Journal-World File PhotoNick Reid’s 10-tackle performance, along with a key interception, went a little overlooked as Kansas rolled over Toledo, 63-14, last Saturday.
But it is hard to ignore the difference in the Jayhawks’ defense against the run compared to this time in 2003.
“The defensive line is a lot better than last year, and that makes it a lot easier to make plays,” Reid said. “When you make a team one-dimensional, it’s that much easier to play them.”
In the first two games last season, both at home against Northwestern and UNLV, the Jayhawks allowed 479 yards on the ground, and all seven touchdowns they gave up in those games came via the run. In the midst of this year’s 2-0 start, they have allowed just 114 rushing yards, which ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference.
That stinginess will be just as key today, as Kansas is more than familiar with the damage Northwestern can do on the ground.
Though Jason Wright, who had 196 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s meeting, is gone, Wildcat tailback Noah Herron is dangerous. Just like Wright, Herron is a stocky, solid back who is a threat as a receiver out of the backfield. Through two games, Herron has gained 199 yards on 45 carries, scoring three touchdowns.
While Herron is a threat to prepare for, most Jayhawks involved in last year’s opening-night loss have a personal vendetta against the Wildcats. Especially Northwestern’s ground game.
“That last-minute touchdown is always in the back of my mind,” senior safety Tony Stubbs said of Wright’s score that put last year’s game out of reach. “You always want that back, and we’ve got a second chance to do that this weekend.”
The Jayhawks will have a better chance the second time around because of a cast of newcomers who have added some intensity and depth to the defensive front.
The emergence of Kevin Kane (10 tackles, one interception) has helped to keep the linebacking corps fresh at all times, and transfers Charlton Keith (two fumble recoveries) and Jermial Ashley (three tackles for loss) have shored up the defensive line.
“(Stopping the run) can make a defense really intimidating,” Keith said. “Knowing that a linebacker’s gonna go full go every play, that’s what you need. That just opens us up and gives everyone the opportunity to make plays, especially our secondary.”
Unlike Stubbs, many of his teammates have pushed back any specific memories of the ground assault Northwestern laid on them last August. For those players, the only things on their minds are revenge and better weather.
“All I can remember is the rain, and how miserable it was,” Reid said. “We owe them one for last year. That game got away from us. We’ve got to go up there and prove we’re better than everybody still thinks we are.”
Where generic Jayhawk Field once sat now sits state-of-the-art Arrocha Ballpark, new home of the Kansas University softball team.
“It’s awesome,” KU senior pitcher Kara Pierce said. “We match all the Big 12 teams now, for sure.”
Pierce will be on the mound when the Jayhawks play their first game at the new facility Saturday against Utah. Game time will be 10 a.m.
“We’re nervous,” Pierce said, “but it will be a great moment for the seniors. It’s going to be fun.”
It’s no coincidence Pierce (4-2, 2.03 earned-run average) received the call for the facility’s debut over freshman Kassie Humphreys (5-2, 2.68), the Jayhawks’ other pitcher.
“The seniors were promised this when they were recruited,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “The seniors deserve this, and no one is more deserving than Kara.”
Humphreys will pitch against Nebraska in the second game of the three-team Jayhawk Classic at 2:30 p.m. KU will meet Utah and Nebraska again Sunday at 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m..
Thanks to a $2 million donation from Mission Hills businesswoman Cheryl Womack, Jayhawk Field was razed, the field turned around, a new drainage system installed, water-deflecting infield laid and spacious dugouts erected.
Other donors have contributed everything from a 36-foot electronic scoreboard in left field to a heated bat rack.
“The best thing about is it’s new,” said Bunge, a former KU standout who has been lobbying for a stadium since she arrived as head coach eight years ago. “And it has the best playing surface in the country bar none.”
Danny Manning, a longtime Bunge friend — they were KU contemporaries in the 1980s — will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Each fan will receive a commemorative Arrocha Ballpark seat cushion.
“We’re hoping for a great crowd,” Bunge said. “There’ll probably be a few bugs, but we’ll work them out. And the grass looks great for this time of year.”
Eventually, Arrocha Ballpark will contain integrated seating for 800 — including 300 with chairbacks — but for now fans will have to sit in temporary bleachers. Restrooms and concessions also will be portable.
KU officials are still seeking additional funds for Phase II of the project, which will contain locker facilities for softball and soccer, and a press box.
Kansas will put an eight-game win streak on the line. The Jayhawks lost four of their first five games at a season-opening tournament in Tempe, Ariz., but haven’t lost since.
Pierce figures the slow start was inevitable.
“The competition is Arizona was really good,” she said, “and when we went there we hadn’t been on dirt, or seen any live pitching other than Kassie and me.”
After three consecutive weekends on the road, the Jayhawks took last weekend off.
“That was a good break,” Pierce said. “Everyone needed a rest. Now we’re ready to play again.”
At the same time they’ll play a home game where they’ve never played before — an unusual situation that doesn’t bother the Jayhawks.
“It doesn’t feel strange,” Pierce said with a smile. “It feels good.”
Arrocha Ballpark is named in honor of Womack’s father, Demostenes Arrocha.
Where generic Jayhawk Field once sat now sits state-of-the-art Arrocha Ballpark, new home of the Kansas University softball team.
“It’s awesome,” KU senior pitcher Kara Pierce said. “We match all the Big 12 teams now, for sure.”
Pierce will be on the mound when the Jayhawks play their first game at the new facility Saturday against Utah. Game time will be 10 a.m.
“We’re nervous,” Pierce said, “but it will be a great moment for the seniors. It’s going to be fun.”
It’s no coincidence Pierce (4-2, 2.03 earned-run average) received the call for the facility’s debut over freshman Kassie Humphreys (5-2, 2.68), the Jayhawks’ other pitcher.
“The seniors were promised this when they were recruited,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “The seniors deserve this, and no one is more deserving than Kara.”
Humphreys will pitch against Nebraska in the second game of the three-team Jayhawk Classic at 2:30 p.m. KU will meet Utah and Nebraska again Sunday at 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m..
Thanks to a $2 million donation from Mission Hills businesswoman Cheryl Womack, Jayhawk Field was razed, the field turned around, a new drainage system installed, water-deflecting infield laid and spacious dugouts erected.
Other donors have contributed everything from a 36-foot electronic scoreboard in left field to a heated bat rack.
“The best thing about is it’s new,” said Bunge, a former KU standout who has been lobbying for a stadium since she arrived as head coach eight years ago. “And it has the best playing surface in the country bar none.”
Danny Manning, a longtime Bunge friend — they were KU contemporaries in the 1980s — will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Each fan will receive a commemorative Arrocha Ballpark seat cushion.
“We’re hoping for a great crowd,” Bunge said. “There’ll probably be a few bugs, but we’ll work them out. And the grass looks great for this time of year.”
Eventually, Arrocha Ballpark will contain integrated seating for 800 — including 300 with chairbacks — but for now fans will have to sit in temporary bleachers. Restrooms and concessions also will be portable.
KU officials are still seeking additional funds for Phase II of the project, which will contain locker facilities for softball and soccer, and a press box.
Kansas will put an eight-game win streak on the line. The Jayhawks lost four of their first five games at a season-opening tournament in Tempe, Ariz., but haven’t lost since.
Pierce figures the slow start was inevitable.
“The competition is Arizona was really good,” she said, “and when we went there we hadn’t been on dirt, or seen any live pitching other than Kassie and me.”
After three consecutive weekends on the road, the Jayhawks took last weekend off.
“That was a good break,” Pierce said. “Everyone needed a rest. Now we’re ready to play again.”
At the same time they’ll play a home game where they’ve never played before — an unusual situation that doesn’t bother the Jayhawks.
“It doesn’t feel strange,” Pierce said with a smile. “It feels good.”
Arrocha Ballpark is named in honor of Womack’s father, Demostenes Arrocha.
After 21 straight road games, Kansas University’s softball team will finally play its first games at Jayhawk Field.
KU will play host to the Holiday Inn Invitational today through Sunday.
Today the Jayhawks will play Loyola-Chicago at 3 p.m. Kansas will face Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Tulsa at 3:45 p.m. Saturday.
Tulsa and Western Michigan will open the tournament at 12:30 this afternoon. The four teams will be seeded for semifinals on Sunday morning and finals and consolation finals slated for Sunday afternoon.
“I think the kids are very excited about sleeping in their own beds again,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “It’s been really nice to go to warm places and have nice weather, but there’s nothing like a team coming home and playing at home again, to the field where they practice every day and have their own fans. We’re very excited about being home again.”
Kansas started the season with five wins in its first six games, but then suffered four- and six-game losing streaks to fall to 9-12.
“We’ve played a very tough schedule, and for the most part we’ve done a good job,” Bunge said. “We have some young pitchers that are growing up and growing up fast. They’ve really done a good job.
None of the other tourney teams have winning records, either. Loyola-Chicago is 3-6, Western Michigan 1-6 and Tulsa 4-16.
KU has two .300-plus hitters in right-fielder Erin Garvey (.382) and second baseman Amy Hulse (.310). Catcher Leah Tabb is batting .283 and is the team leader in home runs with four and RBI with 17.
Centerfielder Shelly Musser, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, is struggling at the plate. Musser is hitting just .235, but she leads the Jayhawks in stolen bases with seven.
Freshman Kara Pierce has been KU’s best pitcher. Pierce has a 6-5 record and a 2.48 earned run average. Junior college transfer Kirsten Milhoan is 3-5 with a 4.01 ERA and Kelly Campbell 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA.
Kansas will begin Big 12 Conference play next Wednesday with a twinbill at Oklahoma State.
“We’re hoping it will prepare us for the Big 12, which starts next week,” Bunge said. “We’re optimistic about the rest of the season.”
Today’s Games
12:30 p.m. Tulsa vs. Western Michigan
3 p.m. KU vs. Loyola-Chicago
9 a.m. Loyola-Chicago vs. Tulsa
11:15 a.m. Loyola-Chicago vs. Western Michigan
1:30 p.m. KU vs. Western Michigan
3:45 p.m. KU vs. Tulsa
9 a.m. Semifinal, No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed
11:15 a.m. Semifinal, No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed
1:30 p.m. TBA
3:45 p.m. TBA
Suddenly, the schedule favors Kansas University’s men’s basketball team.
“It’s good to win our first two conference games on the road. Those are the toughest ones to win,” KU senior Kenny Gregory said after the Jayhawks’ 69-61 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday at a sold-out Noble Center.
“They are all tough, but it’s good to come home 2-0,” Gregory said.
The No. 5-ranked Jayhawks, 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12, head home for a pair of games this week.
Nebraska (8-7, 1-1 ) visits at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday with Texas A&M (6-9, 0-3) to follow on Saturday.
“It feels good to get the first two even though I’ve been on the other side of the ledger,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “We lost our first two one year and still tied for the championship. We know we have a lot of games to play.”
Indeed, the Jayhawks went 0-2 to start the 1990-91 season, yet still tied for the Big Eight crown with Oklahoma State.
Only KU and Missouri (3-0) are undefeated to begin the 2000-01 league season. Mizzou, a four-overtime winner over Iowa State on Saturday in Columbia, Mo., will play its next three games on the road at Kansas State Tuesday, at Virginia Saturday and at Nebraska a week from Wednesday.
The Jayhawks are happy to be back home for a spell. KU hasn’t played a home game since Dec. 16.
“It’s going to be great to get back in there,” KU point guard Kirk Hinrich said of Allen Fieldhouse. “We’ve been on the road a lot.”
Since besting Tulsa, 92-69, the Jayhawks have won at Ohio State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma and also beat SW Missouri State at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
“We haven’t been home in a while, except for practice,” sophomore forward Drew Gooden said of KU’s month away from home.
The Jayhawks have practiced a lot with just one game a week on the slate the past five weeks.
“One game (per week) means you’ve got to practice all week. Continuous practices like that … that puts the wear on you,” Gooden said. “We’ve come out sluggish in some games. Maybe we’ll get a little rhythm now and beat some teams by 20 again.”
KU’s narrow eight-point victory over Oklahoma might have been Williams’ favorite of the season.
“Today is a big step forward for us,” Williams said. “The toughness and competitiveness we showed … I’m impressed with what we did today. You’ve got to have games like this to show how tough you are.”
The Jayhawks didn’t back down against the Sooners, who fell to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in the league.
“We did not play well in a lot of stretches,” Williams said. “For 40 minutes, we competed as hard as we have all season long. We’ll take that over the long run. I’ve never seen any basketball team be successful without a lot of competitive kids.
“Defensively we’ve not been that good this year. But if you compete really hard you can make up for lack of technique on the defensive end.”
The Jayhawks took great pride in silencing a sellout crowd of 11,183 at Noble Center.
“I think coach loves winning more than anybody, but I also think he likes shutting people up more than anything else,” KU center Eric Chenowith said after grabbing 15 rebounds.
Williams loves intangibles such as effort and intensity and that’s why he was a happy man late Saturday.
“Kelvin (Sampson, OU coach) has a great deal of pride in how hard his kids play. I take a great deal of pride in how hard our kids play,” Williams said. “You can always be pretty good on defense if you play as hard as both clubs did today.”
