Bill Whittemore limped from the Kansas football locker room into the media area, sat down and began to put on his wristwatch.
The watch had to have been a Timex. You know, the brand that became famous for the slogan that it takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
Whittemore has been taking a licking all season, but, boy, is he ever ticking. For three straight weeks now, the KU quarterback has amassed more than 300 yards of total offense while the Jayhawks have averaged nearly 35 points a game.
Saturday was more or less typical. Kansas ran 81 plays in Saturday’s 53-29 loss to Colorado, and 60 of them were either a Whittemore run or pass.
“He’s a stud,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said of the transfer from Fort Scott Community College who has been so impressive he has prompted Zach Dyer, who started the season opener at QB, to seek new employment in the secondary.
Rarely has a juco quarterback come into Kansas and had such an immediate impact. In fact, it’s probably safe to say the Big 12 Conference would be raving about Whittemore if the Jayhawks’ defense weren’t so bad it couldn’t stop the Sabine women and Cleopatra’s handmaidens.
Blessed with incredibly quick feet and an accurate, if not eye-popping, throwing arm, Whittemore has made some mistakes, sure, like throwing the interception to CU’s Donald Strickland that turned into a 95-yard return for a touchdown. Whittemore lost a fumble, too.
“That was tough,” Whittemore said of the pass Strickland stole. “I shouldn’t have made that throw. I’ve got to protect the ball.”
Yet he didn’t let the deflating incident remove his stinger. Whittemore came right back, completing a pass here, darting through an opening there and suddenly putting the Jayhawks in a position where they could score.
Now, seven games into what almost surely will be the Jayhawks’ seventh straight losing season, you have to ask this question: How bad would Kansas be without Whittemore?
Quarterbacks lead by performing on the field and by proving they can take a well, that brings us back to the Timex analogy. A couple of times on Saturday, Whittemore was creamed. I mean, leveled. Once, after CU end Marquess Harris buried him into the AstroPlay turf following a pass, Whittemore was very slow to return to his feet.
“His eyes looked glazed,” KU wide receiver Marcellus Jones said. “But he’s tough. He shakes his head, hit himself in the head and, you know, next play. He’s that type of warrior.”
Whittemore came here heralded out of Fort Scott CC. He was voted MVP of the Jayhawk Juco Conference and now we know why. He can run, he can pass and, most important, he’s a competitor.
“He’s the leader,” Jones said. “Am I surprised? No. Impressed? Yes.”
When coach Mark Mangino talked after Saturday’s lopsided loss, he stressed how encouraged he was the Jayhawks kept fighting.
“If anybody is waiting for us to wilt and die, it’s not going to happen,” Mangino said. “The wheels aren’t going to come off.”
The wheels may not fall off, but with that defense the Jayhawks will be playing with flat tires from time to time during their last five games. However, as long as Whittemore remains healthy and that’s a big if Kansas at least has a chance. Without him, KU has virtually no chance.
Whittemore’s health is iffy because of his history. He missed part of his freshman year at Tennessee-Martin with a knee injury, and he played in only eight games at Fort Scott CC last fall after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder a problem that plagued him in last spring’s KU drills.
Clearly, though, it will take a serious injury to put Whittemore on the shelf because he took all the punishment Colorado could administer and was looking forward to next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
“I did take some hits,” Whittemore said. “I have bumps and bruises. I just hope they’ll heal up by next week.”
So do Kansas football fans. By now they know Bill Whittemore can put on quite a show.
Bill Whittemore limped from the Kansas football locker room into the media area, sat down and began to put on his wristwatch.
The watch had to have been a Timex. You know, the brand that became famous for the slogan that it takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
Whittemore has been taking a licking all season, but, boy, is he ever ticking. For three straight weeks now, the KU quarterback has amassed more than 300 yards of total offense while the Jayhawks have averaged nearly 35 points a game.
Saturday was more or less typical. Kansas ran 81 plays in Saturday’s 53-29 loss to Colorado, and 60 of them were either a Whittemore run or pass.
“He’s a stud,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said of the transfer from Fort Scott Community College who has been so impressive he has prompted Zach Dyer, who started the season opener at QB, to seek new employment in the secondary.
Rarely has a juco quarterback come into Kansas and had such an immediate impact. In fact, it’s probably safe to say the Big 12 Conference would be raving about Whittemore if the Jayhawks’ defense weren’t so bad it couldn’t stop the Sabine women and Cleopatra’s handmaidens.
Blessed with incredibly quick feet and an accurate, if not eye-popping, throwing arm, Whittemore has made some mistakes, sure, like throwing the interception to CU’s Donald Strickland that turned into a 95-yard return for a touchdown. Whittemore lost a fumble, too.
“That was tough,” Whittemore said of the pass Strickland stole. “I shouldn’t have made that throw. I’ve got to protect the ball.”
Yet he didn’t let the deflating incident remove his stinger. Whittemore came right back, completing a pass here, darting through an opening there and suddenly putting the Jayhawks in a position where they could score.
Now, seven games into what almost surely will be the Jayhawks’ seventh straight losing season, you have to ask this question: How bad would Kansas be without Whittemore?
Quarterbacks lead by performing on the field and by proving they can take a well, that brings us back to the Timex analogy. A couple of times on Saturday, Whittemore was creamed. I mean, leveled. Once, after CU end Marquess Harris buried him into the AstroPlay turf following a pass, Whittemore was very slow to return to his feet.
“His eyes looked glazed,” KU wide receiver Marcellus Jones said. “But he’s tough. He shakes his head, hit himself in the head and, you know, next play. He’s that type of warrior.”
Whittemore came here heralded out of Fort Scott CC. He was voted MVP of the Jayhawk Juco Conference and now we know why. He can run, he can pass and, most important, he’s a competitor.
“He’s the leader,” Jones said. “Am I surprised? No. Impressed? Yes.”
When coach Mark Mangino talked after Saturday’s lopsided loss, he stressed how encouraged he was the Jayhawks kept fighting.
“If anybody is waiting for us to wilt and die, it’s not going to happen,” Mangino said. “The wheels aren’t going to come off.”
The wheels may not fall off, but with that defense the Jayhawks will be playing with flat tires from time to time during their last five games. However, as long as Whittemore remains healthy and that’s a big if Kansas at least has a chance. Without him, KU has virtually no chance.
Whittemore’s health is iffy because of his history. He missed part of his freshman year at Tennessee-Martin with a knee injury, and he played in only eight games at Fort Scott CC last fall after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder a problem that plagued him in last spring’s KU drills.
Clearly, though, it will take a serious injury to put Whittemore on the shelf because he took all the punishment Colorado could administer and was looking forward to next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
“I did take some hits,” Whittemore said. “I have bumps and bruises. I just hope they’ll heal up by next week.”
So do Kansas football fans. By now they know Bill Whittemore can put on quite a show.
Bill Whittemore limped from the Kansas football locker room into the media area, sat down and began to put on his wristwatch.
The watch had to have been a Timex. You know, the brand that became famous for the slogan that it takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
Whittemore has been taking a licking all season, but, boy, is he ever ticking. For three straight weeks now, the KU quarterback has amassed more than 300 yards of total offense while the Jayhawks have averaged nearly 35 points a game.
Saturday was more or less typical. Kansas ran 81 plays in Saturday’s 53-29 loss to Colorado, and 60 of them were either a Whittemore run or pass.
“He’s a stud,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said of the transfer from Fort Scott Community College who has been so impressive he has prompted Zach Dyer, who started the season opener at QB, to seek new employment in the secondary.
Rarely has a juco quarterback come into Kansas and had such an immediate impact. In fact, it’s probably safe to say the Big 12 Conference would be raving about Whittemore if the Jayhawks’ defense weren’t so bad it couldn’t stop the Sabine women and Cleopatra’s handmaidens.
Blessed with incredibly quick feet and an accurate, if not eye-popping, throwing arm, Whittemore has made some mistakes, sure, like throwing the interception to CU’s Donald Strickland that turned into a 95-yard return for a touchdown. Whittemore lost a fumble, too.
“That was tough,” Whittemore said of the pass Strickland stole. “I shouldn’t have made that throw. I’ve got to protect the ball.”
Yet he didn’t let the deflating incident remove his stinger. Whittemore came right back, completing a pass here, darting through an opening there and suddenly putting the Jayhawks in a position where they could score.
Now, seven games into what almost surely will be the Jayhawks’ seventh straight losing season, you have to ask this question: How bad would Kansas be without Whittemore?
Quarterbacks lead by performing on the field and by proving they can take a well, that brings us back to the Timex analogy. A couple of times on Saturday, Whittemore was creamed. I mean, leveled. Once, after CU end Marquess Harris buried him into the AstroPlay turf following a pass, Whittemore was very slow to return to his feet.
“His eyes looked glazed,” KU wide receiver Marcellus Jones said. “But he’s tough. He shakes his head, hit himself in the head and, you know, next play. He’s that type of warrior.”
Whittemore came here heralded out of Fort Scott CC. He was voted MVP of the Jayhawk Juco Conference and now we know why. He can run, he can pass and, most important, he’s a competitor.
“He’s the leader,” Jones said. “Am I surprised? No. Impressed? Yes.”
When coach Mark Mangino talked after Saturday’s lopsided loss, he stressed how encouraged he was the Jayhawks kept fighting.
“If anybody is waiting for us to wilt and die, it’s not going to happen,” Mangino said. “The wheels aren’t going to come off.”
The wheels may not fall off, but with that defense the Jayhawks will be playing with flat tires from time to time during their last five games. However, as long as Whittemore remains healthy and that’s a big if Kansas at least has a chance. Without him, KU has virtually no chance.
Whittemore’s health is iffy because of his history. He missed part of his freshman year at Tennessee-Martin with a knee injury, and he played in only eight games at Fort Scott CC last fall after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder a problem that plagued him in last spring’s KU drills.
Clearly, though, it will take a serious injury to put Whittemore on the shelf because he took all the punishment Colorado could administer and was looking forward to next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
“I did take some hits,” Whittemore said. “I have bumps and bruises. I just hope they’ll heal up by next week.”
So do Kansas football fans. By now they know Bill Whittemore can put on quite a show.
Bill Whittemore limped from the Kansas football locker room into the media area, sat down and began to put on his wristwatch.
The watch had to have been a Timex. You know, the brand that became famous for the slogan that it takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
Whittemore has been taking a licking all season, but, boy, is he ever ticking. For three straight weeks now, the KU quarterback has amassed more than 300 yards of total offense while the Jayhawks have averaged nearly 35 points a game.
Saturday was more or less typical. Kansas ran 81 plays in Saturday’s 53-29 loss to Colorado, and 60 of them were either a Whittemore run or pass.
“He’s a stud,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said of the transfer from Fort Scott Community College who has been so impressive he has prompted Zach Dyer, who started the season opener at QB, to seek new employment in the secondary.
Rarely has a juco quarterback come into Kansas and had such an immediate impact. In fact, it’s probably safe to say the Big 12 Conference would be raving about Whittemore if the Jayhawks’ defense weren’t so bad it couldn’t stop the Sabine women and Cleopatra’s handmaidens.
Blessed with incredibly quick feet and an accurate, if not eye-popping, throwing arm, Whittemore has made some mistakes, sure, like throwing the interception to CU’s Donald Strickland that turned into a 95-yard return for a touchdown. Whittemore lost a fumble, too.
“That was tough,” Whittemore said of the pass Strickland stole. “I shouldn’t have made that throw. I’ve got to protect the ball.”
Yet he didn’t let the deflating incident remove his stinger. Whittemore came right back, completing a pass here, darting through an opening there and suddenly putting the Jayhawks in a position where they could score.
Now, seven games into what almost surely will be the Jayhawks’ seventh straight losing season, you have to ask this question: How bad would Kansas be without Whittemore?
Quarterbacks lead by performing on the field and by proving they can take a well, that brings us back to the Timex analogy. A couple of times on Saturday, Whittemore was creamed. I mean, leveled. Once, after CU end Marquess Harris buried him into the AstroPlay turf following a pass, Whittemore was very slow to return to his feet.
“His eyes looked glazed,” KU wide receiver Marcellus Jones said. “But he’s tough. He shakes his head, hit himself in the head and, you know, next play. He’s that type of warrior.”
Whittemore came here heralded out of Fort Scott CC. He was voted MVP of the Jayhawk Juco Conference and now we know why. He can run, he can pass and, most important, he’s a competitor.
“He’s the leader,” Jones said. “Am I surprised? No. Impressed? Yes.”
When coach Mark Mangino talked after Saturday’s lopsided loss, he stressed how encouraged he was the Jayhawks kept fighting.
“If anybody is waiting for us to wilt and die, it’s not going to happen,” Mangino said. “The wheels aren’t going to come off.”
The wheels may not fall off, but with that defense the Jayhawks will be playing with flat tires from time to time during their last five games. However, as long as Whittemore remains healthy and that’s a big if Kansas at least has a chance. Without him, KU has virtually no chance.
Whittemore’s health is iffy because of his history. He missed part of his freshman year at Tennessee-Martin with a knee injury, and he played in only eight games at Fort Scott CC last fall after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder a problem that plagued him in last spring’s KU drills.
Clearly, though, it will take a serious injury to put Whittemore on the shelf because he took all the punishment Colorado could administer and was looking forward to next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
“I did take some hits,” Whittemore said. “I have bumps and bruises. I just hope they’ll heal up by next week.”
So do Kansas football fans. By now they know Bill Whittemore can put on quite a show.
Bill Whittemore limped from the Kansas football locker room into the media area, sat down and began to put on his wristwatch.
The watch had to have been a Timex. You know, the brand that became famous for the slogan that it takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
Whittemore has been taking a licking all season, but, boy, is he ever ticking. For three straight weeks now, the KU quarterback has amassed more than 300 yards of total offense while the Jayhawks have averaged nearly 35 points a game.
Saturday was more or less typical. Kansas ran 81 plays in Saturday’s 53-29 loss to Colorado, and 60 of them were either a Whittemore run or pass.
“He’s a stud,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said of the transfer from Fort Scott Community College who has been so impressive he has prompted Zach Dyer, who started the season opener at QB, to seek new employment in the secondary.
Rarely has a juco quarterback come into Kansas and had such an immediate impact. In fact, it’s probably safe to say the Big 12 Conference would be raving about Whittemore if the Jayhawks’ defense weren’t so bad it couldn’t stop the Sabine women and Cleopatra’s handmaidens.
Blessed with incredibly quick feet and an accurate, if not eye-popping, throwing arm, Whittemore has made some mistakes, sure, like throwing the interception to CU’s Donald Strickland that turned into a 95-yard return for a touchdown. Whittemore lost a fumble, too.
“That was tough,” Whittemore said of the pass Strickland stole. “I shouldn’t have made that throw. I’ve got to protect the ball.”
Yet he didn’t let the deflating incident remove his stinger. Whittemore came right back, completing a pass here, darting through an opening there and suddenly putting the Jayhawks in a position where they could score.
Now, seven games into what almost surely will be the Jayhawks’ seventh straight losing season, you have to ask this question: How bad would Kansas be without Whittemore?
Quarterbacks lead by performing on the field and by proving they can take a well, that brings us back to the Timex analogy. A couple of times on Saturday, Whittemore was creamed. I mean, leveled. Once, after CU end Marquess Harris buried him into the AstroPlay turf following a pass, Whittemore was very slow to return to his feet.
“His eyes looked glazed,” KU wide receiver Marcellus Jones said. “But he’s tough. He shakes his head, hit himself in the head and, you know, next play. He’s that type of warrior.”
Whittemore came here heralded out of Fort Scott CC. He was voted MVP of the Jayhawk Juco Conference and now we know why. He can run, he can pass and, most important, he’s a competitor.
“He’s the leader,” Jones said. “Am I surprised? No. Impressed? Yes.”
When coach Mark Mangino talked after Saturday’s lopsided loss, he stressed how encouraged he was the Jayhawks kept fighting.
“If anybody is waiting for us to wilt and die, it’s not going to happen,” Mangino said. “The wheels aren’t going to come off.”
The wheels may not fall off, but with that defense the Jayhawks will be playing with flat tires from time to time during their last five games. However, as long as Whittemore remains healthy and that’s a big if Kansas at least has a chance. Without him, KU has virtually no chance.
Whittemore’s health is iffy because of his history. He missed part of his freshman year at Tennessee-Martin with a knee injury, and he played in only eight games at Fort Scott CC last fall after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder a problem that plagued him in last spring’s KU drills.
Clearly, though, it will take a serious injury to put Whittemore on the shelf because he took all the punishment Colorado could administer and was looking forward to next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
“I did take some hits,” Whittemore said. “I have bumps and bruises. I just hope they’ll heal up by next week.”
So do Kansas football fans. By now they know Bill Whittemore can put on quite a show.
Buffaloes outrun KU – Colorado 53, Kansas 29
Colorado game pix
Mangino’s post-game audio