THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 2006
SPORTS
3B
VOLLEYBALL
Losses help prepare Jayhawks High-level competition continues against Texas
Vanessa Pearson/KANSAN
Emily Brown, junior opposite hitter and setter, spikes the ball during Saturday's final game in the Jayhawk Invitational at Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Kansas lost to Arkansas, 2-3.
BY DREW DAVISON
The Jayhawks will try to snap out of their two-game losing skid at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center when they face the Texas Longhorns.
After being swept at Nebraska to open Big 12 Conference play, Kansas (7-3, 0-1 Big 12) has another opportunity to pick up its first conference victory of the season against No. 5 Texas (6-2, 1-0). But it won't be easy.
"We'll see a team that is very similar to Nebraska from an athletic stand point and a physical stand point, so it will be another great challenge for us," coach Ray Bechard said.
Texas is coming off a sweep of Texas Tech on Wednesday night. The Longhorns had four players named to the preseason all-conference team, and Ashley Engle was named preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
Texas is led by Dariam Acevedo, senior outside hitter, who ranks third in the Big 12 in kills, averaging 4.55 a game.
Bechard said that it is tough to judge his team when it opened conference play against two national-championship-caliber teams: No. 1 Nebraska and No. 5 Texas.
He said playing a team like Nebraska helped prepare them for Saturday's match.
"We can't expose them to that type of physicality in practice, so, obviously, we have an opportunity to learn from that experience," he said. "It helps them understand how fast the ball is moving and from what angles it's moving."
Jana Correa, senior outside hitter, said the team has a great chance to beat Texas.
"We just keep improving, and eventually we're going to beat some good teams," she said.
Correa said Kansas' serving improved against Nebraska, when the team committed just eight service errors.
The layhawks are 2-1 at home this season. Last year, Kansas went 4-6 at Horeksi against conference opponents.
"We're excited about Texas because it's at home," Jamie Mathewson, senior libero, said. "We think we can protect our house more than anything."
Last season, Texas beat Kansas both times the teams met. Texas leads the all-time series record 19-4.
Admission is free for students
with a valid KUID and fans in attendance will receive a Jayhawk rally towel.
Kansan staff writer Drew Davison can be contacted at ddavison@ kansan.com
— Edited by Elyse Weidner
Past record favors Toledo
FOOTBALL
Rockets possess strong offense, upperclassmen in arsenal
BY SHAWN SHROYER
The numbers don't lie.
Although unbeaten Kansas faces winless Toledo tonight with the better record and the advantage in the all-time series (2-0), a deeper look into each team's recent histories justifies the four-point spread in Toledo's favor.
Under coach Tom Amstutz,
Toledo has been dominant at home
with a 26-2 record. The Rockets
also have yet to lose a home opener
under Amstutz, and tonight is their
2006 home opener.
Toledo will trust its upperclassmen to protect its home field advantage — especially those on offense.
The Rockets boast 10 starting upperclassmen on offense with the only outcast being sophomore quarterback Clint Cochran. Nevertheless, Cochran has proven capable of leading the Toledo offense.
Cochran struggled somewhat last week against Western Michigan, throwing for 218 yards, no touchdown and two interceptions. However, Cochran flourished in his season debut against Iowa State, passing for 367 yards and three touchdowns. Based on the performance by Kansas' pass defense last weekend, Cochran could be poised for another stellar performance against a Big 12 opponent.
Mangino said he was not only impressed with Cochran, but also with his receiving targets, particularly senior tight end Chris Hopkins. Hopkins leads the Rockets in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Steve Odom is Cochran's most reliable option, having caught at least one pass in all 39 games of his college career.
Although Toledo passes nearly 60 percent of the time, junior running back Jalen Parmele is a threat out of the backfield. Parmele is averaging 5.2 yard-per-carry and 107 yards of offense per game.
Toledo features eight starting upperclassmen in its 3-4 defensive scheme, but its inability to keep opponents out of the end zone and lack of turnovers has led to its 0-2 record.
Toledo allowed Iowa State to score a touchdown in the first three quarters of the game and in all three overtimes, plus the deciding two-point conversion in the third overtime. Last weekend was no different as Western Michigan scored touchdowns in every quarter but the second.
The Rockets also have a -4 turnover margin, owed in part to their zero forced turnovers after two
games.
The key for Toledo will be scoring first, which it didn't do in its first two games. If Toledo can get the early lead on Kansas, then Kansas will be forced to trust freshman quarterback Kerry Meier to erase the deficit. The Rockets have been decent in their pass defense, allowing just 332 passing yards in two games.
Under Mangino, Kansas is 3-17 on the road and has won only one of its last 13 road games. Kansas was more competitive on the road last year, but overall, the Jayhawks have been outscored 665-388 on the road under Mangino.
"You have to have that mental edge that you are going to finish it out," Mangino said. "The better you get as a team, the better the chances are of winning on the road. And we're getting better and better."
Tonight's game will be the first road game for as many as 14 starters. If Kansas' road woes are to end tonight, it will be up to these younger players, like sophomore linebacker Mike Rivera.
"It won't be a big difference to us; it'll just be another game," Rivera said.
Kansan sportswriter Shawn
Shroyer can be contacted at
sshroyer@kansan.com.
Edited by Shanxi Upsdell
MLB
Cubs rally past Dodgers with 6-5 victory at home
CHICAGO — Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer off reliever Brett Tomko in the seventh inning Thursday and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 6-5 victory that reduced the Los Angeles Dodgers' lead in the NL West to one-half game.
which beat the Reds 4-2 Thursday.
The Dodgers headed home after losing two of three at Wrigley Field to the Cubs. who are 29 games under .500. Los Angeles begins a key four-game series Friday with second-place San Diego,
J. D. Drew's three-run homer off Carlos Marmol gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead in the sixth and put Hong-Chih Kuo in position to win his second straight start.
But Tomko (8-7) was rouged up. Ronny Cedeno's single, a bunt single by Juan Pierre and a two-out RBI single by Ryan Theriot made it 5-3. Ramirez followed with his 33rd homer to left, giving him 100 RBIs for the season.
Scott Eyre (1-2) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief. Bob Howry pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save in nine chances.
Kuo, in his second major league start after beating the Mets six days ago, gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings with no walks and six strikeouts.
Chicago's Wade Miller, who spent most of the season on the disabled list, allowed just one hit in five innings — a two-run homer off the right field foul pole by Marlon Anderson in the second. He left with the game tied at 2-2.
Los Angeles immediately reached Marmol for three straight hits, including Drew's 16th homer into the seats in left center.
Associated Press
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Giants' pitcher brings team to victory against Rockies
SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain has dominated every opponent and inspired comparisons to baseball's greats during an incredible one-month stretch for the San Francisco Giants.
The precocious right-hander is more interested in keeping his club in the playoff race until his 22nd birthday — which happens to be the last day of the regular season.
Cain allowed two hits in eight superb innings to win his fourth straight start, and the Giants gained ground in the NL West race with a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
Omar Vizquel scored the game's first run in the sixth inning on Moises Alou's double-play ground, and the Giants rallied for four more in the seventh to win for the eighth time in 11 games.
Cain (13-9) made it easy with another standout performance. The baby-faced rookie retired 10 of Colorado's first 11 hitters, then set down 13 straight after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.
"Some kind of pitcher, huh?"
Giants manager Felipe Alou said,
later likening Cain to a young Tom Seaver.
"That's what you call controlling the game. "That curveball, he's throwing it where they have to swing at it. In my mind, he's as good as anybody."
Cain had seven strikeouts and never tired in a 118-pitch outing. Vinnie Chuk completed the two-hitter, pitching a perfect ninth.
"I'm just getting ahead of guys and trying to get to them early," Cain said. "I feel a little calmer in the second half. ... We had a good battle going on early, and we finally got to Aaron (Cook)."
"We were completely shut down," said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, whose club has lost to Cain three times this season. "Cain took care of us. He was very good. ... He has definitely made some strides forward. He's a pretty solid candidate" for NL Rookie of the Year.
Cain, whose 13 wins lead all NL rookies, has been nearly unhittable for a month now. He's 5-0 in six starts since Aug. 12 with a 0.21 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 42 innings _ and he hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 30 2-3 innings.
"Every game counts now," Cain said. "Everybody is really watching the scoreboard."
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