The Sooners had high hopes this season. But following the loss of its starting quarterback Oklahoma will have to rely on defense to compete in the Big 12 South.
OW-K
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
Kansas football fans students and otherwise have contributed to record-breaking season-ticket sales for the '06-'07 season. 9A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 10A
Absent athletes plague Mangino
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
After talking trash during the entire offseason, Aqib Talib has finally been silenced.
Four players out of Saturday's game with injuries, another with disciplinary suspension
Monday's edition of the Lawrence Journal-World cited anonymous sources that said the sophomore cornerback would miss at least Saturday's game against Northwestern State because of a disciplinary suspension.
While speaking to the media during Tuesday's Big 12 Conference Football Teleconference, Kansas football coach Mark Mangino neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
"I have no comment on that situation," Mangino said. "I do not discuss any personnel things publicly."
Talib took the spotlight after Charles Gordon moved to offense last year, and his reported suspension puts Kansas' secondary depth in serious trouble. Mangino was already planning to play Saturday's
game without redshirt-freshman safety Darrell Stuckey, who is out with an undisclosed injury.
Mangino said last week that another injured safety, senior Jerome Kemp, might be available for Saturday's game, but Mangino gave no indication on Tuesday. He declined to discuss Kemp's injury, but said that he looked "great."
Mangino also refused to confirm or deny reports that senior defensive end Rodney Allen would sit out of Saturday's game because of a knee
"That's sensationalism at its best," Mangino said.
injury.
In total, four players will miss the Northwestern State game because of various injuries, with Kemp still a question mark.
Three of those injured players — Stuckey, Allen and sophomore linebacker James Holt — play on defense. The lone injured offensive player is redshirt-freshman running back Angus Quigley, who is out with
what Mangino called an "unusual" injury.
The Jayhawks will open the season — with or without these players — when they take on Northwestern State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Kansan senior sportswriter Ryan Schneider can be contacted at rschneider@kansan.com.
Edited by Nicole Kelley
rumor control
Kansas coach Mark Mangino from Monday's Big 12 Conference Football Teleconference:
> On Aqib Talib's reported suspension:
"I have no comment on that"
> On whether Jerome Kemp will play in Saturday's game: "I'm not going to discuss the situation. He looks great."
> On a reported injury to Rodney Allen:
"That's sensationalism at its best."
VOLLEYBALL
'Hawks excited, ready for match against 'Roos Kansas hopes it can continue with its 24-year winning streak against UMKC
BY DREW DAVISON
The Jayhawk volleyball team will play its home opener at 7 tonight in Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Tonight, Kansas (2-1) will try to extend UMKC's losing streak to four. UMKC, from the Mid-Continent Conference, lost all three of its games last weekend at the Louisville Invitational in Louisville, Ky.
I'm excited to play at home," Emily Brown, junior right side hitter/setter, said. "My favorite part is playing at home."
will give all fans at tonight's game a Kansas volleyball-schedule magnet and poster.
The KU Athletics Department
Last season, Kansas swept UMKC, 3-0, in Lawrence, and has not lost a game to the Kangaroos in 24 years, the last being Oct. 19, 1982.
"There is a certain comfort zone playing at home," coach Ray Bechard said.
Bechard said Alabama, who swept Kansas on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., had an advantage playing at home because of the environment being in its favor.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 8A
FOOTBALL
BY SHAWN SHROYER
Weakened offense hinders opponent
Northwestern State and Kansas can sympathize with each other in one respect: Missing players.
This preseason, Kansas has suffered key injuries at running back and in the secondary on defense. As for Division 1-AA Northwestern State, its starting lineup on Saturday isn't likely to mirror its preseason depth chart.
"We're in the same boat," Northwestern State coach Scott Stoker said. "You'll be able to tell from the initial lineup to what it will be later on in the week."
Stoker couldn't get into specifies, but he said he would have a better idea which players would have to sit out as Saturday neared.
The two were also named preseason first-team All-Southland Conference with junior defensive end Charlie Brooks, who had 46 tackles and three sacks in 2005.
nine includes All-Americans Tory Collins, senior defensive tackle,
and Ed Queen, senior defensive end. While Queen missed most of 2005 because of a sports hernia,
Collins had 64 tackles — 14 for a loss — and one sack.
Saturday's game will be the first of the season for both teams.
The Demons use only two linebackers in their defensive scheme, and the two leading candidates to start at linebacker didn't play prominent roles for the defense last
Other than Holmes, the Demon defense is in good shape.
Demons junior linebacker Anthony Holmes is out for sure. A running back last season, Holmes would have played this weekend at linebacker, but Stoker said Holmes had been suspended for breaking team rules.
The Northwestern State Demons,
from Natchitoches, La... will travel
to Lawrence for the 6 p.m. kickoff
Senior free safety Russ Washington was Northwestern State's preseason. Senior
TJ, McMillan
tand junior
De Michael
Robinson combined for just
51 tackles last
season.
"I'm not going to tell you I'm looking forward to it, but our kids are excited about it."
SCOTT STOKER Northwestern State football coach
Northwestern State's defensive
Kerry Meier will play Saturday in his debut as the starting quarterback for the University of Kansas. Meier, a redshirt freshman, sat out last season because of health reasons. Though Meier has a lot riding on his shoulders, he exudes a calm confidence and is determined to make this season a success.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
"In the secondary, last year we didn't have very much depth, this year we've got a lot of guys." Stoker said. "For the first time, the main thing is, we've got some depth back there."
season all-conference selection and he will lead a five-player secondary.
PROFILE
The same can't be said for Northwestern State's offense.
MEIER READY TO TAKE CHARGE SHOW SKILLS AFTER SITTING YEAR
SEE OPPONENT ON PAGE 6A
In a room full of football players clamoring for media attention, Kerry Meier sits in the corner.
Remaining low-key would suit Meter just fine, but that's not exactly possible.
Instead, reporters line up nearly six-deep, circling Meier in the same corner that was empty just moments before. All of this for the chance to ask a question of the quarterback
Quite a title considering Meier hasn't even taken a snap in college. Following Kansas' first bowl victory in a decade, nothing short of a repeat performance will satisfy some fans. Those expectations rest squarely on his right arm, and the redshirt-freshman quartar back knows it.
who has already been tabbed as the savior of Kansas football.
"The ball is in my hand. 100 percent of the time, so I am going to have to make plays." Meier said. "If
Kansas is going to win ball games, I am going to have to make plays, whether it is doing it myself or getting it to my teammates."
Meier takes the pressure in stride, though. He spent last year waiting for his time in the spotlight. Come Saturday, Meier will get his first shot and put his cool, confident persona to the test.
Waiting for his turn
This scenario almost didn't play
out for Meier. He was nearly tossed into last season's quarterback carousel that produced three different starting quarterbacks in six games.
Instead, he was given a redshirt by Mangino after a heart defect was found early in the season. Following a procedure to fix the problem, he resumed practicing with the team. Even after his recovery, Mangino rejected calls to strip the redshirt.
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SEE MEIER ON PAGE 8A