Dyer will start against OSU

By David Mitchell     Nov 14, 2002

Bill Whittemore’s knee injury appears to be of the season-ending variety.

“It’s unlikely that he’ll play Saturday,” Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino said of his junior quarterback after Wednesday’s practice at Memorial Stadium. “Barring some kind of miracle between now and Saturday, we’ll start the game with Zach Dyer.”

Whittemore damaged the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Oct. 26 during the third quarter of KU’s 36-12 loss to Missouri at Columbia, Mo.

Mangino had hoped Whittemore would be able to return this season, but the junior has not played in the last two games and apparently will watch Saturday’s season finale against Oklahoma State from the sideline.

“If we were competing for a championship or something like that, we’d probably give it a shot,” Mangino said. “But it’s still a little loose and there’s still too much soreness for him to do it.”

Kansas (2-9, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) won’t be playing for a championship. In the nine quarters Whittemore has been sidelined, the Jayhawks have scored just seven points.

Those points were scored on Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Byron Gasaway last Saturday against Nebraska. KU’s longest completion of the season gave the Jayhawks a glimmer of hope, but Weatherbie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee later in the first quarter.

That left KU with two inexperienced quarterbacks. Brian Luke missed eight weeks after breaking the thumb on his passing hand in the preseason, and Mangino has said the red-shirt freshman should be used only “if pressed into duty.”

Joe Hogan, a true freshman from Sallisaw, Okla., is taking a red-shirt season.

“Being the last game, I know Coach doesn’t want to use a red-shirt,” Dyer said. “I’ve been there and I know the offense. It’s a real unfortunate situation that we had two quarterbacks go down. It’s a position that in the spring we had considerable depth, and right now it seems that we only have one guy. If that’s the case, I’m willing to help out.”

Dyer will help out by moving from safety to quarterback, which is where he started the season before losing his job to Whittemore.

Dyer, who switched to safety five games ago, split Monday’s practice between offense and defense while coaches and trainers evaluated Whittemore’s progress. Dyer focused on quarterback Tuesday and Wednesday.

“He’s throwing the ball very well – surprisingly well considering he’s been using that shoulder the last three or four weeks to tackle,” Mangino said of Dyer, who ranks sixth among KU’s tackling leaders.

Dyer will lead the Jayhawks against an OSU team (4-5, 2-3) looking for its first road victory.

“It’s definitely a winnable game for us,” said Dyer, who started four games at quarterback during his sophomore season. “We want to go out on a good note after a difficult season.”

Dyer will start against OSU

By Richard Brack     Nov 14, 2002

Bill Whittemore’s knee injury appears to be of the season-ending variety.

“It’s unlikely that he’ll play Saturday,” Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino said of his junior quarterback after Wednesday’s practice at Memorial Stadium. “Barring some kind of miracle between now and Saturday, we’ll start the game with Zach Dyer.”

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Whittemore damaged the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Oct. 26 during the third quarter of KU’s 36-12 loss to Missouri at Columbia, Mo.

Mangino had hoped Whittemore would be able to return this season, but the junior has not played in the last two games and apparently will watch Saturday’s season finale against Oklahoma State from the sideline.

“If we were competing for a championship or something like that, we’d probably give it a shot,” Mangino said. “But it’s still a little loose and there’s still too much soreness for him to do it.”

Kansas (2-9, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) won’t be playing for a championship. In the nine quarters Whittemore has been sidelined, the Jayhawks have scored just seven points.

Those points were scored on Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Byron Gasaway last Saturday against Nebraska. KU’s longest completion of the season gave the Jayhawks a glimmer of hope, but Weatherbie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee later in the first quarter.

That left KU with two inexperienced quarterbacks. Brian Luke missed eight weeks after breaking the thumb on his passing hand in the preseason, and Mangino has said the red-shirt freshman should be used only “if pressed into duty.”

Joe Hogan, a true freshman from Sallisaw, Okla., is taking a red-shirt season.

“Being the last game, I know Coach doesn’t want to use a red-shirt,” Dyer said. “I’ve been there and I know the offense. It’s a real unfortunate situation that we had two quarterbacks go down. It’s a position that in the spring we had considerable depth, and right now it seems that we only have one guy. If that’s the case, I’m willing to help out.”

Dyer will help out by moving from safety to quarterback, which is where he started the season before losing his job to Whittemore.

Dyer, who switched to safety five games ago, split Monday’s practice between offense and defense while coaches and trainers evaluated Whittemore’s progress. Dyer focused on quarterback Tuesday and Wednesday.

“He’s throwing the ball very well – surprisingly well considering he’s been using that shoulder the last three or four weeks to tackle,” Mangino said of Dyer, who ranks sixth among KU’s tackling leaders.

Dyer will lead the Jayhawks against an OSU team (4-5, 2-3) looking for its first road victory.

“It’s definitely a winnable game for us,” said Dyer, who started four games at quarterback during his sophomore season. “We want to go out on a good note after a difficult season.”

Dyer will start against OSU

By Richard Brack     Nov 14, 2002

Bill Whittemore’s knee injury appears to be of the season-ending variety.

“It’s unlikely that he’ll play Saturday,” Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino said of his junior quarterback after Wednesday’s practice at Memorial Stadium. “Barring some kind of miracle between now and Saturday, we’ll start the game with Zach Dyer.”

advertisement

Whittemore damaged the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Oct. 26 during the third quarter of KU’s 36-12 loss to Missouri at Columbia, Mo.

Mangino had hoped Whittemore would be able to return this season, but the junior has not played in the last two games and apparently will watch Saturday’s season finale against Oklahoma State from the sideline.

“If we were competing for a championship or something like that, we’d probably give it a shot,” Mangino said. “But it’s still a little loose and there’s still too much soreness for him to do it.”

Kansas (2-9, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) won’t be playing for a championship. In the nine quarters Whittemore has been sidelined, the Jayhawks have scored just seven points.

Those points were scored on Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Byron Gasaway last Saturday against Nebraska. KU’s longest completion of the season gave the Jayhawks a glimmer of hope, but Weatherbie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee later in the first quarter.

That left KU with two inexperienced quarterbacks. Brian Luke missed eight weeks after breaking the thumb on his passing hand in the preseason, and Mangino has said the red-shirt freshman should be used only “if pressed into duty.”

Joe Hogan, a true freshman from Sallisaw, Okla., is taking a red-shirt season.

“Being the last game, I know Coach doesn’t want to use a red-shirt,” Dyer said. “I’ve been there and I know the offense. It’s a real unfortunate situation that we had two quarterbacks go down. It’s a position that in the spring we had considerable depth, and right now it seems that we only have one guy. If that’s the case, I’m willing to help out.”

Dyer will help out by moving from safety to quarterback, which is where he started the season before losing his job to Whittemore.

Dyer, who switched to safety five games ago, split Monday’s practice between offense and defense while coaches and trainers evaluated Whittemore’s progress. Dyer focused on quarterback Tuesday and Wednesday.

“He’s throwing the ball very well – surprisingly well considering he’s been using that shoulder the last three or four weeks to tackle,” Mangino said of Dyer, who ranks sixth among KU’s tackling leaders.

Dyer will lead the Jayhawks against an OSU team (4-5, 2-3) looking for its first road victory.

“It’s definitely a winnable game for us,” said Dyer, who started four games at quarterback during his sophomore season. “We want to go out on a good note after a difficult season.”

Dyer will start against OSU

By Richard Brack     Nov 14, 2002

Bill Whittemore’s knee injury appears to be of the season-ending variety.

“It’s unlikely that he’ll play Saturday,” Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino said of his junior quarterback after Wednesday’s practice at Memorial Stadium. “Barring some kind of miracle between now and Saturday, we’ll start the game with Zach Dyer.”

advertisement

Whittemore damaged the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Oct. 26 during the third quarter of KU’s 36-12 loss to Missouri at Columbia, Mo.

Mangino had hoped Whittemore would be able to return this season, but the junior has not played in the last two games and apparently will watch Saturday’s season finale against Oklahoma State from the sideline.

“If we were competing for a championship or something like that, we’d probably give it a shot,” Mangino said. “But it’s still a little loose and there’s still too much soreness for him to do it.”

Kansas (2-9, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) won’t be playing for a championship. In the nine quarters Whittemore has been sidelined, the Jayhawks have scored just seven points.

Those points were scored on Jonas Weatherbie’s 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Byron Gasaway last Saturday against Nebraska. KU’s longest completion of the season gave the Jayhawks a glimmer of hope, but Weatherbie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee later in the first quarter.

That left KU with two inexperienced quarterbacks. Brian Luke missed eight weeks after breaking the thumb on his passing hand in the preseason, and Mangino has said the red-shirt freshman should be used only “if pressed into duty.”

Joe Hogan, a true freshman from Sallisaw, Okla., is taking a red-shirt season.

“Being the last game, I know Coach doesn’t want to use a red-shirt,” Dyer said. “I’ve been there and I know the offense. It’s a real unfortunate situation that we had two quarterbacks go down. It’s a position that in the spring we had considerable depth, and right now it seems that we only have one guy. If that’s the case, I’m willing to help out.”

Dyer will help out by moving from safety to quarterback, which is where he started the season before losing his job to Whittemore.

Dyer, who switched to safety five games ago, split Monday’s practice between offense and defense while coaches and trainers evaluated Whittemore’s progress. Dyer focused on quarterback Tuesday and Wednesday.

“He’s throwing the ball very well – surprisingly well considering he’s been using that shoulder the last three or four weeks to tackle,” Mangino said of Dyer, who ranks sixth among KU’s tackling leaders.

Dyer will lead the Jayhawks against an OSU team (4-5, 2-3) looking for its first road victory.

“It’s definitely a winnable game for us,” said Dyer, who started four games at quarterback during his sophomore season. “We want to go out on a good note after a difficult season.”

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