Tangerine crush

By Terry Rombeck Dec 23, 2003

Thad Allender/Journal-World Photo

Kansas University student Ben Abbott, Leavenworth freshman, hangs his head as North Carolina State racks up points in the Tangerine Bowl. KU lost, 56-26, on Monday in Orlando, Fla.

Orlando, Fla. ? If bowl berths were as bountiful as Final Four appearances for Kansas University, Monday’s 56-26 juicing by North Carolina State might have stung more for Jayhawk fans.

But the thousands of Jayhawk fans who watched the Tangerine Bowl had more than one game on their minds — they were thinking about what their team’s first bowl appearance since 1995 means for the future of KU football.

“It really signifies a start of what could be a good streak for KU football,” said Dan Pierron, a KU freshman from Olathe, Kan. “We’ve got some good young players and this’ll help with recruiting. We’ll have a better chance of doing this in the future.”

Pierron is already looking forward to the first kickoff next season — just as most KU fans anticipate tipoff for the basketball season.

“Kansas is typically a basketball school,” he said. “This’ll give us another big sport to be proud of.”

KU fans appeared to be outnumbered slightly by NC State fans at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. The Wolfpack certainly had a stronger showing toward the end of the game, after their star quarterback Philip Rivers had thrown for most of his bowl-record 475 yards and five touchdowns.

But the scoreboard didn’t faze the KU fans, who continued to cheer loudly for their Jayhawks.

“We’re still having fun,” said Lawrence, Kan., resident Bennett Griffin.

Griffin watched the game with friend Jeff Bandle, also of Lawrence.

“I think it’s just a big selling point for the whole program,” Bandle said. “It exceeded my expectations. I said I’d be happy with four wins. Then we got five, and I was shocked to get six.”

KU’s 6-7 record also exceeded the expectations set by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who on Monday was in Orlando. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from KU.

“I think it’s amazing how far we’ve come in coach Mangino’s second season,” Sebelius said. “I’m thrilled to be here.”

Chancellor Robert Hemenway agreed.

“I think it’s a sign we’re making progress,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a new era. Hopefully people will look back as 2003 being the first year of many years we went to a bowl game.”

Or as Mangino said: “This is not the end. This is just the beginning.”