Section B · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, September 10, 1998
Cyclone receiver adjusts to Division 1
AMES, Iowa — Running a pass route with Jack Tatum bearing down on him would be easier for Damien Groce than what he dealt with this week.
the Associated Press
Instead of facing defensive backs, Groce was facing reporters.
State football player.
"I'm nervous," the wide receiver confessed during his first major interview as an Iowa State football
Grace isn't used to crowds. Some of his games at San Bernardino Valley Junior
College drew only 2 or so fans.
Before getting to Iowa State, the biggest crowd for one of his games was 6,000 in high school
But he played in front of 33,009 in his Cyclone debut at Jack Trice Stadium last Saturday. And this Saturday, 70,000 fans will fill Iowa's Kinnick Stadium when Groce and his teammates face the Hawkeyes on ESPN2.
After a bout with jitters in Iowa State's loss to TCU, Groce played well. He dropped a well-thrown pass from Todd Band-hauer in the first quarter and finished with five catches for 58 yards.
Iowa State's coaches noticed Groce while he was catching 47 passes for 785 yards and a school-record 12 touchdowns at San Bernardino Valley, which finished 9-2 last fall. He compiled 401 yards on punt returns, including an 88-yarder for a touchdown.
"We thought he was one of the better receivers out in California in the junior-college ranks," said Dan McCarney, Iowa State coach.
Three other San Bernardino Valley players have joined Groce at Iowa State: defensive back Javon Daniels, defensive lineman Robert Brannon and wide receiver Robert Brown. All three played against TCU, but Brannon saw the most action.
They came as a package.
"It was more of a group decision because we took all our trips together," Groce said. "We planned on going together regardless."
Pittsburgh, Illinois, San Diego State and Hawaii also recruited Groce, who said he and the others chose Iowa State because of the coaches, McCarney in particular.
"I could talk to him anytime I want to about anything," Groce said. "From the day we left, we said we've not to come here."
Now they'll try to help Iowa State break a 15-game losing streak to Iowa. In his short time in Ames, Groce has been able to sense the importance of playing the Hawkeyes.
the hawking,
"I know it's a big thing, Iowa," he said. "I'm excited just to play against them. I haven't had the privilege and the pleasure yet. I've been watching teams like this since I was little."
Wide receiver catches up with Wildcats
Burnett hopes to add more to K-State offense
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN, Kan., — When Kansas State opened its 1997 season, wide receiver Everett
Boulett was ready to replace Kevin Lockett, the Wildcats' all-time leading receiver who
Burnett was
After all, Burnett, a junior-college transfer from Kemper (Mo.) Military, earned a starting spot after dominating in K-State's 1997 spring game and impressing coaches with his athletic abilities. He even wore 83 on his jersey. Lockett's old number.
had moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I'm just trying to boost my confidence up from last year," Burnett said. "I came off a struggling season, and I'm just trying to get back on track and help my team in the most ways I can."
A year later, though, Burnett is recovering from a disappointing junior season and is trying to make a comeback.
Burnett stepped into a starting role last year but had problems catching the football. He had two drops at Nebraska in week four, followed by a dropped touchdown two weeks later against Texas A&M.
From there, he slid down the depth chart and was lost in the magic of the Wildcats' 11-1 season. He didn't play in the Fiesta Bowl, didn't make a catch in KState's final five games and finished the year with only seven receptions — one fewer than Lockett had in his final regular season game.
But after a strong offseason, Burnett enters No. 5 K-State's second game not only as a
starter but as the team's leading receiver as well. He caught four passes for 75 yards against Indiana State last Saturday, including the Wildcats' first completion of the season, a 39-yarder that set up their second score.
"This last game showed his effort, how he's been committed to making an improvement. I hope he keeps going and gets better each day," K-State quarterback Michael Bishop said. "This year is his last season, and I think he wants to continue to play football after this level, so he's making strides and he's getting better every day."
Burnett said his problems last year came from his mind, that football is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. Once he started dropping passes and losing confidence, everything fell apart, he said.
"I was so worried about dropping it instead of just going out there and doing the things I can do, the things I've been doing all my life — that's just catching the ball and making plays," he
said.
Last season, one of his goals was to improve his strength, which he did by pushing his squat total up to 700 pounds.
The added leg strength helped his explosion off the line and dropped his time in the 40-yard dash to 4.52 seconds. He also said the K-State coaches helped him learn to use his strength on the field, improving his blocking, tackle-breaking and effectiveness in bump-and-run coverage.
As for the dropped passes, he credits his family with helping him break that habit. Burnett was at an emotional low at the end of last season when he went home to St. Louis to spend some time with his family. He said he cleared his mind and came back focused in the spring.
"Everett has gotten a lot better. I think he's more focused on catching the ball than last year. Last year, I don't think he had the year he wanted to have," said Burnett's roommate, K-State free safety Lam Chap
"I came off a struggling season, and I'm just trying to get back on track and help my team in the most ways I can."
Everett Burnett Kansas State wide receiver
man. "But I think he's got it all straightened out. This is his senior year, and he wants to go out with a bang."
Burnett has shown he can catch the ball with his drop-free performance in week one. Now, he just needs to prove he's over his problems and ready to contribute consistently.
"Well, let's hope he is," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "We'll find out as the season progresses."
Change is in the air for Solich's 'Huskers
Passing game increases power for Nebraska
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska has found a way to punish defenses that stack the line or key too much on the run, and
it's going to change the way you think about the Cornhuskers. It's Air
It's Air Solich.
"If vou
look at our team in our first two games, we've hurt people more through the air than on the ground," said coach Frank Solich. "Sooner or later, that's
going to mean something to somebody."
It was fourth-and-one Saturday at Alabama-Birmingham's 15-yard line, and the 'Huskers were poised to cap a typical Nebraska drive. The rushing attack had been pounding the defense.
Solich didn't hesitate. Kicker Kris Brown stayed on the sideline and Solich sent in the next play. As a sea of 75,921 fans stood and cheered, everyone surely thought to expect a fullback dive or a speedy back cutting unfield off the option?
Sorry, but these are not your father's Cornhuskers. Quarterback Eric Crouch tossed the ball into the end zone, where wide-open Sheldon Jackson made an easy catch.
Air Solich?
"People will generally try to stop the run when they play Nebraska. That's pretty much a given," Solich said.
In Solich's first season replacing retired coach Tom Osborne, the No. 4 Cornhuskers (2-0) are more diversified than last year, when they led the nation in
rushing at 392.6 yards per game.
"New coach,
new things."
said receiver
Shevin Wiggins.
Entering Saturday's game at California, Air Solich is averaging 190.5 yards
per game. Those aren't the numbers you'd expect at Florida or BYU but they're above Nebraska's average last season of 121 passing yards per game.
Meanwhile, the rushing average in Lincoln has dropped to
262. 5 yards per game, paltry by Nebraska standards. The result of this change is an offense that may be harder to defend.
"It makes opponents play us a lot differently," said receiver Kenny Cheatham. "They have to respect our routes. No longer will they be able to just stack eight men in the box and forget the pass."
The passing game has been evolving in recent years at Nebraska. Last year, Scott Frost became just the 10th quarterback in Division I-A history to rush and throw for more than 1,000 yards in the same season.
With Frost's graduation, the snaps are now taken by sophomore Bobby Newcombe and redshirt freshman Crouch — fleet-footed guys who make quick cuts, throw deep and firmly grasp the game plan.
"We can pass the ball well, we can run the ball well and we
"People will generally try to stop the run when they play Nebraska. That's pretty much a given."
Frank Solich Nebraska head coach
have a great option game." Newcombe said. "In the past, Nebraska has mainly just been a running football team."
In the meantime, fans and opponents might need to rethink their perceptions about Nebraska's offense. The same goes for Crouch, who took a timeout before the touchdown on fourth-and-one to make sure he had the right call.
"I just wanted to make sure coach Solich really wanted the pass," Crouch said.
Notre Dame plans for run against Spartans
Last year's wounds heal as Irish look to improve Fight
The Associated Press
point last season, too.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Bob Davie keeps reminding himself that Notre Dame was 1-0 at this
season, too.
So the coach hasn't let the No. 10 Irish bask in the glow of their huge win Saturday
against No. 13 Michigan, not with a trip to Lansing, Mich.. on tap and a battered Michigan
State team waiting for them.
State team waiting for brent
And especially not after the
beating the Spartans gave Notre
Dame last year.
"Coach Davie, he reminded us about that, how they came in here and embarrassed us, whipped us," offensive tackle Luke Petitgut said Tuesday.
Davie said the biggest difference in the season for a team comes between the first and second games. Last year, Notre Dame edged Georgia Tech 17-6 in the home opener before Purdue came to town and defeated the Irish.
'That was followed by the Spartans' manhandling the Irish 23-7 in Notre Dame Stadium, holding them to 61 yards rushing. The Spartans' Sedrick Irvin and Marc Renaud both rushed for more than 100 yards.
Now Davie will see how the
Irish respond to beating Michigan decisively and traveling to Michigan State for a night game against the Spartans (0-2).
"If your attitude is right and your foundation is right, you should make improvements, and I certainly look for us to make improvements. We need to make improvements," Davie said.
On defense, that means shoring up a pass defense that surrendered 322 yards to Michigan. The Spartans have only 282 yards through the air in losses to Colorado State and Oregon. But Davie considers the Spartans a dangerous team.
"The bottom line is last year they beat us every way possible ... you get the tape out and you see it and you see they have the same players back," Davie said. "You understand the potential
of that football team."
Davie hopes to build on the success the Irish had against Michigan, especially in the running game. Autry Denson rushed for 162 yards against a Wolverine defense that returned nine starters from a team that ranked seventh in the country against the rush last year.
Now, he'll be going up against a team that held him to 59 yards on 15 carries.
Davie said Oregon's 307 yards rushing against Michigan State on Saturday wasn't a good gauge of how the Spartans would hold up against Notre Dame. He said Michigan State would match up much better against Notre Dame's power running attack than the Ducks' speed.
"It's going to be a physical football game this Saturday, and
"Coach Davie, he reminds us about how they came in here and embarrassed us, whipped us."
Luke Petitgout
Notre Dame tackle
I'm impressed with Michigan State's defense," he said. "They have good players back, and they do have a good scheme."
The Irish also know beating Michigan has put the rest of the country on alert that Notre Dame football is back.
"They'll be ready," Petitgout said. "It'll be like the old days — you get the best from everybody you play."
Board of Class Officers
and
Student Union Activities
Nominations are now being accepted for the
Ex.C.E.L. Award $500 Scholarship
EXcellence in Community, Education, and Leadership
One male and one female KU student will be chosen on the basis of their capacity for leadership, effective communication skills, involvement in the KU community, academics and their ability to work with a wide variety of students and student organizations. Each recipient of the E.K.C.E.L. Award will receive a $500 scholarship.
Applications available at:
928 Mass.
Downtown
- O & L Office, 4th Floor,
Kansas Union
-SUA Office, 4th Floor, Kansas Union
Applications are due by 5 p.m., Friday, September 25, 1998, to the
SUA Office.
For more information, call SUA at 864-3477
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