6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007
VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Freshman Jenna Kaiser added 12 kills for the Jayhawks in her second collegiate game, while junior Natalie Uhart had 10 kills in only 16 attempts. Uhart, who transferred from Long Beach State a season ago, was playing in her first game as a Jayhawk after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 2006 preseason.
"It great to have her out there," Bechard said. "She tweaked her ankle, and that slowed her a little, but she adds so much experience to the team."
Senior Emily Brown was the main playmaker, racking up 25 assists against Idaho State.
CAL-STATE BAKERSFIELD
Kansas opened its season with a strong result, beating Cal-State Bakersfield 3-1 (30-23, 20-27, 25-30, 31-29) in the opening game of the
Oregon Invitational on Friday.
Kaiser and Lino, both outside hitters, led the offense with 14 and 13 kills respectively, while Uhart, playing in her first competitive college game since 2005, had seven kills, four service aces, and two blocks.
"We had good match-ups for our outside hitters, and they did a good job when we went to them."
Coach Bechard said he was also pleased with the play of freshman
Kansas travels to East Lansing Mich,to take part in the Spartan Invitational. Two 2006 NCAA tournament teams, Michigan State and Missouri State, are in the field along with Florida State.
Up next
Melissa Manda, who had 22 digs in her Kansas debut. Lino, Kaiser, Uhart, Manda, and freshman Karina Garlington all played their first game as Jayhawks.
Milestone tied
Kansas takes to the pitch on Sept. 6 for its home opener, its starting lineup could be completely turned over. Players like Cressy and juniors Sara Rogers and Kristin Graves are all waiting in the wings to snatch up starting spots.
Coach Ray Bechard tied Frankle Albitz's record for wins by a volleyball coach at Kansas. Bechard notched his 149th win at Kansas against Idaho State on Saturday, but he'll have to wait until next week to have a chance to break the record after Kansas fell to Oregon in the final game of the tournament. Albitz coached at Kansas from 1985-1993.
SHROYER (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
At least one publication has actually taken notice of Kansas' potential. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 26 in Soccer Buzz's preseason poll. The test for Francis will be getting his collection of talent to jell early. Kansas' schedule won't allow for any lapses. By Oct. 1, Kansas will have played five teams — BYU, Portland, Illinois, California and Texas A&M — that are ranked in one preseason poll or another. October isn't any more forgiving, though.
The first weekend of October, Kansas plays Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, on Oct. 5, then Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, on Oct. 7. After that, Kansas faces ranked conference foes Oklahoma State, Colorado and Texas over a fourgame span, having to travel to Boulder, Colo., and Austin, Texas, the same weekend.
But this team can handle it. In addition to all its talent, it has the leadership to match. This year's senior class is all that remains from 2004, and they're eager to return to the NCAA tournament. With their guidance, the juniors, sophomores and freshmen will follow suit, even if the billboards, commercials and publicity don't.
Here's a glance at what Kansas accomplished in 2004, the year Kansas plans to replicate this season:
A look back
Big 12 regular season champions (8-2 conference record)
Only five losses all season
NCAA Tournament appearance, into second round, lost to Nebraska 2-1
— Edited by Matt Erickson
Ranked as high as No. 6 in country
- Scored 47 goals (2 per game) while only allowing 13 (55 per game)
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
formation last season but rarely stretched the field with long passes.
Whether Warinner's offense produces more big plays remains to be seen but the product could be more exciting. Last spring, sophomore quarterbacks Todd Reesing and Kerry Meier described the new offense as more up-tempo than past schemes.
The bits and pieces of the offense that fans and media glimpsed at the
spring scrimmage and fall practices appeared similar to Missouri's frequent use of the no-huddle offense and fluid play-calling technique. At media day, Warinner said fans would notice some changes, but the offensive makeover was more internal than external.
"We wanted to make the offense user-friendly," Warinner said. "We've put everything in categories, and players understand that.
It's all packaged together as the work of the coaching staff so it would be easy for the players to learn."
A simple offense could be the key to the success of Reesing, who has only thrown 24 passes in his collegiate career. Warinner said Reesing had learned the offense quickly and that the new system allowed the quarterback to grow and develop.
"I don't have to think about as many things," Reesing said. "Obviously we still have to understand where our reads are on each play, but they're trying to take pressure off of the players so we don't have to worry about thinking as much as playing."
The offense Warinner has brought to Kansas is based on the players' ability to communicate — whether they are communicating with one another on the field or with coaches in the meeting room. So far, the players have displayed that ability.
"Everything's going great because we have great players on offense and our coaching staff has done a great job of teaching this new offence we're running." Warinner said. "I feel like there is a great relationship between coaches and players. It's really coming along."
Edited by Kaitlyn Syring
>> NFL
Johnson eager to suit up
BY DOUG TUCKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson watches his t im play the New Orleans Saints during the second half of their preseason football game in Kansas City, Mo., last Thursday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eager to chip away the rust, Larry Johnson is bugging Herm Edwards to let him run the ball in Kansas City's final exhibition game against St. Louis on Thursday night.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
But the coach, still concerned about the conditioning of a Pro Bowl running back who didn't set foot on the practice Yield until a few days ago, may not be easy to sway.
Johnson worked out diligently before ending his 25-day holdout and signing a six-year deal that includes a guaranteed $19 million, the richest contract in Chiefs history.
Thursday night's game at St. Louis will be the last chance for the 0-3 Chiefs to pick up a preseason victory.
"I'd like to play the whole game. But they're not going to let that happen," Johnson said.
Johnson, who carried an NFL-record 416 times last year for a team-record 1,789 yards rushing, figured he was about a week away from being in "game shape."
He's hoping he can help a struggling offensive line find its rhythm, too. Backups Michael Bennett and Kolby Smith have had little room to run.
"People who don't run behind them don't really understand the ins and outs," he said. "I told (left guard) Brian Waters if I was back there, I know what's going to happen. I know how to react on certain plays to help the offensive linemen out. Obviously, those running backs haven't been back there long enough to know if this would have happened, to make another move and stuff like that. You've got to be able to adjust. You've got to be able handle everything. And I'm used to doing that with this offensive line."
But Edwards said he was thinking long term.
"He's in good shape for a couple of runs," he said. "But he's not in shape to play a whole game yet. The thing you concern yourself most is when (running backs) get a little tired and they get a little loose with the ball, and the ball comes out. All of a sudden, they fumble because
they're fatigued. We're not going to put him in that position. We're going to be careful with him and bring him along in a 16-game season."
The Chiefs also signed free-agent wide receiver Eddie Drummond on Sunday, hoping to bolster their return game. With Detroit, the one-time Pro Bowl averaged almost 10 yards on 1.08 punt returns, with four touchdowns. He averaged 23.6 yards for 5,026 yards on 213 kick returns.
"We anticipate he'll play in the game this week," Edwards said. "He's a good special teams guy, a core guy."
NFL
Rookie backs stepping up
BY ARNIE STAPLETON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Preseason games don't count and neither do touchdowns that are erroneously ruled incompletions, as Brady Quinn discovered Saturday night.
Quinn was efficient and effective for the second straight game, leading the Cleveland Brown's past the Denver Broncos 17-16, although it probably wasn't enough to win him the starting job over Charlie Frye.
Quinn threw a pass in the left flat that Joshua Cribbs turned into a nifty 20-yard touchdown to break a 10-10 tie in the third quarter. But the rookie from Notre Dame was robbed of another apparent touchdown pass on Cleveland's previous possession.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Although Joe Jurevicus hauled in Quinn's perfectly thrown 39-yard pass in the end zone, the nearest official ruled he didn't get both feet down before going out of bounds — replays showed otherwise, but Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel didn't challenge the call.
Broncos rookie running back Selvin Young is trying to prove himself f to Denver fans and his team. The Bronces lost 17-16 to the Cleveland Browns, Bay.
That was against Denver's frontline defense, too — although that may not be as impressive as it sounds. Slow to adapt to new boss Jim Bates' scheme, the Broncos' starters have allowed six touchdowns and three field goals in 15 possessions this preseason.
Quinn, whose TD to Cribbis came against backups, completed 7 of 11 passes for 81 vards.
The Broncos made it 17-16 on undrafted rookie Selvin Young's 9-yard rumble with 2:56 left, but linebacker Chaun T1 pomson tackled Young shy of the end zone on the 2-point try.
Crennel has said he might not name a starting quarterback until the week before the Sept. 9 opener.
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