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Benton Smith was born in Kansas City, Mo., and bounced around in the years that followed, living in Pennsylvania, Iowa and North Carolina, before moving to Lawrence in 2006. Along the way, he lived in Sanford, N.C., for a huge chunk of his life and graduated in 2002 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — an institution, he assures die-hard Kansas fans, which he attended primarily for its in-state tuition and journalism program. Shortly after moving to Lawrence, Smith began working part-time at the Journal-World, initially covering youth sports. Next, he covered Free State High athletics and area sports for the J-W, before taking on the position of sports editor for one of The World Company's weekly newspapers, The Mirror, in Tonganoxie. He worked there from 2008 to 2011, until returning to the Journal-World to lead its high school sports coverage. In 2013, Smith took on a new role with KUsports.com, as a digital editor, blogger and writer and that role changed again in 2016, when Smith was promoted to KU football beat writer.
Recent Stories
David Beaty hopeful familiarity with Air Raid will help KU defense
Now in his second season as head coach at Kansas, David Beaty was asked on Monday’s Big 12 coaches media teleconference whether last year's 10-point home loss to Texas Tech served as a starting point for preparing for the upcoming Thursday night rematch of sorts at Jones AT & T Stadium, in Lubbok, Texas.By Benton Smith
Jayhawks preparing to take on top passing offense
Sure, the University of Kansas football team had a bye this past week, but the Jayhawks likely wouldn’t have minded even more time off for preparation, considering what awaits them Thursday night in Lubbock, Texas. By Benton Smith
KU football had plenty to address during bye week
The Kansas football team’s 2016 schedule ordered Saturday as a day off for the Jayhawks (1-2), but second-year head coach David Beaty, his staff and players obviously had plenty of work to do this week. By Benton Smith
KU football struggles to produce sustainable drives
As much as turnovers plagued the Kansas football team’s offense in a one-score trip to Memphis on Saturday, the inability to sustain drives brought torment, too. By Benton Smith
Notebook: Bragg laments mistakes at center; Dineen injured
For the first time in his career at Kansas, sophomore Jacob Bragg started at center Saturday at Memphis. Afterward, the young offensive lineman, pushed into a new role due to injuries to starter Joe Gibson and would-be backup Mesa Ribordy, regretted his role in what became a mistake-heavy showing, and a 43-7 road loss at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. By Benton Smith
Roadkill: Jayhawks dismantled in Memphis, 43-7
The Kansas football team took its traveling road show of horrors to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Saturday, and the seven-year long spectacle refused to die. Capitalizing on KU drives that went nowhere and an array of Jayhawk giveaways, Memphis dismantled the visitors, 43-7, extending the program’s losing streak away from Lawrence to 39 games. By Benton Smith
Notebook: Daniel Wise recognized for stellar performance
According to Pro Football Focus, Kansas sophomore tackle Daniel Wise played better than almost every interior defensive lineman in the nation last week during the Jayhawks’ loss to Ohio. By Benton Smith
Gameday Breakdown: Kansas football at Memphis
Get your keys to the Kansas football team's road game at Memphis, find out the mega matchup and check out five questions with senior safety Bazie Bates IV.By Benton Smith
Jayhawks 'embarrassed' by lack of run production
The Jayhawks ran the ball 35 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns against an overmatched FCS opponent in their debut, but after KU averaged a meager 1.7 yards a carry in a home loss to Ohio, offensive line coach Zach Yenser went as far as referring to the team’s run-blocking the “elephant in the room.” By Benton Smith
Kansas football can't afford another sluggish start
The concept of valuing the opening plays of a game or practice certainly isn’t new to Kansas football coach David Beaty or his players. Following a Week 2 home loss to Ohio in which the Jayhawks (1-1) failed early on to show much fight on either offense or defense, the words “fast start” likely have been uttered more than ever as KU prepares for its first road game of the season, Saturday at Memphis. By Benton Smith
