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10 COLUMN
Growth of team has been inconsistent
Two weeks ago I wrote about a Kansas team that not only struggled to grasp the simple concept of special team formations but also looked as if their football IQ was that of a Pop Warner team. It seems not much has changed from week one to week three.
Six days after one of the most uplifting victories in Kansas' football history against Heisman hopeful Joshua Nesbitt and the then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, Jordan Webb and the rest of the Kansas team had their wings clipped again, this time against Larry Fedora's Southern Mississippi squad.
With the bright lights of ESPN's Friday night crew invading the small town of Hattiesburg, Miss., many sports anchors and questioning fans around the nation were watching Kansas closely to see if last week's win was a fluke or if the Kansas team was for real.
What did we find out? After three weeks, I have come to a few conclusions.
Jordan Webb
Lets face it, the redshirt freshman-turned-Kansas savior looked respectable again Friday night. Webb, who has thrown for 365 yards in a run-first attack, went 16-for-26 with no interceptions and secured his spot starting for the Jayhawks for the remainder of the season. The only question left is how much longer can Turner Gill and Chuck Long allow Webb to get hit so often by opposing
defenses. The major knock on Webb coming into the 2010 season was his lack of mobility. This has become apparent in early quarters of the game when the Golden Eagles were able to record four sacks against Kansas' young gunslinger. If you're counting at home, that's 12 sacks in three games for Kansas quarterbacks.
Offensive line
Perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2010 season so far has been the abysmal play of the Jayhawks o-line. Kansas allowed 10 tackles for a loss of yards 13 yards (per rivals) against Southern Mississippi's defense. This is surprising since that same defense allowed over 210 yards of offense to an inferior Prairie View A&M team last week. While it became apparent the offensive front would struggle after the season opener against North Dakota State,
no one thought the smaller defensive front of the Golden Eagles would have their way with Kansas' offensive front.
Special teams
What is there to say really? The special teams units looked equally bad against Southern Mississippi as they did against North Dakota State. They allowed another blocked punt toward the end of the second quarter that swung all the momentum in USM's favor. After three games, it's safe to say the only bright spot here has been senior punter Alonso Rojas. His 14 punts that the offensive line hasn't allowed to get blocked have averaged 43.7 yards, and Rojas has easily been the only bright spot for a special teams unit that has looked confused and unsure of itself more than anything else.
With Kansas starting freshmen at quarterback and running back, it's safe to say that more games like this will come. Just remember that while this Kansas team may struggle early on, eventually these infant Hawks will get their wings back and take flight. The only question becomes, how long does an aching fan base have to wait for these Hawks to mature?
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Breaking away from a Southern Mississippi defensive player, freshman quarterback Jordan Webb carriies the ball down the field during last Friday's game.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
Adam Bubler/KANSAN
Sophomore Monica Johannessen moved from Norway to swim at the University. Last season she finished first against Nebraska in the 100 meter freestyle with a time of 49.93 seconds.
Norwegian returns for second year
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
kcarpenter@kansan.com
Monica Johannessen had to adapt to college life a little differently than her teammates. When the sophomore swimmer decided to make the University of Kansas her new home, her first trip to Lawrence was a long journey. The Haugesund, Norway native left her family and friends behind for a chance to study abroad and continue her swimming career.
Johannessen committed to the Jayhawks without so much as a recruiting visit to Lawrence. She says the coaches, along with the beautiful campus, made her decision easier.
"I just talked to the coaches and they made me really confident.
During her freshman campaign Johannessen placed in numerous events while earning a spot on the senior Norwegian National team. That gave her opportunities to travel home to see family, including her twin sister who also swims.
and I just went for it," she said
Her favorite event is the 100 meter freestyle, where she boasts a career best time of 49.93 seconds and a first-place finish against Nebraska last season. After failing to qualify for the NCAA championships as a freshman, Johannessen said she hopes her sophomore campaign is different. She had a qualifying time last year, but the time was set in Norway, not in America.
Being away from home presents challenges to Johannessen, who has been thrown out of her comfort zone while being in the United States. She said her qualifying time from back home was attributed to familiarity with her long time teammates and twin sister.
"The time obviously didn't
transfer over to KU, but I feel like I can make that time in Lawrence this year," she said. "My biggest goal this season is to qualify for the NCAA championships."
Day: Friday
Date: Sept. 24
Location: Lawrence
Time: 4 p.m.
"I had confidence back home," Johannessen said. "I was able to swim with my sister as well, which really helped me out. It was also my first year of college so I was still getting used to everything."
ALUMNI MEET
Another year in Lawrence should help Johannessen gain
confidence, who last season was a First Team Academic AllAmerican and was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll both semesters while studying psychology.
After graduating from the University, lohannessen plans on returning home to Norway to continue her career with the National Team.
Edited by David Cawthon
Big 12 realignment leaves mixed feelings
COMMENTARY
Also, Turner Gill won't draw the same lucky slate that helped Mark Mangino to an Orange Bowl. If he goes BCS bowling, it'll be with wins over the big guns of the South — Texas and Oklahoma are on the schedule every year from here out.
So no, I'm not happy they're leaving. But, man, I am geeked for basketball next year. I almost wish I could be around one more year to cover it for The Kansan.
With only 10 schools, the league will go to a double round robin schedule — eighteen conference games, with each team playing all the others twice.
Nebraska fans are always listed among the most hospitable in the country and, for my money, Boulder is the best town in the Big 12. (If you haven't been, picture Lawrence with a mountainous backdrop.)
Texas twice. Baylor twice.
Maybe Bill Self can get his record in Stillwater to .500 if he gets a crack at his alma mater every year.
The revenue that both schools bring in — especially now that Bo Pelini has the Cornhuskers competing for BCS berths again — will also be missed by whoever is named athletics director, starting June 30 next year, per Tuesday's announcement.
College basketball fans have loved the Big East over the last few years — even though late finishes have been cutting into the beginning of Kansas games on ESPN. Every week in the Big East it seems like there's at least one
I'm not going to say I'm happy to see Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12. That'd be crazy
It looks like the Big 12 (they really need to get a new conference name, by the way), will be in that upper echelon come the 2011-2012 season. This conference has always been in the discussion of which is the best in the country for basketball. Drop the bottom two teams in the league, and it just may not be a discussion anymore.
There will obviously be bottom feeders — I'm skeptical that new coach Fred Hoiberg can turn around Iowa State and Jeff Capel won't keep getting top-tier talent to Oklahoma if he keeps losing — but there will be seven, eight or nine teams every year that are in serious contention for NCAA Tournament bids.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@lancee.com
Last year, for example, according to the RPI there were eight Big 12 teams that ranked above the worst at-large team.
top-10 matchup and no games off.
If they play each other twice, that's 14 games that are eminently losable for each one of those teams. There won't be another undefeated team in the Big 12 because there will be just too much competition.
And that will make the games all the sweeter.
1
Edited by Abby Davenport