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Jayhawks head to Miami

Miami — It was sunny and 77 degrees when Kansas University's football traveling party arrived safely at Miami international Airport on Thursday.

KU coach Mark Mangino, before heading to the team headquarters at the Trump Sonesta hotel, talked to about a half-dozen reporters at the airport about the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl being played at nearby Dolphin Stadium.

"We've waited a long time to get down here to South Florida and get ready for the Orange Bowl," Mangino said. "We're pretty excited."

The team charter had only 33 of the 104 players on board, mostly natives of Kansas or Kansas City. The rest of the players traveled to Florida on their own after going home for Christmas.

The ones who did fly with the team did so in style. The players were greeted in Miami with an "orange" carpet and received gift bags consisting of a disposable camera, sunscreen, an orange and an Orange Bowl patch.

The Jayhawks did not practice, but did have a meeting after all the players arrived. Of course, the preparation for the Jan. 3 game against Virginia Tech long has been in the works.

"I'd say that we have the game plan completely installed," Mangino said. "We did that back in Kansas, and now our practices here are just to sharpen them up."

No practice - yet

The Jayhawks did not practice, but did have a meeting after all the players arrived in Miami on Thursday. Of course, the preparation for the Jan. 3 game against Virginia Tech long has been in the works.

"I'd say that we have the game plan completely installed," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "We did that back in Kansas, and now our practices here are just to sharpen them up."

The schedule

Kansas will practice this morning at Barry University in nearby Miami Shores. It will be the first of six straight days of practice before the big game.

"We will practice, and we will practice pretty intensely, too," Mangino said. "Our first few practices here, we'll hit. There'll be contact."

The Orange Bowl also has a outing planned for KU at an area bowling alley tonight.

Doing better

Don't expect detailed injury reports between now and the Orange Bowl, but Mangino did hint Thursday that his team is feeling a lot better than it did against Missouri on Nov. 24.

"We used the rest wisely early on," Mangino said. "We were banged up pretty good, but we're doing all right now. And we think we're in pretty good shape."

No bowl fever

Dolphin Stadium in nearby Miami Gardens hasn't caught Orange Bowl fever yet, despite the game being less than a week away. No mention of the city's big bowl game is seen outside the gates of the 72,000-seat stadium.

There's a reason, though. The NFL's Miami Dolphins had a news conference Thursday to announce legendary coach Bill Parcells as the franchise's new vice president for football operations. The Dolphins (1-14) are scheduled to play at Dolphin Stadium in their season finale Sunday before the focus can turn to Kansas-Virginia Tech next week.