NFL Kansas City's record-holding offense still strong in defeat of St. Louis last night. PAGE 3B
SPORTS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
www.kansan.com
SPORTS COMMENTARY
JACK WEINSTEIN
jweinstein@kansan.com
Gordon as cornerback could hurt Jayhawks
Welcome back, Jayhawks. As you continue to get back in the routine of waking up before noon and going to class, the Sept. 4 game against Tulsa is quickly approaching.
The wide receivers should tear it up this year. On paper, senior Brandon Rideau, junior Mark Simmons, and sophomores Charles Gordon and Moderick Johnson are returning as a core group that collected 161 catches for 2363 yards and 19 touchdowns. Those statistics are pretty impressive for a group that was young a year ago and should only improve this year. At least that's what you would think.
The team's leading receiver from 2003 and most versatile player has been moved to the defense. Gordon is a gifted athlete, and you need him to help out a defense that surrendered more than 390 yards of total offense and more than 30 points a game last season.
But Charles Gordon has since been moved to cornerback and Johnson may be academically ineligible for the season. What a buzz kill.
season.
But I still don't understand what Mangino is doing by moving one of his best offensive players to the defense. Whatever gap Gordon fills on the defensive side won't make up for the gaping hole he leaves on offense.
Gordon was a freshman All-American by The Sporting News as both wide receiver and kick returner a year ago. He was third-tier Big I2 Conference as a kick returner. Gordon led the team in receptions and was tied for the team lead in receiving yards.
Mangino can't seriously be doing this. Gordon belongs on the offense helping Adam Barmann become the next great Kansas quarterback.
Johnson, who was the least-used receiver of the group a year ago, was supposed to take on a larger role in offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro's system this season. That probably won't be the case. Johnson may have to sit out a year or transfer to a Division II school to see playing time this year if his academic woes persist.
Enter solution No. 2. Let's make senior kickoff specialist Gary Heaggan a wide receiver. As a transfer from Purdue, Heaggan has the talent to play receiver, but he lacks the experience, having only caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown a year ago.
What's the solution you ask — the move that will correct this problem? Coach Mangino has moved sophomore Jonathan Lamb to wide receiver. A safety a year ago, Lamb now makes the transition to a new position, on the other side of the ball with a new quarterback. Doesn't that just sound enticing? Sure, that will work. Right
Maybe the coach is right about permanently moving Gordon to cornerback. Mangino did make this team competitive in only his second season after nearly a decade of ineptitude.
I hope he's right expecting that the talent of Simmons and Rideau is enough to shoulder the load at wide receiver and that Heaggans and Lamb can contribute when called upon.
The coach has not officially announced whether this decision is permanent. That will be clearer in the coming weeks. I hope everything works out for Mangino and his boys, but I suspect you may see more of Gordon at wide receiver than the coach had planned.
Jack Weinstein is a senior from Overland Park in English.
Stay classy.
Defense strengthens
Charles Gordon was recently moved from his position as receiver to corner. Gordon was last years leading receiver with 769 total yards.
'Weakest link' no more: Experienced offensive players switch to secondary
BY JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Editor's Note: As the Kansas football team prepares for its season opener against Tulsa on Sept. 4, sportswriters Ryan Colaianni and Jonathan Kealing will be taking a position-by-position look at the team's depth chart. A position breakdown will appear every day leading up to the game.
Last season, Kansas' defense was considered by many to be the weakest link with a passing defense ranked seventh and a rushing defense ranked ninth in the Big 12 Conference.
If recent practices are any indication, the secondary will not be the weakest link in any chain this season.
Friday, the football team held its first open practice of the post-two-a-day practice period.
In several scrimmages between the offense and defense, the corners and safeties often appeared to be catching more passes than the wide receivers.
"We didn't play well, but that happens," quarterback Adam Barmann said. "The defense played well, but we didn't play well."
Kansas strengthened its secondary in the offseason by adding former wide
"We didn't play well, but that
happens. The defense played well, but we didn't play well."
Adam Barmann Quarterback
receiver Charles Gordon to the cornerback spot.
On the other end, Jonathan Lamb was moved from safety to wide receiver. It was not a declared sophomore switch, but it amounted to just that. Lamb was moved because of a chronic and re-occurring injury.
That injury is believed to be stingers, but coach Mark Mangino will not give details.
With Lamb moving, Gordon gave up his receiver slot to help out the vulnerable secondary.
Gordon was last year's leading receiver in total yards and yards-pergame.
Now he hopes to bring his talent to a position that has been a weakness for the team.
SEE DEFENSE ON PAGE 6D
Safety to make switch to other side of ball
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaianni@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Jonathan Lamb came to Kansas as a walk on, joined the football team and quickly made an impact.
He was named to The Sporting News' freshman All-American second team as a free safety.
But an injury is forcing the sophomore to switch from safety to the wide receiver position.
receive position
This injury was caused by Lamb giving out hits on the defensive side of the ball. When coach Mark Mangino approached Lamb about the position
John Lamb is going to be a much better receiver than I had even anticipated."
Mark Mangino Football coach
Lamb said he worked with offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro during the summer to give him a better idea of how the offense would work.
switch, Lamb was surprised, but he said he felt fine about it now.
Last season Lamb was fifth on the team with 89 tackles and had two interceptions.
ceptions His 6.8 tackles per game ranked him among the top 10 freshmen in the nation. Lamb is using his skills as a safety to become a better wide receiver.
Playing the safety position allowed Lamb to recognize defenses, figure out what the defensive is trying to do and successfully run routes.
successfully.
"John Lamb is going to be a much better receiver than I had even anticipated." Mangino said. "He is making
SEE SWITCH ON PAGE 6B
Kansan File Photo
Sophomore Jonathan Lamb is switching from his position as safety to be a wide receiver this season. Lamb will be the team's third wide receiver behind Brandon Rideau and Mark Simmons.
One or more players to redshirt
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITHER
Though all are practicing now, not all members of the Kansas men's basketball team will play in the team's upcoming exhibition trip to Canada.
Coach Bill Self said at least one player would redshirt this season, meaning he would not play with the team this year, but instead save his year of eligibility for a future season.
"We will definitely redshirt someone," Self said. "They can make the trip, but they just cannot play."
Sophomore guard Jeremy Case pretends to interview sophomore forward Moulaye Niang while sitting with freshman guard Nick Bahe during Media Day on Thursday. Case and Bahe are likely candidates to be redshirted this season, saving a year of eligibility for a future season.
NCAA rules prohibit redshirts from playing in any games in a season, including exhibitions. Self and his staff will hold a few players out of the Canada games who might redshirt this season. He said if there was even a 5 or 10 percent chance a player would redshirt this season, he would be held out of the exhibition games.
Jared Soares/KANSAN
of the exhibition games.
"Don't read into it that they are going to redshirt," Self said. "Read into it that there is a chance they might redshirt."
least one guard would be considered.
"I don't know who it will be," Self said, "but we have about eight perimeter players and we'll probably only play five or six."
shirt.
Self said it was unlikely that any of the six incoming freshmen — guards Russell Robinson, and Alex Galino and forwards Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaum, Matt Kleinmann and C.J. Giles — would redshirt, and also said that at
This leaves sophomore guards Jeremy Case, Nick Bahe and Stephen Vinson as likely candidates to consider a redshirt. Bahe and Vinson are both walk-ons, but still could sit out to save a year of eligibility. Junior Jeff Hawkins, who is also a guard, will not play in the Canada trip because of suspension. Hawkins redshirted his freshman season at Kansas, making him unlikely to sit out the season.
Bahe said he thought the end result of redshirting a player would be positive for the Jayhawks in practices and in the future.
"I think whatever comes out of that is great." Bahe said. "As long as there's competition and it makes Kansas a better team, so be it."
ter team, so be it. The decision on redshirts will not be made until after the Canada trip, but Self said he had previously discussed it with certain players and their families.
"We wouldn't do it without talking to them and their parents." Self said.
The Jayhawks start their exhibition trip to Canada on Sept. 4 against the University of British Columbia. Kansas will play four exhibition games in three days, with two games scheduled for
Sept. 5.
Kansas began its first of 10 practices last Thursday. The Jayhawks will hold their only open practice 4 p.m. Saturday at the Horejsi Center. The volleyball team will follow a 7 p.m. exhibition match.
BASKETBALL NOTE
The NCAA has reprimanded Kansas guard Keith Langford for comments
Basketball Notes
made after last year's Elite Eight matchup with Georgia Tech.
Langford criticized the officials after fouling out of Kansas' 79-71 overtime loss. NCAA rules forbid coaches, players and other university representatives from commenting on officiating.
The senior guard released a public
SEE REDSHIRT ON PAGE 6B