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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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>> COMMENTARY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2007
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE1B
Small-time opponent to benefit Jayhawks
In what would seem to be a nice, warm evening on Sept. 8, 2007, in Lawrence, pandemonium broke out as Kansas football fans celebrated a blowout victory against Division I-AA Southeastern Louisiana University.
Junior cornerback Aqib Talib led a group of players carrying a cooler of Gatorade to surprise coach Mark Mangino with a Gatorade bath. Meanwhile, a mob of fans had torn down the goal posts. Another group of fans, looking to cool off, had decided to take a dip in Potter Lake and rejoice in this ever-irrelevant victory.
Sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing had a career day and was a key performer in the Jayhawks' 56-0 victory, passing for 481 yards and five touchdowns.
Mangino, who was close by, quickly corrected his star quarterback, "Not for at least another five to ten years."
When asked about the game, he said,
"They never stood a chance. This win gave our guys a chance to show Southeastern they are a second-class team that will never be good enough to play on our level."
Talib, a pre-season All-American, led an astounding defensive performance for Kansas with a career-high seven interceptions. In a post-game interview he said, "I felt like Spiderman out there. There wasn't a pass I couldn't run down or a guy I couldn't cover. At half-time I asked coach to just let me play on defense by myself and give the other guys a break because it just wasn't fair anymore."
Note: Before you get alarmed, let's go back to reality. In all seriousness, this would never happen.
What may seem to be David versus Goliath is actually a chance for two football programs to improve. For years, teams such as University of Florida, Virginia Tech and rival Kansas State have capitalized on playing out-of-conference schedules against lesser-known schools such as Southeastern Louisiana University, Florida International University or Western Carolina University. As for these lesser-known programs, the larger school awards them a hefty payoff, usually between $200,000 and $1,000,000, for playing a high-calibration team.
For a team such as Florida International, which went 0-12 last season, making a bowl game is out of the question. What probably will result in a loss on the schedule is a huge gain for the school's entire athletic department, not just the football team. If one of these teams plays three to four teams and makes a few million dollars a season, the school's athletic department is receiving funding they would otherwise never get.
This season, Kansas hosts out-of-conference teams Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana University, Florida International and Toledo University. In CBSSports.com's ranking of the 120 Division I-A teams, Central Michigan, ranked No.59, is the only team out of the four that comes close to the competition Kansas has to prepare for in the Big 12.
Though the idea of beating up on a bunch of unknown teams does not sound as exciting as described earlier, the easy schedule should allow this Kansas football team to gain some confidence and have some success before their Big 12 opening game against rival Kansas State on Oct. 6.
Edited by Rachel Bock
schedule
School 2006 Record Rank
Central Michigan 10-4 59
Toledo 5-7 91
Florida International 0-12 119
Southeastern Louisiana 2-9 none
CBSSports.com
A FAMILY FIRST
Cole Aldrich, Bloomington, Minn., freshman, puts aside distractions to focus on schoolwork. Aldrich is the first of his family to attend college and brings hard work and persistence to the Javhawks' front line.
Andrew Wacker/KANSAN
Aldrich remains grounded
Freshman center inspires teammates with work ethic, family values
BY PETER SOTO psoto@kansan.com
When Cole Aldrich began his athletic career, basketball was not the first sport on his mind. Aldrich, a 6-foot-11
Bloomington, Minn., native, never gave much thought to the game that would eventually bring him a great deal of success until his mother signed him up for basketball in the second grade.
An awkward shooting style and a lack of basketball background characterized his
"When I first started playing, I sucked. I was terrible," Aldrich said. "It was the ugliest thing, but I kept playing."
first few seasons. The game didn't come easily to him. His family was familiar with
easily to him. His fam other sports, but not basketball. Luckily for Aldrich, the support he received from his coaches and family kept him playing. Instead of learning about jump shots and dribbling at home, Aldrich learned the value of hard work and persistence. Although they didn't teach him basketball
Every weekday morning, Walt and Kathy Aldrich left their modest home in suburban
"Until Cole started playing, we never really paid attention to basketball. He was always big, but we had no idea he was so good."
KATHY ALDRICH Mother of Cole Aldrich
technique, Aldrich's parents taught him life lessons that were just as vital.
Bloomington to provide for their children. Kathy operated an embroidery machine while Walt worked at the same sheet metal business he had worked for since leaving the Marine Corps.
"I like it. I'm a union guy," Walt said. "But it's getting harder the older I get."
SEE ALDRICH ON PAGE 4B
biography
> Full Name: Côle David Aldrich
Birthday: Oct. 31, 1988
> Height: 6-foot-11
> Weight: 245 pounds
> Major: Undecided
> Position: Center
KUathletics.com
» WOMEN'S GOLF
Swedish star loves her new home
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@kansan.com
When Camilla Svensson began golfing as a 12-year-old girl, she never imagined it would take her as far away from home as the University of Kansas.
After growing up in Gothenburg, Sweden, the sophomore's desire to pursue academic goals, as well as to continue her career as a golfer, made coming to the United States an opportunity too good to pass up.
"In Sweden it's hard to both study and play golf at the same time," Svensson said. "I've always said it's important to have an education because you never know what could happen, but I felt like I wanted to give golf a chance too."
A number of college coaches contacted her, but Svensson found her way to the University of Kansas after hitting it off with coach Erin O'Neil at a tournament in Sweden.
"Coach O'Neil was definitely a part of why I decided to come here," Svensson said. "Of course there were other parts too, but we had a good connection back in Sweden. I felt that she could help me improve my golf game, and she understood my way of looking at golf as well."
Camilla Swenson, Gothenburg, Sweden, sophomore, is adjusting to life in Kansas. The women's golf team placed ninth at the Big 12 Championship last year.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Although her relationship with O'Neil played a large role in bringing Svensson to Kansas, she said her campus visit in Fall 2005 made the decision even easier.
"It's a really nice campus, of course, and the entire athletic department is just a big family," Svensson said. "I could tell the first
time I got here that it was a good place for me. The facilities and golf courses are nice, and I wanted to be some place a little bit different."
Once on campus, Svensson's transition to American culture was less stressful than what many international students face.
Because students in.Sweden are required
to take English classes from third grade through their second year of gymnasium, the Swedish equivalent of high school, Svensson said, she came to Lawrence without a significant language barrier.
She said her ability to communicate made living in the U.S. much easier, and the positive reception she received from Americans made a distinct impression on her as well.
"I love the American people" she said. "I love the openness and how helpful everyone is. It just makes my day that much easier."
Despite the welcome from Americans, Svensson said not seeing her family and friends in Sweden had beo ne difficult.
She said the distance separating her from her family had been the toughest part of adapting to life at the University. Svensson said it was hard to miss out on quality time with family and friends.
"There are a lot of things you miss at home," Svensson said. "My brother had a baby, and she is 2 years old now. I miss a lot of time with her."
"We have a young team, so I don't think a lot of people are going to expect much
Being away from loved ones is tough, Svensson said, but she is focused on becoming a more complete golfer and helping her teammates improve on a ninth place finish in last year's Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 champion Amanda Costner will be impossible to replace, but Svensson said she expected to continue to improve on last year's progress despite low expectations.
SEE GOLF ON PAGE 4B
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
BY CASE KEEFER
ckeefer@kansan.com
NCAA changes kickoff yard line hopes new rules speed up games
The 2007 college football season kicks off Thursday night. And it will be kicking off from an allnew location.
A new NCAA rule, number 6-1-1, moves the ball to the 30-yard line on kickoffs. Before this year, every college football kicker booted the ball from the 35-yard line. The NFL implemented the same change in 1994.
Five yards may seem like a minor adjustment, but the rule could significantly alter games because more kickoffs should be returned. The rule has forced coaches to spend more practice time on
"It's a thing that will help me improve myself. Kickoffs are something I've always been pretty good at."
SCOTT WEBB Senior kicker
SEE RULES ON PAGE 4B