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2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005
Texas remains at top of poll
Editor's Note: The Kansan Big 12 Power Rankings are voted on by Ryan Colaianni and Daniel Berk, Kansas football writers, as well as Kellis Robinett, sports editor, and Eric Sorrentino, associate sports editor.
Another week has gone by and Texas is still at the top of the Big 12 Power Rankings. The Longhorns defeated the Rice Owls handily at home, and it looks like only a loss will move them out of the No. 1 spot.
Texas Tech wrestled the number two spot away from Iowa State after scoring 80 points against Sam Houston State.
Iowa State, who didn't play this weekend, did receive one second place vote, though.
The middle of the rankings didn't have much movement, with only Missouri gaining significant ground. After losing to the New Mexico Lobos, the Tigers fell to last place in the poll. Missouri beat up on Troy over the weekend, however, and impressed the voters enough to move up to eighth.
move up to eight. The Tigers' highest vote received was for seventh, but one voter ranked them 11th.
voter hailed Oklahoma lost by double-digits to UCLA, and one voter ranked the Sooners last. Oklahoma certainly has time to make a run to the top of the poll, but losses to TCU and UCLA have soured this group of voters.
sourced this group's Baylor again avoided the dreaded bottom spot. The Bears went on the road and defeated Army this weekend, and don't look now but Baylor has the same record as Kansas.
This week's last place team is Kansas State. The Wildcats were idle this weekend, and though they are undefeated, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the
1. Texas
SPORTS
3. Iowa State
2. Texas Tech
5. Colorado
4. Texas A&M
7. Nebraska
6. Kansas
8. Missouri
9. Oklahoma State
10. 0klahoma
11. Baylor
12. Kansas State
Bears' 3-0 records seem more impressive at the moment.
impressive at the national All three of those teams received last place votes in the power rankings, but Oklahoma State received an eighth place vote and Baylor received one for ninth.
The highest vote Kansas State received was 10th.
Edited by Ty Beaver
NASCAR
LOUDON, N.H. - Ryan Newman picked a good time to grab his first win of the season.
Ryan Newman climbs rankings after 12th win
Newman, who barely squeezed into the Chase for the championship, got off to a fast start in NASCAR's 10-race playoff Sunday by outdueling points leader Tony Stewart down the stretch.
Following the final pit stops by the leaders, Newman found himself just ahead of Stewart when the green flag waved with 16 lap to go after the last of 10 caution flags.
It was Newman's 12th career win and, more important, moved him from 10th in the standings to a tie for third with teammate Rusty Wallace, both of them trailing Stewart by 40 points and Greg Biffle by 20.
Jimmy: Nice to see that the defense is finally returning to the form that drew so much praise last season.
Michael: Not so fast, Mr. Chavez. The unit is still overly dependent on the home run. It's time the players quit trying to force a big play, because it will only backfire.
Kansas game techniques stir up debate
Jimmy: But Saturday showed that on this particular team, they have to be the torch bearers. If not for the turnovers they created, the Jayhawks would have been in big trouble. Just look at the offense. At halftime, it had 13 rushes for 13 yards.
Michael: It's convenient that you use only half the offensive stats. The passing game was cruising to the tune of 236 yards and three touchdowns. Last year the defense was the only way Kansas could win games. This year it doesn't have that burden.
Jimmy: I would, until he begins to show the potential that he has. Simmons has the ability to be one of the better receivers not just on the team, but maybe in the conference. He just has to hold on to the ball, and so does everyone else for that matter. Dropped passes have made it much more
Jimmy: Yes, my pop-culture savvy friend, it's hard for five guys to move seven, but you have to think that running backs Clark Green and Jon Cornish can still gain more yards on the ground, because I really don't think the first two weeks were an aberration.
Michael: Jon Cornish is as close to a perpetual-motion machine as you are going to see in your lifetime. Even when he was wrapped up by two guys, his legs were still spinning forward trying to gain yards. Once defenses start taking our receivers seriously those holes will create themselves. If you were a Big 12 coach, would you leave Mark Simmons in one-on-one coverage?
Jimmy: Well, I guess it can't
difficult for Brian Luke to be efficient.
Michael: Jimmy, 2003 called, it wants your argument back. In the past, the defense did have to carry the load to win the games, but I think you fail to realize just how good our offense is this year. I'd be surprised if we didn't put up 20 points in conference games.
Jimmy: To do that, there must be more throws to Derek Fine. Every time the ball is thrown to him, he shows the reliability that could help open things up for the receivers and the running game. At least we may know a lot more about this team after the Texas Tech game.
Michael: We'll have our answers after that game.
Michael: Your producing, is terrific. In fact, you should have won an Emmy last night for "Best Production of a Stupid Argument." The Kansas offensive line of five guys was trying to create holes by moving seven Bulldog players. Of course Kansas went with the passing game
Jimmy: Yep. Learn anything else this weekend?
Jimmy: True, considering the mighty power that is Pitt. But seriously, the running game has to produce for Kansas to compete during its brutal conference schedule.
Jimmy: Indeed. And Baylor has a better record than Oklahoma.
Michael: Yeah, Brian Luke could be a human bullfighter in that red uniform.
Michael: What's wrong with the Cornhuskers? A 3-0 record means they're doing something right. Just because you only score seven points in a victory doesn't make it any less valid.
be that bad around here. We could be Nebraska.
NFL
MICHAEL PHILLIPS AND
JIMMY CHAVEZ
sports@kansan.com
Carolina Panthers' Stephen Davis (48) runs through New England Patriots players Chad Brown (98) and Matt Chatham (56) for his third touchdown of the game during the fourth quarter of the Panthers' 27-17 victory in Charlotte, N.C. yesterday.
Lack of performance doesn't stop Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers know a Week 2 victory over New England doesn't come close to rectifying their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots two years ago.
throts two yachters.
Even so, their 27-17 victory
over the Patriots yesterday sure
did feel good.
BY JENNA FRYER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
"It wasn't a revenge game or a get-back game, because that was a long time ago," said Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. "This was just a big win for us."
touchdowns.
It meant the Panthers had to rely on Davis, who ran for 77 yards and scored on three 1-yard plunges in his second game back from microfracture surgery on his right knee. Davis became the first running back to score three TDs against the Patriots since Curtis Martin did it in 2000.
in 2006. "I'm fine," Davis said. "I'm feeling great. I'm having no set-backs."
It certainly was no Super Bowl reprise because neither team played that well.
But the Panthers (1-1) did just enough to win, getting three touchdowns from Stephen Davis in the first regular-season meeting between the teams since the Patriots' thrilling 32-29 Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
But if it was any indication, neither team is ready to play for a championship and the Patriots (1-1) look nothing like a winner of three of the last four Super Bowls.
Carolina won in spite of Delhomme, who was off all day and had an interception by Mike Vrabel returned 24 yards for a touchdown. Delhomme finished 11-for-26 for 154 yards and no touchdowns.
to win any more games playing like this?" Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We can't play like this. We have to play better. We have to coach better. This won't be good enough ... against anyone we play."
backs.
Neither did Carolina's defense, despite the loss of tackle Kris Jenkins to a season-ending knee injury. Even without their run stopper, the Panthers shut down Corey Dillon and limited the Patriots to 39 yards rushing.
"Do you think we're going
Corn Hollah Satu
MON