NFL
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SPORTS ERSITY DAILY KANSA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1995
SECTION B
SUNFLOWER POWER
Jayhawks are truly for real
The times, they are a changin'. Take a look at who now has winning programs in college and professional football.
Teams that have rarely seen the light of day in the last two decades are now at the top, and it is not just in the Sunflower State.
Besides Kansas and Kansas State being ranked at seven and eight, other teams in both the professional and college ranks are climbing out of the cellar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on top of the NFC Central and the Indianapolis Colts beat San Francisco and are second in the AFC East.
Things are definitely changing in the world of foot- ___
the world of football
If you are like me, it is hard to buy the idea that Kansas and Kansas State are better teams than perennial powerhouses like Michigan, Auburn, Notre Dame, Penn State, Alabama, and every Texas school except for North Texas.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
If Kansas had to play these teams this year, do you think the Jayhawks would win? I would guess the majority of Kansas fans would not pick their school to win against most of these teams. The surprising thing is that almost every NCAA football coach and major sports reporter in the country says that Kansas is the better team.
Our problem as fans is that we expect Kansas football to be mediocre at best. Kansas fans are stuck in the mindset that they have a Final Four basketball team and a football team that is the stepping stone for Colorado or Nebraska on their way to the national championship. It is not fair to the coaches or players.
Every year there is a new team and a new chance for those involved to prove themselves. Kansas has proved themselves this season and Kansas fans have been their toughest critics.
What fans have to do is to try and look in on Kansas football from outside of Lawrence, the way the rest of the country sees the team.
If you compare Kansas football to the teams behind us, our ranking makes sense. Auburn lost to Louisiana State, a team that Kansas would not have too much trouble with. Oklahoma lost to Colorado, a team you might remember that Kansas beat by 16 points. Michigan and Notre Dame both lost to Northwestern. The Wildcats, while beating two great teams, still lost to Miami (Ohio). Penn State lost to Wisconsin, a team that Colorado beat rather handily.
One can follow this pattern of logic all the way down the Top 25 and easily see why Kansas and Kansas State are ranked as high as they are. Even though Kansas' schedule was not that difficult until the Colorado game, it is comparable to the teams that are ranked around and ahead of it.
People all over the country are recognizing Kansas and Kansas State as quality football teams who are 6-0 and deserve to be ranked in the top 10. I heard references to undefeated Kansas seven times while watching football off and on Saturday.
Kansas football is getting national respect, except in Lawrence and maybe Manhattan, and that is a shame. I would hate to compare the attendance at Saturday's Iowa State football game to the attendance at other top 10 schools.
I am positive we would not be in the top 25 if fan support and attendance was figured in to the polls. I can understand fans not wanting to see Kansas play Cincinnati or even Texas Christian, but it is conference time now. The Jayhawks needs our support. If they can win two, or even three of their next five games, they could be playing in a major bowl on New Year's Day. It is an exciting idea and not ridiculous either.
The game I would like to see, Kansas vs. Northwestern, giant killer vs. giant killer, is too small of a market for the bowl people.
Football spotlight hits state of Kansas
Kansas junior running back L.T. Levine (22) stifffaws an Iowa State defender in Saturday's 34-7 win. The No. 7 Jayhawks will meet No. 15 Oklahoma this Saturday in a game televised by ESPN.
By Robert Sinclair Kansan sportswriter
Tom Leininger / KANSAN
Most of the nation will be focused on the Midwest this weekend as both top-10 football teams from the Sunflower State will cross the borders of Kansas and take their shows on the road.
The No. 7 Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma to face the No. 15 Sooners, and the No. 8 Wildcats are headed to Nebraska to take on the No. 2 Cornhuskers.
Not only will people be watching to see if these two Kansas schools are deserving of their unprecedented rankings, but also because these games will have Big Eight Conference championship — as well as national bowl game — implications.
"There are two really big football games coming up this Saturday," Kansas senior outside linebacker Keith Rodgers said during yesterday's Big Eight coaches' teleconference. "Depending on the outcome of these games, the bowl picture should become clearer."
The Jayhawks have been more readily accepted into the top-10 teams than their in-state rival, and a representative from the Fiesta Bowl — host of the national championship — was present at their victory Saturday.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, have been looking forward to their game against the Cornhuskers all year as a chance to prove they are a legitimate contender.
Kansas State struggled against Oklahoma State before pulling out the 23-17 come-from-behind victory last weekend. Questions also have been raised about K-State's
easy non-conference schedule. ics two weeks ago as it defeated Colorado Kansas, on the other hand, silenced crit- 40-24 in Boulder, Colo.
The Jayhawks have not had much success in Norman, Okla., though, having lost its last nine games there, including all four under Kansas football coach Glen Mason. Kansas' last win at Oklahoma was a 23-3 victory on Nov. 8, 1975.
Nevertheless, many people think that the game, which will be televised in prime time on ESPN, should live up to its billing.
"I think it's going to be a great game," Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It's going to pit one of the great offenses in the conference in Kansas against one of the great defenses — that being Oklahoma."
In other news around the Big Eight:
Nebraska senior quarterback Tommie Frazier and Kansas sophomore linebacker Jason Thoren were unanimous selections for the Big Eight players of the week. Frazier accounted for a school-record five touchdowns, three rushing and two passing, in Nebraska's 57-0 win against Missouri. In addition to recording nine tackles, Thoren also intercepted his third pass of the season — the most by a Jayhawk linebacker since Steve Towle in 1972.
The conference continued to shine in this week's USA Today/CNN coaches' poll as well as in the Associated Press writers' poll. Not only are there five teams ranked in the top 25 but also four in the top 10.
Nebraska has been ranked for 232 consecutive weeks (a poll record) and is one of two teams that have been ranked every week since 1990. Colorado is the other. The two schools also have consecutive top-ten rankings: Nebraska has 43 while Colorado has 26.
Kansas sophomore mate Jennifer Dieterich dances with her teammates at "Late Night with Roy Williams" to Michael Jackson's "Beat it."
Tom Leninger / KANSAN
Losing Aycock is no longer an excuse for women's team
Washington hopes focus on defense will bring success
By Bill Potulla
Kansan sportswriter
A celebration was in the air Saturday night.
During "Late Night With Roy Williams," some members of the women's basketball team danced
to Kool and the Gang's hit song "Celebration."
"Celebration."
S ever al women's plays danced around male Kansas spirit squad members who pretended to lack rhythm.
But to have a "Celebration" at the end of the season, the women's basketball team will have to make opposing teams do what the remaining players danced to in the second skit
ANALYSIS
— another Jackson song —
"A,B,C."
"We lost 30 percent of our scoring and 25 percent of the rebounding with the loss of Angela Aycock," Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said.
"You can't just replace an Angela Aycock."
Washington said the team would have to increase its focus
— "Beat It." by Michael Jackson. However, filling the void left by Angela Aycock with young players is not going to be as easy as
"We lost 30 percent of our scoring and 25 percent of the rebounding with the loss of Angela Aycock."
Marian Washington Kansas women's basketball coach
From the front office to the front court, the Jay hawks will come out with a different look this season.
Misty Opat was hired to fill the vacated assistant coaching position left by Renee Brown. Brown took one-year leave to accept a job
as an assistant coach with U.S. women's national team.
Opat, who comes to Kansas after coaching for Bethany College in Lindsborg, is eager to join the Jayhawks' bench.
"I can't even tell you how excited I am to be coaching here," Opat said. "I feel I can bring a new perspective and more enthusiasm to the team."
Also new to the Jayhawks' roster is sophomore Erin Reed. After transferring from Iowa and only practicing with the team last season, Reed will take the point-guard position.
Reed, however, does not back down from the challenge of playing the leadership role in her first season.
"I really don't feel any pressure," Reed said. "I welcome the opportunity of being a leader on this team."
Although the women's basketball team has made some additions this season, Kansas lost sophomore guard Tasha King. The architectural engineering student was unable to manage the time between her rigorous school work and basketball.
"Tasha wasn't able to do both, and she'll be missed," Washington said.
With a difficult schedule including powerhouses Penn State and Iowa, the Jayhawks will have a challenging year. But Washington thinks they are moving in the right direction.
"We're steadily building into a consistent Top 20 and Top 10 team,"she said.
Darrin Hancock
Left Kansas in 1993
After leaving to play professionally in France in December, 1993, Hancock was selected by the Charlotte Hornet for the NBA draft. Hancock averaged 3.0 minutes and 3.3 points per game in 46 appearances.
UTAH AZL
Greg Ostertag
Loft Kansas in 1995
The Utah Jazz selected Ostertag at the 28th pick of the 1995 draft. He is one of four corners on Utah's preseason team. The three are seven-foot Feton Spenner, 7-foot-2 James Donaldson and 6-foot-11 Greg Foster.
GRIZZLYS
Kevin Pritchard
Lok Kasa in 1993
Pritchard was the first player to sign with the Golden State expansion team. Pritchard was originally selected in the second round of the 1990 draft by the Golden State Warriors and was also placed for the Qued City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association.
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