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Monday, October 31, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Sports
KU can't repeat first half, gets buried 63-14
Mason proud of performance of young 'Hawks against OU
Kansas linebacker Curtis Moore, top, and safety Jason Priest, bottom, stop Sooner running back Glyn Milburn.
By Jeff Euston
Kansan sportswriter
Gary Mook/Special to the KANSAN
And despite the 63-14 final score, for the Jayhawks and coach Glen Mason, that was an accomplishment.
NORMAN, Okla — The Kansas Jayhawks gave the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners everything they could handle Saturday in Norman, if only the team was at it.
"We're measuring improvement in inches, not feet, at KU right now," said Mason, whose team was behind only 21-14 at halftime. "I was real proud of our players in the first half. I was proud of them the whole game. I played in seven games and say this, but we played a lot of young players today again, especially on defense. I think they played as gutsy as they probably could."
Oklahoma did not play up to par in the first half. The Sooners were penalized seven times for 50 yards. Two personal foes helped keep Kansas drives going, and holding penalties hurt Oklahoma drives twice.
With the score tied at 14 in the second quarter, the Jayhawks even had a chance to take the lead.
But on a first-down play from the Oklahoma seven, the officials ruled that senior tailback Akroni Snell fumbled, and Oklahoma cornerback Jerry Parks recovered, ending the Jayhawks' threat.
"Everybody knew I was down and it kind of turned everywhere," he said. "We were driving, ready to leave." The rems the refs make a call like that.
Mason said he was disappointed that the Jayhawks squandered the opportunity.
"I was going to call timeout and take my team on the field and take a picture," he said. "A lot of guys can be quicker than they had the lead against Oklahoma."
It looked like Kansas wouldn't even have that chance at the beginning of the game when Oklahoma starting quarterback Charles Thompson led a three-play, 47-yard touchdown driven his first possession of the game.
Kansas struck back quickly
"We came right out at them, and they were kind of surprised," said senior linebacker Mike Long, who
1 was going to call timeout and take my team on the field and take a picture. A lot of guys can never say they had the lead against Oklahoma.'
— Glen Mason Kansas football coach
made eight tackles. "Maybe they weren't as up as they should have been because of our record, and I think we got them going."
The Jayhawk offense picked up two first downs before senior Wilkie Vaughn made a diving catch over the middle for a 47-yard gain, giving Kansas first and goal at the Oklahoma seven.
"I knew he (Vaughn) was open,
"I and knew when the very gracious
Okahama Sooner fans didn't cheer that he had crack it." Mason said.
Vaughn's reception set up freshman fullback Rob Roger Boner's first career touchdown at Kansas, a one-hitter that middle tended the score at seven.
Oklahoma responded with another touchdown drive, but Kansas still did not quit.
Quarterback Kelly Donohoe, exploiting a weakness in the Sooner defense that was detected on the first drive, hit Vaughn in stride along the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown.
"I just ran straight ahead," Vaughn said. "The quarterback threw it up there, and it was all go."
In one play, the Jayhawks had tied the score and dampened the spirit of 74.094 Sooner fans.
Mason said he liked the Jayhawks' chances at halftime.
"We always try to regroup at halftime," he said. "You have to have a lot better chance when you've got 30 minutes to go instead of 60. I just told them I was tremendously proud of them."
The Sooners scored touchdowns on five of their six second-half possessions and stopped Vaughn from breaking another long play.
But in the second half, Oklahoma took control.
'You could tell they were coached
at halftime to sit back in the deep
third and the deep middle." Donohoe
said of the Sooners secondary. "They
got beat a couple of times in the first
half, and I know their defensive
coaches told them, 'I don't care
whether you see run or pass, I want
to win.'" In the field," that was the
dell."
Kansas sophomore linebacker Curtis Moore said the Sooners were more determined in the second half.
'I think the coaches probably got
on them a little bit at halftime," he said. "They had something to prove. I think they adjusted our defensive position and I play really well in the second half."
"But their first team was out there a lot. They were out there awhile until the third quarter when the score started to get lonsoid."
Suddenly a game that had been close began to look like Oklahoma's 71-10 drubbing of Kansas last season. Six different Sooners scored in the
second half for the second straight year.
In the process. Sooner quarterback Jamelle Holieway set a school record for career total offense with 4,853 vards.
"I don't think it made much difference (who played QB)." Moore said. They're both quick and have real good moves. It's hard to defend the option, especially with that much speed in the backfield.
The first half was a combination
of a good game plan and I don't think they were really ready to play. I think they looked pass to us to Oklahoma State."
"We were happy with the way we played," Donohoe said. "We haven't played that good against Oklahoma since I've been here. Oklahoma came into this game and (Sooners coach) was ready to plan a plan of planning on using tiki lights and fourth string players. I don't think they expected to have a ballgame."
Oklahoma senior quarterback Jamelle Holleyway set the Sooners career total offense record Saturday in Norman, Okla.
Former Rams running back criticizes team
NEW YORK — Running back Eric Dickerson said yesterday that the Los Angeles Rams wanted to teach him a lesson by trading him to Indianapolis, referred to Rams running back Greg Bell as “that little dwarf,” and added that quarterback Jim Everett “never was a friend of
The Associated Press
Dickerson, the Rams' all-time leading rusher, was traded to the Colts in the middle of last season after a feud with management over salary.
The remarks were made in an interview with Jim Gray on NBC TV's "NFL Live."
When asked if he thought the Rams were
Bell, a former Buffalo Bills' running back acquired by the Rams in the three-way deal that sent Dickerson to Indianapolis, said that any questioning of yardage behind Los Angeles' offensive line
"You know, that little dwarf should learn one thing; he is not my caliber, to be honest," said the 6-foot-3 Dickerson, who began yesterday as the NFL's leading rusher with 779 yards.
trying to "damage or severely ruin" his career by making the deal, Dickerson responded: "I think so. I think they wanted to try and teach me a lesson, send me to a place that I would not like, and would probably struggle the rest of my career, which I think baked from in their face."
Bell, 5-10, started the day third among NFC
"If Greg Bell came here or if I went back to the Rams, he would sit on the bench behind me the rest of his career." Dickerson said. "If I got in and made him come in, and only then he could come in to play."
Everett, speaking after the Rams' 12-10 victory over Orlando. Dickerson still has not received a trade.
rushers with 694 yards.
"I think Eric has some problems," Everett said. "I think he was devastated when he left here (Los Angeles). I feel sorry for a man who so very unhappy. I thought we were friends when he left here. I was looking forward to playing with him."
'Huskers defeat stubborn Tigers
The Associated Press
When a football game is at stake, patience is not a virtue of Nebraska fans.
The fifth-ranked Cornhuskers, one of the winning programs in college history, spent a Saturday afternoon at St. John's and turn back a stubborn Missouri team.
They trailed 6-0 at halftime, the first time a Nebraska team has been shut out in the first half since 1986.
And Coach Tom Osborne heard boos from the sellout crowd in Lincoln.
"There will be people upset with us because we didn't make the point spread. That was the most ridiculous point spread I've ever seen in my life because I know what they've got. When Missouri is playing well, they've got people who can play with anybody."
"We had our student section booing us, which was a lot of class," a sarcastic Osborne said after the Huskers' escape "they booed the students" and we took a couple of weeks ago, so I guess they think we've got things figured out.
Missouri freshman Jeff Jacke kicked a 51-yard field goal five minutes into the fourth quarter to give the Tigers an 18-17 lead. He tied a Tigers record with his four field goals, and put up upset in the minds of the crowd.
But the Huskers 8-1 and 4-0, spring fullback Bryan Carpenter free for a 9-4 yard touchdown run, and he would go to Missouri. He goal to gomv Missouri. 2-5 and 1-3.
"Missouri, traditionally over the years, plays Nebraska pretty tough." Coach Widenhofer said. "Our kids aren't intimidated by Nebraska, even though they're a great football team and are very well coached. Nebraska is a great team and we played with them we did today, but not put it over."
Oklahoma State 45 Kansas State 27
"I want to salute (Kansas State) coach Stan Parrish and his youngsters," Cowboys coach Pat Jones said. "I'm not sure we deserved to win today."
Barry Sanders ran for 320 yards to break the Oklahoma State record of 304 in a game that he set earlier this year. And the Cowboys needed every last yard to beat the Wildcats 45-27 in Manhattan
Big 8 Roundup
"He had 320?" a disbelieving Parish said of Sanders. "I thought we did a better job on him than that. I knew we guys we did a good job on Sanders.
The Wildcats, 0-8 and 0-4, led 7-0 and 14-7 before succumbing to the Cowboys, who were 38-point favorites.
"Sanders reminds me of Joe Morris of the New York Giants, only Sanders is probably better."
Eric Biemann ran for 166 yards for the Buffaloes and has 1,105 yards this season, the first 1,000 yard season for a Colorado back since James Mayer did it in 1977. The Bulls went to 2 and 2.2 with the victory in Boiler
Colorado 24
Iowa State 12
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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TOP COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEN
Points
1 Notre Dame (14) 8-0-0 175
2 USC (4) 7-0-0 163
3 Miami(Fla.) 6-1-0 137
4 UCLA 7-1-0 116
5 Nebraska 8-1-0 102
6 Florida State 7-1-0 97
7 West Virginia 8-0-0 88
8 Auburn 7-1-0 46
9 Oklahoma 7-1-0 42
10 Arkansas 8-0-0 12
Number of first plays in each game
The weekly top 10 poll is voted on by the sports staffs of the University Daily Kansan and KJHK FM 91.