Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday October 26,1998
Sports
Section:
Kansas and Colorado weren't the only Big 12 Conference teams playing Saturday. Conference results and top-25 action. SEE PAGE 4B
The Kansas volleyball team lost two matches, but played hard against Nebraska.
B
Kansas Volleyball
SEE PAGE 3B
12
Page 1
Kansas Soccer
The Kansas soccer team lost two games in Texas this weekend after allowing too many first-half goals.
SEE PAGE 3B
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Kansas rebuffs Colorado
Jayhawks stampede past Buffaloes despite loss of key football players
By Jodi M. Smith
By Jodi M. Smith
Kansan soortwriter
Kansan sportswriter
Finally.
After three tortuous weeks of near misses and self-destructive games, the Kansas Jayhawks finally did something right.
In front of a packed homecoming crowd Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, the Jayhawks picked up their first conference win of the season.
But this one, unlike their previous win of this season against Alabama-Birmingham, wasn't a nail-biting overtime victory.
The Jayhawks stomped, trounced, bullied and blasted past the Colorado Buffaloes, 33-17.
"I feel very good," Coach Terry Allen said. "We've had so many struggles this year that no one can take credit for this except the kids in there. I think we're making up for lost time."
And it's about time.
there I think we are going to let Colorado back into the game after taking the lead. And there was no way the Jayhawks were going to let Colorado back into the game after taking the lead.
"They played really well, and we didn't," Colorado coach Rick Neuehlsel said. "Every time we tried to get back in it, they had an answer. They came up with the big plays, and we didn’t."
And the Jayhawks finally did what they've beer trying to do all year — eliminate mistakes.
Through four quarters of play, Kansas suffered no turnovers and was whistled for only four penalties.
Kansas played without five key players in their arsenal.
Two starters, quarterback Zac Wegner and center Chris Enneking, both suffered game-ending injuries early in the first quarter.
Starting wide receiver Harrison Hill and running back Mitch Bowles both sat out the game because of hamstring injuries.
Starting defensive lineman Dion Johnson was suspended for violation of team rules.
"We had a lot of people going down out there but not a lot of people quitting out there, and that's obviously the encouraging thing and the exciting thing." Allen said.
And Kansas still won一大 big.
"Basically, we have a situation where Zac goes down and [Jay] Alexander's going in, and it's obvious that the way we were playing in the beginning it just wasn't going to work out," offensive lineman Justin Glasgow said. "We committed ourselves to step it up a level, which we did, despite
Kansas reserve quarterback Jay Alexander is flushed out of the pocket. Alexander came in after starter Zac Wegner was injured and helped anise the Kansas offense. Photo by Dan Elavsky/KANSAN
Five quarterbacks showed their skills Saturday
By Randy Withers
Kansan Sportswriter
Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, Jayhawk and Buffalo quarterbacks were officially added to the endangered species list.
Both teams' starting signal-callers were knocked from the lineup, and Colorado's third-stringer had to play.
All told, five quarterbacks played in Kansas' 33-17 victory against the 17th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes.
"Jay did a great job to replace Zac," Allen said. "We tried to keep it basic, but he still did things out there that we didn't expect. He showed great maturity and he made things happen."
Kansas coach Terry Allen said he was pleased with the play of backup Jay Alexander, who entered the game after starter Zac Wegner had to leave with a conclusion.
Alexander said that he couldn't have scripted a better scenario for coming into a game than as a backup quarterback.
"I was a little nervous at first," Alexander said. "I didn't really have time to think, I had to be ready."
"I try to keep them pumped up," he said. "I like to get into the game and get things going, get people hyped up. They'll play better if
Upon his stepping under center, the momentum shifted in Kansas' favor.
said that it was preparation that is successful
preparation that allowed him to be successful "You can't think of yourself as a backup when you're in the game," he said. "You've got to be ready at anytime. You never know what could happen."
Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel would rather have avoided what turned into a cavalcade of Colorado quarterbacks. Starter Mike
Moschetti and backup Adam Bledsoe were both injured, leading to the appear-
leading to the appearance of third-string quarterback Gabe Leonard.
"Their backup quarterback outplayed our backup quarterback tonight," he said. "That's not to say that I'm down on Adam Bledsoe. It's a tough situation that he came"
"I was calm and confident until the very last play. We just got outplayed," Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe said that he tried to maintain his usually calm state of mind despite the situation when he entered the game.
Third-string Colorado quarterback Gabe Leonard played for the first time this season when Bledsoe went down.
Because work is "just wanted to try and move the ball, score a touchdown, and try and win the game," Leonard said. "But it didn't work out that way."
Despite the obvious questions regarding the Jayhawks' quarterback situation, Alexander was quick to quiet any talk of what some see as a looming quarterback controversy.
"I know my role as a backup, and that's up to the coaches, regardless," Alexander said. "I'm just going to keep doing what I do, play and practice hard."
Kansas football
For the game's box score and photos, please see page 68; for the drive chart and AP poll, see 2B.
Commentary
Guest coach observes inner workings of the'Hawks
I'm 1-0 as a Kansas football coach. Sorry, Coach Terry Allen, but I'm retiring.
This season, the football team invited Mary Ryan, director of new student orientation; Pam Houston, director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate center; Doug Houston (Fam's husband), professor of business; Kevin Yoder, student body president, and I to be guest coaches at Kansas games.
Saturday, at the invitation of the Athletics Department, I stood on the sidelines as a guest coach.
It's an attempt to familiarize more people at the University with the team and all that is part of a
Although we had absolutely nothing to do with the 33-17 victory against Colorado, we did get to observe the team before, during and after the game.
game.
So Friday and Saturday the guest coaches got a peek at the inner workings of the Jayhawks.
During pregame warmups, I was watching Kansas receivers from the sideline when I glanced at the Colorado players. Wide receiver Darrin Chlaveriini was running toward the sideline, looking back for a pass.
where I had been standing.
The other sideline observers and I cleared a path before Chiaverini grabbed the ball and ran right
That pretty much describes what
watch the field, watch the sidelines, get out of the way.
Things didn't look good on the sidelines late in the first quarter.
K a n s a s
squandered an
opportunity to
score after an
Matt
Fredrichs
interception when Joan García's 49-yard field goal attempt barely
cleared the defensive line and missed the goal posts completely.
Then Colorado scored a touchdown. Quarterback Zac Wegner didn't return to the game because of a concussion and starting center Chris Enneking stood on the sidelines with a separated shoulder.
The offensive line kept coming off the field disgusted. "We need to give the quarterback some time," the coach would say.
Backup quarterback Jay Alexander scrambled for time. The offensive line scrapped for yardage, and
Butas darkness settled across the stadium, the fire was still burning in the hearts of the Kansas football players.
The sideline erupted.
David Winbush scored the first Kansas touchdown halfway through the second quarter.
Garcia kicked a field goal at the end of the first half and Kansas never trailed again.
"Let's finish it," said one of the offensive linemen.
"Don't think this game is over."
But elation about the score was quickly tempered by a failure to score on the two-point conversion attempt.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Kansas had a six-point lead. Then linebacker Tim Bowers recovered a Colorado fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
said one of the assistant coaches. "Look at the clock."
The players' determination to have this game end differently than other games the team had lost in the fourth quarter was obvious.
Enneking, his injured right arm hanging at his side, screamed encouragement, the defense pestered the Colorado quarterbacks, and Winbush ran 65 yards for a final, clinching touchdown.
1
It was a great day to be a Kansas football fan. It was a great day to be a Kansas football player. It was a great day to be a Kansas coach.
Friedrichs is a Bremen graduate student in journalism.