SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, September 17, 1993
9
Kansas to face Utah
Jayhawks ready for victory after early season struggle
By Matt Doyle
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior center Dan Schmidt said there is a sense of urgency on the Jayhawk team for a victory.
"The urgency is definitely there when your goal is bowl games, ultimately the Orange Bowl, but if that doesn't happen then other bowl games," he said. "You have to win as many games as possible. There is a sense of urgency because we have to get on a roll now, especially by winning our games at home."
The Jayhawks, 1-2, hope to start a winning streak with a victory against Utah, 1-1, at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Memorial Stadium.
Kansas has struggled on offense in its two losses this season. The total offensive output in the losses to Florida State and Michigan State was a combined 505 yards. Against Western Carolina, Kansas' Ione
victory, the Jayhawks had 525 yards of total offense.
kansas coach Glen Mason said he has not been pleased by the effort of his offense in the two losses. "We've shot ourselves in the foot on offense more than anything, but we're not that far off from being okay," Mason said. "We've got to get going in the right direction. I think that's imperative because we are playing a good team, but not one with superior talent."
Utah has allowed its first two opponents to gain 456 yards of total offense a game, but the Utes have only given up an average of 126 yards rushing in those first two games.
Utah coach Ron McBride said that he was concerned with Kansas' size and ability to run the football.
"They really like to stretch you with the running game," McBride said. "Our defense has given up some big plays, which you just can't do."
Uah had to break in a new starting quarterback this season in junior Mike McCoy to replace Frank Dolce, who helped lead
Utah to a berth in the Copper Bowl last season.
McCoy got off to a rough start in a season opening 38-0 loss at Arizona State, where he completed only 12 of 33 passes for 129 yards and threw three interceptions. He rebounded last week to complete 20 of 38 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns in Utah's 31-29 victory against Utah State.
Kansas senior defensive tackle Mike Steele said he was impressed by the Utes after watching them on film.
"Lots of times I get a false impression of a team on film, but Utah has a very good offense," Steele said. "They're very aggressive and tough on their offensive line, and they like to throw the ball a lot." Schmidt said he knew what a victory against Utah could mean for his team.
"We're only as good as our last game, and right now we're not too good after Michigan State," he said. "You get better or you get worse, and winning this week would definitely change our perspective and help us improve."
1 p.m., Saturday Memorial Stadium
Kansas Jayhawks KU
(1-2-0)
Head Coach: Glen Mason
Utah Utes (1-1-0)
Head Coach: Ron McBride
Offense:
WR 84 Rodney Harris 6-6 210 Jr.
TE 1 Dwayne Chandler 6-2 238 Sr.
LT 62 Chris Banks 6-2 270 So.
LG 66 Hessley Hempstead 6-1 295 Jr.
C 75 Dan Schmidt 6-2 265 Sr.
RG 69 John Jones 6-1 285 Jr.
RT 78 Mark Allison 6-3 285 So.
WR 8 Ashaudal Smith 6-1 285 So.
QB 12 Fred Thomas 6-0 490 Jr.
TB 22 L.T. Levine 5-10 210 So.
RB 33 Costello Good 6-1 212 Jr.
Defense:
OLB 39 Don Davis 6-1 212 Jr.
LE 95 Kevin Polian 6-3 238 So.
LT 72 Chris Meumalanga 6-3 286 Sr.
RT 61 Mike Steelis 6-3 276 Sr.
RE 90 Guy Howard 6-4 245 Sr.
OLB 46 Ronnie Ward 6-0 212 So.
MLB 35 Larry Thiel 6-3 223 Sr.
CB 28 Tony Blewls 6-0 170 Pr.
FS 47 Clint Bowen 5-11 190 Sr.
SS 38 Robert Vaughn 5-11 188 Sr.
CB 3 Gerald McBurrows 5-11 188 Jr.
Defense:
LE 83 Luther Elliss 6-5 257 Jr.
LE 94 Adam Swaney 6-7 263 Jr.
RT 93 Blaine Berger 6-4 274 Jr.
RE 36 Bronzell Miller 6-4 235 Jr.
OLB 53 Chris Newman 6-5 222 Jr.
OLB 48 Ronnie Ward 6-0 212 So.
MLB 35 Larry Thiel 6-3 223 Sr.
CB 48 Karsem Leary 5-11 166 Sr.
FS 12 Marcus Woods 5-11 209 Jr.
SS 37 Ed Miller 5-11 222 Sr.
CB 5 Mark Swanson 5-11 185 Sr.
NB 15 Cedric Crawford 5-10 194 Sr.
Source: KANSAN Staff Reports
Micah Laaker/KANSAN
Twins' Winfield gets 3000th hit makes history
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Dave Winfield singled in the ninth inning last night off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley to become the 19th player in major league history to get 3,000 career hits.
The ground single to left, in his fourth at-bat, drove in a run that helped send the Minnesota Twins into extra innings with a 2-2 score. Winfield was presented with the ball at first base while many in the Metrodome crowd of just 14,654 tossed paper on the field.
For two decades, Winfield's combination of size, speed, power and grace has sent scouts scurrying in search of the next prototype ballplayer.
His chopper off the plate in the seventh inning put him within one of the milestone, and he got No. 3,000 two innings later off Eckersley.
Winfield turns 42 on Oct. 3. Only Cap Anson, 46 when he got his 3,000th, reached the milestone at an older age.
Winfield fouled off a 1-2 pitch and then grounded a hard single past diving third baseman Craig Paquette. He pumped his right hand in the air, shook hands with first-base coach Wayne Terwilliger and raised both arms amid a standing ovation.
Last September, Robin Yount of Milwaukee and George Brett of Kansas City also reached 3,000 career hits.
It was Winfield's 10th career hit off Eckersley. Kelly Downs, who gave up the infield hit, was the 681st pitcher to serve up a hit to Winfield.
Winfield has played in 12 All-Star games. Now primarily a designated hitter, he also has won seven Gold Gloves as an outfielder.
Winfield also ranks high in several other categories: ninth in at-bats with 10,558 and games with 2,840, 11th in total bases with 5,044, 13th in RBIs with 1,780, 15th in extra-base hits with 1,053, 18th in homers with 453, 25th in doubles with 51 and 29th in runs with 1,616.
That capped an outstanding season in which Winfield became the first 40-year-old to drive in 100 runs.
But his biggest triumph came last season when he helped Toronto win the World Series, proving he could perform in the clutch, too. His two-run double in the 11th inning of Game 6 gave him his first championship.
"I never thought about numbers when I was drafted," Winfield said. "I was drafted as a pitcher."
In December, the native Minnesota signed with the team he rooted for as a youngster, but he has had one of his worst offensive seasons — batting 2.62 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs. The team has been out of the AL West race for months, making Winfield's chase for 3,000 hits the main focus.
He has fought through several long slumps this year and entered last night's game with 18 hits in his previous 110 at-bats.
Despite this season's struggles, Winfield has put up remarkable numbers since his 40th birthday. In 292 games, he has batted .278 with 47 homers and 180 RBIs.
Winfield went right from the University of Minnesota to the San Diego Padres, never playing in the minors. He got his first hit off Jerry Reuss in his debut, June 19, 1973.
Aside from Brett, Yount and Pete Rose, every player who has 3,000 hits has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Brett and Yount, who last season became the 17th and 18th players to reach the milestone, are still playing. Rose, the all-time leader with 4,256 hits, was banned by former commissioner Fay Vincent for gambling.
But Winfield doesn't think too much about the Hall of Fame because he wants to play at least two more years. His guaranteed, no-trade contract with the Twins runs through next season.
William Alix / KANBAN
Track team member Billy Davis, Topeka sophomore, runs during an informal workout at Memorial Stadium. NCAA regulations prohibit the team from officially practicing with coaches present until Oct. 11.
In training
Running back signs contract with Dallas
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas — Emmitt Smith and Jerry Jones ended their contract feud yesterday. The cost: millions of dollars out of Jones' pocket and two lost football games.
Smith, who had watched on television while the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys lost both games they played without him, reached an agreement with Jones that could make him the highest-paid running back in the game.
Cowboys public relations director Rich Dalrymple confirmed "there has been an agreement in principle but the contract has not been signed."
No contract terms were immediately divulged, but Smith had said that he wouldn't sign unless Jones paid him "Thurman Thomas money."
The contract was expected to be a four-year deal for approximately $13.6 million, which would be more than Buffalo pays Thomas.
Smith had said he wanted a fouryear contract worth $15 million.
Thomas is the NFL's highest-paid running back at $13.5 million over four years.
"I was underpaid the first three years," Smith said in a recent telephone interview. "Now it's time for
me to be paid what I'm worth."
Jones fought to the very end against paying Smith what he wanted, saying he needed to pay Smith as little as possible to position the Cowboys under the salary cap that will take effect in 1994.
"I have all the confidence in the world that what I'm doing for the future is the right thing to do," Jones said before the agreement. "I'm not trying to win a popularity contest. But I feel now by putting the Thurman Thomas dollars out there I've met responsibilities to the fans and the plavers in the lockerroom."
Smith had the option to sit out the season and become a restricted free agent next year.
Jones has admitted the loss to Buffalo last Sunday complicated matters.
Jones has tried to sell his side of the bargaining to the media while Smith has remained relatively quiet.
However, it hasn't worked in the Cowboys lockerroom, where players have openly sided with Smith.
Fans also have turned on Jones, who hid in the Texas Stadium tunnel during Sunday's 13-10 loss, shunning his usual fourth-quarter jaunt along the sidelines He then hurried out of the interview room area before the doors were opened.
The Associated Press
Mariner pitcher hands KC defeat after losing no-hitter
SEATLE — Randy Johnson came within five outs of his second career no-hitter last night before Brian McRae doubled in the eighth inning in the Seattle Mariners 14-1 victory against the Kansas City Royals.
Chris Bosio pitched a no-hitter for the Mariners on April 22 against Boston in a 7-0 victory in Seattle.
The 30-year-old left-hander struck out 15, extending his major league-leading strikeout total to 277. He walked six and hit a batter in his bid to duplicate his only career no-hitter, a 2-0 victory June 2, 1990, against Detroit in the Kingdome. The 15 strikeouts matched his season high set against Kansas City on June 14.
Johnson,17-8,a two-time All-Star for the Mariners,won his sixth straight game as Seattle tied the Roy-
as or third place in the AL West, 7% games behind Chicago. It was Seattle's fifth win in seven games.
Johnson lost his no-hit bid in the eighth after walking leadoff batter Keith Miller. Miller went to second on catcher's interference with Greg Gagne batting. McRae hit a hard grounder down the line past diving third baseman Mike Blowers for a double, scoring Miller.
Johnson was replaced after making 140 pitches. With three more starts, Johnson has a chance to become Seattle's first 20-game winner and also has an opportunity to become the first major league pitcher to get 300 strikeouts in a season since Nolan Ryan struck out 301 in 1989.
The Royals got their second hit of the game in the ninth inning when Craig Wilson doubled with two outs off Steve Ontiveros.
Tournament welcomes Jayhawks
Volleyball coach expects challenging tournament
Kansan sportswriter
By Gerry Fey
Kansas is the only volleyball team not nationally ranked in this weekend's Arby's Big Eight-Southeast Conference Classic in Lincoln, Neb.
"We'll have to do our best to compete," she said. "It's important that we play our own game. I believe the better the team you play is, the better your team plays."
The other teams in the tournament are No. 4 Nebraska, No. 18 Georgia and No. 22 Louisiana State. Kansas plays Louisiana State at 5:30 p.m. today, and the Jayhawks will play Georgia on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Kansas and Nebraska will not meet in the tournament.
And that makes Kansas senior middle blocker Cvndae Kanabel a little nervous.
"We don't play Nebraska, but I don't
care," Kansas coach Frankie Albitz said. "We already play each other twice in the Big Eight and maybe again in the Big Eight tournament."
Albizt said she wasn't sure how her team would react to its tournament opponents.
"They're pretty confident no matter who they play," Albizs said. "I don't know if we'll win it. If we're competitive, and they show what they can do, I'll be happy."
Kanabel said that the thought of winning the tournament excited her.
"I'm kind of glad we're playing these teams," Kanabel said. "It would be the highlight of the season if we won. I would be on cloud nine."
Nebraska coach Terry Pettit asked Albiz to enter the tournament because he wanted two Big Eight teams and two teams from another conference to participate. Colorado coach Brad Saidon had wanted Kansas to play in a tournament in Boulder, Colo.
"A couple of years ago, when this was scheduled, he and Brad called," Albitz said. "We were third in the conference at the
"At first, I wanted to go to Colorado," Albiz said. "I wasn't sure about Nebraska. But now I'm really glad we are going."
time, so they both wanted us in their tournament."
Because of good timing in the schedule, Lincoln's proximity to Lawrence and the level of competition, Albitz said she chose the tournament at Nebraska.
This tournament might be a bigger challenge to the Jayhawks compared to last weekend's Kansas Invitational. The Jayhawks defeated Southeast Missouri State in its last match, winning the tournament.
Tracie Walt, senior outside hitter, said those matches helped the team.
"I think it was good because everybody got equal time to play." Walt said. "We worked on things we had only worked on in practice..."
Walt said she was excited about playing in Lincoln, which is her hometown, against players she knew.
"Even if we don't win, it will be a learning experience," she said. "We don't have anything to lose."
Susan McSpadden / KANSAN
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Senior spiker Shelby Lord walts for a return during the KU Invitational Tournament.