Volume 125 Issue 36
kansan.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
After all, history tends to repeat itself.
It may be a long shot for Charlie Weis to have similar success in his second year at Kansas, but it's not crazy to think the future will be a positive one for the lawhaws.
Edited by Lauren Shelly
COMMENTARY
Eleven years ago, Terry Allen stumbled across the finish line to complete his final of five seasons as Kansas' head coach. The team was 3-7 and didn't win a game in the Big 12.
History repeated in football program
Mangino won in his second year at Kansas, and he won "big." The team went 6-7 in 2003, won three games in the Big 12 and lost in the Tangerine Bowl to Phillip Rivers North Carolina State team. It bought him more time. Four more years of mediocrity, to be exact, before Todd Reesing sparked explosion in 2008.
A FRESH START
Turner Gill was often compared to Allen in his two years in charge of the Jayhawks. Allen was known as a "nice guy" and a real player's coach. He came from a Northern Iowa University, where he had Division 1-AA success, yet couldn't duplicate it at Kansas in the Big 12.
You don't have to search back through too many chapters to find it.
While all may seem gloomy for Charlie Weis and Kansas football right now, a simple flip through the Jayhawks' history book, "A Tale of Mediocry," may be their best source of optimism.
Like Allen, Gill was a nice guy. His players loved playing for him. He had a stellar reputation. And he came from University at Buffalo, where he had unprecedented success for the program that also couldn't be duplicated at Kansas. Gill's last year at Kansas was a 2-10 embarrassment with no Big 12 wins.
Heek, even similar things were taking place 80 miles to the west in Mangino's first year, as Kansas State finished sixth in the coach's poll in 2002.
Charlie Weis, much like Mark Mangino, proved that thought wrong. It has gotten worse. While certain aspects of the team may be improved, the record will be worse, just like Mangino's first season.
When Turner Gill was fired, the general sentiment from fans and media was that Kansas football couldn't get any worse.
Ten years ago, Kansas hired Mark Mangino. When Mangino was hired, the program couldn't get any worse, right? Until Mangino went 2-10 in his first season and Kansas didn't win in the Big 12 once again. It was the second time in school history that Kansas had back-to-back seasons with zero wins in conference play.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Freshman quarterback Michael Cummings gets ready to throw the ball to an open teammate during last Saturday's game against Oklahoma at the Gaylord Family- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. where the Jawhaws lost 7-52
CUMMINGS TAKES THE REINS
Weis picks freshman to start as quarterback against Texas on Saturday
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
Kansas head coach Charlie Weis announced yesterday that freshman Michael Cummings will start this Saturday against Texas in the University's 100th homecoming. Weis updated the depth chart, and Cummings is listed first.
Last week, Weis had both Cummings and Dayne Crist listed at the top of the depth chart. This week, however, Weis decided it was time to move on and make the switch to Cummings.
"At this point, when you're 1-6 and things haven't gone real well,
I think you owe it to your team to see what you've got," Weis said.
"Mike had a fine performance for all the circumstances," quarterbacks coach Ron Powls said.
"He certainly has room to grow and things to get better at. But I thought he handled himself well in the situation, and I thought he managed his part of the operation fine. My mindset changed being the starter. But as far as my expectations, they haven't changed."
Powlus defined Cummings as a calm and collected player. Cummings said he will mentally prepare before the game to ensure he keeps a clear head on Saturday.
"Being named the starter definitely helps you prepare mentally in a different aspect for the game," Cummings said. "I feel like I'm going to prepare all week like I know
Cummings received playing time in the second half of the games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State. While Cummings has practiced with the team, Weis gave him his first taste of playing football at the college level. From there, Cummings worked his way up.
Cummings had an opportunity to impress his coaches in the last three weeks, including his first career start last Saturday.
how. I'm prepared to lead the team when my number is called."
After redshirting his first year at Kansas, Cummings finds himself earning the opportunity he always dreamed of. Cummings said he wants to take advantage of it and continue to finish the season as the starting quarterback.
"As long as I got a chance to compete, that's all you can ask for." Cummings said. "All you can ask for is a chance. I just kept my faith, kept my notes and kept working."
Even though Cummings will start as quarterback, Crist remains an important player on the team. Weis said Crist will keep his role
as a captain because his teammates voted for him.
Cummings said he also received advice from Crist and hopes to eventually apply the lessons Crist has taught him.
"Since Dayne's been here, he's been a great influence on me," Cummins said. "Him being a fifth-year senior, he has insight that I won't have until I'm a fifth-year senior. If I can get it from him, then I'll be able to build on that and have more insight to give somebody else down the line."
Edited by Allison Kohn
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks gear up to play Iowa State
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Armed with the reigning Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week and National Player of the Week, the Kansas Hawayhs aim to do something at 6:30 p.m. tonight that they haven't done since 2004 — win at Iowa State.
Hilton Coliseum is known for giving the Kansas basketball team some tough losses, but it's also been the site of the volleyball team's misfortune. Iowa State has swept the Jayhawks in Ames every year since Kansas won at Iowa State 3-2 in 2004.
"I know last year it didn't take long," coach Ray Bechard said of Iowa State's 3-0 home victory against Kansas last year. "They are really good at home, get a good crowd."
Iowa State enters the match with an 11-7 record and a 5-3 mark in Big 12 play. However, that record is misleading. They defeated Nebraska when the Cornhuskers were ranked No. 1 in the nation, and they beat 2011 NCAA runner-up Illinois. They are also the only team to win a conference play against Texas, pushing the No. 8 Longhorns to five sets before falling. Even though Kansas enters the match with a No. 17 ranking and the Cyclones are No. 22, Beachard still feels his team is in the underdog role.
"They're favored at home against
anybody they play", Bechard said. "A ranking's fine, but if you go into the year before the year started saying, 'Hey, Kansas is going to be the favored team at Iowa State' a lot of people would look at you like you've got four eyes."
Another honor came on Tuesday, when the American Volleyball Coaches Association named Jarmoc its National Player of the Week. She notched 1 kills and 12 blocks on Oct. 17 against Kansas State and a career-high 23 kills on Oct. 20 against TCU. It's the third time in program history a Jayhawk was named National Player of the Week and the first time since 2008.
In previous years, Iowa State clearly had a much better team than Kansas, but the gap is much narrower this year. On Monday, the Big 12 named sophomore outside hitter Sara McClinton its Offensive Player of the Week and junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc the conference's Defensive Player of the Week.
Led by Jarmoc and McClinton, the jayhawks are 19-3 overall and 7-1 in Big 12 play, earning them a No. 17 national ranking and No. 8 RPI. Both rankings are the highest in program history.
"Obviously you can tell from the awards that people are getting every week and our record and our stats that everyone is contributing" junior libero Brianne Riley said.
In the teams' first matchup this
season in Lawrence on Sept. 26, Kansas defeated the Cyclones by holding their fast-paced offense to a .149 hitting percentage and coercing them into 33 attack errors.
Senior middle blocker Tayler Toleflee said Iowa State is different from Kansas because the Cyclones like to play fast and catch other defenses off guard. Junior middle blocker Tenisha Matlock leads Iowa State with a 315 hitting percentage, one of only seven players in the conference hitting above .300.
"They try and play fast and catch you moving on defense still and get points that way by sending the ball back over," Tolefreel said. "Their hitters are up early, but they might not swing hard. They can tip and throw it around some, so for us that means being disciplined on our releases on defense and just having a better court awareness."
Iowa State is the worst blocking team in Big 12 play, but they are second in the conference in digs, behind only Kansas. Riley leads the Jayhawks and the Big 12 in digs with 5.28 digs per set, while Iowa State's Kristen Hahn is second in the conference with 5.03 digs per set.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
"I think it makes a huge difference, digging." Riley said. "Coach B always says that if we can outdig them then oftentimes we have a better chance of winning."
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc gets into position during the fourth set in the match against the Kansas State Wildcats. Jarmoc had 11 kills and 25 total attacks. Kansas won against KSU 3-1.