Despite trailing for most of the game, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to pull out a 23-20 victory against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Running back Larry Johnson ran the length of the field to set up the winning field goal for kicker Lawrence Tynes. Johnson was injured on the play with what was later reported as a sprained neck.
MONDAY,OCTOBER 9,2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
DANCING NACHOS
TEXAS A&M 21 KANSAS 18
If not for big plays allowed, KU would be sitting pretty
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
KANSAN SPORTS EDITOR
MPHIL IPS@KANSAN.COM
It's aggravating to lose close games the way the Kansas has. What's even more aggravating is not knowing what's wrong.
Saturday's 21-18 loss to Texas A&M was the third time this season the Jayhawks have led in the fourth quarter and lost the game. Add in a near meltdown against Louisiana-Monroe, and it becomes obvious that nail-bitors have been the norm rather than the exception for the lavahaws this season.
"If you lose tough games, it should make you angrier, and stronger, and make you want to pursue excellence," coach Mark Mangino said. "There's a sense of urgency, because you want to win so bad."
I asked Mangino if he thought that sense of urgency was missing this year. He responded with a question.
"What did you think?"
Well, coach, since you asked...
Kansas becomes a different team in the final minutes of these close games. Instead of forcing short gains and a running clock, it's almost a certainty that the Jayhawks will give up a big play. For example:
— Nebraska's 75-yard pass from Zac Taylor to Frantz Hardy to take the lead late in the game
— Louisiana-Monroe complet ing 28- and 33-yard passes on its final drive
— Texas A&M's 35-yard gain that put the winning touchdown within reach
It's also not fun to leave Memorial Stadium with no new answers.
"It's not fun to have to put so much pressure on the defense to perform," running back Jon Cornish said.
With them, the Jayhawks are simply another 3-3 team scrapping for their postseason lives. Winnable games are right around the corner, but first Kansas has to learn how to play four quarters of football.
The problems aren't new ones. Kansas found a way into the Fort Worth Bowl without an offense. After discounting punter Kyle Tucker, whose average pass was longer than his average punt, the Jayhawk offense once again relied on the Jayhawk defense Saturday to hand them field position on a silver platter. Not that it mattered: The Jayhawks twice left the red zone with a field goal.
— Toledo returning a Kerry Meier interception 84 yards for a touchdown
Mangino is currently 3-8 in games decided by less than six points during his five-year career at Kansas.
Take away these plays, and the Jayhawks are 6-0 and fighting for the Big 12 North title.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
As it is, the Jayhawks can run up the score as much as they want in the first half. It won't matter. Opponents won't ever be scared as long as they know they can come back and steal the victory in the game's final minutes.
SAME OLD STORY
And that's aggravating.
— Edited by Kristen Jarboe
Phillips is a Wichita senior in journalism.
Texas & A&M quarterback Stephen McGee tries to get past Darrrell Stuckey, freshman defensive back, for a two-point conversion at the start of the fourth quarter on Saturday's game. The Aggies beat the Jayhawks 21-18, scoring the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter. This is the third game in a row the Jayhawks have lost by single digits.
Early lead slips away in fourth quarter
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
It was supposed to be the day when Kansas made the leap from mediocrity to legitimate North division contender.
Saturday's game was an opportunity for Kansas to get a statement victory against a vulnerable Texas A&M team that was reeling from a last-second loss the week before.
The Jayhaws appeared to be headed for their 10th-straight home victory and an upset against the favored Aggies before a shocking fourth-quarter collapse.
Kansas led 18-7 entering the final frame, but crumbled down the stretch in the 21-18 loss to Texas A&M.
"How many games are we going to have like this?" senior running back Jon Cornish said. "At this point, we're used to playing in games like this. It's something we
have to remedy, because it's not fun"
Because of its poor play in close games, Kansas now sits at 0-3 in games decided by single digits this season and 6-11 under coach Mark Mangino. But even more troublesome is the 0-2 hole the team has dug itself in the Big 12 Conference. The team needs to play .500 the rest of the way just to make a bowl game.
The Jayhawks had opportunities all afternoon to put the Aggies away. Yet the offense, which put up nearly 600 yards against Nebraska last week, bumbled and stumbled its way across the Memorial Stadium turf for most of the day for 288 yards. Kansas had four drives inside Texas A&M territory and another four that ended near midfield. Despite the good field position, Kansas could muster only its second-lowest point total of the season.
"We did have a lot of chances with a lot of good field position," senior quarterback Adam Barmann said. "For some reason, whatever it was, we couldn't convert it into points and that hurt us in the long run."
Barmann, who played well in his first two starts in place of freshman Kerry Meier, had one of the worst outings of his career. He was 13-of-31 passing for just 127 yards. Barmann had thrown for at least 270 yards in his last two starts. Until midway through the second quarter, junior punter Kyle Tucker, who converted a 48-yard pass on a trick play, was the lashawks' leading passer.
With less than four minutes remaining in the game, Kansas
"I never felt like we were in sync on offense," Mangino said. "We just weren't sharp."
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 5B
looking ahead
The Jayhawks are 3-3 at the season's halfway point. The Jayhawks must win three of their final six games to become bowl eligible. Here's a look at who's on the schedule.
This Saturday the Jayhaws play the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who
are 3-2 overall and last in the Big 12 South. They lost to Kansas State last Saturday.
After a triple-overtime victory in Colorado, Baylor is 2-0 in 1 big 12 play. The Bears will have the home-
field advantage when they take on the Jayhawks Oct. 21.
Colorado has yet to win a game this season. Jayhawk fans will expectictory when the Buffaloes come to town on Oct. 28.
The Iowa State Cyclones are 0-2 in Big 12 play, but have played two dominant teams
in Texas and Nebraska. A Nov. 4 game in Ames, Iowa, will not be a cakewalk for the Jawhaws.
The in-state rivalry has swung back and forth recently, but the
Jayhawks should be favored to win the Nov. 18 installment of the Sunflower showdown in Lawrence.
The Missouri Tigers were on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week is one of the nation's
best teams. The Tigers may be playing for the Big 12 Championship.
Kim Boyer, freshman forward, struggles with Jill Gilbeau. Texas defender, for control of the ball during the second half of the game Friday afternoon. Kansas lost 1-0 after a Texas goal in the second half.
Anna Faltermeier/KAHSAR
》 SOCCER 0-1 OT
Kansas loses in close game with Texas A&M Single-goal games highlight long weekend against Longhorns, No. 8 Aggies
BY MARK DENT
The Jayhawks didn't look like they had just played their best game of the season as they walked off the field Sunday.
Not one player said a word as they slowly filed to the bench to collect their equipment. Blank stares graced each player's face as Kansas coach Mark Francis complimented their efforts.
Kansas (7-6, 2-3) lost a 1-o-heartbreaker to No. 8 Texas A&M in overtime Sunday, creating the morgue
like atmosphere on the sidelines. The game ended in a loss for the Jayhawks, even though Francis said they had played better than they had all year.
The loss to first-place Texas A&M wouldn't have been as disappointing if Kansas would have played better against Texas on Friday. The Jayhawks only lost to the Longhorns 1-0, but Francis was not pleased with
"We played very well," Francis said. "You can do almost everything right and still lose. I think that was the case today."
his team's effort. He let the players know about it by challenging them in a long speech after the game.
"Our heart was piss poor in the second half"; Francis said Friday. "We showed absolutely no heart in the second half; that's just not acceptable."
Francis' speech worked wonders for the Jayhawks Sunday. Take away the first 30 minutes and last four minutes of the game and Kansas did everything right.
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 8B
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