Volume 125 Issue 3
kansan.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
COMMENTARY
But for Kansas sophomore running back Tony Piper, that opportunity is now.
Back in April, junior running back James Sims was suspended for the first three games of the 2012 season after he violated team rules. Sims was Kansas' leading rusher in 2011. He rushed for 727 yards on 182 carries and scoring nine touchdowns.
In football, it's all about opportunity. Athletes enter the program as freshmen and hope for the chance to prove themselves on the playing field in little time as possible.
Kansas' second leading rusher running back Darrian Miller transferred after an excellent freshman season, rushing for 559 yards and scoring four times.
Pierson can earn top spot
Some wait for three to four years and earn their place during their senior campaign. Others are lucky enough to start as freshmen.
With both running backs out of the picture, Pierson's electric play has a chance to shine and earn him the feature role in the Kansas offense.
Sure, at first glance it would seem that Pierson's numbers are a bit low. Pierson only rushed for 396 yards and scored three times. But, Pierson only carried the ball 71 times and played in one fewer game than Sims.
Pierson was rarely used last year. It's hard to tell what he can truly do when only showing his talents in such short, electric bursts.
Even with the big question mark surrounding him, Pierson has a chance to rise to the occasion. South Dakota State and Rice may not be the best competition, but the opponents will be a measuring stick of what Pierson can do.
The biggest game though has to be against new Big 12 member TCU. If Pierson does well against TCU, expect him to receive 15 carries a game with Sims back in the lineup.
The road to become the feature running back may be long and strange, but with these opportunities, Pierson can earn his spot as number one.
Edited by Vikaas Shanker
Sims and Miller both finished the 2011 season averaging four yards a carry. Not bad, but Pierson shattered that, averaging 5.6 yards. Also, Sims and Miller both had 10 or more carries in all but one game. Pierson on the other hand only reached double-digits once last season with 11 carries against Missouri in the final Border Showdown game.
Pierson's speed and ability to make big plays make him a great option as the feature running back, but consistency will be the biggest question mark.
Pierson showcased his speed last year in numerous games by gaining big chunks of yards with fewer attempts. He didn't have the longest carry last year, but in seven of the 11 games, his longest carry was 10 or more yards. And in four of the games his longest carry was 20 or more yards.
CROSS COUNTRY
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Junior Zach Zarda charges up the Jim Ryun Skyline ahead of Park University's Daniel Tubei at Rim Rock Farm Saturday morning. Zarda finished second overall in the Men's GK race with a personal best time of 19.01.30, shaving 37 seconds off last year's finish. The Men's team placed first overall at the Bob Timmons Classic for the fifth straight year.
RUNNING ON
Wasinger returns from injury to lead team
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
When a team's best player goes down with an injury, the team has two choices. One, they can go through the motions and act like he was the whole reason they were good. Or two, they can strive to be better and make up for the loss.
"With him last year, the team could have been much better, but without him, it made the team much better," assistant coach Michael Whitleysey said. "Because his leadership wasn't out there and the younger athletes had to step forward and learn on their own."
The latter of the two is what the men's cross country team decided to do when they lost then junior Donny Wasinger to a pulled achilles tendon last season.
Now Wasinger is a senior and the returning corps will be pushing him to be the number one guy to lead the Jayhawks.
"It's the strongest team we've had in a number of years. It's not just from a talent basis, but also a commitment basis," Whittlesey said.
Whittlese also said that anyone on the team can push to be in the front five even if they are the 10th runner. The top five runners in each race make up the team score, so competition is always good. The commitment to be in the top five is visible by the summer training.
"We've had a lot of guys that were committed and putting in a lot of miles," Wasinger said. "Multiple guys putting in 100-mile weeks throughout the summer."
The men's cross country team brings back 15 letterwinners and six Big 12 scorers. Redshirt freshman Gabe Gonzalez, junior Josh Munsch and senior Josh Baden will look to join Wasinger in the top five.
Gonzalez is expected, along with Wasinger as the top two runners for the Jayhawks. Munsch competed in the NCAA Championships with track and field last year and Whittlesey believes the experience he had there will have a positive reaction for the cross country season.
Baden has had to work hard to get where he isafter barely making the cut his freshmen year, but is now in a place to be one of the top three runners for the lajhwakes.
In order for a successful season, the cross country team will have to rely on everyone to make a commitment to the team.
"The returners this year have really stepped up." Whittlsey said. "The commitment that our sophomores and freshmen from last year that they have put forth the last 12 months have been tremendous. They've really stepped up their game."
—Edited by Andrew Ruszczyk
FOOTBALL
Campo settles in as college coach
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fyousoughian@kansan.com
One of the biggest transitions in football is when a player leaves college and begins playing professionally. Dave Campo, Kansas defensive coordinator, is making the jump from coaching in the NFL to coaching in the Big 12.
Campo's biggest challenge during the transition has been switching his style of coaching defense and making sure that his players can get a good grasp of the system.
Campo said the Big 12 is different from other athletic conferences in many ways.
"When you talk about the SEC or the PAC 12, they are almost more NFL-type leagues from the standpoint that they are all like what Texas is doing." Campo said, explaining how the Big 12 is more fast-paced with a spread offense.
For the past 22 years, Campo has coached with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars while serving different roles throughout his
professional coaching career including the head coach of the Cowboys from 2000-02.
His most triumphant run in the NFL came during the 1992-93 season through 1995-96 season where Campo was the secondary coach and defensive coordinator while helping
ers through teaching is a new, enjoyable learning experience.
"It's a breath of fresh air for me." Campo said. "You don't do quite as much technique stuff when
the Cowboys win three Super Bowl titles in the span of four seasons.
Campo is learning that coaching players in college is not like coaching players in the pros. For him, leading college football play-
Campo
you've got guys that have been in your system for seven or eight years. I feel good about that. I think we're making progress in those areas."
Despite having a new defensive coordinator, Toben
Opurum, senior defensive end and captain, said that he has been able to pick up Campo's defense. His shift with a new coach is not something that is setting him back, but rather helping him sharpen and elevate his game.
"He's been able to coach guy who have been in the same position as I have," Opurum said. "I know the technique he wants me to use and I know what he expects out of me and he has helped me get better."
As Opurum and his teammates prepare for the season to kickoff in less than two weeks, he knows that his team will be ready against South Dakota State.
"Come September 1 we get a new opponent," he said. "I think we'll really be able to see what we're capable of. I'm confident in what we're doing and I really like what coach Campo has us doing out there."
At the start of fall camp, Campo made it clear that his Kansas defense won't be one-dimensional, but it'll more versatile. "Right now South Dakota State has no idea what we are going to do, because I have been in about five different
defenses in the last three or four years," Campo said. "I think you would have to say we are a multiple defense. We are capable of doing a lot of things, if the personnel fits."
After giving up 393 points in the conference last year, Campo is working on implementing a sound defense in hopes that the Jayhawks can improve. Campo has no set expectations in his first year with the Jayhawks, but he sees a better football team going into a new season.
"I think fundamentally, we're a better football team than we were when I came in here," he said. "I think eventually that will pay dividends."
—Edited by Vikaas Shanker
CHEERING UP
CLAIRE HOWARD/KANSAN
KCU cheerleaders Anna Gigliotti, a junior from Kansas City, MQ. Zach Proak, a junior from Sumraire, WI, Katie Taylor, a freshman from Des Moines, Zak Tarkargy, a first year pharmacy student from Wellington, Taia Johnson, a sophomore from Denver; and Nick Lutz, a sophomore from Lawrence, practice their on the lawn of Fraser on Monday afternoon. The KCU cheerleaders have been keeping their skills sharp all summer, having recently returned from a cheer camp in Wisconsin
Freshman leaves team
BASKETBALL
After reports surfaced late Sunday, men's basketball coach Billy Self officially announced Monday that freshman guard Milton Doyle would not return for the 2012 season.
"We spoke to Milt at length Sunday on what we thought his role would be within our program," Self said in a statement. "We discussed his options and the first option was welcoming him back for the fail. His leaving is entirely his own choice, one that he felt was best for his future."
On June 18, Doyle signed a grant-in-aid agreement and took classes over the summer in Lawrence. Doyle then went through workouts with team before they traveled to Switzerland and France. Doyle was originally a Florida International recruit, but opened up his options last spring when Florida International coach Isaiah Thomas was fired.
In high school Doyle averaged 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals a game while Marshall High School in Chicago.
Dyle recently made the trip on the European tour and played in all four games averaging 2.3 points.
Self said Doyle decided to find a program where he can make an impact early in his career.
-Rvan McCarthy
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas' head coach Bill Self looks on during the basketball friendly match between the national team of Switzerland and USA's University team of Kansas Jayhawks in Fribourg, Switzerland, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012.