KU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Sep 13, 2008

In Week 1, it was Dezmon Briscoe, dazzling with nine catches that resulted in three touchdowns.

The following week, it was true freshman Daymond Patterson, filling in for an injured Dexton Fields to grab two touchdowns in a 29-0 victory over Louisiana Tech.

And Friday, it was sophomore Johnathan Wilson, pulling in 10 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the best game of his young career.

Although Kansas fell short against host South Florida on Friday, 37-34, the Kansas University football team can at least feel good about one thing: Its receivers appear to be as deep as any in the country.

In the aftermath of Friday’s loss, however, Wilson didn’t appear too excited about his breakout performance, even though his touchdown reception with 8:51 left in the first quarter marked the first of his career.

“Personal stats don’t mean too much,” Wilson said. “I just want to win. I would have caught no balls for no yards, and if we would have won the game, I would have felt a lot better.”

Off on the right foot

When Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing connected with Wilson for a 36-yard touchdown with 8:51 left in the first half of Friday’s game, it was the first time Kansas has scored an opening-drive touchdown since the Jayhawks played Baylor in October of 2006.

Since that game – which ended in a 36-35 loss to the Bears – Kansas has gone 17-3.

Running back Quigley a first-half no-show

Junior running back Angus Quigley, who entered the South Florida game as Kansas’ top rusher, didn’t receive his first carry until the Jayhawks’ first drive of the second half.

In the team’s first two games of the season, Quigley rushed for more yards -131 – than running backs Jake Sharp and Jocques Crawford combined and was expected to battle Crawford for the starting spot against USF. Instead, Crawford and Sharp combined for nine carries for 26 yards in the first half while Quigley, who rushed for a career-high 84 yards on 15 carries in a 29-0 victory over Louisiana Tech last week, watched from the sideline.

Quigley finished the game with just three carries, but managed to rack up 22 yards, a team high.

Former KU assistant Quartaro in the house

Nick Quartaro, KU’s offensive coordinator in head coach Mark Mangino’s first five seasons, was at the game Friday, wearing a USF shirt. He does pregame and postgame radio interviews at home games. Quartaro, who lives in nearby Dunedin, said he and Mangino talk by phone “every two weeks or so.” Quartaro said he stopped by the Kansas team hotel Friday afternoon to visit Mangino.

KU football notebook

By Staff     Sep 7, 2008

Kansas’ Harper hurt in first-quarter collision

Senior cornerback Kendrick Harper was taken off the sideline in a stretcher late in the first quarter Saturday, following what appeared to be a collision sustained during the early stages of Kansas University’s 29-0 victory over Louisiana Tech at Memorial Stadium.

The injury appeared to occur midway through the first quarter on a play, although Harper walked off the field on his own power.

Kansas coach Mark Mangino declined to go into details of the injury following the game, but said that Harper was being treated and that he would pass on more information when it became available to him.

“I don’t want to say anything that is irresponsible,” Mangino said. “I want to make sure that when I talk about him, I have all of the information that I need. But he’s in good care. He’s in good hands.”

Hatch makes first career start

After sitting out last week’s season opening victory over Florida International, red-shirt freshman Jeremiah Hatch made his first career start at right offensive tackle for the Jayhawks.

QB Todd Reesing was sacked just once and looked to have much more time to operate in the pocket than he did a week ago. In the first quarter alone, Reesing completed seven of nine passes for 98 yards and finished with 412 yards on 32-of-38 passing.

“I thought the offensive line did a great job last week, and I think they did an even better job this week,” Reesing said. “I had a lot of time back there tonight.”

Branstetter takes over kicking duties

Kicker Jacob Branstetter, who also missed the FIU game due to eligibility issues stemming from a transfer from the Air Force Academy, got off to a good start Saturday in his first game as a Jayhawk. He connected on his first career field-goal attempt, a 28-yarder with 10:38 remaining in the first quarter that gave Kansas a 3-0 lead and finished 3-of-3 on field goals.

Branstetter replaced fellow transfer Alonso Rojas as the team’s starter at placekicker – although Rojas was 2-for-2 on field goals last week (47- and 37-yard attempts) – and also handled kickoffs for the Jayhawks.

McCormack honored at halftime

Former Kansas University tackle Mike McCormack was inducted into the Kansas Football Ring of Honor at halftime of Saturday’s game, the 16th member to be inducted into the prestigious group.

McCormack, who played at Kansas from 1948-50, went on to a lengthy career in the NFL before being inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

KU-FIU football notebook

By Dugan Arnett     Aug 31, 2008

Fields leaves in first

Senior receiver Dexton Fields didn’t get much of a chance to enjoy his last “first” game Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Fields, who entered Saturday’s game having caught at least two passes in 23 of the Jayhawks last 24 games, collided with a defender midway through the first quarter and didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

Although the injury didn’t seem to hamper the team’s passing game greatly Saturday – Kansas still passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns – the loss of Fields for an extended period would no doubt leave a mark on the team’s offense.

“I don’t think it’s going to be anything that’s really long-term,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “I hope not. That’s just the preliminary evaluation. He just got his foot caught in the turf, but I think he’s going to be OK.”

The team’s leader in receptions a year ago, Fields caught 63 passes for 824 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore. Entering Saturday’s game, he was also coming off a string of three straight 100-yard receiving games, which ties for the school record.

Hatch sits out opener

Jeremiah Hatch, who earlier this month was named the team’s starter at the right offensive-tackle position, sat out Saturday’s game for unspecified reasons.

Mangino refused to comment on the status of Hatch, a true freshman of whom the coach had spoken highly during summer workouts.

In his place Saturday, senior Matt Darton handled most of the snaps at the position. Hatch was in uniform on the sideline for the game, but never saw action.

Strozier picks off pair

Sophomore Phillip Strozier emerged as a defensive standout for the Jayhawks, finishing with two interceptions, both of which came in the second half.

“The Rockhurst boy came up big,” said defensive coordinator Clint Bowen. “I’ve said that about him. He’s one of those kids kind of like Darrell (Stuckey) and (Justin Thornton) that football is natural for him.”

So far, so good

Transfer sophomore Alonso Rojas introduced himself to Kansas fans in about the best way possible Saturday: by showing off the leg that made him the nation’s top-ranked punter coming out of Miami’s Killian High.

In his first field-goal attempt as a member of the Kansas program, Rojas connected on a 47-yarder to give Kansas a 17-0 lead with 9:29 remaining in the second quarter. He followed that with a 37-yarder early in the fourth quarter, finishing 2-for-2 on field-goal attempts.

Perhaps more importantly, he helped squash fears – at least for the moment – that placekicking would be a rough spot for a team that in the past two weeks lost one kicker to transfer and another to eligibility issues.

Despite the early success, however, and the numerous cheers he garnered during his debut, he shot down suggestions that he was one of the team’s new fan-favorites.

“No one really idolizes kickers,” Rojas said, smiling. “They’ll get some cheers left and right. … But I won’t be a Todd Reesing or a Jocques Crawford or a Jake Sharp just yet.”

So far, so-so

Grady Fowler, meanwhile, missed an extra-point attempt following a Dezmon Briscoe touchdown reception that would have given the Jayhawks a 31-7 lead late in the first half.

He recovered, however, to make his final attempt, making him 4-for-5 for the day.

Crawford ‘dinged up’

Mangino said that running back Jocques Crawford, who rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, was kept out of the late stages of Saturday’s game because he was “dinged up.”

KU football notebook

By Tom Keegan     Jun 11, 2008

KU-Mizzou game either 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m.

The 2008 Border War game between Kansas University and Missouri, originally scheduled as a home game for MU but switched to Arrowhead Stadium as part of a two-year arrangement that started last year, will be played Nov. 29 and will kick off either at 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m., it was announced Tuesday.

FSN announced the Kansas-Missouri game will be one of at least two KU contests that the network, the cable television home for Big 12 football, will televise nationally. KU’s home game against Louisiana Tech, a 6 p.m. kickoff, is the other.

ESPN2 will carry the Kansas game at South Florida on Sept. 12. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. Other TV games will be announced during the season.

Jayhawks still searching for punt returner

Cornerback Anthony Webb, forced into nine starts his freshman season by injuries to KU’s secondary, saw little action as a sophomore, other than a punt returner. He gained just 16 yards on 19 returns.

Finding a reliable punt returner remains a challenge for KU coach Mark Mangino.

Junior Raimond Pendleton averaged 12.1 yards on 14 returns last season, including one he turned into a 77-yard touchdown.

Daymond Patterson, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound freshman out of Mesquite, Texas, will compete for the job. Also a wide receiver and kick returner for North Mesquite High, Patterson averaged 21.6 yards per punt return as a senior. Patterson set school records in the triple jump and as a member of the 4X200 relay team.

KU begins second week of voluntary workouts

The Kansas football team is in the midst of the second week of voluntary summer conditioning workouts, supervised by strength and conditioning coach Chris Dawson.

Football tickets on sale

Season tickets remain on sale at the KU Ticket Office on the south end of Allen Fieldhouse, by phone (785) 864-3141 or 1-800-34-HAWKS, and online at kuathletics.com. Single-game tickets go on sale Aug. 1. Season ticket prices are $300, $240 for KU faculty and staff and recent graduates (2006-08), and $400 for the Family Zone, which includes two adult and two youth tickets.

KU football notebook

By Tom Keegan     Jun 7, 2008

Memorial Stadium plan will add luxury seating

A new outdoor luxury seating section will be installed behind the south end zone of Memorial Stadium, KU athletic director Lew Perkins announced in a letter to Williams Fund members.

The plan calls for the 56-seat section to include 22 flat-screen televisions, an exclusive hospitality area with complimentary beverages and upscale buffets, and luxury chair-back seating.

None of the seats have been sold, associate AD Jim Marchiony said.

“We think these seats will offer a unique combination of location, comfort and service that our fans will be excited to experience,” Marchiony said.

The new section will be on display from 5 to 8 p.m. on June 23.

Girard recruit gives KU oral commitment

Darian Kelly, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior-to-be from Girard High, has orally committed to Kansas University’s football program, Rivals.com reports. Kelly said he received early offers from KU and Kansas State and received heavy interest from Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Kelly was recruited as a safety.

Kelly’s oral commitment brings the number of non-binding KU commitments for the Class of 2009 to six. The others: safety Prinz Kande, linebacker Earnest Norman from Euless, Texas; cornerback Tyler Patmon from Cedar Park, Texas; running back Deshaun Sands of Coconut Creek, Fla., and the son of former KU running back Tony Sands; and quarterback Jordan Webb of Union, Mo.

KU football to relocate to new complex in July

The KU football program tentatively is scheduled to move its headquarters into the new complex that includes a state-of-the art weight room, coaches offices and academic center, during the week of July 7.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Jul 24, 2007

Under review: Determined to fix whatever made Kansas University’s football team fall flat late in games last year, coach Mark Mangino and his staff evaluated every single play of all 12 games last year, and especially directed their focus toward analyzing the fourth quarters.

“Just like anything else, there’s no simple answer,” Mangino said. “There’s situations where we had some physical breakdowns by players. Mental breakdowns. Coaching decisions.

“We put it all together. We said, ‘You know, we all share the blame for this thing. Let’s make it better.'”

KU lost fourth-quarter leads to Toledo, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Baylor and a second-half lead to Oklahoma State. It doomed the Jayhawks to a 6-6 season, which ended up not being enough for a bowl invitation.

“We went back and studied how we will handle situations as they arise again,” Mangino said.

¢Injury front: Wide receiver Tertavian Ingram is back to normal after missing most of spring with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s doing good,” Mangino said. “I talked to the trainer the other day, and he’s flying full speed now.”

¢Uniforms: KU will be sporting new uniforms when opening against Central Michigan on Sept. 1. Though they haven’t been unveiled yet, Mangino has gotten a sneak peek of how his team will look.

“They’re good,” Mangino said. “But hey, the uniform doesn’t make the player. The player makes the uniform. I’m worried about the guys in them, not the way they look.”

¢Chick magnet: KU cornerback Aqib Talib occasionally gets queries as to how he got the name “Aqib.”

It’s pretty simple: His parents used to practice Islam back when Talib and his siblings were born. All of them have a Muslim name.

“I see it as unique,” Talib said. “Girls like it, so I’ll take it.”

¢Urgency: Talib never has been one to shy away from any challenge, and he decided to hold his team accountable Monday when asked whether it’s time for the Jayhawks to get to the next level.

“If this Kansas football program is going to get turned around, this has to be the year,” Talib said. “The talent level this team has right now and the way the schedule is laid out, if it’s going to get turned around, it has to be this year.”

¢Too early to tell: A year ago at the Big 12 media days, Mangino didn’t hesitate to say that running back Jake Sharp’s work ethic and ability would put him on the field as a true freshman.

He didn’t have a similar claim about anyone this time around, though he said he’ll have a better idea soon when he meets this week with strength coach Chris Dawson.

“I don’t care about the numbers. I don’t care what they test out,” Mangino said. “Effort and attitude. That’s what we’ll talk about, and those guys will have the best chance to get on the field as true freshmen.”

Summer conditioning workouts will wrap up Thursday.

¢Strong safety strong: KU’s quarterback position is having what Mangino calls a healthy competition that remains ongoing.

It’s similar to strong safety, where junior-college transfer Patrick Resby and junior Tang Bacheyie continue to battle it out.

“We’ve got a great situation at that position. Patrick Resby has had a huge summer, and so has Tang Bacheyie.”

“The light’s come on for Tang. We were looking at tape the other day of the spring scrimmage. Tang Bacheyie played outstanding.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Dec 23, 2006

Cornish selected

Kansas University running back Jon Cornish has been selected to participate in the annual East-West Shrine Game next month.

The all-star game, usually attended by dozens of NFL scouts, will be played Jan. 20 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Cornish is the first Jayhawk selected to play in the game since cornerback Carl Nesmith participated in 2000.

Cornish, KU’s single-season rushing record holder, is one of several Big 12 Conference standouts on the West roster. Others include Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor, Kansas State linebacker Brandon Archer and Texas Tech receivers Joel Filani and Jarrett Hicks.

High praise for RB

It’s super early, but preliminary NFL Draft forecasts seem to be high on Cornish, the 6-foot, 210-pound tailback out of British Columbia.

The Web site nfldraftcountdown.com ranks Cornish as the 84th best prospect and the sixth-best running back in the 2007 Draft.

Another – draftboardinsider.

com – ranks Cornish the 90th best prospect in the Draft, and 12th-best running back.

Being a Canadian, Cornish was eligible for the CFL Draft last season despite still being in college. He was selected in the second round by the Calgary Stampede, who still hold his CFL rights. He told reporters during the season that he’s interested in the NFL at this point.

The NFL Draft will take place in New York in late April.

Gordon breaks out

Former KU do-all Charles Gordon, now a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings, had his best game to date against Green Bay on Thursday.

Gordon, a cornerback, registered four tackles against the Packers, giving him six for the season in seven games.

Besides his defensive duties, Gordon also had the opportunity to return a punt against the New York Jets on Dec. 17. He muffed it, though, and had to fall on it for just a one-yard gain.

Gordon left Kansas a year early for the NFL and signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in April. He started the season on the team’s practice squad before being promoted.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Dec 2, 2006

Recruiting weekend: Kansas is in the middle of its first big recruiting weekend of the winter. Rivals.com analyst Jon Kirby estimated seven recruits currently were on campus taking their official visits.

That list includes a few who already have committed to Kansas, including Free State High brothers Ryan and Brian Murphy.

Kansas currently has eight commitments for the 2007 class, all high-school players. Most recruits cannot sign until February, though graduating junior-college players can sign in December and join the team in January.

¢
2007 schedule: Though the opponents have been known for a while, KU has posted its 2007 schedule dates.

KU will play its first four games – all nonconference – at home, but will open Big 12 play on the road for the third straight year. The reason is the annual game with Missouri has been moved to Thanksgiving weekend for television purposes. It had been scheduled for Sept. 29, which now will be an open date.

KU’s non-league foes are Central Michigan (Sept. 1), Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 8), Toledo (Sept. 15) and Florida International (Sept. 22).

Home league games will be against Baylor (Oct. 13), Nebraska (Nov. 3), Iowa State (Nov. 17) and Missouri (Nov. 24). League road games will be against Kansas State (Oct. 6), Colorado (Oct. 20), Texas A&M (Oct. 27) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 10).

¢
Amadi signs: Former KU cornerback Ronnie Amadi has signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League.

Amadi, who played for KU from 2001-05, had a tryout with the Buffalo Bills and was on the roster of the afl2’s Tulsa Talons before signing with the Brigade.

¢
Webb honored: KU freshman cornerback Anthony Webb was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team by The Sporting News, the only Jayhawk honored.

Webb had 42 tackles and three interceptions this season, taking over the starting job at the beginning of Big 12 play.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 25, 2006

Kansas University’s football game at Missouri is on ABC network television, but it won’t be widely watched.

ABC’s regional-feed map released early this week showed the Border War game will be seen only by a meager 8 percent of the country. The other 92 percent will see the rivalry game between Florida and Florida State.

The Kansas-Missouri game will be shown almost exclusively in states with Big 12 Conference schools, including Kansas and Missouri and most of Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma. Parts of Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas will get KU-MU, too.

Surprisingly, most of Texas is set to get Florida-Florida State, despite the Big 12 Conference offices being in Dallas.

¢
Injury breaks: For the third straight week, Kansas will have the fortune of not having to face its opponent’s top wide receiver.

Missouri’s Will Franklin (48 catches, 829 yards) has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss the rest of the season. Franklin’s injury follows the setback to K-State’s Yamon Figurs, who had a concussion and didn’t play against Kansas last week.

Iowa State standout Todd Blythe missed the KU game on Nov. 4 with a viral illness. The Cylcones’ No. 3 receiver, Jon Davis, also missed the Kansas game with a collapsed lung.

¢
Blackout: Missouri is encouraging a “blackout” at Faurot Field today by asking all fans to wear black to the game.

To help with the cause, the Mizzou online store sold Blackout shirts commemorating today’s game, complete with the phrase “A Game Beyond Borders” on the back.

¢
In a race: The last three seasons, former KU linebacker Nick Reid pretty much took the team lead in tackles early and never relinquished it.

With Reid gone, an interesting race is heating up this season.

Currently, linebacker Mike Rivera leads the Jayhawks with 80 tackles, with strong safety Jerome Kemp just behind him with 79 stops. Joe Mortensen is third (70), and then it’s long way back to fourth (James McClinton with 46).

It’ll take good a good performance today along with a strong showing in KU’s possible bowl game next month for Rivera, Kemp or Mortensen to hit 100 tackles. The last time KU didn’t have a 100-tackle defender was 2001, when Marcus Rogers led KU with 97 stops.

¢
Second place: Kansas is playing for placement in the Big 12 North standings today.

If the Jayhawks win, they’ll be tied for second in the North with Kansas State and Missouri and will have tiebreakers over both. If they lose, they’ll finish all alone in fourth behind the Wildcats and Tigers.

Nebraska has wrapped up the Big 12 North title, and Colorado (5th) and Iowa State (6th) already are placed.

¢
This, that: Oddly, the Jayhawks are 3-4 when they score more than 30 points this season, and 3-1 when they score less than 30. : Kansas is appearing on ABC for the first time since last season, when it was walloped, 66-14, by eventual national champ Texas. : : No Missouri coach ever has lost four in a row to Kansas in the history of the Border War game. Pinkel currently is on a three-game slide. : The winner of today’s game is awarded the Marching Band Drum, a tradition that dates back to 1912.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 17, 2006

No more tickets: Kansas officials announced Thursday that Saturday’s KU-Kansas State game is a sellout.

The remaining 1,000 or so tickets were gobbled up the last few days, meaning a crowd of better than 50,000 is expected.

Good news for Kansas: The last three times attendance exceeded 48,000 at Memorial Stadium, the Jayhawks won – victories over Kansas State in 2004 and Missouri and Nebraska in 2005.

¢
On the mend: It’s been a month of growth for KU freshman safety Darrell Stuckey.

After starting the season on the sideline with an ankle injury, Stuckey played his first collegiate game Oct. 7 against Texas A&M in a reserve role.

Since then, he slowly has shaken the rust off and now is KU’s starting free safety heading into Saturday’s game.

“It felt like I started from scratch all over again,” Stuckey said. “it felt like i just got here. I just got back and had to get reacquainted with my teammates and the game. Before I felt like I was moving with great speed and really getting used to the speed of the game. I had to get used to it all over again.”

Stuckey feels he’s still not 100 percent physically. But he said playing in KU’s last five games made him a better defensive back than he would be playing at full strength.

“I probably get to places quicker than I used to because I’m smarter now,” Stuckey said.

¢
Bowl projections: KU coach Mark Mangino doesn’t want to talk about it, but bowl projections are in full swing, as they are every November. Right now, Kansas isn’t invited to the party.

After several publications picked KU to go to the Poinsettia Bowl last week, most have abandoned that thought this week of Kansas even playing in a postseason game.

Some, like ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach, have replaced Kansas with Arizona, a geographically closer team to the San Diego bowl game than Kansas. Arizona shockingly beat Cal last week to improve to 5-5. Kansas also is 5-5.

The Jayhawks need one more victory to be bowl-eligible, though six wins doesn’t guarantee a bowl invitation.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 16, 2006

House divided

The phone lines haven’t been cut this week between Kerry and Dylan Meier, though it’d be understandable.

“We’ve been talking every day,” said Kerry, KU’s freshman quarterback.

Dylan, K-State’s backup quarterback, is Kerry’s older brother. Both were starters at the beginning of the season, conjuring up visions of a Meier Bowl on Saturday. But Dylan Meier since has been replaced by freshman Josh Freeman atop the depth chart.

“I think Dylan’s handled the situation very well,” Kerry said. “That’s just the way Dylan is.”

Kerry said he hopes Dylan gets some playing time Saturday, though it’s not expected to be extensive. As for who the family is rooting for? Well, Dylan and Kerry’s oldest brother, Shad, was a Kansas State grad as well, but that’s not going to stop the Meier parents from being split 50-50 Saturday.

“I don’t know where the Kansas State section is,” Kerry said, “but they’re going to try to sit in the middle (between KU and KSU fans).”

The Meier brothers are one of two sets of brothers playing against each other Saturday. KU freshman cornerback Phillip Strozier, who’s red-shirting, is the younger brother of K-State senior wide receiver Noah Strozier.

Get him the ball

Perhaps the state’s top recruit a year ago could be playing all over the field in Saturday’s in-state showdown.

KU freshman Jake Sharp has popped up about everywhere, getting a few carries at running back, a few catches as a slot receiver and returning kickoffs two weeks ago against Iowa State.

“He’s a playmaker, and we’re trying to get him on the field,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “We want to get our playmakers the ball.”

Sharp was a star at Salina Central High, scoring 63 touchdowns his senior season. He chose Kansas early, but was recruited by Kansas State after new coach Ron Prince arrived midway through recruiting season.

Sharp is expected to play plenty against the Wildcats – in plenty of different places.

“He’s starting to grow as a player,” Mangino said. “He’s a great athlete, and we want to utilize him more.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 15, 2006

¢ Dejà vu?: Kansas coach Mark Mangino watched Kansas State beat Texas on Saturday at his home and admitted it reminded him a little of KU’s chance in 2004, where Texas stormed back with two late touchdowns to beat the Jayhawks, 27-23, in Lawrence.

“We had an opportunity to beat Texas two years ago when they were here,” Mangino said. “We let it slip through our hands. They didn’t.”

Mangino did point out that the situations were different for each team.

“There was a guy missing,” Mangino quipped. “Vince Young.”

¢
Sharp wins job: Mangino confirmed Tuesday that freshman Jake Sharp was KU’s new primary kick-return specialist.

The job mainly had been sophomore Marcus Herford’s, but Sharp returned kicks against Iowa State and now has the job all to himself.

Sharp has three returns this season, averaging 14.3 yards per chance.

¢
Running out: KU reported Tuesday that fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for Saturday’s game.

The last time the two teams played at Memorial Stadium, Oct. 9, 2004, the estimated attendance was 50,152. Kansas won that game, 31-28.

¢
Figurs questionable: KSU coach Ron Prince said at his press conference Tuesday that standout wide receiver Yamon Figurs may miss Saturday’s game because of a possible concussion, according to K-State media reports.

Figurs had six catches for 123 yards and a 52-yard punt return against Texas before leaving the game in the second half.

¢
Rest is good: KU coaches and players are adamant that the week off was a good thing for the team, despite KU having won two straight and picking up momentum going into the bye week.

“After 10 straight weeks, any rest has to be good for us,” guard Travis Dambach said. “I know it helped me coming back to Sunday practice. My legs felt pretty good.”

Defensive tackle James McClinton agreed.

“It felt kind of weird,” McClinton said. “On Saturday, I woke up and I was restful, but during that whole day I was like, ‘Man, what should I do?’

“It felt good. I feel good right now, but I’m ready to play. It’s about time. Let’s go knock heads.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 9, 2006

Back to basics

Not having to worry about an opponent is proving to be beneficial for KU’s football team.

Kansas has completed two practices and will finish up the week of work today, with no game scheduled for Saturday. With no opponent until Kansas State on Nov. 18, it’s back to the simple things this week on the practice field.

“They’ve been very good for us,” coach Mark Mangino said. “We’ve been able to go back and focus on some things that during the course of the season, you’re so busy gameplanning that sometimes little fundamentals seem to slide away from you a little bit. We were able to get those back on track the last few days.”

Saturday off

Mangino plans to spend at least part of Saturday in Topeka, where Washburn’s football team is playing host to Missouri Western.

Mangino’s son, Tommy, is a reserve quarterback on the Ichabods, though he hasn’t suited up since undergoing an emergency appendectomy Oct. 23.

Duncan recovering

Reserve linebacker Brandon Duncan recently started practicing on a limited basis after injuring his ankle in September.

“He just got the OK to start doing some light work,” Mangino said.

Mangino seemed unsure whether Duncan would return this season, saying “I couldn’t tell you how that will play out.”

“You’d like to think before (spring),” Mangino said, “but I just don’t know.”

Lamb honored twice

KU announced it’s players of the game for the Iowa State game, and it sounds like a broken record.

Receiver Jonathan Lamb was honored on both offense and special teams for his pass-catching and punt-return skills. Lamb shared offensive honors with tight end Derek Fine. Linebacker Mike Rivera was cited for defense.

Smart ones

Lamb and defensive end Russell Brorsen both were named academic all-district by ESPN the Magazine this week. The honor means the two will be placed on the academic all-American ballot that will be filled out at a later date.

Gordon added

Former KU standout Charles Gordon has been promoted.

The Minnesota Vikings cornerback was moved from the practice squad to the team’s 53-man roster Tuesday. Gordon signed with Minnesota as a free agent in April and was thought to be a strong candidate to make the team out of training camp. But a knee injury derailed his progress, and he was placed on the practice squad instead.

The roster spot opened when Minnesota waived safety Rashad Baker.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 6, 2006

Bueltel leaves: Kansas University backup cornerback Blake Bueltel has left the team, coach Mark Mangino said.

“He wants an opportunity to play at another division,” Mangino said Sunday.

Bueltel started the first three games of the season before losing his job to freshman Anthony Webb. He had 17 tackles and four pass break-ups this year, his only season with the Jayhawks. Bueltel came to Kansas after two years at Butler County Community College.

“He just wants an opportunity to get out on the field,” Mangino said. “We support his decision.”

¢
Cornish correction: KU running back Jon Cornish was erroneously slighted 10 rushing yards from his Saturday total by scorekeepers. The yards were given to fullback Brandon McAnderson accidentally.

Cornish had a 32-yard rush in the third quarter, followed immediately by a 17-yard run by McAnderson. Stat keepers accidentally gave Cornish 22 yards and McAnderson 27.

With the change, Cornish rushed 17 times for 89 yards against Iowa State, while McAnderson had seven carries for 32 yards. It also means that Cornish, with 1,130 yards this year, jumps all the way to fifth on KU’s all-time single season rushing list. He passed four players with the correction.

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Dominating: KU cornerback Aqib Talib, at least statistically, is the best defensive back in Division I-A so far this season.

Talib has a national-best 21 passes defended (16 passes broken up, five interceptions) and is on top despite missing the first two games of the season with a disciplinary suspension.

Talib’s five interceptions is tied for first in the Big 12 Conference and tied for ninth in Division I-A. Texas’ Aaron Ross and Colorado’s Terrence Wheatley also have five picks.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 5, 2006

After playing games in 10 straight weeks, the Jayhawks finally get some time off with no game on the schedule this week.

“Ten weeks in a row is quite a grind,” coach Mark Mangino said.

Kansas next plays Nov. 18 against Kansas State.

¢ Kansas broke a seven-game losing streak on the road, which dates back to a win at Missouri on the final day of the 2004 season. Under Mangino, Kansas is 2-17 on the road in Big 12 Conference play.

¢ KU’s 31-point victory was the largest it ever has had against a Big 12 opponent on the road. It was the largest against a conference opponent since defeating Baylor at home, 45-10, in 1999.

¢ Aqib Talib’s second-quarter interception gives him five this season, including three in the last two weeks. Afterward, Talib celebrated by pretending to shoot a jump shot – the same celebration members of the NFL’s New York Giants do after making a defensive play.

¢ Running back Jon Cornish had 17 carries for 79 yards, increasing his season total to 1,120 yards. He’s now ninth on KU’s single-season list.

¢ Cornish had a rare fumble in the second quarter near the Kansas goal line. It’s the second fumble he’s credited with having committed, though the first was a botched handoff between Kerry Meier and Cornish in overtime at Toledo.

¢ Iowa State linebacker Alvin Bowen was credited with 18 tackles against the Jayhawks, increasing his season total to 134. That’s best in NCAA Division I-A.

¢ For the 23rd straight game, an individual was unable to rush for 100 yards against Kansas. The last time it happened was Nov. 13, 2004, when Cedric Benson (161) and Vince Young (114) did it for Texas. Josh Johnson led ISU with 31 yards rushing on 11 carries.

¢ Freshman Jake Sharp had an increased role against the Cyclones, being the designated kick returner and also lining up as a receiver. He caught two passes for nine yards, both wide-receiver screens. As a running back during garbage time, he had four carries for 15 yards.

¢ One of Iowa State’s only effective weapons on offense was receiver Milan Moses, who had nine catches for 109 yards.

¢ Ottawa product Caleb Blakesley was credited with a forced fumble and a sack.

¢ Freshman wide receiver Raimond Pendleton made his college debut in the fourth quarter.

¢ Lawrence High product Ian Handshy played linebacker in the fourth quarter and was credited with two tackles.

¢ Mike Rivera and James McClinton led KU with six tackles apiece. Rivera leads the Jayhawks with 71 tackles this season.

¢ Mangino is 3-2 against Iowa State as KU’s head coach. The only other Big 12 team Mangino has a winning record against is Missouri (3-1).

¢ Iowa State standout receiver Todd Blythe did not play and was on the sidelines in sweats. It’s the second game in a row he has missed because of a viral illness.

¢ Nebraska’s 34-20 victory over Missouri on Saturday officially eliminated Kansas from contention for the Big 12 North title.

¢ Ryan Christal was head referee in charge of the seven-man officiating crew.

¢ Attendance was announced as 40,272, the lowest turnout at Jack Trice Stadium this season.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Nov 1, 2006

Murph doing fine

Wide receiver Brian Murph said he was OK after running full speed into a camera platform at Baylor on Oct. 21.

Murph lost track of where he was on the field while chasing down an overthrown Marcus Herford pass. The platform was just a couple of feet behind the end zone, and Murph nailed it, crumpling to the ground for several minutes in what initially was a scary sight.

“I was so wide open that I didn’t know he threw it that far,” Murph said with a smile. “I’m thinking I’m in the back of the end zone, and I look up and see this green thing. Next thing I know, I’m out, laying down.”

Murph said he was “woozy” after the play and didn’t play much the rest of the day. He did play plenty against Colorado, catching six passes.

“I saw it at the last moment,” he said of the platform. “That stopped me from running into it head on. I’m glad for that.”

Hicks, Davis out

Iowa State coach Dan McCarney confirmed starting tailback Stevie Hicks and wide receiver Jon Davis wouldn’t play against Kansas on Saturday.

Hicks had his knee scoped Tuesday and could be done for the year, while Davis is recovering from a collapsed lung suffered last week against Kansas State.

Davis is second on the team with 28 catches for 396 yards. Hicks, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2004, had 523 yards on 107 carries this season.

Also, standout receiver Todd Blythe (viral infection) is expected to play against Kansas after missing last week’s game, though as of Monday he had not yet been cleared.

Players of the game

Todd Reesing was named offensive player of the week after leading the Jayhawks from behind for a 20-15 victory over Colorado.

Aqib Talib (two interceptions) was honored for defense, while Jeff Foster was cited for special teams.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 29, 2006

Jon Cornish became the ninth player in Kansas history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, running for 80 yards on 23 carries. Cornish has 1,041 yards on 193 carries, best in the Big 12 Conference.

¢ Kansas dusted off the red uniforms for the second time this season after a two-game losing streak in the traditional blues. Kansas is 4-0 when wearing the red jerseys, beating Louisiana Tech, Missouri, South Florida and Colorado in the last two seasons.

¢ Aqib Talib lined up at wide receiver in the second quarter, and on his first play in had a pass thrown to him. He was blanketed by coverage, though, and the pass fell incomplete. It was his only play on offense Saturday.

¢ Dominic Roux has been moved to the defensive secondary after being used sparingly as a wide receiver in his first four years. Roux, a speedy fifth-year senior, now wears jersey No. 30 instead of his usual No. 80. He recorded his only tackle on his first defensive play.

¢ Backup cornerback Blake Bueltel did not suit up Saturday.

¢ Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier did suit up and threw passes in pregame. He did not play because of a shoulder injury.

¢ Jeff Foster caught his first pass of the season, a big 31-yard reception with Kansas QB Todd Reesing flushed out of the pocket on third down. It set up KU’s final touchdown.

¢ Reesing’s 90 rushing yards led the Jayhawks, the first time a quarterback has led KU in rushing since 2004, when Jason Swanson had a team-high 45 rushing yards against Iowa State.

¢ While Colorado safety Ryan Walters was returning his fumble recovery 95 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, he apparently was looking up at the live shot on the KU video board to see if anyone was closing in on him. Cornish was the only one with a chance to catch Walters, but he wasn’t able to close the gap.

¢ Lawrence High product Ian Handshy played on the kickoff team Saturday, his first action of his career. Handshy, a walk-on, is a 2005 LHS grad and a red-shirt freshman linebacker for the Jayhawks.

¢ Darrell Stuckey made his first start of the season at free safety. He missed the first five games because of an ankle injury and played behind Justin Thornton upon his return. Stuckey had four tackles.

¢ Former KU commitment Jarrell Yates, a CU wide receiver, had one reception for 14 yards.

¢ At halftime, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said on the radio, “It’s World Series time, and we’re playing baseball on offense.”

¢ Colorado is 1-8 for the first time since 1984.

¢ KU’s streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher extended to 22 games.

¢ Russell Brorsen started his fourth straight game at defensive end and made his debut on the Kansas depth chart Saturday. He was listed as a backup to Rodney Allen.

¢ Strong safety Jerome Kemp was KU’s leading tackler with 11 stops, including two for a loss. Joe Mortensen had nine stops, and both Anthony Webb and Brorsen had seven.

¢ Talib and Reesing, not surprisingly, were given game balls after the contest by KU coach Mark Mangino.

¢ Colorado’s longest play was the last one of the game – a 61-yard desperation heave from Bernard Jackson to Patrick Williams with the clock at zero. Jackson was penalized for being in front of the line of scrimmage when the game ended, but the penalty was declined so that the game would be over. Colorado finished on the Kansas 17-yard line.

¢ Mangino has now beaten every Big 12 North team in his four-plus seasons at Kansas coach. Coming into this season, Colorado was the only North team he hadn’t recorded a victory against.

¢ Estimated attendance was announced as 39,313 – the lowest turnout of the season for Kansas.

KU football notebook

By Staff     Oct 26, 2006

The lighter side: KU coach Mark Mangino is taking a humorous approach to a tiny controversy last week.

After KU’s 36-35 loss to Baylor, Mangino and running back Jon Cornish had differing opinions on the extent of Cornish’s injury. Mangino said Cornish received less carries late in the game because he was hurt, while Cornish denied it and said the coaching staff “assumed” he was ailing.

All seems better, now. While Cornish was being interviewed by writers Wednesday, Mangino walked past and shouted, “Hey Jon, I’m getting that wheelchair. I’ll be right back.”

For the record, Cornish started the interview by saying he felt great. And he did walk away when the interview was done.

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No more: One of KU’s biggest problems against Colorado was punt-return specialist Stephone Robinson, who has scored a touchdown in each of the last two KU-CU showdowns.

It doesn’t look like he’ll get the chance for three straight. A bad case of fumble-itis has forced CU coach Dan Hawkins to give the duty to someone else.

Hawkins said at his Tuesday press conference that Chase McBride and Cha’pelle Brown are the likely replacements.

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Board meeting: Kansas Athletics, Inc., had its quarterly board meeting Wednesday, and took a majority of the time to discuss its financial audit for fiscal year 2005-06.

A $17 million increase in net assets from FY 2004-05 to 2005-06 was estimated, and overall, the audit revealed what’s been consistent since 2003 – that Kansas Athletics continues to grow financially.

“We’re healthy,” athletic director Lew Perkins said.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 25, 2006

Cornish confusion

KU coach Mark Mangino briefly addressed differing opinions between himself and running back Jon Cornish after Saturday’s loss at Baylor.

After the game, Mangino said Cornish was limited in the second half by an injury, but Cornish said “I didn’t think I was. They assumed I was injured. I’m just fine.”

“He’s intensely proud, and he’s not slowed immensely by this injury,” Mangino said Tuesday. “I can only go by what I’m told by my medical staff, and that’s what I respond to.”

Kickoff set

Game time for KU’s Nov. 4 game at Iowa State is 1 p.m. It was not picked to be aired on television.

The Iowa State game will mark the third straight week Kansas will not play on TV, after being shown four consecutive weeks before that.

Players of the game

Cornish was chosen by KU coaches as the team’s offensive player of the game against Baylor.

Linebacker Arist Wright was cited for defense, while Derek Fine took the honor for special teams.

Tommy doing fine

Mangino’s son, Tommy, is doing well after an emergency appendectomy was performed Monday morning.

“His surgery went fine. He’s doing absolutely well,” coach Mangino said. “The antisthetic kicked his butt a little bit : but everything went really well.”

Tommy Mangino, a former two-sport standout at Lawrence High, plays football and baseball at Washburn University.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 23, 2006

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino confirmed that running back Jon Cornish practiced Sunday, one day after KU’s 36-35 loss to Baylor.

Though Cornish said afterward that he was fine, Mangino said that Cornish still was battling a nagging injury, which he wouldn’t disclose. Cornish covered it up well, rushing the ball 24 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

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Encore: In order to be bowl-eligible, Kansas needs to win three of its final four games, playing Colorado, at Iowa State, Kansas State and at Missouri.

It’s the same situation the Jayhawks faced with four games left last year. That KU team pulled it off, beating Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State and eventually topping Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl.

“We’ve been here before,” Mangino said. “This is not uncharted waters for us.”

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Good practice: Mangino said that Sunday’s practice was a good one, despite being just 24 hours removed from a devastating loss to Baylor.

“This bunch of kids are very resiliant and anxious to win, as we all are,” Mangino said. “They’re able to look forward and try to get a victory here. That’s our focus here. It was good spirit. The kids are really phenomenal with their resiliancy.”

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Up next: Colorado, an offensively challenged squad, comes to Lawrence this week with a 1-7 record, including a 1-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Buffalos lost, 24-3, Saturday at Oklahoma.

Kansas opens as a two-point favorite in Vegas.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 20, 2006

Spitgate: A video circulated around the Internet Thursday from last week’s KU game against Oklahoma State, featuring an angle that apparently shows an Oklahoma State assistant coach or aide spitting on KU receiver Marcus Herford as he was tackled on the OSU sideline.

Officials from KU, OSU and the Big 12 Conference all examined the video on Thursday, but it appears to be a false alarm.

After a careful inspection of the 6Sports replay of last week’s game, it’s obvious that while the aide did spit as Herford hit the ground on OSU’s sideline, it wasn’t directed at Herford and landed about four feet away from the KU sophomore. Herford landed about two yards away from the aide, though it appears the two are much closer on the widely circulated angle.

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Baylor receiver booted: Baylor inside receiver Terrance Parks has been kicked off the team, according to a report in the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Parks, a 265-pound converted quarterback built like a tight end, had 26 catches for 217 yards in the Bears’ first six games. He was suspended for last week’s game against Texas, and now has been booted for good.

Parks was the subject of some trick plays in the first half of Baylor’s season. Along with his 26 receptions, he also threw two passes. Wide receiver Dominique Zeigler also has two passes, one for a touchdown.

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Evening out: With a 2-1 conference mark, Baylor needs just one more league victory to mark its highest number of conference victories in a season since 1995 – when the Bears played in the Southwest Conference.

Baylor has had a two-win conference season just one other time in Big 12 history, and that was last season. The Bears beat Iowa State and Oklahoma State, but was one victory short of bowl eligibility.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 19, 2006

Kansas University freshman running back Angus Quigley is in the middle of a slow recovery from a serious preseason injury, reportedly a torn muscle in his thigh.

“He’s getting therapy. He’s progressing,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “The doctors feel like he’s progressing right on track. There hasn’t been any complications or anything of that sort.”

Quigley, who’s out for the season, dresses for practices now that he’s back on his feet, but he’s still off-limits from any work.

“Our team policy is, unless you’re incapacitated, you come to practice, you dress for practice, whether you’re participating or not,” Mangino said. “He’s out here observing and just trying to stay mentally into the game.”

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Ready to go: Baylor apparently got word of KU’s inept defensive performance against Oklahoma State last week. And at least one Bears player is salivating at the possibilites against KU’s pass defense, which gave up 411 yards through the air against the Cowboys.

“When our offense found out what happened in that last game, they’re trying to put up 1,000 (yards) on these guys,” cornerback C.J. Wilson told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “Shawn (Bell, quarterback) needs to do some one-arm push-ups to get his arm strong enough. Because if that’s how much they’re giving up, we need to air it out.”

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Reid’s revenge?: Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid told the Daily Oklahoman a story about a KU fan heckling him throughout the first half of last week’s 42-32 Cowboys victory.

Down 17-0, Reid was really hearing it. But once Reid’s 29-yard touchdown run put the Cowboys within three, the tone had changed.

“After I ran for a touchdown, I saw him, but he would not look at me,” Reid told the Oklahoman. “He kept turning his head.”

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Lamb honored: KU senior wide receiver Jonathan Lamb is one of 148 semifinalists for the Draddy Trophy, given to a player who combines academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.

Lamb, who already has a bachelor’s degree, was an academic All-Big 12 first-team selection last year and has six catches for 98 yards this season.

KU football notebook

By Staff     Oct 17, 2006

Cornish probable

Running back Jon Cornish, who missed much of the second half against Oklahoma State because of an undisclosed injury, should be OK to play against Baylor on Saturday.

“Early indications are that he will, but we’ll see about that,” KU coach Mark Mangino said Monday. “I think he will. We had a light workout (Sunday), and it all depends on how he practices on Tuesday. The medical staff feels he should be ready to go.”

Cornish had just 55 yards on 10 carries against the Cowboys, but as Mangino said, “Usually he’s strongest in the second half.”

League champ?

Provided Cornish can get healthy, the senior has a great shot at winning the Big 12 rushing title this season.

Oklahoma junior Adrian Peterson went down because of a broken collarbone last week, an injury that’s expected to sideline him for the rest of the regular season. He had 935 yards rushing pre-injury.

Cornish currently is second with 765 rushing yards and likely will pass Peterson if he’s healthy. In third place is Missouri’s Tony Temple, who has 600 yards on 116 carries.

Colorado game set

Kansas will play its third straight week away from the television cameras Oct. 28, when the Jayhawks’ home game with Colorado will start at 1 p.m. and not be on television.

Kansas wasn’t on TV for the Oklahoma State game and won’t be for Saturday’s matchup at Baylor, either.

He has given up

Baylor coach Guy Morriss disclosed Monday that he no longer asks the Big 12 Conference to review questionable calls involving his team, a normal procedure intended to have a checks-and-balances effect with conference officiating.

“We’ve stopped sending plays into the league because all they do is send it back and say, ‘Well, yeah, we blew it. Sorry,'” Morriss said. “You get tired of hearing the same old stuff over and over again. What’s the point of wasting my time or their time?”

Still working

Morriss said he hadn’t dissected too much film of Kansas, so he didn’t have much to say on the game’s most intriguing matchup – Baylor’s successful pass offense against KU’s struggling pass defense.

“Every defense, every coverage has got its weakness,” Morriss said. “That’s what we’re looking for. Things we can take advantage of.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 16, 2006

Dinged up: Kansas coach Mark Mangino spoke to reporters Sunday before the Jayhawks returned to the practice field, so he was unable to give updates on which injured players were back working out.

He did say that linebacker Joe Mortensen – who appeared to hurt his shoulder Saturday – may be ready for Saturday’s game.

“Based on what the trainer tells me right now,” Mangino said, “we don’t anticipate (Mortensen missing time).”

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Sinking fast: Oklahoma State’s 411 passing yards against Kansas on Saturday dropped the Jayhawks even lower in pass-defense rankings.

Among 119 NCAA Division I-A teams, the Jayhawks are now 117th against the pass, giving up 281.7 yards per game.

Only Northern Illinois (283.9) and Ball State (298.4) are worse.

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Up next: Just what Kansas needs: a team that loves to pass the football.

KU will travel to Waco, Texas, on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game against Baylor. The Bears have a new look, choosing to spread the field and air it out not unlike Texas Tech.

Baylor is 10th in Division I-A in pass offense, averaging 285.6 yards per game. Texas Tech is the only Big 12 Conference school that throws more.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 12, 2006

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino said Wednesday that his offensive personnel as a whole was much healthier than it was a week ago.

However, asked if anyone was expected to miss Saturday’s game, Mangino declined to give an answer.

“I won’t discuss specific personnel,” Mangino said. “I don’t do that.”

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Not done yet: KU players seem surprisingly upbeat this week, despite losing three of their last four games on late breakdowns.

“We’ve still got a chance to win the Big 12,” defensive tackle James McClinton said. “Doors are still wide-open for us. You still can’t count the Jayhawks out.”

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Quigley healing: Red-shirt freshman Angus Quigley was seen leaving the practice field Wednesday in full pads, wearing what appeared to be a brace under his left pant leg and walking with a noticeable limp.

Mangino said in August that Quigley was out for the season, reportedly because of a torn muscle in his thigh.

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Lawrence a Husker: Shawnee Mission West standout Blake Lawrence, one of the top high school players in the state of Kansas, orally committed to Nebraska on Wednesday.

Lawrence chose Nebraska over KU and announced the decision at a Wednesday morning news conference at SM West. The brother of KU freshman quarterback Tyler Lawrence, Blake had offers from about a dozen BCS-conference schools across the country.

With his commitment, the top 15 players in Kansas according to Rivals.com all have made college choices. Three have picked Kansas – Free State High brothers Ryan and Brian Murphy and Haven athlete Isiah Barfield. Another – Sedgwick’s Steven Foster – also is KU-bound.

Signing day isn’t until February.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 11, 2006

In shape: Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino set the record straight on his team’s fourth-quarter breakdowns the last two weeks, saying adamantly it has nothing to do with what kind of shape his team is in.

“Our team is extremely well-conditioned,” Mangino said. “When you watch the games closely, that is not a factor. We just haven’t made some plays at the end.”

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Getting back: Wide receiver Marcus Herford played sparingly against Nebraska and missed the Texas A&M game because of an undisclosed injury.

Mangino said Tuesday that Herford practiced some Sunday and could be ready for Saturday’s game with Oklahoma State.

“I believe he will be,” Mangino said. “He practiced pretty well without any problems on Sunday. Our anticipation is that he will be back.”

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Showing heart: Mangino took time Tuesday to laud the play of running back Jon Cornish, who had 128 yards on 23 carries despite playing with an undisclosed injury to a leg.

“On Tuesday or Wednesday, i could’ve been pretty well-convinced that he couldn’t participate,” Mangino said. “You could see at certain cuts and certain times that he wasn’t 100 percent nor even close to it. But he really had a really courageous performance.”

Cornish has 710 rushing yards this season, second in the Big 12 Conference behind Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson. Cornish and Peterson are the only backs in the league to average more than 100 rushing yards per game.

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Still learning: In the same breath, Cornish’s durability has limited the number of carries for freshman Jake Sharp, a fan favorite out of Salina.

Sharp has 10 carries for 63 yards, but most came in the opening weeks of nonconference play. His duties lately have been limited to special teams, including the occasional kickoff return.

Still, a red-shirt wasn’t an option for Sharp because it would leave Cornish with no backup if one was needed. The other choice, red-shirt freshman Angus Quigley, is out for the year because of injury.

“He’s coming along well,” Mangino said of Sharp. “It’s a learning process for him more than anything, and the fact that Jon Cornish has great stamina and can go, it’s hard to take Jon off the field if you don’t have to.”

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Lawrence to decide: One of KU’s top recruiting targets, Shawnee Mission West linebacker Blake Lawrence, has scheduled a press conference this morning to announce his college choice.

Lawrence, the brother of KU freshman quarterback Tyler Lawrence, is expected to choose between Kansas and Nebraska. He’s rated as the second-best prospect in the state of Kansas, and currently is a quarterback and linebacker for SM West, one of the state’s top teams.

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Talib honored: Despite only three tackles, sophomore corner Aqib Talib was named defensive player of the game for the Texas A&M contest by KU coaches.

Cornish was given offensive honors, while kicker Scott Webb was cited for special teams.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 5, 2006

Kansas University freshman quarterback Kerry Meier finally was given medical clearance to play, meaning doctors won’t hold him back from taking the field against Texas A&M on Saturday.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a lock to start, though.

“He has to feel good,” coach Mark Mangino said. “He has to be able to function in every facet of the game, and that’s what we’re working on here the last couple of days.”

Mangino said Monday that if Meier were ready, he’d play over senior Adam Barmann, who has turned in two solid performances in Meier’s absence.

“We want to play (Meier) if he’s ready to play,” Mangino said. “But we’re not going to put him in harm’s way.”

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Fighting back: Sophomore defensive tackle Todd Haselhorst last week was named defensive scout team player of the week, the first real public mention of him since he fought back from two surgeries which wiped out his 2005 season.

Haselhorst made the trip to Nebraska last week, but wasn’t seen playing. He’s not on the latest depth chart at defensive tackle, either.

“He is trying to get back in the groove,” Mangino said, “and he’s been working at it, so that’s a very encouraging sign.”

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Linebacker shuffle: Kansas continues to feel out its depth chart at linebacker, with the indefinite losses of Eric Washington (concussion) and Brandon Duncan (ankle) causing a shuffle.

For now, it appears Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen have their normal starting jobs locked up. In Washington’s place, Arist Wright and James Holt have been competing all week. Holt could be Rivera’s backup at middle linebacker, as well.

As for Washington, he’s expected to make a complete recovery and maybe even play again this season – which Mangino certainly would welcome.

“He was playing very well,” Mangino said, “and up until the injury in the Nebraska game, he was playing exceptionally well.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 4, 2006

Kerry Meier remains Kansas University’s starting quarterback when he’s healthy, but the freshman out of Pittsburg still isn’t medically cleared to play.

“His status at the moment is unchanged,” KU coach Mark Mangino said Tuesday.

Mangino assured reporters that Meier would return to the field “relatively soon” and said that his workload in practice had increased.

“He did a lot of things Sunday,” Mangino said. “It’s just that we haven’t had him doing everything.”

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No rocket skates: Sure-handed wide receiver Jonathan Lamb never claimed to be a track star on the side.

So when he hauled in a reception from Adam Barmann in the third quarter Saturday at Nebraska, he had an open sideline – but not enough speed. He was caught from behind after a 40-yard gain.

“I’ve been getting razzed about that all week,” Lamb said with a laugh. “I made the catch though, right?”

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Washington better: KU linebacker Eric Washington, who was carted off on a stretcher during Saturday’s game at Nebraska, is back in Lawrence and feeling better.

“He has a little bit of weakness in his left leg,” Mangino said. “Nothing to be alarmed about, according to our doctors. He is doing very well.

“We have made plans for him to see a specialist that deals with head an neck injuries that are sports-related.”

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Stuckey update: Mangino said Saturday that safety Darrell Stuckey, out all season due to an ankle injury, could make it back in time for the Texas A&M game.

“Darrell’s feeling a lot better,” Mangino said. “He still had a little bit noticeable lack of mobility last week. We’re hopeful.”

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Players of the game: Sophomore wide receiver Dexton Fields was named KU’s offensive player of the game against Nebraska after catching eight passes for 108 yards. James McClinton was honored on defense, while Scott Webb was cited for special teams.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Oct 3, 2006

Okie State game set

Kansas University’s football game with Oklahoma State on Oct. 14 was not selected to be shown on television and will start at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

It’s the first time since Sept. 9 that KU will not play on TV. The Jayhawks played TV games against Toledo, South Florida and Nebraska, and will be on Fox Sports Net again at 11 a.m. Saturday, when Texas A&M visits Memorial Stadium.

Kansas is scheduled to be on TV on Nov. 25 at Missouri, and all of the other upcoming games will be decided either six or 12 days in advance.

Groundbreaking a go

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Anderson Family Football Complex will take place at 11 a.m. Friday at the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium. The public is invited to attend.

In addition, the Memorial Stadium field officially will be renamed “Kivisto Field” at halftime of the Texas A&M game, in honor of the Kivisto family, which gave a sizable donation toward the new football complex.

Construction will begin on the complex after the season, and is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

McGee OK to play

Kansas isn’t the only Big 12 team with a banged-up QB.

Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione said Monday that Aggies quarterback Stephen McGee may have suffered a slight concussion in the first half of Saturday’s game against Texas Tech. McGee was just 9-of-20 passing for 103 yards, and rushed the ball 11 times for 42 yards.

“I’m not even sure Stephen was completely aware of (the concussion) until telling us how he felt in the first half after the game,” Franchione said. “That may have had a little something to do with (his play).”

Franchione expects McGee to be good to go Saturday.

Aggies seek bounceback

The Aggies are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Texas Tech, 31-27 on Saturday, when the Red Raiders’ Robert Johnson hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left.

The loss dropped A&M to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play.

“You can’t let the last game affect the next game,” Franchione said.

Vegas oddsmakers don’t think it will – Texas A&M opened as a 2 1â2 point favorite on the road at Kansas, where the Jayhawks have won their last nine games.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Sep 27, 2006

Meier update: Kansas hadn’t practiced between the time KU coach Mark Mangino talked to writers Sunday and the Tuesday press conference. The update on injured quarterback Kerry Meier, as a result, hasn’t changed much.

“According to the medical staff, he’s improved, he’s feeling better,” Mangino said. “We just have to see, we’ll take a look today on the practice field and throughout the week.”

Meier injured his arm at Toledo and didn’t play against South Florida. Mangino wouldn’t say Tuesday if Adam Barmann – who played well in Meier’s absence – would have a chance to start even if Meier was 100 percent.

“I don’t discuss hypotheticals,” he said.

Reesing’s next: If Meier is unable to play because of a lingering arm injury, Barmann obviously will start at Nebraska.

After Barmann on the depth chart is true freshman Todd Reesing, who the KU coaching staff would like to red-shirt but obviously wouldn’t be able to if Meier and Barmann were unavailable.

TV is fun: The Nebraska game will be the third in a row on television, getting the 6 p.m. Fox Sports Net slot. The streak will stretch to four next week, when KU plays Texas A&M on FSN.

“It’s good for the kids, it’s good for the program, it’s good for recruiting,” Mangino said. “It shows signs that the networks and the national media are at least paying attention to us a little bit. At one time, nobody really cared much about us at all.”

Players of the game: Barmann was named offensive player of the week for the South Florida game. Defensive end Paul Como earned defensive honors, and kicker Scott Webb was cited for special teams.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Sep 17, 2006

Defense overdid it

KU linebacker Mike Rivera gave his thoughts on what finally killed Kansas against Toledo on Saturday – a 25-yard run by Jalen Parmele in the second overtime.

“We were flying to the ball so hard that we overpursued, and they just cut it back,” Rivera said.

Rivera had eight tackles and two pass break-ups. He and safety Jerome Kemp led KU in stops Friday.

Cornish keeping pace

Running back Jon Cornish had 20 carries for 89 yards Friday against Toledo, keeping him well ahead of pace for KU’s first 1,000-yard season in a decade.

Cornish had a long run of 33 yards and managed 4.4 yards per carry despite Toledo’s obvious gameplan to stop him. He also had three receptions for 26 yards on KU’s effective shovel-pass play.

For the season, Cornish has rushed the ball 56 times for 332 yards. That puts him on pace for 1,328 yards rushing in the 12-game regular season.

In the zone

Junior Marcus Henry has emerged as one of KU’s top wide-receiver targets, having caught a touchdown pass in each of the Jayhawks’ first three games.

Making his first start of the season Friday, Henry caught a 33-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and finished with 67 yards receiving on four catches.

On the season, Henry has eight catches for 109 yards, with three touchdowns.

Still no threes

Surprisingly, KU junior kicker Scott Webb has yet to connect on a field goal this season.

Webb is 0-for-2 on his attempts, missing a 27-yard try against Northwestern State and a 48-yard attempt against Toledo.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Sep 14, 2006

Kansas University’s players and coaches have been impressed with the tight-end fleet Toledo has, particularly the No. 1 guy, senior Chris Hopkins.

Hopkins had 13 receptions for 139 yards against Iowa State in the season-opener and followed it up with 100 yards receiving on just four catches against Western Michigan. He’s currently seventh in NCAA Division I-A in receiving yards.

“A great player,” WMU coach Bill Cubit told the Toledo Blade. “One of the top tight ends in the country.”

Hopkins, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound talent out of Chicago, is considered a senior now, but he could be back in 2007. A non-qualifier when he signed with Toledo, Hopkins could get one more year of eligibility if he gets 80 percent of his coursework completed toward graduation by the start of next season.

¢ Baby Rockets: For the third straight week, KU is playing a team ripe with freshmen.

Toledo has played 10 true freshmen so far this season, including the team’s leading tackler, safety Barry Church. That’s reportedly sixth-most in Division I-A. Temple leads the way with 16 true freshmen played so far.

For what it’s worth, the Jayhawks have played four – Olaitan Oguntodu, Anthony Webb, Jake Sharp and Maxwell Onyegbule.

¢ Keeps dropping: Gamblers seem to like KU’s chances in Friday’s game.

Las Vegas oddsmakers opened the line Sunday making Toledo a 51â2 point favorite over Kansas. That quickly dropped to 41â2 and now is down to 31â2 points. Action favorable toward Kansas made the line respond by shrinking.

KU players don’t seem to pay much attention to the spreads, and KU coach Mark Mangino has said in the past that he never brings it up around his team.

“That never determines the game,” safety Jerome Kemp said. “Whoever comes out and plays their best is going to win. Being the underdog is nothing new to us.”

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Aug 31, 2006

Kansas University’s football team released its depth chart late Wednesday, with only a few surprises on the list. Among them:

¢ Jake Schermer is listed as second-team linebacker behind Joe Mortensen. Eric Washington is listed as the other starter at outside linebacker.

¢ Sadiq Muhammed is listed as first-team free safety, with Justin Thornton as second team.

¢ The three wide receivers atop the depth chart are seniors Brian Murph and Dominic Roux and sophomore Dexton Fields. Marcus Henry, Marcus Herford and Jonathan Lamb are second team.

¢ Five true freshmen are on the two deep: Ian Wolfe at left tackle, Jake Sharp at running back, Olaitan Oguntodu at strong safety, Anthony Webb at cornerback and Maxwell Onyegbule at linebacker. Seven red-shirt freshman are on the two-deep, as well.

¢ Smooth sailing: Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino has been pleased with the way practices are going, despite injuries and freshmen making personnel a daily uncertainty.

“I’m very pleased with the tempo of practices this week,” Mangino said. “I really feel like things are starting to come together in all three phases of the game. The test will be now to take it out to the game field and execute the same way we have on the practice field.”

¢ Barmann’s the backup: Mangino confirmed Wednesday that senior Adam Barmann was indeed the No. 2 quarterback behind Kerry Meier.

That could mean that, barring injuries, freshmen Todd Reesing and Tyler Lawrence are ticketed for red shirts.

“Adam Barmann has had his best camp, his best two-a-days since we’ve been here,” Mangino said. “We’re real happy with him.”

¢ The lone back: If KU elects to try single-back sets on offense, it won’t be Jon Cornish or Jake Sharp in the game. Rather, fullback Brandon McAnderson will be the guy.

McAnderson, who showed great running ability at Lawrence High, likely will get more carries this year, in part because of his role in the one-back offense.

“It’s pretty fun,” McAnderson said. “There’s a lot of things you can do in terms of the diversity of our offense. : It’s a real good opportunity to play that.”

KU football depth chart

OFFENSE
LT – Cesar Rodriguez, 6-7, 286, Jr.; Ian Wolfe, 6-5, 280, Fr.
LG – Bob Whitaker, 6-5, 317, Sr.; -OR- Jake Cox, 6-5, 295, Sr.
C – David Ochoa, 6-4, 285, Sr.; Ryan Cantrell, 6-3, 285, Soph.
RG – Travis Dambach, 6-5, 295, Sr.; Matt Mann, 6-4, 290, Sr.
RT – Anthony Collins, 6-6, 290, Soph.; Matt Darton, 6-6, 305, Soph.
TE – Derek Fine, 6-3, 245, Jr.; Marc Dierking, 6-2, 205, Jr.
WR – Dominic Roux, 5-11, 175, Sr.; Marcus Henry, 6-4, 200, Jr.
WR – Brian Murph, 6-1, 190, Sr.; Jonathan Lamb, 6-2, 190, Sr.
WR – Dexton Fields, 6-0, 200, Soph.; Marcus Herford, 6-3, 210, Soph.
QB – Kerry Meier, 6-3, 215, Fr.; Adam Barmann, 6-4, 210, Sr.
RB – Jon Cornish, 6-0, 205, Sr.; Jake Sharp, 5-10, 190, Fr.
FB – Brandon McAnderson, 6-0, 235, Jr.; Nick Kurtenbach, 5-10, 200, Jr.

DEFENSE
DE – Rodney Allen, 6-3, 280, Sr.; Jeff Wheeler, 6-7, 260, Fr.
DT – Wayne Wilder, 6-3, 295, Sr.; Caleb Blakesley 6-5, 285, Fr.
DT – James McClinton, 6-1, 283, Jr.; Chris Brant, 6-3, 285, Sr.
DE – Paul Como, 6-2, 248, Sr.; John Larson, 6-3, 245, Soph.
OLB – Joe Mortensen, 6-2, 245, Soph.; Jake Schermer, 6-2, 215, Fr.
MLB – Mike Rivera, 6-3, 250, Soph.; Brandon Duncan, 6-1, 212, Fr.
OLB – Eric Washington, 6-2, 235, Sr.; Arist Wright, 6-0, 210, Fr.; -OR- Maxwell Onyegbule, 6-4, 230, Fr.
CB – Blake Bueltel, 6-0, 175, Jr.; Anthony Webb, 6-0, 180, Fr.
SS – Jerome Kemp, 5-10, 205, Sr.; Olaitan Oguntodu, 6-0, 200, Fr.
FS – Sadiq Muhammed, 6-0, 195, Soph.; Justin Thornton, 6-1, 195, Fr.
CB – Aqib Talib, 6-2, 180, Soph.; Raymond Brown, 6-3, 200, Soph.

SPECIALISTS
PK – Scott Webb, 5-11, 180, Jr.; Kyle Tucker, 6-2, 205, Jr.
P – Kyle Tucker, 6-2, 205, Jr.; Dane Broadie, 6-0, 180, Sr.
LS – Zack Hood, 6-2, 255, Sr.
H – Jonathan Lamb, 6-2, 190, Sr.; Brian Murph, 6-1, 190, Sr.
KR – Marcus Herford, 6-3, 210, Soph.; Jake Sharp, 5-10, 190, Fr.
PR – Brian Murph, 6-1, 190, Sr.; Jonathan Lamb, 6-2, 190, Sr.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Aug 30, 2006

Richard Gwin
Mark Mangino addresses the media during his first weekly news conference. He lauded freshman quarterback Kerry Meier on Tuesday in Hadl Auditorium.

¢ Young guns: Mangino didn’t name every true freshman who’s expected to skip a red-shirt, but Jake Sharp, Olaitan Oguntodu and Anthony Webb are three near-certainties.

Mangino has said previously that Sharp and Oguntodu are ready, but mentioned Webb, a cornerback, for the first time Tuesday.

“Anthony Webb has really done a fine job,” Mangino said. “He has instincts that you need out of a corner : that are unusual for a true freshman. He definitely will play against Northwestern State, no question.”

Offensive lineman Ian Wolfe, cornerback Phillip Strozier and wide receiver Tertavian Ingram are other possibilities to see the field right away.

¢ Allen will play: Mangino said that defensive end Rodney Allen, who injured his knee in a practice last week, would be available to play on Saturday.

“Yes, he will,” Mangino said. “Exhale.”

Mangino, for the second straight day, declined to comment on standout cornerback Aqib Talib, who sources say was suspended for Saturday’s game for disciplinary reasons.

¢ Jitters?: Northwestern State, a Division I-AA program, is playing three I-A teams this year with a young squad – just seven seniors, and up to 22 true or red-shirt freshman are expected to contribute.

Coach Scott Stoker is excessively humble about Saturday’s game, considering what he’s got and what he’s up against.

“I just hope we come out of the tunnel,” Stoker quipped. “That’s our major goal.”

The NSU-KU game is a one-time deal, and the Demons are getting $275,000 for traveling to Lawrence.

¢ Secondary woes: With Talib’s suspension and an injury to free safety Darrell Stuckey, Mangino said Tuesday he’s still not sure who will start in the secondary on Saturday.

Strong safety Jerome Kemp, who’s recovering from a leg injury, is expected to be ready. Considering that, a good guess would be Kemp at strong safety, either Justin Thornton or Sadiq Muhammed at free safety, Blake Bueltel at one corner and Raymond Brown at the other. True freshmen Oguntodu, Webb and Strozier could serve as backups.

¢ Still no depth chart: KU’s depth chart is continually changing, one reason why they’re one of the few Big 12 teams not to release one publicly yet.

Injuries and freshman competition has jumbled up the two-deep even this close to the season-opener. Mangino said he hoped to have one finalized by Thursday, but there’s no exact time on when it could be released to the public.

¢ Return specialists: Mangino said that Brian Murph, Talib and Jonathan Lamb were working as punt-return specialists, while Sharp and Marcus Herford are expected to return kickoffs.

More about KU football

For Herford, it’s a nice pasttime to go with his duties as a wide receiver.

“It’s going well. I’m loving it,” Herford said. “It’s fun, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’m glad they gave me an opportunity to do it.”

¢ New scholarships: Mangino announced at the beginning of Tuesday’s press conference that wide receiver Jeff Foster and defensive lineman John Larson have been awarded scholarships for the 2006-07 school year.

Mangino said that 14 walk-ons have now earned scholarships since he became coach in 2002.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Aug 19, 2006

Jake Schermer’s rise to first-team linebacker might have been the least expected, considering hype surrounding Mike Rivera, Joe Mortensen, James Holt and Brandon Duncan in recent months.

One year ago, Schermer was on scout team after finishing up high school at Ozark (Mo.) High, near Springfield. He wasn’t mentioned often among the new-look linebacker fleet hoping to replace last year’s senior class.

Now, he’s looking at getting a large chunk of playing time for being “tough as nails” and “highly intelligent,” according to coach Mark Mangino.

“Now thinking about it, it’s pretty amazing,” Schermer said of his climb. “But I think a lot of people could do it, if you put your mind to it.”

¢
Still uncertain: Kansas mixed and matched five different receivers among first-team repetitions Friday, including Brian Murph, Marcus Herford, Dominic Roux, Dexton Fields and Marcus Henry.

“The receivers right now might be the most improved group since last season on the field,” Mangino said. “They really are. I think those kids are coming together, and there a lot of able-bodied kids there.”

¢
What’s next: KU will scrimmage for fans as part of fan appreciation day at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The event will be held at Memorial Stadium and is KU’s last non-game action fans will be able to see this season.

KU football notebook

By Ryan Wood     Apr 5, 2006

Jayhawks to play under Friday night lights

Kansas University will get a taste of Friday night football this fall.

Its third-week matchup at Toledo has been moved up a day to accommodate television. The Jayhawks will play the Rockets at 7 p.m. Sept. 15, and ESPN2 will broadcast it live.

The move had been discussed but wasn’t finalized until recently. It officially was announced Tuesday.

“We were OK with it,” KU associate athletic director Larry Keating said. “I think the (Toledo) head coach was a little concerned with the whole Friday night issue and high school football.”

Toledo plays several weeknight football games a year to get TV exposure, but rarely are they on a Friday. Last season, the Rockets played two Wednesday games, two Tuesday games, a Friday game and a Thursday game, and all but one was televised by ESPN or ESPN2.

Kansas, meanwhile, will have a slight routine change. The Jayhawks never have played a weeknight regular-season game in four seasons under Mark Mangino. The 2003 Tangerine Bowl and 2005 Fort Worth Bowl were midweek affairs, however, and both were televised by ESPN.

Toledo is the third of four nonconference games on the 2006 slate. The change of schedule means KU will have an extra day to prepare for perhaps its most challenging out-of-conference game this year, a Sept. 23 home game against Big East foe South Florida.

Kansas played several weeknight games in the 1990s, including a ’92 matchup with California, a 1994 game at Houston and the 1996 season opener against Ball State. Often, season-opening games were moved up to Thursday to free up Labor Day weekend for fans.

Is running back Cornish another draft prospect?

Former Jayhawks Charles Gordon, Charlton Keith and Nick Reid all are facing draft day, and all three have a shot to get picked up.

But what about Jon Cornish?

KU’s Canadian-born running back actually is eligible for the Canadian Football League Draft on April 20, even though he made no declaration. And, despite having a year of eligibility left at Kansas, one expert expects Cornish to get picked.

According to the CFL web site, Cornish was invited to attend the CFL Evaluation Camp but declined, partly because of his NCAA eligibility.

CFL Draft analyst Mike Hogan called Cornish a lock to get taken – even if he isn’t interested.

“Some CFL teams don’t seem to pay any attention to a player’s NFL aspirations and simply want to stake their claim,” Hogan wrote. “A team like that may take a chance on Cornish in the first round. He will certainly be no worse than a second-round pick.”

KU Football notebook

By Staff     Feb 24, 2006

Make no mistake – this is an important time of year for Kansas University football.

Consider the Jayhawks’ late-season run in 2005. Four victories in their last five games. A comeback victory against Iowa State. Complete-game pastings of Nebraska and Houston. A late-game surge against Missouri.

Think an out-of-shape team could have such late-game heroics that late in the season?

KU strength coach Chris Dawson knows the answer. He’s just glad the offseason conditioning program KU currently is going through has past results he can point to.

“I think it certainly builds a lot of kids’ confidence going into the offseason with spring ball coming up,” Dawson said. “It not only helps us as coaches but helps as players to raise the bar.”

Dawson is coordinating the offseason program, which usually includes sleepy eyes at Anschutz Pavilion and Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Center. Workouts often start before the sun comes up to avoid conflicts with classes.

Considering a valuable senior class was lost after the Fort Worth Bowl ended the 2005 season, the Jayhawks overall aren’t as sturdy as they want to be at this stage.

But Dawson is pleased with how the first step toward the 2006 season is playing out.

“It’s going well,” Dawson said. “: but we’ve got a long way to go. It’s still early.”

Jayhawks on TV: Former KU defensive end Charlton Keith and do-all Charles Gordon will be participating in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, which officially started Wednesday.

Gordon and Keith’s workouts will be televised on the NFL Network (Sunflower Broadband channel 154).

Defensive end workouts will be televised live at 10 a.m. Monday, while defensive backs (Gordon’s group) will be shown at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Oct 18, 2005

Mangino: Reid no problem

Mangino spoke further on comments made by linebacker Nick Reid following Saturday’s game. Reid questioned the heart of KU’s offensive players and even said he’d like to get in a “fistfight” with some of them to get them going.

“Nobody’s taken any offense to it anywhere,” Mangino said. “He felt like he needed to say what he wanted to say. Sometimes he speaks for a lot of us around here.

“Nick’s not a divisive guy. He’s a team guy. There’s no worry about that.”

KU-Colorado on PPV

Saturday’s KU football game will be available in some markets through Fox Sports Pay-Per-View for $29.95. Currently, Sunflower Broadband is working to make the game available for its subscribers, general manager Patrick Knorr said.

KU football notebook

By Staff     Jul 29, 2005

Season tickets selling

As of Thursday, KU had sold 21,000 season tickets, including just over 11,000 full-price reserve tickets.

KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said both figures were higher than this time a year ago.

“The mood is good about the sale of tickets, but we’re not satisfied at all,” Marchiony said. “We’re going to keep trying, keep pushing. The sky’s the limit.”

Marchiony lauded the activity of Williams Fund donors, who bought 3,000 more full-priced reserve tickets this year than in 2004.

In all, KU has had about an 80 percent renewal rate, a figure Marchiony said was close to what many schools posted.

Summer workouts over

The optional summer-workout program with strength coach Chris Dawson wrapped up last week, and all signs show participation was high and the work was rewarding.

“Chris Dawson has taken a few days off and hasn’t said much about it,” KU coach Mark Mangino said, “but every indication is that he was very impressed. Our numbers have improved in every area in terms of power, strength and speed.”

No Charles after all

Some confusion circulated as to whether Clavens Charles, a junior-college transfer who earlier this year announced his intention to play at Kansas, actually would suit up this fall.

Mangino said Thursday that he wouldn’t.

“Clavens will not be here,” Mangino said, adding that Charles, a defensive back, never signed but only committed. “It was his intention to come here, and it was our intention to have him here, but he had some issues to take care of, and we thought it was best if he went another way.”

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 17, 2002

  • Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 27,500, making it the Jayhawks’ smallest crowd of the season. The previous low was 34,000 for Texas A&M on Oct. 19. Based on KU estimates, the average crowd for the six KU home games was 36,067.
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  • Matt Jordan, a fifth-year KU senior, opened at free safety in place of sophomore Johnny McCoy, who wasn’t suited. No explanation was given for the absence of McCoy, a season-long starter. “I don’t comment on injuries or personnel matters,” coach Mark Mangino said.
  • Johnny Beck’s 42-yard field goal – his longest of the season – with :02 showing before halftime ended a skein of eight straight misses by the sophomore kicker. Beck hadn’t made a field goal since the Bowling Green game on Sept. 21. Later, Beck was wide left on a 32-yard attempt, then connected on 36-yarder. Beck finished 7-for-17 in three-point attempts after converting 14 of 20 as a freshman.
  • KU fans booed a halo violation call against the Jayhawks on a punt late in the first quarter. A scoreboard replay appeared to show OSU punt returner Gabe Lindsay was hit by a teammate, although a KU defender was in the vicinity.
  • The 25-second play clock stopped working in the third quarter and the time was kept by one of the officials.
  • Curtis Ansel completed a wacky 23-yard underhanded alley-oop pass to Greg Heaggans off a fake punt early in the fourth quarter. However, on the next play, Clark Green fumbled and OSU linebacker Terrence Robinson picked the ball up and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown.
  • Robinson’s coast-to-coast TD gave KU opponents 507 points this season, eclipsing the record 502 points surrendered by the 1-10 team of 1988. However, the ’88 team gave up points at a school record 45.6 clip. This year’s KU foes averaged 42.3 points a game. That’s still the second-highest average, supplanting the winless 1954 club that gave an average of 37.6 points in 10 games.
  • After the game, Oklahoma State’s players stood in front of a large section of fans near the visitors’ locker room and sang the school alma mater. It was OSU’s first road victory of the season.

“Our players and coaches wanted to thank them for coming here and giving great support,” coach Les Miles said.

  • Guard David Hurst, one of 18 seniors who played in Memorial Stadium for the last time, suffered a seizure in the locker room after the game. Hurst appeared alert as he was taken by gurney to an ambulance for a journey to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
  • Strange Stat of the Week: Oklahoma State scored so quickly that the Cowboys’ offense had the ball for a little more than 191¼2 minutes while KU’s offense had the ball for about 39 minutes.
  • Senior linebacker Leo Etienne bowed out with a team-high seven tackles.
  • Steve Usechek of suburban Denver was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan, field judge Phil Laurie of Topeka.
  • Kickoff temperature was 50 degrees under bright, sunny skies with a light variable wind.

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 17, 2002

  • Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 27,500, making it the Jayhawks’ smallest crowd of the season. The previous low was 34,000 for Texas A&M on Oct. 19. Based on KU estimates, the average crowd for the six KU home games was 36,067.
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  • Matt Jordan, a fifth-year KU senior, opened at free safety in place of sophomore Johnny McCoy, who wasn’t suited. No explanation was given for the absence of McCoy, a season-long starter. “I don’t comment on injuries or personnel matters,” coach Mark Mangino said.
  • Johnny Beck’s 42-yard field goal – his longest of the season – with :02 showing before halftime ended a skein of eight straight misses by the sophomore kicker. Beck hadn’t made a field goal since the Bowling Green game on Sept. 21. Later, Beck was wide left on a 32-yard attempt, then connected on 36-yarder. Beck finished 7-for-17 in three-point attempts after converting 14 of 20 as a freshman.
  • KU fans booed a halo violation call against the Jayhawks on a punt late in the first quarter. A scoreboard replay appeared to show OSU punt returner Gabe Lindsay was hit by a teammate, although a KU defender was in the vicinity.
  • The 25-second play clock stopped working in the third quarter and the time was kept by one of the officials.
  • Curtis Ansel completed a wacky 23-yard underhanded alley-oop pass to Greg Heaggans off a fake punt early in the fourth quarter. However, on the next play, Clark Green fumbled and OSU linebacker Terrence Robinson picked the ball up and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown.
  • Robinson’s coast-to-coast TD gave KU opponents 507 points this season, eclipsing the record 502 points surrendered by the 1-10 team of 1988. However, the ’88 team gave up points at a school record 45.6 clip. This year’s KU foes averaged 42.3 points a game. That’s still the second-highest average, supplanting the winless 1954 club that gave an average of 37.6 points in 10 games.
  • After the game, Oklahoma State’s players stood in front of a large section of fans near the visitors’ locker room and sang the school alma mater. It was OSU’s first road victory of the season.

“Our players and coaches wanted to thank them for coming here and giving great support,” coach Les Miles said.

  • Guard David Hurst, one of 18 seniors who played in Memorial Stadium for the last time, suffered a seizure in the locker room after the game. Hurst appeared alert as he was taken by gurney to an ambulance for a journey to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
  • Strange Stat of the Week: Oklahoma State scored so quickly that the Cowboys’ offense had the ball for a little more than 191¼2 minutes while KU’s offense had the ball for about 39 minutes.
  • Senior linebacker Leo Etienne bowed out with a team-high seven tackles.
  • Steve Usechek of suburban Denver was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan, field judge Phil Laurie of Topeka.
  • Kickoff temperature was 50 degrees under bright, sunny skies with a light variable wind.

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 17, 2002

  • Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 27,500, making it the Jayhawks’ smallest crowd of the season. The previous low was 34,000 for Texas A&M on Oct. 19. Based on KU estimates, the average crowd for the six KU home games was 36,067.
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  • Matt Jordan, a fifth-year KU senior, opened at free safety in place of sophomore Johnny McCoy, who wasn’t suited. No explanation was given for the absence of McCoy, a season-long starter. “I don’t comment on injuries or personnel matters,” coach Mark Mangino said.
  • Johnny Beck’s 42-yard field goal – his longest of the season – with :02 showing before halftime ended a skein of eight straight misses by the sophomore kicker. Beck hadn’t made a field goal since the Bowling Green game on Sept. 21. Later, Beck was wide left on a 32-yard attempt, then connected on 36-yarder. Beck finished 7-for-17 in three-point attempts after converting 14 of 20 as a freshman.
  • KU fans booed a halo violation call against the Jayhawks on a punt late in the first quarter. A scoreboard replay appeared to show OSU punt returner Gabe Lindsay was hit by a teammate, although a KU defender was in the vicinity.
  • The 25-second play clock stopped working in the third quarter and the time was kept by one of the officials.
  • Curtis Ansel completed a wacky 23-yard underhanded alley-oop pass to Greg Heaggans off a fake punt early in the fourth quarter. However, on the next play, Clark Green fumbled and OSU linebacker Terrence Robinson picked the ball up and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown.
  • Robinson’s coast-to-coast TD gave KU opponents 507 points this season, eclipsing the record 502 points surrendered by the 1-10 team of 1988. However, the ’88 team gave up points at a school record 45.6 clip. This year’s KU foes averaged 42.3 points a game. That’s still the second-highest average, supplanting the winless 1954 club that gave an average of 37.6 points in 10 games.
  • After the game, Oklahoma State’s players stood in front of a large section of fans near the visitors’ locker room and sang the school alma mater. It was OSU’s first road victory of the season.

“Our players and coaches wanted to thank them for coming here and giving great support,” coach Les Miles said.

  • Guard David Hurst, one of 18 seniors who played in Memorial Stadium for the last time, suffered a seizure in the locker room after the game. Hurst appeared alert as he was taken by gurney to an ambulance for a journey to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
  • Strange Stat of the Week: Oklahoma State scored so quickly that the Cowboys’ offense had the ball for a little more than 191¼2 minutes while KU’s offense had the ball for about 39 minutes.
  • Senior linebacker Leo Etienne bowed out with a team-high seven tackles.
  • Steve Usechek of suburban Denver was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan, field judge Phil Laurie of Topeka.
  • Kickoff temperature was 50 degrees under bright, sunny skies with a light variable wind.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Nov 13, 2002

Dyer decision: Zach Dyer started the season at quarterback for Kansas University’s football team. He might end it there, too.

KU coach Mark Mangino told reporters on Sunday that Dyer would move from defense back to offense if junior quarterback Bill Whittemore was unable to recover from a knee injury in time for Saturday’s season finale against Oklahoma State. At the time, Mangino said Dyer would likely back up red-shirt freshman Brian Luke.

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During his Tuesday news conference, however, Mangino said Dyer would start if Whittemore wasn’t ready to play.

Dyer was replaced by Whittemore at halftime of the season opener at Iowa State and subsequently lost his starting job. He later emerged as one of KU’s top defensive players after moving to safety in the seventh game of the season against Colorado.

KU’s sixth-leading tackler might be forced into duty at quarterback because of knee injuries to Whittemore and backup Jonas Weatherbie.

“Bill’s still day-to-day,” Mangino said. “Our trainer has briefed me twice a day on this issue. I would say that she’s probably cautiously optimistic.”

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Snap decision: Mangino took the red-shirt off junior-college transfer Andy Coffman during Saturday’s 45-7 loss at Nebraska when senior Greg Nicks struggled with his long-snapping duties.

“We just wanted to alleviate some of the anxiety that (Nicks) had because he just couldn’t get it where it needed to be in the game Saturday,” Mangino said.

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Players of the week: Coaches selected running back Clark Green, defensive lineman David McMillan and special teamer Darren Rus as players of the week.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Nov 10, 2002

  • Bass vocalist Greg Ryerson, of Freemont, Neb., bungled the National Anthem before the game. Ryerson sang “how proudly we watched” during the first verse and then stopped singing for about 30 seconds. His delay resulted in the Veteran’s Day flyover salute occurring before the end of the anthem.
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  • With Nebraska’s 14 points in the first quarter, Kansas has now been outscored 116-23 in the opening period.
  • NU quarterback Jammal Lord became the third Nebraska quarterback in the past six years to pass and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining Scott Frost (1997) and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch (2001).
  • Nebraska senior Troy Hassebroek was named Homecoming king during halftime. Hassebroek, a wingback for the Cornhuskers, is the first football player to win the award.
  • KU junior Bobby Birhiray, who had his first career interception against Kansas State last week, started at right cornerback.
  • KU quarterback Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Byron Gasaway was a career-high for the two seniors. Gasaway has caught a pass in 13 straight games, including all 11 this year.
  • Kansas and Nebraska have now played 97 straight seasons, the longest current continuous series in Div. I. Nebraska leads the series, 85-21-3.
  • The Cornhuskers are now 68-19-4 in Homecoming games, including 34 straight wins.
  • Nebraska has now won 34 consecutive games against the Jayhawks – 16 straight at home. Nebraska’s victory also made the Cornhuskers eligible for a an NCAA-record 34th straight bowl game.
  • Jerry Anderson and Mike McCarthy, scouts for the MainStay Independence Bowl, attended Saturday’s game. Representatives from the Independence Bowl, which features a team from the Big 12 against a Southeastern Conference foe, attended each Big 12 game Saturday.
  • Saturday’s attendance was 77,351, Nebraska’s 245 straight sellout – an NCAA record. The last non-sellout for the Cornhuskers was Nov. 3, 1962 against Missouri.
  • Game time temperature was 59 degrees with a wind of 8 mph out of the south.
  • David McMillan’s first-quarter interception was the first of his career.
  • Kansas fumbled six times for the second straight game. The Jayhawks lost just one this week, compared to five lost against Kansas State.
  • Kansas dropped to 0-7 in the Big 12, the team’s worst league record since 1986.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Nov 10, 2002

  • Bass vocalist Greg Ryerson, of Freemont, Neb., bungled the National Anthem before the game. Ryerson sang “how proudly we watched” during the first verse and then stopped singing for about 30 seconds. His delay resulted in the Veteran’s Day flyover salute occurring before the end of the anthem.
  • advertisement
  • With Nebraska’s 14 points in the first quarter, Kansas has now been outscored 116-23 in the opening period.
  • NU quarterback Jammal Lord became the third Nebraska quarterback in the past six years to pass and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining Scott Frost (1997) and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch (2001).
  • Nebraska senior Troy Hassebroek was named Homecoming king during halftime. Hassebroek, a wingback for the Cornhuskers, is the first football player to win the award.
  • KU junior Bobby Birhiray, who had his first career interception against Kansas State last week, started at right cornerback.
  • KU quarterback Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Byron Gasaway was a career-high for the two seniors. Gasaway has caught a pass in 13 straight games, including all 11 this year.
  • Kansas and Nebraska have now played 97 straight seasons, the longest current continuous series in Div. I. Nebraska leads the series, 85-21-3.
  • The Cornhuskers are now 68-19-4 in Homecoming games, including 34 straight wins.
  • Nebraska has now won 34 consecutive games against the Jayhawks – 16 straight at home. Nebraska’s victory also made the Cornhuskers eligible for a an NCAA-record 34th straight bowl game.
  • Jerry Anderson and Mike McCarthy, scouts for the MainStay Independence Bowl, attended Saturday’s game. Representatives from the Independence Bowl, which features a team from the Big 12 against a Southeastern Conference foe, attended each Big 12 game Saturday.
  • Saturday’s attendance was 77,351, Nebraska’s 245 straight sellout – an NCAA record. The last non-sellout for the Cornhuskers was Nov. 3, 1962 against Missouri.
  • Game time temperature was 59 degrees with a wind of 8 mph out of the south.
  • David McMillan’s first-quarter interception was the first of his career.
  • Kansas fumbled six times for the second straight game. The Jayhawks lost just one this week, compared to five lost against Kansas State.
  • Kansas dropped to 0-7 in the Big 12, the team’s worst league record since 1986.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Nov 10, 2002

  • Bass vocalist Greg Ryerson, of Freemont, Neb., bungled the National Anthem before the game. Ryerson sang “how proudly we watched” during the first verse and then stopped singing for about 30 seconds. His delay resulted in the Veteran’s Day flyover salute occurring before the end of the anthem.
  • advertisement
  • With Nebraska’s 14 points in the first quarter, Kansas has now been outscored 116-23 in the opening period.
  • NU quarterback Jammal Lord became the third Nebraska quarterback in the past six years to pass and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining Scott Frost (1997) and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch (2001).
  • Nebraska senior Troy Hassebroek was named Homecoming king during halftime. Hassebroek, a wingback for the Cornhuskers, is the first football player to win the award.
  • KU junior Bobby Birhiray, who had his first career interception against Kansas State last week, started at right cornerback.
  • KU quarterback Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Byron Gasaway was a career-high for the two seniors. Gasaway has caught a pass in 13 straight games, including all 11 this year.
  • Kansas and Nebraska have now played 97 straight seasons, the longest current continuous series in Div. I. Nebraska leads the series, 85-21-3.
  • The Cornhuskers are now 68-19-4 in Homecoming games, including 34 straight wins.
  • Nebraska has now won 34 consecutive games against the Jayhawks – 16 straight at home. Nebraska’s victory also made the Cornhuskers eligible for a an NCAA-record 34th straight bowl game.
  • Jerry Anderson and Mike McCarthy, scouts for the MainStay Independence Bowl, attended Saturday’s game. Representatives from the Independence Bowl, which features a team from the Big 12 against a Southeastern Conference foe, attended each Big 12 game Saturday.
  • Saturday’s attendance was 77,351, Nebraska’s 245 straight sellout – an NCAA record. The last non-sellout for the Cornhuskers was Nov. 3, 1962 against Missouri.
  • Game time temperature was 59 degrees with a wind of 8 mph out of the south.
  • David McMillan’s first-quarter interception was the first of his career.
  • Kansas fumbled six times for the second straight game. The Jayhawks lost just one this week, compared to five lost against Kansas State.
  • Kansas dropped to 0-7 in the Big 12, the team’s worst league record since 1986.

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 3, 2002

Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 43,000, making it by far the Jayhawks’ biggest payday of the season. Tickets went for $45, or $15 more than for the other KU home games.

KU quarterback Bill Whittemore suited but did not play. Fifth-year senior Jonas Weatherbie made his first career start replacing Whittemore, who suffered a knee injury in last week’s Missouri game.

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Brian Luke, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound red-shirt freshman quarterback from Walnut Creek, Calif., made his collegiate debut with 10:51 showing in the second quarter and KU trailing 36-0. Luke quickly threw a 12-yard pass to Derick Mills for the Jayhawks’ initial first down. Luke played the rest of the way.

K-State had scored on six straight possessions until Joe Rheem was wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter.

KU averaged .5 yards per play in the first half, accumulating 14 yards on 28 attempts (16 passes, 12 rushes). KSU had 313 yards on 44 attempts in forging a 43-0 lead. KU had 101 yards in the second half.

KU coach Mark Mangino was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty less than 30 seconds into the second half. Mangino apparently said something to an official when he went on the field to check on the status of nose tackle Brock Teddleton, who was on the ground with a minor injury.

With nearly 28 minutes remaining on the game clock, Kansas State had already scored more points (57) than it had ever scored against Kansas. The previous high was 54 in 1998.

Bobby Birhiray, a seldom-used junior cornerback, made his first career interception when he picked off KSU quarterback Marc Dunn in the end zone midway through the third quarter. It was K-State’s only turnover.

McLouth native Jeff Schwinn played quarterback for the ‘Cats in the fourth quarter. Schwinn, a fourth-year junior, contributed a career-best 42-yard run.

K-State has now scored 50 or more points against Kansas in four of the last five meetings. The average score of those five games has been 52-7. KSU shut out KU for the first time since 1955 (46-0).

The 64-point margin made it the third most lopsided defeat in KU history, topped only by a 70-0 hammering by Nebraska in 1986 and a 65-0 flogging by Oklahoma in 1954. All three of the defeats were at Memorial Stadium.

KU tied a Big 12 record by losing five fumbles. K-State also picked off two KU passes.

According to the stats sheet, KU’s leading tacklers were linebacker Nick Reid and safety Johnny McCoy with 11 stops apiece.

Tom Ahlers of Des Moines was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan field judge Duane Osborne of Seneca. Tom Quick, a former KU football player who lives in Overland Park, was in the press box as an alternate official.

Kickoff temperature was 37 degrees under cloudy skies with a negligible 6 mph wind out of the southwest. A light rain fell off and on throughout the game.

A fan wearing a KU hat leaned over the railing above the KU locker room door and yelled obscenities at Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino after the game. Fernando DeSanMiguel, who in an unofficial capacity handles some security matters for the team, had a verbal exchange with the fan. Mangino appeared to ignore the heckler.

Meanwhile, KSU coach Bill Snyder’s postgame press conference outside the visitor’s locker room was disrupted by another fan who was yelling insults at media members from outside the fence outside the stadium.

“Has that guy been drinking all day or what?” Snyder said. “He’s not one of ours is he?”

Snyder had no visible reaction when told the heckler was wearing a KU hat.

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 3, 2002

Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 43,000, making it by far the Jayhawks’ biggest payday of the season. Tickets went for $45, or $15 more than for the other KU home games.

KU quarterback Bill Whittemore suited but did not play. Fifth-year senior Jonas Weatherbie made his first career start replacing Whittemore, who suffered a knee injury in last week’s Missouri game.

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Brian Luke, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound red-shirt freshman quarterback from Walnut Creek, Calif., made his collegiate debut with 10:51 showing in the second quarter and KU trailing 36-0. Luke quickly threw a 12-yard pass to Derick Mills for the Jayhawks’ initial first down. Luke played the rest of the way.

K-State had scored on six straight possessions until Joe Rheem was wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter.

KU averaged .5 yards per play in the first half, accumulating 14 yards on 28 attempts (16 passes, 12 rushes). KSU had 313 yards on 44 attempts in forging a 43-0 lead. KU had 101 yards in the second half.

KU coach Mark Mangino was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty less than 30 seconds into the second half. Mangino apparently said something to an official when he went on the field to check on the status of nose tackle Brock Teddleton, who was on the ground with a minor injury.

With nearly 28 minutes remaining on the game clock, Kansas State had already scored more points (57) than it had ever scored against Kansas. The previous high was 54 in 1998.

Bobby Birhiray, a seldom-used junior cornerback, made his first career interception when he picked off KSU quarterback Marc Dunn in the end zone midway through the third quarter. It was K-State’s only turnover.

McLouth native Jeff Schwinn played quarterback for the ‘Cats in the fourth quarter. Schwinn, a fourth-year junior, contributed a career-best 42-yard run.

K-State has now scored 50 or more points against Kansas in four of the last five meetings. The average score of those five games has been 52-7. KSU shut out KU for the first time since 1955 (46-0).

The 64-point margin made it the third most lopsided defeat in KU history, topped only by a 70-0 hammering by Nebraska in 1986 and a 65-0 flogging by Oklahoma in 1954. All three of the defeats were at Memorial Stadium.

KU tied a Big 12 record by losing five fumbles. K-State also picked off two KU passes.

According to the stats sheet, KU’s leading tacklers were linebacker Nick Reid and safety Johnny McCoy with 11 stops apiece.

Tom Ahlers of Des Moines was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan field judge Duane Osborne of Seneca. Tom Quick, a former KU football player who lives in Overland Park, was in the press box as an alternate official.

Kickoff temperature was 37 degrees under cloudy skies with a negligible 6 mph wind out of the southwest. A light rain fell off and on throughout the game.

A fan wearing a KU hat leaned over the railing above the KU locker room door and yelled obscenities at Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino after the game. Fernando DeSanMiguel, who in an unofficial capacity handles some security matters for the team, had a verbal exchange with the fan. Mangino appeared to ignore the heckler.

Meanwhile, KSU coach Bill Snyder’s postgame press conference outside the visitor’s locker room was disrupted by another fan who was yelling insults at media members from outside the fence outside the stadium.

“Has that guy been drinking all day or what?” Snyder said. “He’s not one of ours is he?”

Snyder had no visible reaction when told the heckler was wearing a KU hat.

KU Football Notebook

By Gary Bedore     Nov 3, 2002

Kansas officials estimated Saturday’s attendance at 43,000, making it by far the Jayhawks’ biggest payday of the season. Tickets went for $45, or $15 more than for the other KU home games.

KU quarterback Bill Whittemore suited but did not play. Fifth-year senior Jonas Weatherbie made his first career start replacing Whittemore, who suffered a knee injury in last week’s Missouri game.

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Brian Luke, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound red-shirt freshman quarterback from Walnut Creek, Calif., made his collegiate debut with 10:51 showing in the second quarter and KU trailing 36-0. Luke quickly threw a 12-yard pass to Derick Mills for the Jayhawks’ initial first down. Luke played the rest of the way.

K-State had scored on six straight possessions until Joe Rheem was wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter.

KU averaged .5 yards per play in the first half, accumulating 14 yards on 28 attempts (16 passes, 12 rushes). KSU had 313 yards on 44 attempts in forging a 43-0 lead. KU had 101 yards in the second half.

KU coach Mark Mangino was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty less than 30 seconds into the second half. Mangino apparently said something to an official when he went on the field to check on the status of nose tackle Brock Teddleton, who was on the ground with a minor injury.

With nearly 28 minutes remaining on the game clock, Kansas State had already scored more points (57) than it had ever scored against Kansas. The previous high was 54 in 1998.

Bobby Birhiray, a seldom-used junior cornerback, made his first career interception when he picked off KSU quarterback Marc Dunn in the end zone midway through the third quarter. It was K-State’s only turnover.

McLouth native Jeff Schwinn played quarterback for the ‘Cats in the fourth quarter. Schwinn, a fourth-year junior, contributed a career-best 42-yard run.

K-State has now scored 50 or more points against Kansas in four of the last five meetings. The average score of those five games has been 52-7. KSU shut out KU for the first time since 1955 (46-0).

The 64-point margin made it the third most lopsided defeat in KU history, topped only by a 70-0 hammering by Nebraska in 1986 and a 65-0 flogging by Oklahoma in 1954. All three of the defeats were at Memorial Stadium.

KU tied a Big 12 record by losing five fumbles. K-State also picked off two KU passes.

According to the stats sheet, KU’s leading tacklers were linebacker Nick Reid and safety Johnny McCoy with 11 stops apiece.

Tom Ahlers of Des Moines was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew that included one Kansan field judge Duane Osborne of Seneca. Tom Quick, a former KU football player who lives in Overland Park, was in the press box as an alternate official.

Kickoff temperature was 37 degrees under cloudy skies with a negligible 6 mph wind out of the southwest. A light rain fell off and on throughout the game.

A fan wearing a KU hat leaned over the railing above the KU locker room door and yelled obscenities at Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino after the game. Fernando DeSanMiguel, who in an unofficial capacity handles some security matters for the team, had a verbal exchange with the fan. Mangino appeared to ignore the heckler.

Meanwhile, KSU coach Bill Snyder’s postgame press conference outside the visitor’s locker room was disrupted by another fan who was yelling insults at media members from outside the fence outside the stadium.

“Has that guy been drinking all day or what?” Snyder said. “He’s not one of ours is he?”

Snyder had no visible reaction when told the heckler was wearing a KU hat.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Oct 27, 2002

Missouri’s second straight victory in the series evened the ancient border rivalry at 51-51-9. The defeat assured Kansas, 2-7, of its seventh straight losing season.

KU place-kicker Johnny Beck’s string of missed field goal attempts grew to seven halfway through the first quarter when he misfired on a 40-yarder after a low snap. Beck’s three-point skid reached eight with 5:02 remaining before halftime when he kicked a low brick from 43 yards. A low snap appeared to mess up Beck’s wide-right PAT in the second quarter.

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Mizzou kicker Michael Matheny wasn’t immune to the yips. Matheny was wide left on a 46-yard attempt early in the third quarter and his PAT attempt later in that period was blocked.

Wide receiver Derick Mills lined up at tailback on a couple of occasions.

Wide receiver Brandon Rideau attempted his second career pass on a gimmick play in the first quarter. After a reverse, Rideau shook off a would-be tackler, stumbled and threw incomplete in the vicinity of tailback Clark Green. Rideau tossed an incomplete pass earlier in the season on a similar trick play.

For the first time in five weeks, KU did not fall behind by two touchdowns. MU scored first, but Kansas answered with Bill Whittemore’s 14-yard TD pass to Mark Simmons early in the second quarter.

Kansas lagged 14-6 at halftime despite running 54 plays to Mizzou’s 29 and outgaining the Tigers, 270 yards to 158. KU had nearly a seven-minute bulge in time of possession. MU finished with a 425-376 advantage in total offense.

KU is 2-for-6 in two-point conversion attempts this season after Bill Whittemore’s pass intended for Byron Gasaway fell incomplete following the Jayhawks’ second TD. KU coach Mark Mangino complained animatedly that Gasaway had been knocked down in the end zone.

Whittemore, who left with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter, apparently wasn’t the only Jayhawk to suffer a left knee injury. Center and long snapper Greg Nicks was limping and his knee was wrapped in an ice pack after the game.

Linebacker Leo Etienne was credited with a team-high nine tackles. Safety Zach Dyer had eight stops.

MU officials pegged Saturday’s homecoming crowd at 60,287. Faurot Field’s capacity is 68,349.

Four true freshmen including starting outside linebacker Nick Reid were on the Jayhawks’ 65-man travel roster. The others were linebackers Kevin Kane and Brandon Perkins, and wide receiver Mark Simmons.

John Laurie, principal of Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.

Kickoff temperature was 44 degrees under cloudy skies with a 7 mph wind out of the north.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Oct 27, 2002

Missouri’s second straight victory in the series evened the ancient border rivalry at 51-51-9. The defeat assured Kansas, 2-7, of its seventh straight losing season.

KU place-kicker Johnny Beck’s string of missed field goal attempts grew to seven halfway through the first quarter when he misfired on a 40-yarder after a low snap. Beck’s three-point skid reached eight with 5:02 remaining before halftime when he kicked a low brick from 43 yards. A low snap appeared to mess up Beck’s wide-right PAT in the second quarter.

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Mizzou kicker Michael Matheny wasn’t immune to the yips. Matheny was wide left on a 46-yard attempt early in the third quarter and his PAT attempt later in that period was blocked.

Wide receiver Derick Mills lined up at tailback on a couple of occasions.

Wide receiver Brandon Rideau attempted his second career pass on a gimmick play in the first quarter. After a reverse, Rideau shook off a would-be tackler, stumbled and threw incomplete in the vicinity of tailback Clark Green. Rideau tossed an incomplete pass earlier in the season on a similar trick play.

For the first time in five weeks, KU did not fall behind by two touchdowns. MU scored first, but Kansas answered with Bill Whittemore’s 14-yard TD pass to Mark Simmons early in the second quarter.

Kansas lagged 14-6 at halftime despite running 54 plays to Mizzou’s 29 and outgaining the Tigers, 270 yards to 158. KU had nearly a seven-minute bulge in time of possession. MU finished with a 425-376 advantage in total offense.

KU is 2-for-6 in two-point conversion attempts this season after Bill Whittemore’s pass intended for Byron Gasaway fell incomplete following the Jayhawks’ second TD. KU coach Mark Mangino complained animatedly that Gasaway had been knocked down in the end zone.

Whittemore, who left with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter, apparently wasn’t the only Jayhawk to suffer a left knee injury. Center and long snapper Greg Nicks was limping and his knee was wrapped in an ice pack after the game.

Linebacker Leo Etienne was credited with a team-high nine tackles. Safety Zach Dyer had eight stops.

MU officials pegged Saturday’s homecoming crowd at 60,287. Faurot Field’s capacity is 68,349.

Four true freshmen including starting outside linebacker Nick Reid were on the Jayhawks’ 65-man travel roster. The others were linebackers Kevin Kane and Brandon Perkins, and wide receiver Mark Simmons.

John Laurie, principal of Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.

Kickoff temperature was 44 degrees under cloudy skies with a 7 mph wind out of the north.

KU Football Notebook

By Staff     Oct 27, 2002

Missouri’s second straight victory in the series evened the ancient border rivalry at 51-51-9. The defeat assured Kansas, 2-7, of its seventh straight losing season.

KU place-kicker Johnny Beck’s string of missed field goal attempts grew to seven halfway through the first quarter when he misfired on a 40-yarder after a low snap. Beck’s three-point skid reached eight with 5:02 remaining before halftime when he kicked a low brick from 43 yards. A low snap appeared to mess up Beck’s wide-right PAT in the second quarter.

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Mizzou kicker Michael Matheny wasn’t immune to the yips. Matheny was wide left on a 46-yard attempt early in the third quarter and his PAT attempt later in that period was blocked.

Wide receiver Derick Mills lined up at tailback on a couple of occasions.

Wide receiver Brandon Rideau attempted his second career pass on a gimmick play in the first quarter. After a reverse, Rideau shook off a would-be tackler, stumbled and threw incomplete in the vicinity of tailback Clark Green. Rideau tossed an incomplete pass earlier in the season on a similar trick play.

For the first time in five weeks, KU did not fall behind by two touchdowns. MU scored first, but Kansas answered with Bill Whittemore’s 14-yard TD pass to Mark Simmons early in the second quarter.

Kansas lagged 14-6 at halftime despite running 54 plays to Mizzou’s 29 and outgaining the Tigers, 270 yards to 158. KU had nearly a seven-minute bulge in time of possession. MU finished with a 425-376 advantage in total offense.

KU is 2-for-6 in two-point conversion attempts this season after Bill Whittemore’s pass intended for Byron Gasaway fell incomplete following the Jayhawks’ second TD. KU coach Mark Mangino complained animatedly that Gasaway had been knocked down in the end zone.

Whittemore, who left with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter, apparently wasn’t the only Jayhawk to suffer a left knee injury. Center and long snapper Greg Nicks was limping and his knee was wrapped in an ice pack after the game.

Linebacker Leo Etienne was credited with a team-high nine tackles. Safety Zach Dyer had eight stops.

MU officials pegged Saturday’s homecoming crowd at 60,287. Faurot Field’s capacity is 68,349.

Four true freshmen including starting outside linebacker Nick Reid were on the Jayhawks’ 65-man travel roster. The others were linebackers Kevin Kane and Brandon Perkins, and wide receiver Mark Simmons.

John Laurie, principal of Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.

Kickoff temperature was 44 degrees under cloudy skies with a 7 mph wind out of the north.

KU football notebook

By Staff     Oct 13, 2002

The Amadi twins, Ronnie and Donnie, started in the Kansas University secondary for the first time. Donnie had been a starter at cornerback. Ronnie opened at the other corner in place of Remuise Johnson, who had started the first six games. The Amadis are red-shirt freshmen from Alief, Texas.

Johnson, subbing for Amadi in the fourth quarter, stole his fifth pass of the season. That’s the most interceptions by a KU player in the last 17 years.

For the third straight week, the Jayhawks fell behind by two touchdowns in the first quarter before scoring. They trailed Tulsa, 13-0, before rallying for a 43-33 win and were down, 14-0, in last Saturday’s 35-32 loss at Baylor. Baffled by the slow starts, KU coach Mark Mangino said: “That’s going to take some study on our part.”

Colorado’s Patrick Brougham was wide right on a 33-yard field goal attempt with the wind early in the second quarter and CU leading, 21-15. KU’s Johnny Beck was wide right on a 51-yarder, also with the wind, in the waning seconds his fifth straight three-point failure.

Additional evidence that time of possession is a meaningless statistic: In the first half, Kansas had the ball for 17 minutes and 25 seconds and Colorado 12:35, but the Buffs led 36-22. Overall, KU had the ball nearly six minutes longer than CU and ran 13 more plays, yet lost by 24 points.

Colorado defensive back Donald Strickland’s 95-yard touchdown run with an interception was the longest against Kansas by 15 yards. C.J. Masters of Kansas State returned a pass theft 80 yards against the Jayhawks 10 years ago. The Big 12 record is 100 yards.

Colorado’s 53 points were the most a CU team has ever scored against Kansas. Tailback Chris Brown’s 309 yards were the third highest total against a KU team, trailing Missouri’s Devin West (319) and Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (313).

Linebacker Greg Cole and safety Johnny McCoy led the Jayhawks with nine tackles each. Four of Cole’s stops were for losses. Defensive end David McMillan had the Jayhawks’ lone sack.

Steve Usechek of Northglenn, Colo., was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew. Topekan Phil Laurie was the field judge.

Kickoff temperature was 58 degrees under mostly sunny skies with a blustery 20 to 30 mph wind out of the northwest that affected punting, passing and place-kicking.

KU officials estimated the attendance at 34,500, the smallest of the season. KU pegged the crowds for Southwest Missouri State and Bowling Green as 40,500 and 37,000 respectively.

Compiled by Chuck Woodling

KU Football Notebook: Free State grad Heider leaves team

By Richard Brack     Aug 30, 2002

Kansas University’s football team has run out of homegrown talent.

Free State High graduate Matt Heider, the only Lawrence product on the KU roster this season, has left the team.

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Heider, who plans to complete his degree in journalism next December, said he wanted to concentrate on academics.

“It was toughest decision of my life,” said Heider, whose former teammates open the season Saturday at Iowa State. “Going in to return my playbook was really hard. This weekend is going to be really hard. At the same time, I have to think logically about my life and where it’s going.”

Heider was a three-sport athlete at Free State and owns the school’s records for passing yards in a season and career. He played one season at Baker University in 1999 before transferring to Kansas. He walked on at KU and red-shirted in 2000. He switched from quarterback to receiver last season and worked with the scout team.

Heider caught three receptions for 31 yards in this year’s spring game, but he never appeared on KU’s preseason depth chart, which goes six-deep at receiver.

Heider wasn’t on scholarship at Kansas, and he’s taken a job at Alvamar since leaving the team.

He said the change in coaching staff’s wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

“I just decided my time was up,” Heider said. “I think they’re terrific. They’ll get the job done in the future.”

Freshman Sean Manske, a walk-on defensive back from Winfield, also was missing from KU’s updated roster.

Green good to go: Coach Mark Mangino said Clark Green has recovered from nagging injuries that slowed him during two-a-day practices. The red-shirt freshman running back, who is a backup to junior Reggie Duncan, should be able to play Saturday.

“Clark Green was nicked up,” Mangino said Thursday on his “Hawk Talk” radio program, “but the last couple of days Clark has looked really strong. He’s running well and blocking well.”

KU Football Notebook: Free State grad Heider leaves team

By Richard Brack     Aug 30, 2002

Kansas University’s football team has run out of homegrown talent.

Free State High graduate Matt Heider, the only Lawrence product on the KU roster this season, has left the team.

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Heider, who plans to complete his degree in journalism next December, said he wanted to concentrate on academics.

“It was toughest decision of my life,” said Heider, whose former teammates open the season Saturday at Iowa State. “Going in to return my playbook was really hard. This weekend is going to be really hard. At the same time, I have to think logically about my life and where it’s going.”

Heider was a three-sport athlete at Free State and owns the school’s records for passing yards in a season and career. He played one season at Baker University in 1999 before transferring to Kansas. He walked on at KU and red-shirted in 2000. He switched from quarterback to receiver last season and worked with the scout team.

Heider caught three receptions for 31 yards in this year’s spring game, but he never appeared on KU’s preseason depth chart, which goes six-deep at receiver.

Heider wasn’t on scholarship at Kansas, and he’s taken a job at Alvamar since leaving the team.

He said the change in coaching staff’s wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

“I just decided my time was up,” Heider said. “I think they’re terrific. They’ll get the job done in the future.”

Freshman Sean Manske, a walk-on defensive back from Winfield, also was missing from KU’s updated roster.

Green good to go: Coach Mark Mangino said Clark Green has recovered from nagging injuries that slowed him during two-a-day practices. The red-shirt freshman running back, who is a backup to junior Reggie Duncan, should be able to play Saturday.

“Clark Green was nicked up,” Mangino said Thursday on his “Hawk Talk” radio program, “but the last couple of days Clark has looked really strong. He’s running well and blocking well.”

KU Football Notebook: Free State grad Heider leaves team

By Richard Brack     Aug 30, 2002

Kansas University’s football team has run out of homegrown talent.

Free State High graduate Matt Heider, the only Lawrence product on the KU roster this season, has left the team.

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Heider, who plans to complete his degree in journalism next December, said he wanted to concentrate on academics.

“It was toughest decision of my life,” said Heider, whose former teammates open the season Saturday at Iowa State. “Going in to return my playbook was really hard. This weekend is going to be really hard. At the same time, I have to think logically about my life and where it’s going.”

Heider was a three-sport athlete at Free State and owns the school’s records for passing yards in a season and career. He played one season at Baker University in 1999 before transferring to Kansas. He walked on at KU and red-shirted in 2000. He switched from quarterback to receiver last season and worked with the scout team.

Heider caught three receptions for 31 yards in this year’s spring game, but he never appeared on KU’s preseason depth chart, which goes six-deep at receiver.

Heider wasn’t on scholarship at Kansas, and he’s taken a job at Alvamar since leaving the team.

He said the change in coaching staff’s wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

“I just decided my time was up,” Heider said. “I think they’re terrific. They’ll get the job done in the future.”

Freshman Sean Manske, a walk-on defensive back from Winfield, also was missing from KU’s updated roster.

Green good to go: Coach Mark Mangino said Clark Green has recovered from nagging injuries that slowed him during two-a-day practices. The red-shirt freshman running back, who is a backup to junior Reggie Duncan, should be able to play Saturday.

“Clark Green was nicked up,” Mangino said Thursday on his “Hawk Talk” radio program, “but the last couple of days Clark has looked really strong. He’s running well and blocking well.”

KU Football Notebook: Free State grad Heider leaves team

By Richard Brack     Aug 30, 2002

Kansas University’s football team has run out of homegrown talent.

Free State High graduate Matt Heider, the only Lawrence product on the KU roster this season, has left the team.

advertisement

Heider, who plans to complete his degree in journalism next December, said he wanted to concentrate on academics.

“It was toughest decision of my life,” said Heider, whose former teammates open the season Saturday at Iowa State. “Going in to return my playbook was really hard. This weekend is going to be really hard. At the same time, I have to think logically about my life and where it’s going.”

Heider was a three-sport athlete at Free State and owns the school’s records for passing yards in a season and career. He played one season at Baker University in 1999 before transferring to Kansas. He walked on at KU and red-shirted in 2000. He switched from quarterback to receiver last season and worked with the scout team.

Heider caught three receptions for 31 yards in this year’s spring game, but he never appeared on KU’s preseason depth chart, which goes six-deep at receiver.

Heider wasn’t on scholarship at Kansas, and he’s taken a job at Alvamar since leaving the team.

He said the change in coaching staff’s wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

“I just decided my time was up,” Heider said. “I think they’re terrific. They’ll get the job done in the future.”

Freshman Sean Manske, a walk-on defensive back from Winfield, also was missing from KU’s updated roster.

Green good to go: Coach Mark Mangino said Clark Green has recovered from nagging injuries that slowed him during two-a-day practices. The red-shirt freshman running back, who is a backup to junior Reggie Duncan, should be able to play Saturday.

“Clark Green was nicked up,” Mangino said Thursday on his “Hawk Talk” radio program, “but the last couple of days Clark has looked really strong. He’s running well and blocking well.”

KU Football Notebook: Kansas assistant coach Bowen to find time for wedding tonight

By Richard Brack     Apr 13, 2002

Today will be a busy day for Clint Bowen.

Kansas University’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator will be on campus this morning for the Jayhawks’ scrimmage.

Oh, and then tonight he’ll marry Miss Kansas.

It’s been a busy offseason for Bowen, who saw boss Terry Allen fired with three games left in the 2001 season, was retained by new head coach Mark Mangino, switched from tight ends to running backs coach, helped with recruiting and now is busy with spring drills.

So why tie the knot during the middle of spring practices?

“That was the time that worked best for both their schedules,” said Charles Bowen, Clint’s father. “I tried to talk them into running off, but they wouldn’t do it.”

While the younger Bowen won’t be quite as busy after the spring game on April 26, fiancristie Knox will be entering her busy time of year as a wedding planner. Miss Kansas USA 2001 and the former Lawrence High and KU defensive back will wait until after the spring game to take their Virgin Islands honeymoon.

Bowen was not available to the media.

l
Warner in Spain: NFL Europe begins its season today. Only one former KU player is listed on rosters of the six-team league. Ron Warner, an all-Big 12 linebacker in 1997, was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Warner was a seventh-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1998.

l
Looking ahead: The NFL Draft is next Saturday and Sunday. The KU senior most likely to be selected is Nate Dwyer, who one analyst ranks as the seventh-best defensive tackle available. Algie Atkinson was rated the 14th-best linebacker by the same Website. Justin Hartwig was ranked the 23rd-best offensive tackle. After the seven-round draft ends Sunday, other Jayhawks who might be signed as undrafted free agents include linebacker Marcus Rogers, receiver Termaine Fulton and cornerback Andrew Davison.

KU Football Notebook: Kansas assistant coach Bowen to find time for wedding tonight

By Richard Brack     Apr 13, 2002

Today will be a busy day for Clint Bowen.

Kansas University’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator will be on campus this morning for the Jayhawks’ scrimmage.

Oh, and then tonight he’ll marry Miss Kansas.

It’s been a busy offseason for Bowen, who saw boss Terry Allen fired with three games left in the 2001 season, was retained by new head coach Mark Mangino, switched from tight ends to running backs coach, helped with recruiting and now is busy with spring drills.

So why tie the knot during the middle of spring practices?

“That was the time that worked best for both their schedules,” said Charles Bowen, Clint’s father. “I tried to talk them into running off, but they wouldn’t do it.”

While the younger Bowen won’t be quite as busy after the spring game on April 26, fiancristie Knox will be entering her busy time of year as a wedding planner. Miss Kansas USA 2001 and the former Lawrence High and KU defensive back will wait until after the spring game to take their Virgin Islands honeymoon.

Bowen was not available to the media.

l
Warner in Spain: NFL Europe begins its season today. Only one former KU player is listed on rosters of the six-team league. Ron Warner, an all-Big 12 linebacker in 1997, was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Warner was a seventh-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1998.

l
Looking ahead: The NFL Draft is next Saturday and Sunday. The KU senior most likely to be selected is Nate Dwyer, who one analyst ranks as the seventh-best defensive tackle available. Algie Atkinson was rated the 14th-best linebacker by the same Website. Justin Hartwig was ranked the 23rd-best offensive tackle. After the seven-round draft ends Sunday, other Jayhawks who might be signed as undrafted free agents include linebacker Marcus Rogers, receiver Termaine Fulton and cornerback Andrew Davison.

KU Football Notebook: Kansas assistant coach Bowen to find time for wedding tonight

By Richard Brack     Apr 13, 2002

Today will be a busy day for Clint Bowen.

Kansas University’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator will be on campus this morning for the Jayhawks’ scrimmage.

Oh, and then tonight he’ll marry Miss Kansas.

It’s been a busy offseason for Bowen, who saw boss Terry Allen fired with three games left in the 2001 season, was retained by new head coach Mark Mangino, switched from tight ends to running backs coach, helped with recruiting and now is busy with spring drills.

So why tie the knot during the middle of spring practices?

“That was the time that worked best for both their schedules,” said Charles Bowen, Clint’s father. “I tried to talk them into running off, but they wouldn’t do it.”

While the younger Bowen won’t be quite as busy after the spring game on April 26, fiancristie Knox will be entering her busy time of year as a wedding planner. Miss Kansas USA 2001 and the former Lawrence High and KU defensive back will wait until after the spring game to take their Virgin Islands honeymoon.

Bowen was not available to the media.

l
Warner in Spain: NFL Europe begins its season today. Only one former KU player is listed on rosters of the six-team league. Ron Warner, an all-Big 12 linebacker in 1997, was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Warner was a seventh-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1998.

l
Looking ahead: The NFL Draft is next Saturday and Sunday. The KU senior most likely to be selected is Nate Dwyer, who one analyst ranks as the seventh-best defensive tackle available. Algie Atkinson was rated the 14th-best linebacker by the same Website. Justin Hartwig was ranked the 23rd-best offensive tackle. After the seven-round draft ends Sunday, other Jayhawks who might be signed as undrafted free agents include linebacker Marcus Rogers, receiver Termaine Fulton and cornerback Andrew Davison.

KU Football Notebook: Kansas assistant coach Bowen to find time for wedding tonight

By Richard Brack     Apr 13, 2002

Today will be a busy day for Clint Bowen.

Kansas University’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator will be on campus this morning for the Jayhawks’ scrimmage.

Oh, and then tonight he’ll marry Miss Kansas.

It’s been a busy offseason for Bowen, who saw boss Terry Allen fired with three games left in the 2001 season, was retained by new head coach Mark Mangino, switched from tight ends to running backs coach, helped with recruiting and now is busy with spring drills.

So why tie the knot during the middle of spring practices?

“That was the time that worked best for both their schedules,” said Charles Bowen, Clint’s father. “I tried to talk them into running off, but they wouldn’t do it.”

While the younger Bowen won’t be quite as busy after the spring game on April 26, fiancristie Knox will be entering her busy time of year as a wedding planner. Miss Kansas USA 2001 and the former Lawrence High and KU defensive back will wait until after the spring game to take their Virgin Islands honeymoon.

Bowen was not available to the media.

l
Warner in Spain: NFL Europe begins its season today. Only one former KU player is listed on rosters of the six-team league. Ron Warner, an all-Big 12 linebacker in 1997, was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Warner was a seventh-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1998.

l
Looking ahead: The NFL Draft is next Saturday and Sunday. The KU senior most likely to be selected is Nate Dwyer, who one analyst ranks as the seventh-best defensive tackle available. Algie Atkinson was rated the 14th-best linebacker by the same Website. Justin Hartwig was ranked the 23rd-best offensive tackle. After the seven-round draft ends Sunday, other Jayhawks who might be signed as undrafted free agents include linebacker Marcus Rogers, receiver Termaine Fulton and cornerback Andrew Davison.

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