SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN KANSAS STATE Wildcats MEMORIAL STADIUM • NOV. 9, 1996 KANSAS Jayhawks
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8,1996
Kansas men's golf team to play Stanford course
The Kansas men's golf team will finish its fall season this weekend in the 54-hole Nelson Tournament at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
Tournament play will start with first-round action today, while the second and third rounds will be played tomorrow and Sunday. The tournament will be played on the school's campus at Stanford Golf Course, which has a par of 71 and covers 6,786 yards.
Of the 17 teams that will compete in the tournament, six are nationally ranked: No. 13 Auburn, No. 21 Arkansas, No. 22 Duke, No. 23 Northwestern, No. 25 Tulsa University and No. 34 Rice. In addition, Big 12 Conference schools Missouri and Colorado will make the trip to California for the tournament.
SECTION B
While the Jayhawks played this tournament at Stanford last year, much has changed since then. Last year the Nelson Tournament was called the Stanford Invitational, and Kansas finished second to Stanford, then led by 19-year-old Stanford student Tiger Woods. The only Jayhawk who has played in this tournament is sophomore Chris Thompson. He finished in a fifth-place tie with a total score of 216 last year.
The Kansas volleyball team will try to break a five match losing streak when it faces Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Norman, Okla.
Volleyball team to try to break losing streak
The Jayhawks are 9-18 overall and 3-10 in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas most recently lost to No. 20 Kansas State in four games last Wednesday in Allen Field House.
The Sooners enter the match 13-10 overall and 4-8 in the conference. Oklahoma defeated Colorado in five games last Saturday, after losing to No. 7 Nebraska last Friday.
The Sooners lead the all-time series against Kansas 30-11.
Kansas defeated Oklahoma earlier this season in three games on Oct. 5 in the field house. It was the Jayhawks' first conference win of the season.
—Kansan staff report
After tonight's match against the Sooners, the Jayhawks have a week off. Kansas will resume match play against Colorado on Nov. 15 and against Nebraska on Nov. 16. Both matches will be played in the field house.
Pigskin Picks
BILL PETULLA
sports writer
KANSAS CITY 30 GREED BAY 27
DALLAS 28 SAN FRANCISCO 10
NANAS 4 5
ALABAMA 31
CAROLINA 9 10
ARIZONA 1 11
CARLYN FOSTER
SN ANFACON 26 DLAST 17
MANAGAS 20 MANAGAS 9
ALABAMA 21 LSU 14
ANORMA 21 CALIFORNIA 7
DAN KOPEC
WASHINGTON
JULY 27
GAMAS CITY, OH
SAN FRANCISCO 24 DALLAS 17
KNASSIS 22 KNASSIS 20
ALABAMA 17 LSU 10
ARIZONA ST. 13 CALIFORNIA 28
SHANA NEWELL
DALLAS 28 SAN FRANCISCO 27
KANSAS ST. 35 KANSAS ST.
ALABAMA 35 LSU 27
AZIZONA ST. 35 DALIUROC ST.
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
'Hawks ready for rivalry
Kansas quarterback Ben Rutz scrambles to elude Iowa State's Michael Cooper during the last Saturday's game.
Kansas will face Kansas State at Memorial Stadium tomorrow.
By Dan Gelston
By Dan Gelston Kansan sportswriter
Kansas coach Glen Mason is hungry for a win, but he's not that hungry.
"I'm not gonna eat any frogs or swallow any worms to motivate them." Mason said.
The Jayhawks shouldn't need that type of motivational tactic to get them ready for their biggest game of the year.
Not only are in-state bragging rights and the Governor's Cup at stake against No. 11 Kansas State, but a win would keep the Jayhawks bowl hopes alive. The teams play at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Memorial Stadium
Despite the huge rivalry, Mason said the Jayhawks, 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12 Conference, can't get too caught up in the hoopla surrounding the game.
"Just because this is our rival, it's K-State, it's really no different than any other game as far as we're concerned," he said.
Kansas State, 7-1 overall and 4-1 conference, lost five offensive and six defensive starters to graduation from last year's 10-2 season. This season, the starting running back, center, comerback and kicker went down with injuries.
"This is a very important ball game for us," Wildcat coach Bill Snyder said. "We had a week off, and we've spent that time preparing. Virtually all the ball games have been very exciting, and I anticipate the same thing."
The Wildcats boast a defense
The Kansas-Kansas State Series Kansas leads 61-27-5
The winner of the Kansas-
Kansas State game has gone
to a bowl game in each of the
last four seasons.
The outcome of five of the last seven games has been decided by eight points or less.
The two teams have split the last eight meetings, but the Wildcats have won the last three.
Kansas' last win was a 31-7 victory in 1992 in Lawrence.
K-State's last win in Lawrence was a 21-13 final in 1994. The end of that game saw Wildcat fans storm the field and tear down the goalposts.
ranked second in the conference and 19th nationally. The pass defense is No. 1 in the conference and No. 3 nationally, having allowed just 1,051 vards.
Mason said the defense was one of the better ones he's seen.
"I don't see any weaknesses," he said. "They play awful tough against the run."
Leading the way for the Wildcat defense is junior cornerback Chris Cany. He has 39 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions.
"There's not a better corner in college football than him," Mason said.
But there's more than just Canty.
There's freshman linebacker Mark Simoneau and his 86 tackles, senior defensive end Nyle Wiren and his team-high 8.5 sacks, and senior linebacker DeShawn Fogle and his two sacks and 79 tackles.
"They're definitely one of the best defenses we'll see," Kansas senior quarterback Ben Rutz said. "They've got good defensive backs and good
corners. They'll present a challenge." Snyder was quick to hype his defense.
"Chris Canty is very deserving of post-season honors," he said. "Nyle Wiren is also deserving of post-season recognition. I know they can't all be first-time selections, but they've been very prominent for us."
The Kansas State offense is an oxymoron. The offense ranks last in the conference, but senior starting quarterback Brian Kavanagh is second in passing efficiency. Senior wide receiver Kevin Lockett, with his 599 receiving yards and three touchdowns is second in the conference in receptions with 46.
See FOOTBALL, Page 4B
Kansas State victory seems easy as ever
It's ano-brainer, please.
Frankly, I'm tired of reading about how Kansas will rollop Kansas State this season.
I'm tired of hearing how Kansas has had such a sorry season that it has to devote all of its energy to one opponent, K-State.
After looking at past Collegians, I'm tired of reading how Kansas students are so great, while K-State students are backward red-necks.
Puh-leeze. I'm as city as they come.
When Bill Petula, the sports editor at the University Daily Kansan, contacted me about exchanging columns, I was all for the idea. Hev.it's tradition, right?
But as I sat down to write this column, I found I didn't have much to say. How can I sit here and berate Kansas' football program? Their fans do enough of that. After Chickenhawk lineman Scott Whittaker's lambasting of Kansas fans was printed in papers far and wide, Aloha Bowl officials probably would have to think twice about inviting Kansas to their game if the Jayhawks are going to qualify for a bowl bid.
Perhaps one Kansas fan said it best when he wrote to the Kansan: "So, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that you should stop pointing that fat finger of yours at the fans and point it at your football team. You guys are pathetic and embarrassing, you are offensive inepot, and your defense is obviouslybelowar."
K-State will follow the example of Kansas running back June "I-wish-I was-good-enough-for-a-Heisman" Henley, who insulted his girlfriend by refusing to pay child support. The Wildcats will launch their own physical insult on the Jayhawks tomorrow in Lawrence.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
If they spent the same amount of time preparing for every opponent, perhaps Kansas' sports editor might have something better to write about than how quarterback Ben Rutz is so wonderful. Perhaps he would be able to speculate upon where Jayhawk fans might spend New Year's Day.
Make no mistake about it, folks. This is war. It has been written everywhere that the Chickenhawks can salvage their season by beating one team, K-State.
While Bill Petula enjoys Grandma's ham dinner, I'll be basking in the warmth of Dallas, San Antonio, San Diego, or, if the bowl gods smile brightly on K-State, Phoenix. It's nice to be able to contemplate where the
COLLEGIAN SPORTS EDITOR
Wildcats might be going Too bad Jayhawk fans quickly are turning their attention to basketball season.
First, Mason decides to take the head coaching job at Georgia. Then he reneges and crawls on his hands and knees, begging Kansas to give him back the job — as if the University had found anyone to take the job. Who would want to coach at Snob Hill, where football is practically a club sport?
K-State's victory tomorrow was sealed on Dec. 26, 1995, when Kansas rehired Mason. Continuing his trend of indecisiveness, Mason couldn't decide which quarterback to start at the beginning of the season. The decision became easy when Rutz went down with an injury. Who knows what would have happened if Rutz had remained healthy. Mason probably would have done the Missouri thing, interchanging quarterbacks as frequently as you change a baby's diaper.
Unfortunately, Glen "I-can't-make-up-my mind" Mason doesn't know how to coach football, and details appear to be eluding him.
But basketball is not the point here, is it? Football is the word, and football is the game. The rest is just details.
Chickenhawks, when you put those letters together, they spell defense. Could whoever is reading this column to the Kansas football team please explain spelling?
Imagine that, comparing Missouri and Kansas. I can see the similarities, the biggest of which is the two teams' inepthness.
Now that you have done so, let me explain defense.
I guess I need to spell it out. D-E-F-E-N-S-E.
Pardon me, Wildcat fans, while I clear this
up for the Jayhawks.
It means letting your opponent score as few points as possible.
Ranked N. 2 in total defense in the Big 12, K-State will show Chickenhawk fans exactly what defense means tomorrow, just as the Wildcats did last year.
If any of you Kansas students have a problem reading this, you can e-mail me at twobag@ksu.edu, and I will try to put it in simpler terms for you.
Interstate match holds letdown for Wildcats
In years past, the aim of this column has been to find weaknesses and shortcomings within the K-State football team and to spend 15 inches of type exploring those faults. But why limit myself by singing out such a small group when I can attack an entire backward institution?
Let's start with football and branch out, shall we?
K-State, a program rich in football tradition, amassed 22 total — yes, total — victories in the 1980s. This was before Bill "Monte Hall" Snyder became head coach. Snyder visited every juvenile detention center and prison from Philadelphia to Phoenix (for you Wildcats, those are two U.S. cities) with fat envelopes, telling recruits, "Let's Make a Deal."
The Wildcats are led by Brian "The Canine Crusher" Kavanagh, who by my records is the only college football quarterback to have been charged with assaulting a dog.
Getting away from the gridiron for a second, let's talk about your simple-minded school. Without further delay ... from the home office in Lawrence, here is the "Top 10 Ways You Can Tell a Student Attends K-State"
9. Your football team boycotted all of the James Bond movies because it thought 007 was a crack about its cumulative grade point average.
10. As a K-State couple drives by a trailer park, the man glances at his girlfriend and says, "Someday, baby, someday."
8. Graduating means you get to hang your diploma next to the Arch Deluxe display at the local McDonald's.
7. Your cheerleaders are so fat that their blood type is Raún.
6. Your idea of plush wallpaper consists of monster trucks and Dukes of Hazzard posters.
5. Your football team's offensive line averages 280 in weight and in SAT scores.
4. Your dad walked you to third grade every day, mainly because he was in your class.
KANSAN
SPORTS EDITOR
2. Mind readers charge half price in Manhattan. Kan.
3. K-State honor students are those who recite the alphabet with the fewest number of pauses.
1. Today you call Kansas students stuffy, prepy and snobby. Tomorrow you'll be
causing them boss.
All kidding aside, K-State runs a top-flight football program. In fact, it's No. 1 in my book ... and I've got proof.
calling them boss.
Number of arrests made on football players in Manhattan this week (Don't forget this column was written on Monday) — 1. Number of times Bill Snyder kicked off a no-name backup from the team
but turned the other cheek concerning three-year starter Nyle Wiren's involvement in the same incident this week — 1. Number of times your sports editor, Shana Newell, said the Wildcats can beat Nebraska this season — 1. Number of times Kav-Doggy-Dogg was benched against Nebraska after a horrid 34-yard and two interception day — 1. Number of times Snyder went crying to the Big 12 office because it originally had scheduled the Wildcats to open against Texas A&M instead of Texas Tech — 1.
Now come the promises.
Oh yes, the Jayhawks will win tomorrow.
Yes, the Purple Pussycats will walk home with their tails between their legs. Yes, Ben Rutz will throw for 315 yards and June Henley will rush for 250 yards. And yes, no goal posts will be torn down by anyone wearing purple. Sorry, I know they look like large pitchforks, but they have no farm use.
The postgame ride to your respective mobile homes and trailer parks will be a bit more somber because you failed to best the Jayhawks in the only sport you have a legitimate shot at winning.
And in winning this interstate rivalry, the Jayhawks will experience a glorious, splendid, magnificent happiness — the kind of happiness that is felt by every clear-thinking person in the country when they see The Arm Pit of America — Manhattan, Kan. — in their rearview mirror.
In the unlikely event that you K-State students plan on traveling to a more thriving and modernized metropolis such as Bawanseau or McClouth, you can e-mail me at: sports@kansan.com
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