6A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2004
Go with Kansas, K-State and Mizzou this weekend
Did you find it? What, Kick the Kansan did not make Monday's paper? Well, all I can sav is. ITS NOT MY FAULT.
SPORTS COMMENTARY
JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
At any rate, that little electronic safnu will not in any way affect the quality of my selections. So, without further ado, Round One of Kick the Kansan starts now:
Kansas vs. Tulsa
If there was ever a "must-win" game, this is it for Kansas. The schedule does not get easier. Tulsa boasts an experienced quarterback as well as a promising running back who sat out last season with an injury. For Kansas, the key will be how much the defense has improved, and how young quarterback Adam Barmann can take over the offense. If the offense is as improved as Barmann thinks, this will be a Kansas victory.
Pick: Kansas
Ohio State vs. Cincinnati
Ohio State's strength this year will be its defense. The team's linebackers are the best of the Big Ten, and the rest of the defense is more than capable of pulling its weight. Ohio State has questions about its running back and a new quarterback, but Cincinnati cannot stop them. The Bearcats are solid on defense and have a great offense.
Unfortunately, the best of Conference-USA is not enough to tackle a legitimate Big Ten contender.
UCLA vs. Oklahoma State
Michigan vs. Miami of Ohio
Neither of these teams will excel on the gridiron this year. Oklahoma State lost a couple key players to the NFL draft with Rashaun Woods and Tatum Bell leaving. Oklahoma State's defense is solid, but its offense is full of questions. On top of Woods and Bell, the team also lost quarterback Josh Fields to major league baseball. UCLA lost the heart of its defense and returns most of a bad offense.
Michigan returns six starters on each side of the ball from last year's Big Ten championship team. The six offensive returners do not include a quarterback, however. Miami of Ohio dominated the Mid-American Conference last season behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With his departure, however, Miami of Ohio will not dominate again. Miami of Ohio still has a chance at a MAC title, but it won't beat the Michigan anytime soon.
Pick: Michigan
This year will decide whether Connecticut and all the Big East have been set adrift by the departure of Miami and Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Connecticut will play a complete Big East schedule for the first time and must win if it wants a bowl. Hometown-hero Dan Orlovsky starts at quarterback. The rising team should have no problem with Division I-AA Murray State.
Connecticut vs. Murray State
Only five starters return to an Air Force team that started last season 5-0 before slowing to a 2-5 finish. That finish pushed the team into fourth place in the Mountain West. Cal, on the other hand, returns the core of last year's starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The team also returns its three starting linebackers. Air Force will be
Pick: UCONN
Air Force vs. California
plain overmatched.
NC State vs. Richmond
Kansas fans should have bad blood with both these teams. Football fans will remember the drubbing the Jayhawks received last year at the hands of Philip River's N.C. State, while basketball fans will remember Richmond sneaking past Kansas last season at Allen Fieldhouse. Richmond, of the Atlantic-10, is a Division-I AA school, and has a first-year head coach in Dave Clawson. Divison I A N.C. State, even without Rivers, will smash Richmond.
Pick: NC State
At first glance, this game would seem to go clearly to Ole Miss, especially with the return of a talented offensive line and a couple of receivers. Two words about that: Eli Manning. The loss of last year's star quarterback will be devastating for Ole Miss. Memphis looks to be the class of Conference USA. It returns five defensive starters from last year and all 11 of its offensive starters. Running back DeAngelo Williams owns the single-season rushing record.
Ole Miss vs. Memphis
Pick: Memphis
Bill Snyder's Wildcats lost quarterback Ell Roberson for this year, however they still have a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in Darren Sproles. Division-I AA Western Kentucky has made four straight playoff appearances, but will wilt in front of Big 12 power K-State. This is easy.
Kansas State vs. Western Kentucky
Pick: K-State
Oklahoma vs. Bowling Green
Four words describe why Oklahoma will dominate Bowling Green: Jason White, Heisman Trophy. After last season's 12-0 start, the Sooners lost two straight. They still, however, return eight offensive starters, including quarterback Jason White, and seven on defense to a team that dominated for twelve weeks. Bowling Green returns 17, but quarterback Josh Harris is not among them.
Pick: Oklahoma
If you poll the media, many people think Missouri's going to win the Big 12 North. I'm not sold on that, but I am sold on Brad Smith, the Missouri's quarterback. A Heisman candidate, he will propel his team forward through this game. Arkansas State is fairly young, and much of last year's relatively strong defense is gone. Seven players
Missouri vs. Arkansas State
return on offense, but that will not be enough.
Maryland vs. Northern Illinois
Pick: Northern Illinois
Pick: Missouri
Big upset no. 2 is going to be Northern Illinois over Maryland. Last season, Maryland won 10 games for a third straight season, but still lost to Northern Illinois 20-13. Granted, this year's game is at home for Maryland, so it could be easier, but I still give the nod to the Northern Illinois. Returning 13 starters overall, it still may be a stretch with the loss of a talented senior class.
Washington University (St. Louis) vs.
Mount Union
The Purple Raiders of Mount Union are owners of a 55-game winning streak, which includes trips to the D-III championship in every year since 2000. It returns a combined eleven starters on both sides of the ball. Washington will have a solid team this year, however it's going to have a hard time beating a 55 consecutive-game winner. Washington will win its conference, but the team is not going to win its home opener.
Pick: Mount Union
Jonathan Koaling is a sophomore in prejournalism from Chesterfield Mo.
'Hawk rivalries, bowl games highlight history
By Paul BRAND
pbrand@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIETER
The Dec. 22, 2003, trip to the Tangerine Bowl was a drastic improvement over the previous season's 2-10 record — even though NC State won 56-26.
Editor's note: To mark the Kansan's 100th year of publication, Kansan sportswriter Paul Brand will take a look at the "Top 10s" of Kansas sports.
Is winning important? Does personal achievement on the gridiron matter? Will Kansas football be notable in the future? Is defeating Missouri essential? Is "Blue Wings Rising" the most consequential marketing campaign since light-up shoes?
Some of these answers are more obvious than others, but significance is truly all relative. That said, here is a definite list of the 10 most important games in Kansas football history.
10. Dec. 25, 1992 vs. Brigham Young:
9. Dec. 22, 2003 vs. NC State:
Kansas celebrated Christmas with a 23-10 victory over Brigham Young. This marked the first bowl victory for Kansas in 31 years and resulted in a Top-25 ranking to end the year. Future NFL stars Dana Stubblefield and Gilbert Brown led a smothering defense that held the Brigham Young air attack in check.
The 56-26 Tangerine Bowl loss to the Wolfpack marked the first bowl game of the Mangino era. Although the loss to Philip Rivers and his teammates ended Kansas' season on a bad note, it was a remarkable improvement over the 2022's 1-21 record and left this year's team hungry. Let's hope that hunger will result in feast instead of famine.
8. Nov. 23, 1991 vs. Missouri:
On this glorious fall afternoon running back "Tuxedo" Tony Sands ran circles around
7. Jan, 1, 1948 vs. Georgia Tech:
Missouri's defense in a 53-29 drubbing. Sands was so good and Missouri so bad that "Tuxedo" set the NCAA record rushing for 396 yards on 58 carries. He was later named Big Eight offensive player of the year.
Nearly 58 years after the start of the Kansas football program, the team debuted in its first bowl game, albeit in disappointing fashion. Regardless of the loss, Kansas finished the year ranked 12th and produced the program's first two All Americans. 6. Sept. 13, 1997 vs. Missouri:
Not only was this 15-7 victory another notch in Kansas' belt of the ongoing border war, but it was a milestone 500th victory for Kansas. The game was Terry Allen's first conference victory and proved to be the highest point of his Kansas career. For the Jayhawks, it proved again their superiority over the Tigers. 5. Nov. 13, 1920 vs. Nebraska:
versus Nebraska, Kansas quickly fell behind and trailed 20-0 at half-time. Phog Allen, in his only year as football coach, engineered a comeback to shut out Nebraska in the second half and salvage a tie. The tie produced such a buzz that the celebration lasted until Monday. During the festivities, fervent fans gathered $200,000 in donations, which helped fund the building of Memorial Stadium.
A Nov 23, 1912 vs. Missouri;
As is usually the case in games
4. Nov. 23, 1912 vs. Missouri:
In the first Homecoming game in Kansas history, Kansas fans observed the most timeless tradition of all — watching Missouri lose. On this day of the season finale, Kansas came out on top 12-3. Homecoming has been played every year since 1912, with the exception of 1918 when the flu ravaged the Midwest and caused the cancelation of the game.
3 Nov. 1960 vs. Missouri:
With a 23-7 victory, Kansas proved that the only thing better than beating Missouri in Lawrence is humiliating the team
in Columbia. Coming into the game, Missouri was the top-ranked team in the NCAA. After an hour on the gridiron, Kansas knocked Missouri off its perch and the secured their first and only win over a top-ranked team.
2. Oct 29, 1921 vs. Kansas State:
Less than a year after raising money to build it, Memorial stadium saw its first action as Kansas defeated Kansas State 21-7. Although the Stadium had a capacity of 22,000, only 5,160 Kansas faithful saw the debut game in the stadium that still holds strong.
1. Dec. 8, 1890 vs. Baker:
The beginning. Avenging a Nov. 22 loss; Kansas recorded its first victory in program history, 14-12. This old-school, 19th-century team did not have an impressive schedule — the team's only other game was against the Kansas City YMCA — nor a coach, but it was the first. It was the original.
—Edited by Anna Clovis
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MINDER THE YELLOW AWNING
WEDNESDAY'S INTRAMURAL RESULTS
Flag Football
COREC:
LIBERTY HALL CINEMA
Battenfeld/Miller def. 151's 19-0
Oliver Crackers def. Delta Upsilon 2 8-8
Beta A-1 Open def. DU Freshman 21-7
Phi Delt A-2 def. Theta Chi 1 20-6
SAE 2 def. Phi Kappa Theta 12-6
Men's.
Delta Delta Delta def. Delta Gamma 1 22-0
Tuscan Raiders def. Delta Chi 2 by forfeit (2-0, 2-0)
NGU def. Phi Delta A-2 (21-18, 21-15)
Phi Psi 1 def. Angry Dragons (21-19, 21-6)
Crabs def. Delta Chi 1 (21-13, 21-6)
COREC:
Contylomata def. Case of the Hits by default
Spartacus def. Pharm Hands (21-11, 21-15)
Women's:
Kappa Gamma 1 def. Douthart (21-15, 21-14)
Kappa Gamma 2 def. Kappa Alpha Theta (21-15, 21-
Cross Country Bob Timmone Invitational, 10 a.m., Rim Rock, Lawrence
Football vs. Tulsa at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium
Sand Volleyball
Volleyball vs. Oral Roberts (Oral Roberts Tournament) at 7:30 p.m. in Tulsa, OKa
Kappa Gamma 2 def. Kappa Alpha Theta (21-15, 21-10)CB U
Volleyball vs. North Texas (Oral Roberts Tournament) at 10 a.m. in Tulsa, Okla.
Men's basketball vs. British Columbia at 2 p.m. in Vancouver, British Columbia
(exh.)
F
TODAY
**Soccer vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (KU Invitational Tournament) 5p.m.**
**Voltball vs. Loyola-Chicago (Oral Roberts Museum) at 5 p.m. In Tulsa, Okla.**
TOMORROW
**Men's basketball vs. Frazer Valley All-Stars at 9 p.m. in Abbotsford, British Columbia (exh.)**
Kansas athletics calendar
**Men's basketball vs. Langara** at 1 p.m. in Vancouver, British Columbia (exh).
**Soccer** Saint Louis (KU) at 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
**Men's basketball vs. Burnaby All-Stars at 12:30 p.m. in Burnaby, British Columbia**
(aeh)
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