THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2006
SPORTS
3B
Evan Hengel's
FANTASY FOOTBALL THURSDAY
Brandon Jacobs could be the answer to your fantasy prayers next year
Kathy Willens/ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs is averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season. He is expected to take over as the starting running back next year after Tiki Barber retires, and with more carries he could be a valuable fantasy football player.
BY EVAN HENGEL
For the fantasy managers who sit at 2-6 on the year, it's time to look to the future. And for next year, I have a name that could define your season: Brandon Jacobs.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the second-year player out of Southern Illinois, he is the New York Giant's backup running back behind Tiki Barber. More importantly, he is 6'4" and 264 lbs
After this season Tiki will retire in hopes of becoming a news-caster. While Barber is doing his best Katie Couric impersonation, Jacobs will become the NFL's next 2,000 yard rusher.
If you look at Jacobs' numbers this year, his success isn't hard to predict. Jacobs has averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 51 attempts, despite Tiki Barber's fantastic season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on the way to a projected 1,600 yard season.
Jacobs' average yards per carry is skewed down a little because many of his carries are in goal line situation — where it's impossible for him to gain substantial yardage — and at the end of games that the Giants are winning when the opposing team knows that the run is coming.
When Jacobs finally gets to run full time behind the Giants' underrated offensive line, anchored by Luke Pettigout and Kareem McKenzie full time.
records will be shattered.
What's more important than numbers is Jacobs' style. When describing it, one word comes to mind: fury. Jacobs runs as if the entire female cast of Laguna Beach is waiting for him in the end zone. I'd compare him to a mix of Christian Okoye, Larry Johnson, and Boobie Miles from "Friday Night Lights" — the movie, not the TV show. The man is so ruthless, he actually fought kicker David Akers on the side-lines of the Giants game against the Eagles in week two. That's like getting in a wrestling match with
an eight year old. His relentless style will have opposing linebackers wetting beds for years to come
While images of Brandon Jacobs will haunt the dreams of opposing defensive coordinators next year, they'll make fantasy owners forget about this year's first round pick of Edgerrin James or Cadillac Williams. Jacobs is the perfect fantasy running back. He's fast enough to be effective in the open field, giving him big-play potential. And he's big enough, at 264 pounds, to get all those elusive goal-line carries.
My old roommate Dave and I
have had a man crush on Jacobs for a while now, and if our predictions are correct, Jacobs will be so good next season that it will spur rule changes in fantasy football.
Now that my love for Brandon Jacobs is out and in the open, here are some players to add for week nine:
1) MIKE BELL, RUNNING BACK, DENVER BRONCOS.
Mike Shanahan strikes again as the running back by committee seems to be back in style in Denver, which will lead to more carries for Bell. Also, starting running back Tatum Bell has turf toe.
2) OWEN DANIELS, TIGHT END. HOUSTON TEXANS.
No one seems to know where this guy came from (Wisconsin), but his five touchdowns in seven games make him valuable to fantasy owners.
3) SEATTLE DEFENSE.
Even though Seattle's defense isn't that good — although Lofa Tatuupi is already becoming a superstar in just his second year — they're playing Oakland, which features Andrew Walter and Justin Fargas. I'd start Hoover High School's defense against Oakland.
Evan Hengel is an Overland Park senior in finance.
Edited by Travis Robinett
PROFILE
Young Jayhawks mature Ivana Catic has stepped up as a team leader
BY LUKE MORRIS
Name/KANSAN
The graduation of Kaylee Brown Erica Hallman and Crystal Kemp left many holes and questions for this year's women's basketball team.
"I realize that it is a bigger part of my role on this year's team," said Catic.
the three players made up 65 percent of Kansas' scoring last season. Sophomore Ivana Catic was the fourth leading scorer on last year's team with an average of 7.7 points per game. Now, as the lead returning player in scoring, she'll have to step into the void the seniors created.
Ivana Catic will return as Kansas' leading score after the loss of senior Crystal Kemp
Coach Bonnie Henrickson said Catic had made important improvements to her game during the offseason.
"She can shoot a pull-up jumper or get to the rim. She's shooting the three much better than she did last year" Henrickson said. "Defensively she looks better than she did at any point last year."
Henrickson said Catic had also accepted a leadership role along with junior Taylor McIntosh.
"At the end of team meetings, Ivana and Taylor usually have something to add and it's very positive, very good," said Henrickson.
McIntosh is taking memories from her freshman season to make herself a better leader.
I know when I first got here I was afraid to approach the upperclassmen because I didn't know how," said McIntosh. "I just try to make them feel comfortable around me and not be so intimidating."
While memories help her with leadership, McIntosh and sophomore Marija Zinic will need to forget the comfort of sharing the frontcourt with Kemp, who led the
team in scoring during the past four years and in rebounds during the past two.
The absences of sophomores Sophronia Sallard and Jen Orgas may also affect the team. Sallard transferred to Pittsburgh and Orgas is taking the year off for personal reasons.
"I feel that we've got some kids who will ease the stress," said Henrickson. "It gives the younger kids a chance to play even more."
The returning players have to make the adjustments quickly. If not, Henrickson said she didn't fear starting three or four freshmen.
"I've got some upperclassman who are dead set on not letting it happen, but there's great competition for it," said Henrickson.
Kansan sportswriter Luke Morris can be contacted at Imorris@ kansan.com.
— Edited by Nicole Kelley
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PAUL DAVIS A STRONG VOICE FOR KU AND HIGHER EDUCATION
In 1999, The Kansas Legislature enacted the Higher Education Reorganization Act. In exchange for allowing community colleges into the Regents system, KU and other state universities were promised increased funding to bring faculty salaries up to peer levels. Unfortunately, the Legislature hasn't lived up to its promise. State Representative Paul Davis has been working hard in Topeka to change this. Paul worked with Governor Kathleen Sebelius and legislative leaders to obtain millions of dollars in new funding for Kansas universities. Let's send Paul back to Topeka on November 7th to keep fighting for us!
PAUL'S RECORD
- co-authored a plan that would increase funding for KU and other universities so that the promises of the 1999 Higher Education Reorganization Act are met
- advocated for an overdue pay increase for KU faculty and staff
- advocated for an overdue pay increase for KU faculty and staff
- fought efforts to restrict the academic freedom of KU faculty members
- fought efforts to restrict the academic freedom of KU faculty members
- supports funding higher education properly so that there will be no further tuition increases for KU students
- received a 98% rating for his support of Kansas universities by Citizens for Higher Education
www.davisforlawrence.org
Paid for by Davis for State Representative, Margaret Perkins McGuinness, Treasury PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT