Student tickets are now on sale for the NBA exhibition game that will be played at Allen Fieldhouse on October 15. Tickets in the student section are $10 with a valid KUID.The game will feature Nick Collison's Seattle Supersonics and Kirk Hinrich's Chicago Bulls. Tickets are available at the Allen Fieldhouse ticket office.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
3. (A) $ \frac{1}{2} $ (B) $ \frac{3}{4} $ (C) $ \frac{5}{8} $ (D) $ \frac{7}{16} $
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
>> 'HORN BORN, 'HAWK BRED
First road game will test Kansas
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT
KANSAN COLUMNIST
TROBINETT@KANSAN.COM
This year's Kansas football team will make its national television debut on ESPN2 Friday night. Luckily hardly anyone will be watching. It could get ugly.
The Louisiana-Monroe game was a pathetic performance, but the jayhawks probably deserve a free pass. After all, they did win the game, which is all that matters. And despite what coach Mark Mangino
had to say, that the team didn't overlook ULM, it probably did.
Speculation aside, what Kansas showed against ULM was that it is not ready for the first big test of the season: at Toledo on national television. The game
Visit Kansan.
com for more commentary from Kansan writers, including Brandon Sayers' article on why the Chiefs will finish worse than last season.
is on the road, which is ominous for Kansas. If it can barely defeat ULM at home, how will it play against better competition, especially considering its recent struggles away from Memorial Stadium?
Mangino's road record in his first four seasons is a dismal 3-17 and only one of his three victories was a conference game. That record won't improve this season unless Kansas does, which is a possibility. With sophomore cornerback Agib Talib's return to help the pass defense and plenty of young players with room for improvement, Kansas will likely be much better by the end of the season.
season.
But the Toledo game is up next and Kansas needs this victory. By defeating Toleo Mangino would prove that he has a clue about how to win on the road. It would give Kansas a 3-0 record, which is half-way to a bowl game. Most of all it would give the young team a much-needed confidence boost heading into the conference season, where four road games wait: Nebraska, Baylor, Iowa State and Missouri.
I just don't see it happening
I just don't see it happen. The Rockets aren't pushovers like the lajahwaks' previous opponents. Despite their 0-2 record, they should be favored to win because they don't have a victory yet. They are desperate and at home for the first time.
first time.
Toledo was impressive against Iowa State, forcing three overtimes in Ames, Iowa. Kansas can't count on Toledo settling for field goals if Kyle Tucker fumbles a snap deep in Jayhawk territory.
The Toledo game will be freshman Kerry Meier's first road trip, which is troubling. How will he do with a large crowd drowning out his signals at the line of scrimmage for the first time in his college career? That remains to be seen, but if he wants to become the type of quarterback he's been made out to be he has to handle the pressures that come with playing away from home.
Rokinett is an Austin, Texas, senior in Journalism.
This Friday's game will answer many questions still surrounding the lajayh football team after two mediocre home victories, but only one question matters: Can Kansas win on the road? If it wants to get to bigger and better places in college football, it must be able to.
Aly Barkland
CROSS COUNTRY
Runners win against Wildcats
Chris Neal/KANSAN
Freshman Bret Imgrund (left), sophomore Victor Chesang and junior Patrick McGowan lead the pack early on during the men's race at the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational in Manhattan Friday evening. The men's team dominated the Wildcats with a 25-30 victory and a sweep of first, second and third place.
Coach says maturity, hard work pays off
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS AND MICHAEL PHILLIPS
"The bike guy had some difficulties," Wissel said. "I was kind of scared that I was going to get lost."
MANHATTAN — After pulling away from the pack, junior Colby Wissel made another push, this time to pass the man on a bicycle who directs the competitors through the course.
Wissel won the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational - his second consecutive victory at the event - and shaved nearly 20 seconds off his time with a 14:57.20 performance.
The Jayhawk men and women both won the team portion of the event, held on Friday evening in Manhattan.
"Everyone ran a lot better this year, so hopefully it's an indication that we're all heading in the right direction," Wessel said.
Junior Patrick McGowan
(15:30.30) and freshman Bret
Imgrund (15:42.60) followed
Wissel. McGowan shaved nearly,
a minute off his time from last
year's meet.
Coach Stanley Redwine was impressed with the times and said they had a lot to do with the effort the team put in during the offseason.
"It's a matter of maturity and how they are training," he said.
The two teams tied last year, but the men easily defeated the Wildcats this season 25-30. It was a much closer margin for the women, who won 28-29. Juniors Alicia McGregor and Lisa Morrisley led the team, placing third and fourth. McGregor's time was 18:50.20 and Morrisey's time was 18:58.60.
McGregor accomplished both of her individual goals: improving her time and placing higher than she did at last year's meet.
"I went out fast and that helped me set a good pace for the entire 5K," she said.
All six of the Jayhawk women
SEE RUNNERS ON PAGE 3B
FOOTBALL
Players use Saturday's performance as a learning experience
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
Kerry Meter might have been satisfied with his stat line from Saturday's victory if it came against a Big 12 foe, but his performance against Louisiana-Monroe left him wanting more from himself and the offense.
After Kansas' 21-19 victory against ULM, the freshman quarterback, who went 16 of 27 for 185 yards, said the offense missed opportunities to build its lead, but would use the game as a learning experience.
"We will just look at the film, take it all in and carry it over to next week," Meier said following Saturday's gume.
On Friday, Kansas takes on a Toledo team that's prone to giving up serious points. In its two games this season — both losses — the Rockets have given up an average of 38 points. Though one of those games went to triple overtime.
That appears to be good news for a Kansas offense that was hot and cold on Saturday against Lousiana-Monroe. While the Jayhawks did mount three 80-yard scoring drives, they also failed to record a first down on seven drives.
Despite some sluggish play at times, the offense and Meier did show some improvement. The quarterback took more chances with downfield passes, connecting deep passes on each of the scorings
drives.
drives.
On the three scoring drives, Meier appeared sharp, going 10-for-12 passing, throwing two touchdowns and running for another
Meier's first completion — on the team's first scoring drive — was a deep pass to sophomore Marcus Herford for 29 yards down the right side.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino said that he was encouraged by his team's three long scoring drives, but that the team had to maintain the momentum it gained off its touchdowns.
"We just weren't in synch at times," Mangino said.
Jared Gah/KANS
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 3B
Kerry Meier, freshman quarterback, rushes under pressure through an opening in Louisiana-Monroe's defense Saturday. Meier passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one in the two-point win against the Warhawks.