8B
FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Missouri offense sports new edge
BY DAN ANGELL
THE MANEATER
COLUMBIA, Mo. — With eight starters returning from last season on the offensive side of the ball, the focus of the annual football Black and Gold Game was completely different than a season ago.
But the scrimmage still held meaning for the offense, which wanted to prove itself worthy of the expectations for the upcoming season after finishing with the nation's No. 8 offense a season ago.
"When you come to a game like this, I think what you look at is the No. 1 defense and No. 1 offense and how they' did." Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "The No. 1 offense scored twice. I thought that was good."
Pinkel has said he would work the backup quarterback into the offense more than he did a season ago.
Incumbent starter junior Chase Daniel only appeared in 15 plays before freshman Dominic Grooms joined junior Chase Patton at quarterback of the Black squad.
Patton said he was excited about the opportunity to finally get some playing time after sitting behind a combination of Brad Smith, Brandon Coleman and Daniel for his first two years of eligibility.
"I've been trying to earn my shot for a while, and I feel like I've done a better job this spring. There's definitely stuff I need to build on, but I'm glad that I could get some confidence from the coaches that I could run this offense," he said.
Patton threw for two touchdowns on Saturday. After the game, Pinkel confirmed that Patton will enter the fall in the backup quarterback spot, but final decisions on every position would wait until a week before Missouri's season-opener.
No matter who the quarterback is, senior tight end Martin Rucker expects the return of the majority of last year's offense will help the Missouri offense get closer to their optimal position faster.
"It just kind of helps you out, knowing people's styles. Someone might come out there not really feeling it that day, but you know how to get them motivated," he said.
Senior wide receiver Will Franklin said a year of working together last season helped the offense improve this spring.
"The experience we have together is bringing us closer," he said. "That's the best thing that could have happened: Everyone came back. I can just tell there's going to be a lot of scoring."
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"We just couldn't get anything going," said Freeman, who faced many of K-State's projected defensive starters. "I'll put that on myself, because I am one of the leaders on the offense. The guys looked to me, and I had nothing for them."
The situation was quite the opposite for freshman Carson Coffman,
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Quarterback flops in spring game
》 BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman passes during the first half of the spring football game in Manhattan on Saturday. Freeman completed just nine of 22 passes for 44 yards during the game.
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BY JEFFREY RAKE
KANSAS STATE COLLEGIAN
Freeman completed just nine of 22 passes for 44 yards, as the Purple team managed to gain zero yards of total offense. The White team intercepted two Freeman passes, one of which led to a second-quarter touchdown, and forced five turnovers in all.
who was serviceable in his first action since finishing his career 26-0 at Raymore-Peculiar High School (Mo.) in 2005, Coffman led the White team on two touchdown-scoring drives and completed 12 of 29 passes for 69 yards.
MANHATTAN — Since the first day of spring practice, K-State coach Ron Prince has been all about "The Power of One," the theme of this year's football team.
But the poor play of quarterback Josh Freeman, who wears jersey No. 1, is all the buzz after his Purple squad lost 19-0 to the White team Saturday in the annual Spring Game at Snyder Family Stadium.
"You couldn't ask more from a quarterback," said White team linebacker Ian Campbell. "He got the 'W' for us."
Afterward, Coffman did not tip-toe around questions regarding his status on the depth chart, saying he planned on competing for the starting quarterback job.
Coffman also received glowing remarks from his teammates.
Whether his performance in a scrimmage — which did not much resemble a game-day atmosphere with a crowd of 16,732 — will hold any ground remains to be seen. At the very least, however, Coffman might have erased some doubts about his ability. Then again, Prince said he believed in Coffman all along.
K-State opens its season Sept. 1 at Auburn.
"If I did anything less, I would be cheating myself," he said.
Kentucky looks past bowl victory
NCAA FOOTBALL
BY TRAVIS WALDRON
KENTUCKY KERNEL
LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the sun beat down on Commonwealth Stadium for Saturday's Blue/White Spring Game, several Kentucky football players stood at midfield with their eyes glued to one of the stadium's big screens, which showed video of UK's Music City Bowl victory against Clemson.
Almost immediately after the video showed one of the most memorable plays of that game — punter Tim Mastthay's fake punt and pass to safety Marcus McClinton — the coaching staff emerged from the stadium tunnel onto the field.
At the first sound of a whistle, the players went back to the warm-ups and drills of spring practice, the monumental victory a good memory from the past but not the main focus of the day.
And that's exactly how head coach Rich Brooks wanted it.
"Now we have to move forward.
and we can't move forward while looking back," Brooks said. "The Music City Bowl becomes a thing of the past and now we have to think about ... opening up the coming season."
UK's Blue team (offense) earned the victory, defeating the White team (defense) 65-50 in front of 5,000 fans.
Because of injury problems, the scrimimage was formatted to pit the offense against the defense, leading to the inflated score.
Though the defense led for much of the scrimmage, quarterback Andre Woodson brought the Blue team back for the victory with a 14-
play, 68-yard drive that ended with Maurice Grinter's 1-yard touchdown run. The touchdown gave the Blue a 54-50 lead that it didn't relinquish.
Woodson finished the game 17-for-28 for 245 yards and two touchdowns, leading an offensive attack that racked up 530 yards on 20 possessions.
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Even though the offense earned the victory, Brooks said he was pleased with both teams.
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"The scrimmage went pretty well," Brooks said. "I think people could see athletic plays being made on both sides of the ball."
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