THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
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FOOTBALL | 7A Patterson excelling at receiver Junior receiver Daymond Patterson has become a top threat since moving from cornerback.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17,2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Jayhawks ready for road test
Senior cornerback Chris Harris attempts to tackle a Southern Mississippi player during the Jayhawks game against the Golden Eagles last season. The two teams will face off at 7 P.M. tonight in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
PAGE 10A
The Jayhawks look to pick up a second win over Southern Miss
BY MATT GALLOWAY
mgalloway@kansan.com
twitter.com/themattgalloway
Many players on the Kansas football team will play a Friday game for the first time since their high school glory days when the team travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play Southern Mississippi.
There is one slight difference, though; their high school games were not aired on national television.
The Jayhawks (1-1) will face their first road test of the season tonight against the Golden Eagles (1-1) at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
"I know that they play well at home. They do a fantastic job at their home stadium," coach Turner Gill said. "I've coached there on one other occasion, so I have had an experience there and there will be an issue with crowd noise, particularly it being a Friday night game on ESPN."
The vertical passing game is almost tailor made for Golden Eagles' junior wide receiver DeAndre Brown who is coming off a five catch, 100 yard game
The Kansas defense will play their third different offensive scheme in three weeks, this time facing the spread offense. Leaving the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium will be a test for a defensive unit that has been impressive in its first two matchups, but senior cornerback Chris Harris is looking forward to the challenge.
"I love playing on the road," Harris said. "It's fun going in to other people's places and getting the win. There's nothing like that. The road games are just really exciting."
against Prairie View A&M last weekend. Containing Brown's explosiveness will be a major key to the game. Gill said.
"Everybody has heard about their receiver DeAndre Brown," Gill said. "Outstanding player, has size and speed and is a big-play guy; he's somebody we have to limit. We're not going to shut him down, but we do have to limit his big plays.
While the Golden Eagles' offense reflects more of what the upperclassmen have faced in Big 12 play in recent years, Harris sees comparisons with the offense he sees every practice. Receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt was the Southern Miss offensive coordinator from 2008-09.
"It's pretty much the same as our offense," Harris said. "They
do a little more no huddle, they go vertical a little more than our offense, but their offensive coordinator is here now and is pretty much the assistant offensive coordinator now. It's pretty much the same, just going against what we practice every day."
Gill and offensive coordinator Chuck Long said the offense would be built around the skill set of its quarterback, Jordan Webb.
Production from freshman running back James Sims and senior running back Angus Quigley gave the team more options in the backfield, Webb said.
"We were in the shotgun a lot more," Webb said. "The coaches thought that gave us the best chance to win, and we executed well from the shotgun."
Edited by Abby Davenport
SOCCER
Kansas ending nonconference at home
Kansas looks to ride momentum of last Sunday's win
BY MIKE LAVIERI
mlavieri@kansan.com
The soccer team returns home today for the first time in three weeks after a five-game road trip in which they went 2-3.
The Jayhawks are excited to play in Lawrence again after games in Georgia, Illinois and Las Vegas.
"It's a breath of fresh air," senior midfielder Caitlin Noble said. "We aren't stressed about school. We don't have to worry about traveling or waking up early."
"It's a much more relaxed environment, and when people are more relaxed they are more confident and thus we play better." Noble said.
The team had a lot of support in Chicago and Las Vegas from family and friends who made the trip.
The Jayhawks had strong support at home in their first game and they hope to get the same support.
Kansas (3-3) plays its last two nonconference games this weekend. The team has played a difficult schedule already that has included Oregon and 14thranked Northwestern, teams the lav Hawks defeated.
A majority of the goals the Jayhawks have conceded this year have been the result of mental mistakes. The team had a meeting on its off day in Las Vegas to discuss the problems and get
everybody on the same page.
"It's not good that we had that loss on Friday, but we refocused and on Sunday we collectively came together." Noble said. "It's probably the best we have played all season."
The Jayhawks look to keep the momentum going against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2-3-2) today and Missouri State (4-3) on Sunday.
Milwaukee has received votes in the NSCAA Coaches' Poll almost all season in large part to wins against Ohio State and Michigan State.
The Panthers are led by junior forward Keara Thompson who has a goal in three straight games.
Missouri State will be a test for Kansas on Sunday. The Bears come into
The Jayhawks will need another strong weekend from sophomore goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau, who was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
three goals to lead the Bears, while sophomore forward Rachel Weimer and junior midfielder Tara Bailes have tallied two a piece.
the weekend with 103 shots. The team is young compared to the Jayhawks,with only three seniors to the Jayhawks' seven.
Liebetraut recorded her fifth career shutout against Oregon.
She said that organization was key to the victory.
"We refocused and on Sunday we collectively came together."
CAITLIN NOBLE Senior midfielder
Missouri State defeated Oklahoma 3-2 last weekend and has recorded shutouts in its other three wins.
The Bears are led by freshman forward Brooke Williams and freshman midfielder Tiffany Laughlin, who have each scored
"Being aggressive and coming off of my line, controlling my 18-vard box," Liebetrau said.
N o b l e
said that the
defense had
been strong
and that
Liebetrau is
the anchor.
"She organizes us, tells us what to do and when she comes up
with the big plays," Noble said, "it makes us listen to her even more and it builds her confidence."
Liebetrae leads the Big 12 with 40 saves.
Last season, Liebetrau received Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
"It just shows that I keep working, and I haven't let off." Liebetrau said. "It is an honor."
Jerry Wang/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Edited by Tim Dwyer
Senior midfielder Cattlin Noble throws the ball in bound to senior midfielder Erin Lewis during the first half of Kansas' season opener. Kansas will have its first home game in five games tonight.
COMMENTARY
Three names top the list in search for new Athletics head
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Lew Perkins' marriage with the University of Kansas ended sourly, there's no questioning that. But lately, (and this paper, I admit, is as guilty as any) that angle has been beaten into the ground and then beaten some more.
It's time jayhawks looked to the future. It's difficult to name legitimate candidates for a job of this scale. Strong ties to the University are One criteria you'll find among all the candidates I mention. But Lew Perkins' strongest tie to Kansas was a stint as the athletics director at Wichita State, so that may be irrelevant.
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will be getting hundreds of résumés over the next couple weeks: some that are sent unprovoked, and some that she will go after. There's no way of knowing who will be on her list, but here are three candidates that might be.
MIKE BOHN
MIKE BOHN Colorado athletics director
Hinrichs' resume reminds me a bit of Lew Perkins'. Perkins played an integral role in Connecticut's move from a Division II football program to Division I. Likewise, Hinrichs has overseen the move of all 14 of Northern Colorado's programs into the ranks of Division I's Big Sky Conference. Hinrichs has a bachelor's and a master's degree from Kansas, and this position would definitely be a step up for him.
You know about Bohn, the former Kansas quarterback who recently orchestrated Colorado's move from the Big 12. Bohn, in accepting a Pac-10 invite, proved that he can and will do what is necessary to keep his school on high ground — a skill that, with the still uncertain future of the Big 12, could be a valuable asset for Kansas. Bohn's biggest deterrent would be that accepting the job could be viewed as a lateral move.
JAY HINRICHS Northern Colorado athletics director
Lester says he's not a candidate for the job. I believe him, sort of. I believe that his focus is running the athletics department as well as he can for however long he has the interim job—without the distraction of gunning for the permanent position. But I also believe that if he does the interim job so well that Gray-Little asks him to step on full-time, he wouldn't say no.
Consider this: Lester makes no secret of the fact that he wants to be an athletics director. He also told me Tuesday that when this search is over, he hopes to remain at Kansas.
SEAN LESTER Kansas interim athletics director
He's played a huge part in getting the Anderson Family Football Complex, the new baseball clubhouse and the renovations to Allen Fieldhouse completed. He's got the support of the only two coaches I've talked to (basketball's Bill Self and baseball's Ritch Price) and he knows the ins and outs of the Kansas program better than any candidate. Lester may have removed himself from the running, but I think Gray-Little may still take a long look at him.
SEAN LESTER
Like I said, it's quite impossible to know who will be on the short list for the long-term job, but I certainly think you can do worse than these three.
Edited by Sean Tokarz