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SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN KANSAN.COM
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Everyone I meet is in some way my superior."
William Shakespeare
FACT OF THE DAY
Freshmen quarterback Jordan Webb and running back James Sims lead the Jayhawks in yards at their respective positions. Webb has 376 passing yards and Sims has 175 rushing yards.
-Kansas Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: How many times have a both a freshman running back and quarterback led the Jayhawks in yardage?
A: Twice (George Gear and Dick Bertuzzi in 1945; Frank Seurer and Kerwin Bell in 1980)
Kansas Athletics
Team equality adds to NFL's allure
MORNING BREW
Contrary to a Minnesota broadcast report, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday that former Kansas coach Mark Mangino was not offered a job as a consultant on the University of Minnesota's football team.
FOOTBALL
BY ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
Could Monday Night Football's allure be returning? Last Monday, the Saints traveled to take on the 49ers, a team that seemed to be in shambles. The Seattle Seahawks blew them out in week one and rumors were swirling about their offensive coordinators' competency.
Come game time, the 49ers gave the Saints a pretty good scare before losing on a last-second field goal. Embattled quarterback Alex Smith played well enough that critics are now willing to give him a second shot at living up to the hype of a No.1 overall pick. Regardless of the outcome the 49ers raised their game for prime time.
Report on Mangino and job is not true
struggled in the Jets and Ravens game, but the defenses played well.
Chargers. The Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Jets, winning the first Monday Night Football game hosted at the Jets' new stadium.
Where is this resurgence of play coming from? Maybe it is just that it's early and fans are unaware exactly how teams will fare this season. Maybe players are afraid of a lockout, a season without playing, in 2011 and feel that this might be the last time they get to showcase their talents on national TV for a while.
This is why football is the most entertaining sport we have. The parity in the league makes it so that even the best teams have to show up every week; players can't afford to relax for even one play. That is, unless, they're playing the Buffalo Bills.
Except for the Manning-Bowl-turned-blowout last Sunday night, all the prime time games have been entertaining. The Thursday night season opener between the Saints and the Vikings came down to the wire and the Kansas City Chiefs showed life for the first time in recent memory in their upset of the San Diego
Edited by Lisa Curran
But not everyone is playing phenomenally in the spotlight. Both quarterbacks
The Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi told the Star Tribune Wednesday that
Mangino was not hired.
Speculation arose when Mangino attended the Gopher's game Saturday as a guest of
Manqino
guest of coach Tim Brewster
guest of coach Tim Brewster Mangino has a home in Naples, Fla.
Corey Thibodeaux
MLS
Wizards defeat Houston Dynamo
down since a 4-3 victory over New England on May 26, 2007.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Josh Wolff came on as a late sub and scored on a diving header seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, and the Kansas City Wizards overcame a two-goal deficit to top the Houston Dynamo 4-3 on Wednesday night.
The Wizards' comeback began with Teal Bunbury's goal in the 60th minute, and Dynamo defender Adrian Serioux was charged with an own-goal in the 72nd that tied the match at 3.
wolff, who entered in the 85th minute, connected on a cross from Michael Harrington to complete the Wizards' first winning rally from two goals
Kansas City (9-9-6) has lost just one of its past 10 and beat Houston at home for the first time in five meetings. Houston (6-14-5) lost its fourth straight and has won just one of its past 15.
Associated Press
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Illinois defensive back Mikel Leshoure wrapped up Missouri wide receiver J. T. Moe (28) as he fought for extra yards during a college football game at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, on Saturday, Sept. 4. The Tigers defeated the fighting Illini, 23-13.
Donor Fees may vary by donor weight New donors bring photo ID, 10 proof of address and Social Security card.
Anonymous on national scale, legend at Mizzou
BIG 12 FOOTRAIL
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
FORT WORTH, Texas — If not for some under-the-radar duty on special teams and during blowouts last season, Missouri receiver T.J. Moe would rank among the early front-runners to emerge as this year's Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
Yet Moe (6 feet, 200 pounds) remains fairly anonymous on the national landscape, even after last week's stunning 68-yard touchdown play with 51 seconds remaining that lifted the Tigers to a 27-24 victory over San Diego State. In Missouri, however, he's a budding legend on pace to catch 120 passes this season.
That marked the extent of his statistical contributions to the Tigers' offense before he morphed into the go-to guy for quarterback Blaine Gabbert in September. Moe's brief appearances in 2009 disqualify him from newcomer honors in 2010. But they cannot prevent him from leading the NCAA in receptions this season.
After three games, that should be Moe's new goal heading into Saturday's game between Missouri (3-0) and Miami of Ohio (2-1). Moe ranks third nationally in receptions (30), one behind Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles and four behind Bowling Green's Kamar Jorden, the national paceeter with 34.
But Moe, a sophomore, played in 10 games last year. He made two catches, covering 8 yards, in a 52-12 rout of Furman.
Moe, the Tigers' slot receiver, averages 10 receptions per game, 9.9 yards per catch and 99.7 yards per game. But no play has been bigger than his catch-and-run score against the Aztecs that coach Gary Pinkel called the latest "huge" contribution from a former high school quarterback who was recruited to play safety before coaches flipped him to
the offensive side of the ball.
"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations," Pinkel said, reflecting on Moe's last-minute TD that ranks on the short list of the Big 12's biggest plays in 2010. In Pinkel's estimation, Moe simply is following up on progress made during fall drills, when he bonded with Gabbert, a quarterback in search of a target to replace the departed Danario Alexander (113 catches, 1,787 vards, 14 TDs last season).
Moe, who topped the 2,000- yard mark as both a passer (2,557) and a runner (2,029) during his senior season in high school, considers his time at quarterback an asset in expediting his learning curve at receiver.
"He knows he is good now and he has a chance to be a real good player," Pinkel said. "He is running the ball much better after the catch, so he makes a lot more plays."
Pinkel said Moe's confidence began growing in those two a-day sessions and has yet to stop.
"It definitely helps," Moe said.
"When I was in high school, I had a buddy who could always find the soft spots in (zone coverage), so I try to be like that. Some people just have a good feel for where that's at. And I like to think I'm one of those people."
Moe also tossed some credit in Pinkel's direction for helping him develop quickly at this new position. And it had nothing to do with X's or O's. Instead, Moe said the presence of two sports psychologists on the Tigers staff has helped him, particularly in adjusting to a new position and rebounding from foot surgery shortly after enrolling in 2009.
"I think it's been a tremendous help," Moe said. "I really needed that last year. It's just focus. A lot of the time for young guys, like myself, it's hard to go from one thing to another and ... (continue) concentrating on what you need to concentrate on."
Going forward, Moe's focus should be on the top of the Big 12 and NCAA receptions list.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY No Events Scheduled
FRIDAY
DAY
Football
vs. New Mexico State
6 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan.
Colorado
TBA
Boulder, Colo.
Swimming at Alumni Meet 4 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan.
Soccer
vs. Missouri
6:30 p.m.
Columbia, Mo.
SUNDAY
Soccer
lowa State
1 p.m.
Ames, Iowa.
SATURDAY
Volleyball
MONDAY
women's Golf
2010 Marilynn Smith
Sunflower Invitational
All Day
Lawrence, Kan.
Men's Golf Colorado Invitational All Day Erie, Colo.
TUESDAY
Men's Golf
Colorado Invitational
All Day
Erie, Colo.
Women's Golf
2010 Marilynn Smith
Sunflower Invitational
All Day
Lawrence, Kan.
WEDNESDAY
Softball
Baker
6 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan.
Volleyball
Missouri
6:30 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan.
MLB
Minnesota Twins win, gain sixth division title
MINNEAPOLIS — A day after becoming the first major league team to clinch a playoff berth this year, the Minnesota Twins rested most of their regulars and beat the Cleveland Indians 5-1 Wednesday behind the pitching of Nick Blackburn to complete a three-game sweep.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minnesota clinched its sixth division title in nine years late Tuesday when the Chicago White Sox lost at Oakland.
Jose Morales had three RBIs and Alexei Casilla had three hits for Minnesota, which has won nine of 11 and improved its record at new Target Field to 52-25. The Twins have sold out 74 straight home games and set a season home attendance record with 3,063,327, topping their 1988 mark.
Blackburn (10-10) became the sixth Minnesota pitcher to reach double digits in victories, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings.
Carlos Carrasco (1-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.
Before the game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Francisco Liriano will get the start when Minnesota opens the AL playoffs next month.