Nick KrugMiami ? Crews finished painting the Dolphin Stadium end zones Tuesday – one in Kansas University blue, one in “Chicago maroon” for Virginia Tech.
At the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, some 72,000 fans are expected to file into the stadium to watch the premier college football game being played that day. Millions more will watch on television.
The fans’ allegiance, of course, will be split between the Jayhawks and Hokies.
Sound familiar?
KU’s last game – against Missouri on Nov. 24 – had similar circumstances and almost as big of a stage. The Jayhawks lost that contest, but they might have benefited by leaving some jitters on the Arrowhead Stadium field that night.
Nick KrugJitters that, as a result, may not make an appearance in the Orange Bowl.
“Everybody might have learned a valuable lesson from that,” defensive end John Larson said. “It was a frustrating game.”
The 36-28 setback in Kansas City, Mo., was a result of a sluggish start that led to a 21-0 deficit. KU fought back but ran out of time, and any title aspirations – Big 12 or national – disappeared with the loss.
Several players, like senior wide receiver Marcus Henry, said the huge hype and neutral atmosphere of the KU-MU game will make the Orange Bowl no big deal. But KU coach Mark Mangino isn’t buying it, at least when asked about Virginia Tech’s history playing in high-level games.
“It seems as though they have an advantage,” Mangino said. “People would tell you that, but I don’t see that. I think you have to show up and play the game.
Nick Krug“Games in the past don’t affect players today as much as one would think.”
Instead, Mangino thinks it comes down to preparation and execution. The first part is done – Larson said they’ve watched every VT game two or three times, and “no stone has been left unturned” as the big game looms.
The second part remains to be seen. It certainly would help if the Jayhawks weren’t swept away by the giant spotlight they’ll be playing in.
Instead of denying the impact of Thursday’s game, KU coaches are trusting the team’s maturity – which showed up often during the magical 11-1 season.
“It’s a big game,” Mangino said. “Our kids are smart. We’re not going to try to fool them and just tell them that this is just another game. But it’s still football. The field is 100 yards, they have 11, we have 11.
“It’s the same concept – just a few more people will be paying attention to it.”
Much like the Missouri game five weeks ago. If the Border War loss had any positive effect, it could be noticeable once the Jayhawks line up against the Hokies.
Because physical execution – part two of what wins games – takes a sound mental state, first and foremost.
“We’re pretty confident,” receiver Dexton Fields said. “We know all of our assignments, and all we have to do now is execute. Go out and execute and play our game.”
Orlando, Fla. ? Gabriel Toomey’s second bowl trip will be a lot different from his first.
Kansas University’s sophomore linebacker actually will play today when KU (6-6) meets North Carolina State (7-5) in the Tangerine Bowl at Orlando, Fla.
“You go down there with totally different mental plan,” said Toomey, who took a red-shirt season as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2001 when the Sooners played in the Cotton Bowl. “You have to stay focused … I’m going to be studying a lot of film and getting after the defense. I know we’re going to meet a lot. It’s a totally different mental edge going down there.”
Toomey is KU’s second-leading tackler and the emotional leader of the Jayhawk defense, but not nearly as much was expected of him on the trip to Texas two years ago.
“It was a good time,” said Toomey, who transferred to Iowa Central Community College after his year in Norman, Okla. “It was pretty cold. It was 20 degrees in Dallas. We had heaters, and all the redshirts huddled up around that all day.
“It was fun to be a redshirt down there. We went down there and had a good time.”
The only drawback to the New Year’s Day bowl was OU’s 10 p.m. curfew on New Year’s Eve.
“A lot of work was put in, but basically you’re going down there to win,” Toomey said. “That’s the most fun part of it. You can go to a bowl and have fun and this and that, but coming out with the win is the most fun part. It was a great experience.”
OU didn’t need Toomey against Arkansas. The Sooners limited the Razorbacks to 50 total yards in a 10-3 victory.
Not that the West Des Moines, Iowa, native left empty-handed. Sponsors lavish gifts on players at postseason games, and Toomey said he still had his Palm Pilot and PlayStation 2, among other freebies.
As the only player on KU’s roster who has even stood on the sideline for a major-college bowl, Toomey fielded a few questions from his teammates after the Jayhawks accepted an invitation to the Tangerine Bowl.
“We talk about it once in a while,” he said. “Somebody will come up and ask, or I’ll just say, ‘I can’t wait. These gifts are going to start coming in. Orlando’s going to be pretty warm.’ It’s fun to talk about. They spoil you. You have to stay focused on why you’re down there.”
The Jayhawks are down here for their first bowl game since 1995. Toomey was one big reason KU was able to make a major leap from a 2-10 record in coach Mark Mangino’s first season to 6-6 in year two.
“He plays hard all of the time,” Mangino said. “He attacks every task with vigor and enthusiasm. He is a tough kid. The kids see the tempo he plays with, and they want to emulate that.”
Toomey plays so hard he can be a danger to himself. The linebacker has struggled with a recurring shoulder injury, has a cut on his nose that won’t heal and has had his bell rung a few times while making tackles.
“One of his injuries has been obvious because he has been down on the field a couple times with it,” Mangino said of the shoulder. “He has two or three other nagging injuries he has had to deal with. He has never missed a rep and very seldom misses any time at all. He certainly is hoping he’ll feel a heck of a lot better than he did the last four or five weeks of the season.”
Toomey registered double-figure tackles in four of KU’s first five games but managed that feat in only two of the last seven games. Having a month without a game since the Nov. 22 regular-season finale against Iowa State helped the Jayhawks get healthy.
“I’m feeling good,” said Toomey, whose 118 tackles are second only to fellow linebacker Nick Reid’s 126. “I’m rested up. I’m ready to go. I think everybody in the nation needs a rest after a 12-game season. It takes a toll. I needed a rest like everybody else — physically and mentally.”
Toomey (6-foot-4) plans to spend the offseason getting bigger and stronger for his junior season. He started preseason practices at 220 pounds and has bulked up to 230.
“That’s the first season I’ve ever put on weight,” he said.
The team lifts weights with strength and conditioning coach Chris Dawson three times a week during the season, and the Jayhawks will see even more of him this winter. That’s fine with Toomey, who hoped to add another 10 pounds for the 2004 season.
“Off the field he has been a great kid here,” said Mangino, who was an assistant coach at OU during Toomey’s red-shirt season. “He goes to class and takes care of his business. He’s been very likable. The people in the community have really warmed up to him. He is a good kid that comes from a good family. He has been a solid addition to our football team.”]
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