Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Kansas cross country teams will renew one of coach Gary Schwartz's rivalries when they face Southern Illinois.
Friday
September 3, 1999
Section:
A
Page 6
SEE PAGE 7A
Big 12
Many Big 12 football teams will be tested by their opponents in this weekend's games.
SEE PAGE 8A
College Football
Kansan staff members and a student enter their predictions for the winners of 10 weekend games.
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Preseason NFL tidbits with a twist
The National Football League kicks off in one short week. Fans soon will be able to relax in the refreshing fall weather and soothing sounds of bone-cracking tackles.
Yes, the slow-motion trek of the Major League Baseball season is winding down and will be replaced by fast-paced pigskin action. Even those of us with Attention Deficit Disorder can stay focused on a fall Sunday in front of the tube.
This next week, though, will be the toughest of your lives, football fans. Even though will be no actual games to quench your gridiron thirst, sports shows will be packed with NFL updates and preseason personnel changes — just to tease you.
Teams are going to announce who their starters will be for opening day — like it matters whether the
Bengals start
Billy Joe Rotten-
arm or Bobby
Broken-ankle.
But we might as well let those teams believe they aren't going to go 2-14 for at least a week.
But worry not,
eager fans. I'm
providing
a handy-dandy
guide on what to
Matt
James
columnist
snort@kansas.com
think about these last week announcements and maneuvers.
■ The Denver Broncos pronounced Brian Griese their opening day starting quarterback.
— No, Mike Shanahan isn't smoking crack. Although Bubbly Brister went 5-0 as a starter last year, and Grise has yet to start one NFL game, there is method behind the madness.
Let's imagine for a second that the Broncos romp to a 13-3 record with Brister at the helm and win a third straight Super Bowl. What do you think that would do to the legend of the almighty John Elway?
The world would see that the Broncos just have a damn good team and that Terrell Davis was the real reason Denver finally won a championship — not the almighty Coors drinker. Remember how good of friends Shanahan and Elway are? He doesn't want anyone to know that any second-rate slinger can take the Broncos to Super Bowl. His plan could backfire, though, if even Griese can get the job done.
■ The Miami Dolphins signed ex-Viking football player/ preacher Demitrius Underwood.
Jimmy Johnson needed a holy man because he's praying his team actually can muster a running game, and that two braces on each leg will hold Dan Marino together.
■ The Saints announced that Ricky Williams will be ready opening day.
Big surprise there. They traded their entire draft for the guy; they're going to start him even if he's in a wheelchair. I figure coach Ditka is going to call Ricky's number so many times, he'll be a walking injury list. Step right up, watch as one of the greatest college running backs to ever play is dismantled in a single season.
Forget jammed fingers and twisted ankles, the announcers play-by-play will go something like this:
"Williams gets the handoff. His new backbrace really seems to be holding together nicely. He's at the 10, the 10 and a half. Ouch, that's gotta hurt."
Can you say 11-man fronts?
The Chicago Bears announced that Shane Matthews will be the starting quarterback instead of Cade McNown.
Who cares, they're going 2-14.
The San Diego Chargers announced that Ryan Leaf will make their 53-man roster.
2-14.
With these inside tidbits, you should be well on your way to a happy and healthy NFL season.
2-14.
James is a Hugoton senior in journalism.
Jayhawk defensive backs are being asked to do their jobs一 and a little extra
Kansas defensive back Kareem High intercepts a pass during practice. High and the other defensive backs combined for 23 tackles in the season-opener against Notre Dame. Photo by Lucas W. Krump/KANSAN
By Mike Miller
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
It didn't surprise coach Terry Allen that his safeties were in on more than one-fourth of the total tackles Saturday.
But does it worry him — after all, should a coach really want the players who usually are responsible for touchdown-saving tackles leading the team in tackles?
"In our style of play we use one of the safeties as a linebacker," he said. "In our scheme, is it a little more acceptable? Yes. Do you want it all the time? No."
stopping the run — the guys in the defensive backfield have to tackle the player after everyone else missed.
Usually, it's the linebackers who make a majority of team tackles. Though middle linebacker Dariss Lomax had a team-high 11 tackles, generally a team that has its safeties make most of the tackles has a harder time
Free safety Greg Erb and strong safety Kareem High both had nine tackles in the loss, while junior college transfer Carl Nesmith had five tackles and an interception. Nesmith split time at both positions for the Javhawks.
But what might be the most crucial part of the safety is their experience.
Erb is a former walk-on who did not play football his first two years at Kansas and had never started a game before Saturday
"What we're able to do with Greg Erb is plug him in at both free safety and strong safety," Allen said. "Which allows us to keep Kareem High and Carl Nesmith in the game for a number of reps and move him back and
forth."
High and Nesmith are both junior college transfers who played in their first Division I game last weekend. And it was Nesmith's first game on defense since high school. He played wide receiver while at Butler County Community College.
Nesmith is such a physical talent that Allen had to find a spot for him.
"He's a very physical player at the safety position, a guy that can come up and make plays at the line of scrimmage," Allen said. "He was actually playing as a third line-backer for us on a lot of occasions."
It's at that third linebacker spot where the safeties piled up their tackles.
The trio made nine tackles on runs up the middle and stopped nine more runs on the outside, coming up to the line of scrimmage.
Those tackles pleased the coaching staff—the "busts" are what will be worked on before the next game.
"A bust is a blown assignment," said Coach Dick Moseley, who coaches the defensive secondary. "When they didn't get busted, they played very well, but it when they did, that's a problem."
The busts Moseley referred to were the three long touchdowns by Notre Dame runs of 38 yards, 46 yards and 74 yards.
Working on making plays to stop the long runs is one of the things the 'Hawks will be working on before they play Cal State Northridge Sept. 11.
"We have a week off to correct those mistakes and heal the bumps and bruises we have," Erb said.
Volleyball gears up for games in West Virginia Tournament
-Edited by Darrin Peschka
By Shawn Hutchinson
By Shawn Hutchin
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Fewer than 12 hours after the Jayhawks opened their season with a 3-1 victory against Missouri-Kansas City at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, they already were preparing for their next battle—750 miles away.
The team traveled to Morgantown, W. Va., yesterday morning where it will participate in the West Virginia Tournament today and Saturday. The team will play one match at 5 p.m. today against Maryland-Baltimore County, and two at 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday against Oakland (Mich.) and West Virginia.
"We're really excited," said junior outside hitter Amy Myatt, who had 11 kills and 25 total attacks in Wednesday's victory over the 'Roos. "It should be a fun trip."
Fun as long as Kansas' opponents don't cause too many problems.
The Jayhawks' first opponent, Maryland-Baltimore County, was a 1998 NCAA Tournament qualifier and returns seven players from last season's 22-7 squad.
The Retrievers, however, have taken a big hit in the off season. The team lost Northeast Conference player-of-the-year Lisa Cline and two other All-Conference performers, settler LaNae Baker and outside hitter Megan McNamara. The Retrievers enter the match 0-1 after a season-opening loss at George Washington on Wednesday.
Kansas' second opponent, Oakland, is also 0-1 after a loss at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. The Golden Grizzlies return two starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team, which went 8-19 overall.
The last opponent the Jayhawks face will be host school West Virginia. The Mountaineers are 1-0 after a season-opening sweep in Ohio. Last season, the team went 13-15 and returns four starters and eight letterwinners. Other well-known players
The Jayhawks have never faced any of their opponents in this weekend's tournament in previous competition.
Senior middle blocker Amanda Reves, an All-Big 12 Conference performer, has been named to seven straight all-tournament teams.
Kansas middle blocker Amanda Reves spikes the ball between UMKC defenders Katie Keating, left, and Angie Jeffries. The Jayhawks travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, to play in a tournament today and tomorrow. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
- Kansas went 8-2 in tournament play last season and 10-2 in non-conference play.
The Jayhawks' season-opening win against Missouri Kansas City at home Wednesday night marked their second straight win in a season opener and their third straight win in a season opener in Lawrence.
"The opener-opener wasn't good, but the result was good," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard after his team dropped the first game 15-1 but came back to win the last three, 15-7, 15-6 and 15-11. "The first match gives you some stuff to work on."
Edited by Darrin Peschka
The Jayhawks will place their 1-1 record on the line against Utah tonight, and they will do it without star transfer Hilla Rantala. Rantala, a junior, went down with a right-ankle sprain in the season opener against Colorado and was expected to return for this week.
Soccer on the road to hit Utah, Weber State teams
The Kansas women's soccer team faces two difficult tests this weekend when it takes on Utah and Weber State in Utah.
been healing as well as the team hoped, but the Jayhawks hope she will be able to return soon.
"I have no idea (when she'll return), hopefully by the time we play Missouri, but it's not getting better very quickly." Francis said
The Utes are a relatively unproven team, despite what their 12-7 record of a year ago might lead one to think. They lost 13 players from last year's team, including eight starters. Also, the Utes placed fifth in the Western Athletic Conference last year, winning only two conference games.
By Chris Wristen
sports@kansas.com
Kansas sportswriter
Utah brings a 1-2 record into the game after defeating Idaho State 3-2 last Friday. It wasn't an overall impressive win for the Utes though, as Idaho State outshot them 15-12. Their prime force to watch will be senior forward Staci Burt, who tallied two goals in the game and may prove to be a worthy test for the Kansas defense.
Testing the defense is something Kansas coach Mark Francis is anticipating.
"Defensively it's going to be
important that our organization is getting better," Francis said. "Coming up against somebody that puts us under pressure is going to be a bit more of a test for us."
Francis also believes it is going to take a total team effort to overcome the fatigue of the long trip.
"It's going to take all 18 people, because playing two games on the road Friday-Sunday is tough. We're going to have to rely on all 18 people, and a lot of people are going to get playing time."
weekend.
Team focus is another area the team looks to improve on this
We're going to need to stay focused on what we're doing for the whole 90 minutes of both games," senior defender Cynthia Dahle said. "We've kind of lost focus in the final minutes of
the game, and that's where we get in trouble, but if we can stay focused the whole 90 minutes I think we can (win both games)."
On Sunday, the Jayhawks play the Weber State Wildcats, the reigning champions of the Big Sky Conference. The Wildcats finished 17-3 last year. The Wildcats return 14 players from last year's team, but they lost four All-Conference players to graduation. Weber State dropped its season opener 3-0 against UNLV Wednesday night.
While picking up two wins is important to Francis, he said believed the games were going to serve mostly as a tune-up for Missouri next week.
"Everybody's getting used to each other still and that's going to take time, so these games are going to allow us to do that," Francis said.
I
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Mike Loader