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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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FOOTBALL SPRING GAME
Just getting started
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Fans fill Memorial Stadium for fall season sneak peek
Sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe tries to fight out of a tackle during the first half of the game. Briscoe made eight catches for 92 yards in the game.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
After the jayhawks scored 56 points per game at home in 2007, Kansas mustered only 20 points - between two teams - in the 17-3 blue team victory. The white team, made up of secondstring players, gained just 92 total yards and the blue team, which included most of the team's starters, gained 302 yards on 71 plays.
The Kansas spring game brought a bit of sanity back to the Memorial Stadium scoreboard Monday night.
It wasn't beautiful football, but the defenses stood out by forcing two turnovers each.
"Defensively, we looked sharp," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "I believe we have a chance to have a pretty doggone good defense again."
The blue team's offensive struggles started in the second quarter when junior quarterback Todd Reesing threw the ball into the open arms of senior safety Patrick Resby. Resby caught the ball alone in the open field and returned the ball 31 yards.
The white team couldn't take advantage of the turnover, as senior wide receiver Gary Green fumbled along the right sideline. The blue team's Chris Harris, sophomore cornerback, recovered the fumble, but the Blue offense gave up possession several plays later when sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe dropped the ball and sophomore linebacker Drew Dudley snared an interception.
"On offense I didn't think it was very pretty," Reesing said. "We struggled with a lot of execution things, myself included. We had too many mistakes on the offensive line and with dropped passes."
With freshman quarterback A.J. Steward the white team stalled at the 10-yard line on its ensuing possession. Freshman kicker Jacob Branstetter converted a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 with 10:02 to play in the second quarter.
quarter. The eight-yard score gave the blue team a 17-3 lead.
The blue team found its way into the end zone in the first half, but its experienced defense was the unit responsible for the points. Senior cornerback Kendrick Harper scored on a 23-yard fumble return to vault the blue team to a 10-3 advantage heading into halftime. Harper and Harris, the team's projected starting cornerbacks, combined for nine tackles and two fumble recoveries.
"We came out ready to go," Harris said. "We knew from the beginning that we were all used to each other and everybody's back, so we just came out and made plays."
The blue offense finally fell into a groove in the second half after a personnel adjustment on the offensive line. Freshman Jeff Spikes moved to left tackle and senior Matt Darton slid to right tackle, a move that gave Reesing more time to work in the pocket. With the white team's defensive linemen at bay, Reesing threw a perfect strike to senior wide receiver Dexton Fields for the first offensive touchdown of the game - with 9:58 to play in the fourth
Reeing finished the game 23-for43 with 227 passing yards, and Kerry Meier completed 13 of 18, playing quarterback for the white team. Junior running back Angus Quigley compiled 63
rushing yards on 13 carries, splitting his carries between squads. Briscoe led both teams with 92 receiving yards on eight catches.
—Edited by Sasha Roe
BASEBALL
Hawks fly toward top of Big 12 Conference
The team plays Baker tonight at Hoglund
shroyer@kansan.com
BY SHAWN SHROYER
After a 1-8 start against three of the toughest teams in the conference, the Jayhawks are now showing they have what it takes to win in the Big 12.
Kansas flexed its muscles during the weekend with an offense that manufactured runs and scored with the long ball, received three strong performances from its starting pitching and displayed impeccable defense as it swept Texas Tech. After having the midweek off last week, Kansas must get back into the midweek swing against two non-conference opponents starting tonight.
Kansas (22-16) will play the Baker Wildcats (8-16) today at 6 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark, but Kansas will play host to Missouri State (22-11) Wednesday at 6 p.m. for the marquee midweek matchup. Wednesday's game will be the Jayhawks' final home game of the month before embarking on an eight-game road trip.
starting pitchers
"They're doing well in their league," Kansas coach Ritch Price said of Missouri State. "They're in the top 15 in the country RPI-wise, they're off to a good start and it's always been a good rivalry every time we play them."
It's been such a good rivalry that Kansas hasn't swept a season series with Missouri State since Price's first year at Kansas in 2003. The Jayhawks are in position to take this year's season series with the Bears after winning their first meeting, 11-7, on March 12.
In the first meeting, Kansas relied on multiple-hit games from seniors, left fielder John Allman, right fielder Ryne Price and shortstop Erik Morrison to outscore Missouri State, while exhibiting shaky pitching and defense. But, the Jayhawks who are now riding a three-game winning streak aren't the same team they were a month ago. On Sunday, the Jayhawks made numerous diving stops and catches, turned a double play, picked off a runner and threw out a baserunner attempting to steal second base.
"Our emphasis was to do a better job of holding runners this year, slide step
Tuesday vs. Baker Hiarali Garcia 1-0 3.32 ERA
Senior shortstop Erik Morrison prepares to throw first base after fielding a ground ball Friday against Texas Tech. Morrison was charged with an error on the play after the throw came up short and bounced past junior first baseman Preston Land. Kansas defended the Red Raiders 9-5 and are set to face Baker at 6 p.m. tonight.
Wednesday vs. Missouri State Shaeffar Hall 2-1 4.91 ERA
Weston White/KANSAN
Afenir has always been productive on offense in the Kansas lineup, but the knock on him throughout his career has been his defense. However, Price finally appears comfortable with Afenir behind the plate regardless of the opponent.
One of the biggest differences in Kansas last weekend from a month ago was that junior catcher Buck Afenir was behind the plate all three games of the series. That probably wouldn't have been the case against a running team like Texas Tech in early March.
ping and giving our catchers a chance, because we were probably the worst team in America at throwing runners out last year," Price said.
"I've just been throwing the ball well, which is kind of odd," Afenir said with a laugh. "Pretty much that's the biggest focus me and Coach (Kevin) Frady have had. He's helped me a lot and I'm just happy that I'm starting to actually get it down there."
Freshman third baseman Tony Thompson also appears more comfortable at the hot corner with more than 30 starts. All weekend he made diving plays look routine and showed off a cannon arm on his throws to first.
Kansas' stellar defense complemented a pitching staff that had struggled entering the Texas Tech series. After using 12 pitches the weekend before, Kansas needed only seven pitches last weekend.
This is the last week Kansas is scheduled to play multiple midweek games. A rested staff should be a welcome change for the Jayhawks.
Even if Kansas' pitching staff suffers a setback, it can count on production from its offense.
The Jayhawks received production up and down the lineup last weekend, belting 25 hits in the series, including six home runs, en route to scoring 23 runs.
With Missouri State coming up
Wednesday, Kansas will have its offense, pitching and defense tested. However, the Jayhawks can't get too far ahead of themselves. The last year they swept a season series with the Bears was the last year they lost a game to the Wildcats.
—Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
COMMENTARY
Sloppy spring start leaves room for team improvement
Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warriner keeps telling incoming running back recruit Jocques Crawford that he needs to be an impact player next season.
Crawford, who was named the National Junior College Player of the Year last season at Cisco Junior College in Cisco, Texas, didn't play in the game because he won't be enrolled at Kansas until next fall. But he watched from the sidelines and couldn't
After watching Kansas' annual spring football game Monday night, it's apparent why. Ideally in a spring game, the starting offense scores a lot of points — at least more than 10. That's all junior quarterback Todd Reesing and the blue team could muster up in a 17-3 victory against the white team, the second-team defense, in the game.
help but think of his potential starting position next fall.
"I really like my chances after watching it," Crawford said.
"Jocques will come in here and compete like every other guy on the team. But he was recruited because we were hoping he'd have an immediate impact."
He should. There were more misfires than in a game of Battleship for the Kansas starting
MARK MANGINO Football Coach
offense last night. And it started with inefficiency from the running backs.
None of the three candidates to replace last year's graduated starter, Brandon McAnderson, were particularly impressive.
Junior running back Angus Quigley piled up 63 rushing yards but aside from his two longest attempts, he struggled. Sophomore running back Carmon Boyd-Anderson fumbled the ball inside his own team's 20-yard line that led to a defensive touchdown. Junior running back Jake Sharp hit holes quickly as usual but only recorded 10 carries. Sharp will be a solid change-of-pace back next year but not durable enough to be the starter – he never had more than 15 carries in a game last season.
Reeing even chased down senior strong safety Patrick Resby and sophomore linebacker Drew Dudley after the picks and tackled them, which isn't something Kansas coach Mark Mangino would have encouraged because of possible injury. But Reeing couldn't help it.
Reeing didn't look the same as the spunky quarterback who rewrote the Kansas record book last year. Like his infamous Orange Bowl celebratory dance, Reesing's spring game was a solid effort but seriously flawed. He overthrew receivers on numerous occasions, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions.
"I don't like throwing interceptions and I got pretty pissed," Reesing said. "So if I get a chance to hit you, I'm going to do it."
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He also probably doesn't like dropped passes. The Jayhawks did that, too. Sophomore wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who has the potential to be one of Kansas' most potent offensive threats next season, had two notable drops in the game.
All in all, the Kansas offense looked alarmingly sloppy last night. Is it something to be worried about? Probably not. After all, there's still four months before the season starts. And when it does, Crawford will be on the field.
"Jocpes will come in here and compete like every other guy on the team," Mangino said. "But he was recruited because we were hoping he'd have an immediate impact."
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Edited by Mandy Earles
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