MEMPHIS, Tenn.Today you can be sure a lot of Kansas football players are talking about next year. And they won’t be wondering if they’ll ever got to another bowl game.
The Jayhawks will be discussing WHEN they go bowling again.
And, of course, Monday night’s 31-18 loss to North Carolina State in the Liberty Bowl will be the crux of the talks.
“This was the first bowl game we’ve ever been to,” explained junior linebacker Steve Towle in the dressing room after the game, “Most of us will get to play in one next year, and we know we did a lot of thing wrong. When we get in a bowl game next year, we’ll sure remember this one. It’ll be a super incentive.”
None of the KU players was shedding tears over the loss. They weren’t as disappointed as they were embarrassed.
“For being on national TV and everything,” said cornerback Kurt Knoff, “it didn’t seem like we were up for the game. I don’t know why. All I know is that is was very embarrassing.”
Knoff, just a sophomore, will also be back next season and, like Towle, he thinks Monday night’s experience will be valuable.
“Naw, it won’t hurt our confidence,” Knoff said. “It might make us even hungrier next year. Next time we ought to want it more than we did this time.”
Soph linebacker Rick Kovatch, still another who’ll return in 1974, sounded the same sobering theme.
“I sure learned a lesson tonight,” Kovatch stressed. “I think everybody did.”
One could probably say with impunity that the Jayhawks looked upon the Liberty Bowl as an end in itself rather than a means to an end.
Were they really mentally ready to play?
“Yes and no,” answered wide receiver Emmett Edwards. “We worked hard getting here, but everything was kind of loose in practice and we looked sluggish in the game. We didn’t really put that much into it. I think we went out there playing to win, but we couldn’t get the breaks to fall our way.”
Fullback Robert Miller, who enjoyed his best game as a ball carrier with a 104-yards, called the game a “learning experience.”
“We have to learn to stick together more,” Miller analyzed. “You can almost sense we were falling apart after the (regular) season. That’s when everyone started thinking about Christmas and going home and everything. You can’t do that. You have to live for today and not look ahead.”
Quarterback Dave Jaynes, who wrapped up his career as the best passer in KU history, ended with the ignominy of throwing an interception that went for a touchdown late in the game.
“Man,” he sighed, “you throw an interception like that. It’s just ridiculous!”
Jaynes, who had suffered similar disgust early in his career, pointed to KU’s miscues as the reason for Monday night’s failure.
“Mistakes,” he said. I’ve been that route before.”
