There were 36,125 fans at last week’s Kansas University-Baylor football game. And Arist Wright still heard one distinct voice when he returned an interception for a touchdown that day.
“I heard my dad in the stadium,” Wright said. “He was excited and hugging everybody – people he didn’t even know.”
Wright intercepted the pass between the hash marks during the first quarter and darted toward the left sideline, scoring from 28 yards out. That side of the end zone was closest to the section of KU fans, and Wright’s father was one proud papa among the Jayhawk supporters.
Obviously, because the linebacker heard his father’s voice boom over all the rest.
“‘That’s my son!'” Wright recalled his father, Lash, screaming. “I heard him. He was excited for me.”
It was Wright’s first collegiate start – and first collegiate touchdown. But the Houston native is no stranger to prancing into the end zone.
“I played quarterback in high school, so I did score a lot of touchdowns,” Wright said. “But it felt good to score that one.”
A 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker, Wright red-shirted last season and spent the first few games of 2006 as a special-teams-only player. Still, he kept pushing for more playing time, and now he has it.
“You never know when you’re going to get your chance,” Wright said. “I kept on fighting, learning my plays, doing what I got to do. My opportunity came and I had to step in at the right time. And I did.”
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In the shuffle: Though Colorado’s passing attack isn’t exactly potent, a former KU commitment is among those getting playing time.
Jarrell Yates, a freshman receiver out of Denver, briefly committed to Kansas before changing his mind and choosing to stay close to home at Colorado in 2005.
Yates red-shirted last year and has just one catch for 29 yards in three games this season.
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Still searching: Colorado is the only Big 12 North team coach Mark Mangino has yet to beat since he became KU’s coach in 2002.
The Jayhawks are 0-4 against Colorado under Mangino. In the same stretch, they’re 3-1 against Missouri, 2-2 against Iowa State, 1-3 against Kansas State and 1-4 versus Nebraska.
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History?: Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said before the season that he was going to try to let cannon-legged kicker Mason Crosby attempt a 70-yard field goal, which would break the collegiate record.
So far, Crosby hasn’t gotten the chance. He missed on 63- and 61-yard attempts earlier this season, and his longest successful try was from 56 yards. Last year, he booted one 58 yards at Miami, and in 2004 he nailed a 60-yarder against Iowa State.
A 70-yard try would be from Colorado’s 40-yard line, which means the Buffaloes will not even have made midfield before Crosby would get the call. Crosby has nailed 68-yard tries in practice.
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This, that: KU still hasn’t allowed an opposing running back to gain 100 yards on the ground since 2004, a stretch of 21 straight games. : Kansas is a perfect 11-for-11 scoring when inside the red zone the last three games. : Running back Jon Cornish was four yards shy of rushing for 200 last week against Baylor. The last KU back to scamper for 200? None other than Reggie Duncan, who had 227 against Texas Tech in 2001.
