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6A the university daily kansan
sports
tuesday, december 9, 2003
KC's confidence shaken in Denver
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are doing something mighty strange for a team that just clinched its first playoff berth in six years.
They're ducking the media.
They're Sunday's 45-27 blowout loss at Denver, in which Broncos running back Clinton Portis scored five touchdowns, did not keep the Chiefs (11-2) from backing into at least a wild-card spot. But the team that started 9-0 is no longer in the driver's seat for AFC playoff home-field advantage.
Has their confidence been shaken?
"No question," said coach Dick Vermeil. "It better be. Mine has. You get your tail handed to you like that, it shakes you up."
Portis had touchdowns runs of 11 and 1 yard in the first half, then ripped apart what's been a
soft spot of the Chiefs' defense all year by reeling off second-half scoring runs of 59,28 and 53 yards.
His 188 yards in the second half was a team record. It added up to an extra-long film session yesterday for long-faced defensive players.
At one point, safety Jerome Woods came into the locker room and told waiting reporters, "You guys are probably going to be here another two hours. This hurts."
It was, in fact, more than an hour later before defensive players did start filtering into the locker room.
Many, when they saw the waiting media, turned and went back out. One who did not, but apparently wished he had, was linebacker Shawn Barber.
After a few questions, the normally loquacious Barber halted the interview and said he would have no more comment "for the
rest of the week."
Then, walking away but grinning slightly, he added, "I'm changing it. I have no comment for the rest of the season, not for the week, until you all start treating us better. Now get them out of our locker room."
When asked if his team's run defense was worthy of a Super Bowl-caliber team, Vermeil gave a very blunt answer.
"No."
Indeed, the revamped defense whose inadequacies were hidden during the 9-0 start by timely turnovers, as well as Dante Hall's four touchdown returns, is not playing any better than the sadsack 2002 unit. Their defensive rushing average of 5.2 yards per carry allowed is the worst in the league. In their last four games, the Chiefs have given up an average of almost 30 points.
"The four best teams in the AFC: we've given up 267 (points),"
New England 209, Indianapolis 281 and Tennessee 261," Vermeil said. "Where we're getting killed is the rushing. We're giving up 147 (yards) a game rushing. Last year at this time we were at 110. We're not as good as we were last year in terms of that big picture in stopping the run."
The Chiefs are assured of at least a wild-card bid. Even if they lose their last three games, they would have the tiebreaker over any other team that wound up with the same record.
Instead of controlling their destiny in the race for home-field advantage, the Chiefs are now looking up at New England. The Patriots are also 11-2 but have the tiebreaker over Kansas City with only one conference loss to Kansas City's two.
But the stinging loss at Denver wiped out any feeling of achievement for reaching the playoffs.
'HAWK KICK: Fans more concerned with kicking than punting
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
Beck for longer field goals and kickoff duties. Brooks went 4-4 on field goals, all between 20 and 29 yards. Mangino even promised late in the season that fans would not have to witness the same kicking woes in 2004.
Accomplishments — Curtis Ansel's solid finish to his Kansas career earned him third-team All-Big 12 honors this season.
season, the biggest problem for the Jayhawks' kicking team was having kicks blocked or sail to either side because of the snap or the hold. Freshman long snapper Zack Hood and sophomore linebacker Kevin Kane have taken over the duties and all has been smooth as of late. More recently, the focus has been avoiding having punts blocked. There has rarely been a time this season when both units have performed consistently. They'll have to, though, in a game where special teams could play a huge role.
They Have Their Moments There is little concern right now with the punting unit. The area that causes fans to bite their fingernails is the kicking game. However, there is tons of potential there, and it will have to shine through against the Wolfpack. In a game that will probably see quite a few points put on the board, converting on field goals and extra points will be key. Johnny Beck can hit from long range. He hit a 51-yarder against Kansas State and has hit from
over 60 yards in practice. Jerod Brooks is nearly automatic from short range, and that has to stay the same. Also, to aid the Jayhawk defense against a high-powered offense, Beck will have to send his kickoffs deep into or out of the endzone to give North Carolina State poor field position all night. One thing that will help is that NC State ranks 111th out of 117 Division-IA teams in average kick returns with just about 16 yards per return.
Snap, Hold, ... — Early in the
—Compiled by Ryan Greene
'PACK KICK: NC State's place kicker, punter to challenge Jayhawks
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
former walk-on, never relinquished the position and in 2002 was on the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker. He's also smart, earning the Earle Edwards Award in 2001 and 2002 for having the team's highest grade point average. Herbert, now the starting
punter, was an impressive kicker in his day. He still holds the North Carolina high school record for career field goals with 37.
No Pressure — Even in the rare occasion that Kiker is called upon for a field goal, he has not had a kick blocked all season. Also, the Wolfpack has not allowed its opposition to block a
punt either. Having few problems with his special teams has allowed coach Chuck Amato to keep his focus elsewhere. Kansas coach Mark Mangino unfortunately has not had that same luxury this year.
A Little Help From Friends As if Herbert's punt average of 42.5 yards per kick is not impressive enough, the Wolfpack allows only about 9 yards per return, compared to the 14 yards the Jayhawks allow. Herbert's gunners on special teams are quick and talented, and the lack of good field position could give the Jayhawks fits. Charles Gordon is going to have to bring his A-game in terms of returning punts.
- Compiled by Ryan Greene
FOOTBALL: Team compares NC State to Big 12 rival Oklahoma State
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
"We haven't really seen anybody like him."
Members of the Jayhawk offense compare Rivers and the Wolfpack offense to that of conference foe Oklahoma State, with a talented quarterback, a solid running game and big-play wide receivers.
of the situation.
Another subplot for this game that the Jayhawks are trying to put to rest is the duel between Rivers and Whittemore. Instead of being the main focus of the game, Whittemore is trying to look at the reality
"I think it's getting blown out of proportion a little bit," Whittimore said. "You know, he's doubled just about every stat I've put out there. It's not just me versus him out there. You know he'll be going up against our defense and our offense will be going up against their defense."
While the Wolfpack has put up astronomical numbers on offense this year, the one thing Kansas is refusing to do is be intimidated. With the confidence and swagger the team has this season comes
the ability to see this as just another obstacle in putting the program on the map.
"This is just another team with a different name," Simmons said. "And it's not just getting there, we have to go there and win."
Kansas Football Notebook
Homeward Bound — For members of the Kansas football team from the state of Florida, playing in the Tangerine Bowl is a dream come true. The only problem is finding tickets. That has been an issue so far for Tony
Stubbs, a native of West Palm Beach, who said he has more than 80 family members and friends who want to see him play. To help him out, he's been pestering teammates to donate their extra, tickets.
"I've asked about 10 or 12 people to give me whatever, because I'm going to need some extra tickets," Stubbs said. "It still hasn't hit me. I wasn't thinking about Fort Worth or nothing; I was just thinking about Florida."
Edited by Abby Sidesinger
Jared Soares/Kansan
Junior forward Wayne Simien led the Jayhawks in scoring against Michigan State Nov. 25 and in rebounds against Stanford Saturday. But coach Bill Self said that his team wasn't feeding Simien the ball enough.
SIMIEN: Jayhawks' outside shots need improvement to see success
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
are capable of stepping up and handling things offensively."
It's been his teammates lack of consistent outside shooting that has attributed to Simien's low shot totals. Kansas is 22-80 from behind the arc this season, good for last in the conference in three-point percentage (27.5 percent).
If Kansas continues to struggle hit shots on the perimeter, the Jayhawks will continue to see teams playing zone. That will continue to reduce the post player's effectiveness inside.
"We have got to get to the point where we are aggressive enough to make them guard us on the perimeter so we can pass around them," Self said.
Despite his low shot attempts, Simien's 16.3 points per game are still second highest on the team, behind Langford's 17.8.
Stanford passed the ball around the perimeter and sat in the post man's lap, Self said.
"We have got to get to the point where we are aggressive enough to make them guard us on the perimeter so we can pass around them."
Bill Self
Kansas basketball coach
It's been Simien's stellar freethrow shooting that has allowed him to keep his average so high. He is now 26-27 from the line, which is good for second in the Big 12 Conference in both free throws made and attempted. Simien is behind Texas Tech's senior guard Andre Emmett in both categories. Emmett is 37-50 from the line through eight games, twice as many as Simien has played this season.
—Edited by Nikki Overfelt
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