Football injuries strike some players early in the season. Some were potential starters for the first game in two weeks:
The KU soccer team opened their season with a 1-1 tie in an exhibition game at Drake. Senior midfielder Jessica Kilpatrick scored KU's lone goal in her first soccer game in nearly two years.
MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 12A
» DANCING NACHOS
Anyone can live the dream with a fantasy football team
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
KANSAN SPORTS EDITOR
MPHILLIPS@KANSAN.COM
As recently as five years ago, identifying yourself as a fantasy football player carried with it a negative connotation.
Those people were the math geeks who didn't really understand what football was all about, or the compulsive gamblers who needed a reason to watch the Arizona Cardinals. But no longer.
Fantasy football is now mainstream.
Much like NASCAR it may not be universally popular but it must be universally acknowledged.
More than 15 million Americans played last year, according to a study by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
For the uninitiated, fantasy football involves about a dozen people who take turns selecting players who play on professional football teams. When those players score points for their real teams, the fantasy team scores points as well. Fantasy teams are pitted against each other every week, like real NFL teams.
The fantasy season ends with the team that drafted Peyton Manning winning, and the other 11 players complaining that if their tight end hadn't got hurt in week seven, their team would have won.
What's driving this trend? Young males. College students who grew up with free agency and players who switch teams almost yearly understand the principles behind successful fantasy football. Loyalty to a team is out, replaced by loyalty to whatever player is performing successfully that week.
The popularity of football is another factor. Fantasy baseball has existed for years, but is mainly the domain of die-hard fans and their statistical alphabet of WHIP, ERA and RISP. The casual fan just isn't ready to make a 162-game commitment.
A consulting group studied the issue and found that each week
Football, with its weekly games and mid-week trash talk, is paced just right for fantasy players.
Jared Gab/KANSAN
SEE PHILLIPS ON PAGE 11A
VOLLEYBALL
Laura Rohde Curry, KU alumna, blocks a dink by Emily Brown, junior opposite hitter and setter, Saturday night at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Brown led the Jayhawk team with 14 kills, 11 assists and 10 digs against the alumni.
Newcomer gets hurt in scrimmage
Big 12 Preseason Newcomer injured her knee during a scrimmage against alumni
BY DREW DAVISON
"It's really unfortunate she didn't get to go a little bit longer tonight and show you what she can do," coach Ray Bechard said. "We'll get everything MRIId and checked out to see where we go from there."
The Jayhawk volleyball team swept a team of Kansas alumni 3-0 Saturday night at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, but suffered a loss when junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart injured her knee in the first game.
Uhart, named Big 12 preseason Newcomer of the Year, transferred
to Kansas from Long Beach State last year and was expected to replace Josla Lima at middle blocker. Uhart had not played much the last few seasons because of nagging injuries. Bechard said the injury Saturday night was not related to her previous injuries.
On the brighter side, Bechard
said middle blocker was the deepest position the team had.
"Let's hope that Natalie can return," he said. "If that doesn't work out, you got Savannah Noyes who was a full-time starter last year."
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 11A
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Bowl game victory propels MU into new season
BY SHAWN SHROYER
Missouri overcame a 21-point deficit against South Carolina to win the Independence Bowl last December thanks to the arm and legs of quarterback Brad Smith.
Sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel made a short appearance as a freshman, completing one of four passes for six yards. However, it was what Daniel didn't do that was prophetic: He didn't have a single rushing attempt.
Missouri hopes to carry the momentum from its comeback victory in the Independence Bowl into this season and finally finish atop the Big 12 North.
"Our next step is to take that win and have it prop us into this year," said senior strong safety David Overstreet. "Time to take off to another level."
Missouri returns 17 starters and lost only seven from last season, but the Big 12 media didn't take the loss of Smith lightly, picking the Tigers to finish fifth in the North.
Daniel might not be Brad Smith, but according to some Missouri players, that isn't a bad thing.
Junior tight end Martin Rucker said Daniel doesn't hide the fact that he's a pocket passer and wants to show off his arm.
"In the past, if you run a route that wasn't the first or second read, you knew you weren't going to get the ball," Ucker said. "Now you've got to run a little more because at any time, he'll throw the ball to you and he'll put it on the money and you've got to catch it."
Junior tailbacks Marcus Woods and Tony Temple will battle for the starting spot in the backfield with Daniel.
Woods started all 10 games he appeared in last year and rushed for 435 yards and three touchdowns, but he's recovering from an Achilles strain. Temple has proven capable of taking over the tailback duties after rushing for 437 yards and three touchdowns last year.
A group of veteran receivers will be catching passes from the new signal caller in 2006. Senior wide receiver Brad Ekwerekwu, junior wide receiver Will Franklin and Rucker started a combined 35 games last season.
SEE MIZZOU ON PAGE 11A
FOOTBALL
Brandon McAnderson, junior fullback, avoids a tackle by Justin Thornton, freshman defensive back during Friday's practice behind Allen Fieldhouse.
Ryan McGooney/KANSAM
Quigley to miss 2006 football season, others expected to step up With the season starting in two weeks, some players are already plagued with injuries
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
Mark Mangino's depth at running back took a serious hit this weekend after an injury he called "mutual"
Redshirt freshman running back Angus Quigley will miss the 2006 season after suffering an undisclosed injury. Mangino announced following Friday's open practice. The coach refused to discuss the specifics of the injury, as is typical team policy. "It's a very unusual injury."
Mangino said. "In fact, our medical team had to do extensive research to find out who's an expert on these types of injuries, because they're rare."
He said Quigley would be under the care of the lead orthopedic surgeon for the Miami Dolphins profootball team.
Quigley was expected to back up senior running back Jon Cornish. Instead, the backup duties will now fall to true freshman Jake Sharp, who
Mangino said he expects Sharp to be ready and able to serve as Cornish's back up, even as a freshman.
saw snaps, with both the first and second-team offense at practice on Friday. The injury to Quigley all but assures that Sharp will not redshirt this season, which had been a possibility in the past.
"If you were to say you wanted the model young man that was prepared as a true freshman to take on the
challenges of the Big 12, his prob-
 challenges of the guy, Mangino said.
Also expected to see time in the backfield is junior fullback Brandon McAnderson. He saw action in 12 games last season at running back and on special teams. McAnderson finished the season with 102 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown.
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While depth at running back was not a problem for Kansas entering
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SEE INJURIES ON PAGE 11A