2B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
INSIDE SPORTS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2004
A fall classic
Texas faces Oklahoma Saturday
THE ASSOCATED PRESS
Let the hype begin.
Now that everyone has played at least one conference game, the Big 12 can focus its attention on the biggest regular season matchup of the year. No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Texas.
Sure there are other league games next weekend, but none will carry the same impact as the Red River Shootout in Dallas.
Saturday's game marks the third time in four years both teams are undefeated and ranked in the top five.
The winner takes a huge step toward winning the South Division and, given the weakened state of the North, will be the conference title favorite.
Then you might as well throw in the Bowl Championship Series and a potential national title run ...
The Sooners (4-0, 1-0) have owned this series the last four years, making a mockery of the Longhorns and a once-tight rivalry behind scores of 63-14, 14-3, 35-24 and 65-13.
OK, back to the game. Considering how OU flopped late last season, it's best to take 'em one game at a time. Or four.
Last year's slaughter may have been the worst for Longhorns fans. Such utter humiliation created fear that Texas (4-0, 1-0) had fallen hopelessly behind the Sooners in talent and — some said something.
"I've been assured I'm going to keep my job regardless of the outcome of this game," he said.
That's why Longhorns fans call this year's game Judgment Day, although coach Mack Brown said Sunday it's not so dire for him.
coaching.
of the Red River) can't go on forever. Can it?
The winning/losing streak (depending on whether one lives north or south of the Red River) can't go on forever.
Can it?
"In my opinion, they can't go five," said former Longhorn and current Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Roy Williams.
Williams is probably not the best person to ask.
"We can't let one thing keep leading to another," he said.
A losing streak like this tightens up players and coaches alike.
He was on those Texas teams that took four straight beatings.
Brown didn't want his players talking about the Sooners even as chants of "Beat OU" rained down on the field Saturday.
All of that can start Monday, Brown said.
"No comment about OU," Texas quarterback Vince Young said after the Baylor game.
At least one Longhorn broke the silence.
"You don't need to remind the guys,' said senior wide receiver Tony Jeffery. "They know about the streak and now we can focus on it since it's next on our schedule."
North of the Red River, Oklahoma players and coaches freely admitted they were getting excited.
"It can't get here soon enough because, more than anything, you kinda get tired of waiting for it," coach Bob Stoops said after his team beat Texas Tech 28-13.
"You get kind of anxious," he said "You want to go play tomorrow."
Contributed photo by Courtney Kuhten
The University Daily Kansan advertising staff celebrates its victory over the Kansan news staff after the biannual Newsie vs. Addie softball game last Saturday.The final score was 14-11.
Chiefs look for first victory
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE — Pardon the Baltimore Ravens for showing no pity for the winless Kansas City Chiefs. They've got their own problems
Jamal Lewis, who ran for 2,066 yards last season and 186 yards a week ago in Cincinnati, will be in the Baltimore backfield tonight. But there's the possibility he won't be there for long, depending upon developments in his federal drug trial in Atlanta.
If Lewis accepts a plea bargain, a distinct possibility, then an NFL suspension will likely follow. So the Ravens need to tighten their grip on first place in the AFC North just in case they are faced with operating without Lewis down the stretch.
Beating the Chiefs would be the first step toward accomplishing that goal.
"We have the same mentality as Kansas City has — that we can't afford a loss." Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis
said. "So it's going to be two desperate teams going at it. We want to stay ahead of our division, so we're just as desperate as them."
It's a powerful offensive team playing with a sense of brazenness. That might make the Chiefs even more menacing.
When the Ravens (2-1) think of the Chiefs, they see a team with accomplished coach Dick Vermeil, standout running back Priest Holmes, Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez and Dante Hall returning kicks.
"This team is the same team that was 13-3 last year. We recognize that, we respect that," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "It's the same team with the same capabilities. That's what we have to keep in the forefront of our minds."
They don't see a stumbling 0-3 team that has gone 4-7 since opening the 2003 season with nine straight wins.
Winless after three games for the first time since 1980, the Chiefs have no logical explanation for their poor start. At
this point, the reason is irrelevant. The only matter of importance is getting that first win.
"We definitely have the ingredients to turn it around, because it's the same team as last year." Holmes said. "Our key guys are still here. The hardest thing, when you're losing, is getting that first win."
It is a pursuit that has become increasingly frustrating for a team that finished with the NFL's second-best record in 2003.
"We're not very happy," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "Guys are working hard. We're trying to right this wrong. We feel like we're better than 0-3. We're just not doing it on the field. We believe we will get it fixed."
The Chiefs' problem is similar to their shortcoming of a year ago: defense. Kansas City has yielded 86 points, and now they've got to take on Jamal Lewis, who ran for 115 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City last season in a 17-10 defeat.
Wildcats fumble game away
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — One element bound to be missing in this week's Kansas State-Kansas game is momentum.
The Jayhawks threw away their chance for a rare win at Nebraska on Saturday when they failed to take advantage of a swarm of turnovers.
For the Wildcats, it was a spate of turnovers that doomed them at Texas A&M.
Darren Sproles, whose Heisman chances are dimming weekly, committed two of Kansas State's turnovers Saturday night.
The Aggies gratefully turned the giveaways into 21 points and handed the Wildcats a 42-30 loss in their Big 12 opener.
Ironically, Sproles had been working all week on holding onto the ball after fumbling twice against Louisiana-Lafayette.
"Nobody feels worse than Darren
Sproles," offensive coordinator Greg Peterson said. "He was awfully tough on himself in the locker room, but he'll bounce back."
The loss leaves the Wildecats 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12 coming into their annual showdown with Kansas, which this year is at Lawrence.
Sproles, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior Kansas State is pushing for the Heisman, is pushed for only 61 yards on 20 carries. He also had 48 yards on six receptions.
The Wildcats kept the heat on the home-standing Aggies. After falling behind 35-17 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Dylan Meier hit Jermaine Moreira for an 18-yard touchdown pass that made it 35-30 with 3:50 left.
But Meier was flushed out of the pocket before he found Sproles with a shovel pass that netted just 3 yards with 94 seconds left.
On their next possession, the Wildcats faced fourth-and-8 at the Aggies' 36.
Sproles has fumbled seven times and Kansas State has lost five of them. His most critical fumble against the Aggies came when Kansas State was trailing just 21-17.
with 37 seconds left on a 62-yard run by quarterback Reggie McNeal.
The defense held A&M to a three- and-out, but Sproles overran Jacob Young's 44-yard punt and the ball dropped behind him at the 6-yard line.
A&M's Byron Jones recovered at the 5, setting up a 4-yard scoring run by Jason Carter three plays later that gave A&M a 28-17 cushion.
Texas A&M then scored the clincher
"I just dropped it," Sproles said of the punt. "it's on me."
Meier's interception was the last of four Kansas State turnovers.
"That's a major part of (the loss), quite obviously." coach Bill Snyder said when asked about the turnovers. "And where they occurred. Obviously, it was a disaster at the time."
BOWLING
Three of the Wildcats' giveaways came deep in their own territory, and all three resulted in A&M touchdowns.
The Kansas men's and women's bowling teams pushed to strong finishes this weekend at the 34th Annual Midwest Collegiate Bowling
Bowling teamstake 1st, 2nd at Midwest competition
Championships.
The men's team, defending national champions, took first place in a 42-team field and the women's team finished second out of 24 teams.
PAGE
Leading the way for the men was junior Rhino Page, who took second place
with an average score of 225.
and an average score of 0.725.
Juniors Dan Ahl and Zach Taylor also placed in the top 10 with average scores of 211 and 210.
The men's team knocked down 11,350 pins, finishing ahead of Wichita State, who knocked down 11,311.
For the women, senior Kelly Zapf finished fourth place in all events with an average score of 196. Junior Kelly Sanders and sophomore Leanne Downey finished 11th and 15th, respectively, with average scores of 187 and 184.
The women's team knocked down 10,010 pins, 560 less than Wichita State's 10,579 and about 150 more than third-place Purdue's 9,858.
-Kansan Staff Reports
Intramural Scoreboard
SOCCER
Men
Brazilian All-Stars def, Delta Chi 2 (5-4)
Walk-Uss def, Sigma Nu 1 (2-1)
Kiappa Kappa tau def, Beta A-2 (1-0)
Pole Sucks def, Team Rodeo (3-2)
Happy Hour Heros def, Sig Ep 1 (5-4)
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Men
k def. Dumpels
Wolfpack def. Dumps
Oliver Crucker def. Army ROTC (20-18)
Fighting Armadillo def. Apt. M (12-7)
Homura
Kansas athletics calendar
AD Pirates def. DG 2
TODAY
Men's golf at Northwestern, all day Women's golf at New Mexico State, all day
TOMORROW
Men's golf at Northwestern, all day Women's golf at New Mexico State, all day
Volleyball vs. Kansas State at home at 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Tell us your news. Contact Danielle Hillix or Joe Bant at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
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G offen ther was 34-3 last
Losing schedule prompts Royals personnel shuffle
BASEBALL
The places the co
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The Royals also sent six players to the minors yesterday after losing their franchise-record 104th game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals will not pick up the 2005 options for third baseman Joe Randa and outfielder Juan Gonzalez.
The Associated Press
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