Volume 125 Issue 23
kansan.com
Monday, October 1, 2012
COMMENTARY
Moutaineers' offense may lead to title
Led by a potential Heisman winner and an excellent offense, West Virginia might win the Big 12 conference in its first year in the conference. Though Baylor's offense kept up with West Virginia, many offenses can't put up the numbers like the Mountaineers.
A trip to Austin, Texas to face the Texas Longhorns this weekend and a game on Oct. 20 against Kansas State stand in the way of the Mountaineers' Big 12 title. But with this explosive offense, West Virginia has to be the favorites to earn the Big 12 crown.
However, the Mountaineers don't have a good quarterback. They have a magnificent quarterback. Senior quarterback Geno Smith continues to put up godly numbers.
Usually having two wide receivers with 200 or more yards in a game is uncommon, but to have two wide outs in the top five in multiple categories is unreal.
—Edited by Christy Khamphilay
CROSS COUNTRY
The Big 12 conference was once known for its power running and hard-nosed defense. Now, many teams spread the football field and sling the ball through the air.
Still, without a good quarterback, the spread offense doesn't really work.
And for the undefeated West Virginia Mountaineers, that gives them an edge over the rest of the Big 12.
In the 70-63 victory over Baylor, Smith completed 45 of his 51 passing attempts, threw for 656 yards and eight touchdowns. To put those numbers in perspective, Baylor Heisman winner Robert Griffin III three for 1,481 yards and 18 touchdowns through four games in 2011. Kansas senior quarterback Dayne Crist has 763 passing yards through four games. Smith almost conquered that feat in one game.
Junior wide receiver Stedman Bailey and senior wide receiver Tavon Austin are a deadly duo.
After four games, West Virginia leads the nation with 441.5 yards per game through the air. The Mountainers also are third in the nation, averaging 53 points. The high-octane offense wears opponents down and causes the defense to give up huge plays.
This year, Smith completed 83.4 percent of his passes and threw for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also has yet to throw an interception and leads the nation with a 208.4 quarterback rating.
Yes, Geno Smith is insane, but his wide receivers might be equally as good.
Bailey and Austin are both in the top five in the nation for receptions, yards and touchdowns.
In the victory over Baylor, Bailey had 13 receptions for 303 yards and five touchdowns. Austin was close behind with 14 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
[From left] Kansas runners James Wilson, Gabe Gonzalez, Josh Baden and Reid Buchanan snag the top four places, respectively, in the Bob Timmons Classic Sept. 1 at Rim Rock Farm.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
KEEPING THE PACE
Five men finish in top 10 to win team title at Classic, women place sixth overall
MAX GOODWIN
mggoodwin@kansan.com
Just behind the finish line of the Rim Rock Classic, fifteen Jayhawk runners stood with their arms around each other and smiled as family members took pictures. The results had not yet been released, but the runners knew they ran a successful race.
Minutes earlier, Donny Wasinger, senior men's team captain, had led a string of five consecutive Jayhawk runners across the finish in the top 10 of the race. It was the second team win in the two races for the Kansas men.
Mexico State. Senior Kyra Kilwein was the top finisher on the team and finished 21st overall.
The Jayhawks outlawed the 11th ranked Indiana Hoosiers for the victory and also beat Kansas State and Texas Tech in Saturday's race.
"We took down some really good teams that are consistently really strong every year." Wasinger said. "As a team I think we did perfect. We executed exactly the way we wanted and had a plan going in."
"My teammates helped me a lot with staying calm and confident". Kilwein said. "Coach Whittlesey also said I did really well, so I'm really happy."
Assistant coach Michael Whittlese similarly described the team's execution of the race plan as perfect. The team did a nice job of controlling the first mile and picking it up at the third mile, he said.
Seniors Kilwein and Wasinger were running in their last race as Jayhawks at their last course of Rim Rock Farm, but it was the first ever Rim Rock Classic. The course was changed for the event to be more spectator friendly.
"Rim Rock is my course, I know it very well," Kilwein said. "We did a 6k today, and it was a little
The top five finishing Jayhawks:
Wasinger, James Wilson, Evan Landes, Reid Buchannon and Gabe Gonzalez were separated by just eight seconds at the finish line.
Whittlesey said that the team is always trying to have a close margin between the number one and five runners and an eight second margin on a tough course like Rim Rock was great execution by the guys.
bit different, but I thought today's race was really fun."
Coach Whitlettes also enjoyed the new route for Rim Rock.
The woman's team was not as successful at grouping their front five runners together as the men did. The women's team finished sixth behind Michigan, Toledo, Indiana, Air Force and New
"Spectators could get everywhere and I thought the atmosphere was fantastic, so it was a good day." Whittlesey said.
BASKETBALL
There are hopes that this meet, with its adjusted course and quality athletes competing, will help attract a regional or conference meet to be ran at Rim Rock in the future.
Edited by Brittney Haynes
Bill Self's contract extended until 2022
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
Kansas Athletics announced on Friday that it agreed with men's basketball coach Bill Self on a contract that will keep him coaching at Allen Fieldhouse through the 2021-22 season.
The new contract increases the four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year's salary $480,000, raising his total annual salary to $3.856 million, starting after his previous contract ends following the 2017-18 season.
"We believe Bill Self is among a very small number of elite basketball coaches in this country," KU Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger said in a press release. "And this ensures that we compensate him accordingly. We are proud of the way he represents the University of Kansas, Kansas Athletics and the entire state of Kansas, and we are thrilled that he will remain our coach for at least another decade."
If Self remains at the university,
he will earn retention bonuses worth
$876,000 per year, paid in lump
sums in 2015 and 2018. The retention bonus is replaced in 2019 with an agreement where Self will receive a one-time payment of $6 million if he remains at Kansas through March of 2022.
Self's contract will not be paid using any taxpayer or tuition dollars.
In his nine seasons as the coach of the Jayhawks, Self has won eight straight conference titles, made it to Elite Eight appearances, two Final Four appearances and won the 2008 National Championship. His Kansas team's have never missed the NCAA tournament or have been seeded lower than fourth.
"I know there are other great jobs out there, but I know it doesn't take long to call roll for the best of the best, and I know that I'm fortunate to have one of those positions," Self said in a release by Kansas Athletics. "And you never say never, but I can't imagine myself coaching anywhere else as long as the people at Kansas want me to be here."
Edited by Vikaas Shanker
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Kansas coach Bill Self speaks at the men's basketball award banquet last spring. Self's contract was extended through the 2021-22 season, and his salary was increased to $3.856 million, starting after the 2017-18 season.