SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, November 8, 1993
9
Three yards keep Jayhawks from victory
Cornhuskers' streak alive, now at 25
By Matt Doyle
Kansan sportswriter
One play could have ended many season-long frustrations for Kansas and 25 years of frustrations against Nebraska.
Saturday, all that stood in the way of Kansas' first victory against Nebraska since 1968 was 3 yards. It did not happen.
Junior quarterback Asheiki Preston's two-point conversion pass, intended for sophomore wide receiver Ashaudai Smith, was incomplete with 52 seconds left in the game, and
No. 6 Nebraska escaped with a 21-20 victory.
Freshman tailback June Henley had pulled the Jayhawks within one, to 21-20 with a 3-yard touchdown run. The decision to go for the two-point conversion and a victory was easy, said Kansas coach Glen Mason.
"Sometimes you lead with your heart rather than your head, but I don't think there was any decision to make," Mason said. "I would have gone for two if all we needed was a tie for the Big Eight Championship."
The two-point play was designed for Preston — a straight drop back and a quick pass to Smith. The Cornhuskers expected a running play with Henley. When they noticed that Henley was not on the field, they looked confused and quickly adjusted their defense.
The confusion paid off for Nebraska.
Husker senior linebacker Lorenzo Brinkley pressured Preston from
blind side. Preston was forced to roll to his right and throw on the run to Smith, who was covered by defensive backs senior Toby Wright and junior Barron Miles.
Preston said of the Cornhuskers, "Their confusion on that play probably helped them."
Mason said that the two-point play had been added Tuesday.
"Obviously, it was not the right play because it didn't work," Mason said. "That's the way it goes."
Kansas needed a lot of things to work to upset Nebraska. The Jayhawks started well, scoring their first first-quarter touchdown of the season. Preston connected with senior tight end Dwayne Chandler for a 30-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down play with 11:38 left in the first quarter.
down reception in the second quarter by Gerald Armstrong for a 14-7 lead. The Huskers were ready to add to their lead late in the second quarter, but senior free safety Clint Bowen intercepted Husker sophomore reserve quarterback Brook Berringer in the end zone with 27 seconds left before halftime.
Nebraska countered with a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter by Calvin Jones and an 8-yard touch-
Bowen said, "You could feel at halftime, we had a lot of momentum. We got out of a jam on that play. It really picked us up."
The Jayhawks controlled the third quarter. The defense kept Nebraska from a first down on its first two possessions of the quarter and forced Nebraska to punt each time.
The offense moved the ball behind Henley, who finished with 148 yards. Senior Dan Eichloff missed a 47-yard field goal on Kansas' first drive of the second half. But the Jayhawks cashed in on their next possession when Preston completed a 65-yard drive with a
5-yard scoring run, tying the score at 14.
Nebraska regained the lead at 21-14 with 8:20 left in the game. Sophomore quarterback Tomnie Frazier completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Trumane Bell.
Kansas could have folded at that point, but it did not. The Jayhawks gained 80 yards in 17 plays, which set up Henley's touchdown. Henley had 13 carries for 56 yards on that final drive.
But Mason did not have Henley in for the two-point conversion play despite the success he had on that drive.
"You have to accept his decision because he's the coach," Henley said. "It's his decision."
Henley could have been the difference on that play — the difference between celebration and frustration for the Jayhawks.
By the numbers
| | NU | KU |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| First Downs | 19 | 19 |
| Rushes-yards | 52-297 | 50-179 |
| Passing yards | 71 | 118 |
| Return yards | 1 | 15 |
| Comp-Att | 7-12-1 | 13-19-0 |
| Sacked-Yards lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Punts | 3-40 | 3-36 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 3-39 | 3-19 |
| Time of Possession | 29-41 | 30-19 |
NBRESAK 7 7 0 7 -21-
KANSAS 7 0 7 6 -20-
NU — Jones 4 run (Bennett kick)
KU — Chandler 30 pass from Preston (Flichhorn kick)
NU — Jonas 4 turn (Bennett kick)
NU — Armstrong 8 pass from Frazier (Bennett kick)
(Bennett kick)
schnittchen
KU — Preston 5 run (Eichloff kick)
NU — Pressman's run (Bennett kick)
NU — Bell 10 pass from Frazier (Bennett kick)
KU — Henley 3 run (pass failed)
Source: The Associated Press KANBAN
Valene Bontrager /KANSAN
Kansas junior outside linebacker Harold Harris tackles Nebraska junior running back Calvin Jones as the Cornhuskers drive towards the goal. Nebraska defeated Kansas 21-20 Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Colorado defeats Kansas in four games
But team benefits from game victory
By Gerry Fey
Kansan sportswriter
A victory against Colorado on Saturday would have been great for the Kansas vol
leyball team, but winning games was most important, win or lose.
Kansas lost 10-15, 15-10.9-15.6-15 in
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Boulder, Colo. The defeat dropped the Jayhawks to 15-10 and 4-5 in the Big Eight, while the league-leading Buffaloes improved to 20-5 and 9-1.
Winning a game on the road will help the
Jayhawks as they attempt to qualify for the Big Eight tournament Nov. 26-27 in Omaha, Neb., Kansas coach Frankie Albitz said.
"If we're going to lose, I'd like to lose in five, but my team played well," Albiz said. "It could have been worse. At least we did win a game."
Kansas got a taste of what to expect in the tournament Saturday against Colorado, but Albitz said Colorado had to work hard for the victory. She said sophomore setter Lesli Steinert and senior outside hitter Shelby Lard had played a good defensive match.
That one game may go a long way as Kansas battles Iowa State for fourth in the Big Eight. Only the top four teams advance to the postseason tournament.
"The defenses for both teams were really
Alizit said. "I think Shelby and Lesli
were in a position to get a lot of digs. Everyone played well defensively."
Albizt said Kansas did not start well against the No. 11 team in the nation. Kansas was behind 2-11 in the first game and came back, only to lose the game [0-15].
"The first game we had a thousand errors," Albitz said. "It might have been nerves. I called a timeout and told them. 'We've got to find the court with our hits.' In the second game, I saw them improve."
"I thought we did a good job hitting around the one-man block," Lard said. "We didn't do that last time. And when they did block us, we recovered."
Colorado used a one-player block scheme on the front line, but Kansas handled it well. Lard said. Colorado ran the same play against Kansas on Oct. 22, when the Jayhawks lost in three games at Allen Field House.
What may have finished off Kansas was a play Colorado used frequently in the match. The Buffaloes set to two hitters in the center of the front line, and Kansas could not move in for the block, Lard said.
"We didn't adjust well to their two in the middle," Lard said. "The left side is supposed to block it, and we couldn't. Eventually we adjusted, but it was too late."
As the season closes out, Kansas could benefit from winning game two at Colorado, Lard said. Iowa State still must play the Buffalooes, and one consideration to qualify for the tournament is winning percentage in Big Eight games, not matches.
"On the bus ride home we were figuring out who was ahead in games," she said.
"In games, they were ahead by .003 percent. It's going to come down to the last match."
Team one play short when football drops
...
"I'm just sick," Mason said. "Everybody feels sick. There's some tremendous hurt in that locker room."
He answered questions in short, rapid-fire bursts with a blank look in his red eyes. He continually paused, slumped back in his chair, sighed and shook his head.
Mason quickly dismissed any notion that Kansas' one point loss was a moral victory.
"I'm proud of the effort," he said. "That was the gutsiest performance from a bunch of guys I've ever been around." "But we just don't accent playing close."
"That's my play," he said. "I can't make a tackle or score, but when you're talking about a one-point game, it's my responsibility to make the right call."
There also was no doubt about whom Mason blamed for the defeat.
Mason was referring to his decision to pass the ball on a two-point conversion play with 50 seconds left that could have given the Jayhawks a 22-21 victory. Mason said he decided on Tuesday that the pass was going to be Kansas' two-point play if they needed it.
The disappointment covered the players' faces as well. But they did not question Mason's decision.
"Obviously it wasn't the right play," he said. "I probably wouldn't call that play again looking back."
"We'd have been disappointed if he didn't go for the win," said junior quarterback Asheikh Preston. Preston then hung his head and softly described the play.
"When I threw the ball I thought we had a little shot to win," he said.
"I was devastated. We had the opportunity of a lifetime, and we didn't do it," he said.
Nebraska brought its heralded combination of running back junior Calvin Jones and sophomore quarterback Tommie Frazier, but Preston and freshman running back Charles Henley provided Kansas with a one-two punch of its own.
Henley, who rushed for 148 yards, did not let his own accomplishments brighten his mood, saying that the defeat put a "big dent" in an otherwise brilliant afternoon. But he was proud of his team's showing against the Nd. 6 Nebraska队.
"We stood up to 'em," he said. "You never know what can happen."
Other players, like senior strong safety Clint Bowen, took this defeat harder than Nebraska's 49-7 manhandling of Kansas last year in Lincoln.
"We were one play short," Bowen said. "At the half we realized that they are not supermen. This definitely hurts worse."
Senior defensive end Chris Maumalanga looked to next week in Boulder.
Maumalanga also looked further to the future.
"We're going to use this as motivation to beat Colorado," he said.
"We're just one step away," he said. "I hope the younger guys see that."
When the final seconds had ticked away, Maumalanga, head down, shuffled into the Kansas locker room. Just before he went through the doors, a boy yelled out, "Hey, Christ!"
Mmaulalana turned his head.
"Good game today," the boy said. "Don't feel bad."
"Good game today," the boy said. "Don't feel bad."
Maunalanga rose his fist and gave a little grin. He then bowed his head, as if he realized that his goals of defeating Nebraska and going to a bowl game his senior year had fallen short.
One plays short.
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