down.
But the Kansas defense held, and North Texas was forced to try for a field goal. Defensive end Kareem Carter blocked the field goal attempt, and defensive back Greg Erb recovered the ball as the Jayhawks held on to win 23-14.
ball, praising Caston's athleticism and ability to rush the quarterback.
Coach Terry Allen said senior linebacker Hanson Caston deserved the game
"When we get them playing our type of ball game, things are going to go our way," Caston said. "We got them to go to the air and that's what we wanted to do."
Although the weather inhibited the offense and deterred fans from coming to watch the seniors' last home game, Dercher said the seniors were just glad to win.
Dan Dercher Kansas senior tackle
Victory against North Texas fuels team's spirit
"It was touching to go out with a win," Dercher said. "We're laying the foundation this year. You have to look to the future and next year -- maybe they'll have some luck. Coach Allen's a great coach and these guys have a
"It was touching to go out with a win. We're laying the foundation this year. You have to look to the future and next year — maybe they'll have some luck."
lot of potential."
The seniors have one game left, and Dercher said they weren't looking further ahead than that.
Kansan sportswriter
By Jodi M. Smith
The Kansas football team is ending its season just the way it wanted to — winning.
The Jayhawks squeaked away with a 23-14 win against the North Texas Eagles in front of a minuscule crowd Saturday.
Running back David Winbush said the game was a big one for more than the seniors.
An estimated 20,000 people showed up to watch the Kansas seniors play their final game at Memorial Stadium.
The victory sets the Jayhawks up for their final game, two weeks from Saturday against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.
"We all appreciate the support for people that came out," safety Michael Allen said. "This was our last game in Memorial Stadium."
"It's important to win this one and the next one we've got," running back David Winbush said. "We're just trying to finish it out for the seniors
"We can get some rest, and then come back and beat Iowa State the following week," Davison said.
and see where we are for the future."
Despite a lackluster offensive performance, only 298 yards total offense, several Jayhawks excelled when Kansas had possession.
- Seven Kansas players caught passes from quarterback Jay Alexander for a total of 72 yards.
Wide receiver Harrison Hill caught three of those for 21 yards.
- **Defensive end Kareem Carter blocked a late fourth-quarter North Texas field goal attempt, which would have brought the Eagles to within four points of the Jayhawks.**
"He used his athleticism well," coach Terry Allen said. "He's able to rush to the quarterback,
Winbush had another stellar game with 131 yards rushing, which ranks him 29th on the Kansas all-time rushing list. It was also Winbush's second 100-yard game of the season.
Defensive linebacker Hanson Caston had three unassisted tackles in the game, two for losses of 24 yards total.
- Cornerback Andrew Davison intercepted the first pass of his career and ran it 30 yards for a touchdown, also the first of his career.
In his first career start, Alexander connected on nine passes of 19 attempts.
The score, which came with seven minutes remaining in the game, took the Jayhawks from only three points ahead of the Eagles to nine points ahead, helping clinch the game for Kansas.
Linebacker Patrick Brown recovered his first fumble of the 1998 season.
and that's Hanson's forte."
Diane, Dan and Larry Dercher walk down Campanile hill for Dan's last home football game. Sixteen seniors and their parents were honored in front of the home crowd at Memorial Stadium. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
Freshman Jeff Boschee guards Rex Walters, Jayhawk alumni and California All-Stars guard. Walters played for Kansas from 1991 to 1993 and led the team to the Final Four in 1993. He has been practicing with the Jayhawks during the NBA lockout. Photo by Jay Sheperd/KANSAN
Former Jayhawk dishes assists for All-Stars
Rex Walters returns to Allen Field House, but plays for opposition
In the same Field House where Rex Walters was cheered every time he stepped onto James Naismith Court from 1991 to 1993, he was being jeered. He had missed a three-point shot with less than four minutes to play in the first half of Saturday night's game between Kansas and the California All-Stars.
By Matthew Friedrichs
Kansan sports editor
The former Jayhawk shooting guard, however, understood what it meant when he denounced the opponents' jersey for one evening.
Air ball. Air ball. Air ball.
"It says Kansas on their jersey," he said after the game. "Mine says California All-Stars."
And although the crowd applauded him during introductions, for
almost 40 minutes he was the enemy
"It's got to be a home-court advantage," Walters said. "They've got to cheer for their team."
— not the player who teamed with Adonis Jordan to lead the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 1993.
Since leaving Kansas, Walters has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
Now a free agent, Walters can't sign with a team until the NBA lockout is settled. He said Miami was his best prospect.
watters' stint with the All-Stars was for only one game, and Phil Bryant, the All-Stars coach, said he was excited to have Rex for the fan appeal.
Walters practices with Kansas, working on his game for when the NBA season begins — if players and owners can come to an agreement.
Walters shot a dismal five of 18 from the field, hitting only one of 10 three-point attempts. He also had
"It would have been a disservice not to try to beat them."
Rex Walters
NBA player and former Kansas guard
Kansas coach Roy Williams said he was glad Walters didn't shoot better.
"I'm just trying to stay in shape," Walters said. "Evidently, I need to work on my shooting a little bit."
two steals, two rebounds, nine assists and two turnovers in 38 minutes on the floor.
Walters did play tenacious defense against Ryan Robertson and Jeff Boschae, something Robertson has seen before.
"If Rex would have had a good night shooting the ball, we would have lost," he said. "I was really happy. I told him I didn't like seeing him on that other bench and in that other uniform."
"I've played against Rex a lot," Robertson said. "I have a lot of respect for him. He's very, very competitive."
in a two-minute stretch in the second half, the All-Stars closed the gap from 82-71, to one at 82-81. Walters dished out three assists and pulled the All-Stars to within one after hitting a free throw.
Walters also scored or had an assist on several fast-break baskets that kept the All-Stars close.
Walters' competitive nature came out during the game as he talked to the referees about fouls and jawed with Robertson and Boschee.
Walters said playing Kansas hard was an important part of preparing the Jayhawks for the season.
"It would have been a disservice not to try to beat them," Walters said.
At the end of the game, the partisan Allen Field House crowd recognized Walter's hard play. Bryant pulled Walters with less than a minute remaining. Walters left to a standing ovation.