The Locker Room Show: A look at college football
9:14 p.m. Friday, September 12, 2008
The high schoolers weren't the only ones taking the field tonight.
KU had their first test in this young football season as they hit the road for the first time. And they also played their first ranked opponent of the year.
This one was shaping up to be a doozy. The Jayhawks came in as the 13-ranked team in the nation and coming off back-to-back blowout victories. South Florida is 19th in the land and are coming off a heart stopping OT win over UCF.
To the sunshine state we go. Todd Reesing trying to lead the Hawks to 3 and 0 but standing in their way is 19th ranked South Florida. We pick it up early in the first quarter, when Reesing goes back and he finds Jonathan Wilson and Mr. Wilson is going to slip through some tackles and makes his way up field, and that's a lot of yards after the catch on that one. Hawks go out front seven nothing. Both Kansas and USF would add a field goal, but the Hawks keep coming. Reesing calls his own number and gets around the outside, diving in for a touchdown, 20-3 Kansas. But here come the Bulls. Matt Grothe is the third all time leading rusher in Big East history for quarterbacks. He takes it in, KU on top, 20-10. To the third, USF would add another field goal in the third. Then Grothe shows he can throw a little bit as well, throwing to Taurus Johnson and they call it incomplete. But on further review, they say he got it, touchdown Bulls, 20 all. More South Florida late in the third, as Jamar Taylor gets the hand off and races up field untouched for the the touchdown. The Jayhawks would come back from from being down 14 to tie at 34 with less than three minutes left. Reesing would be intercepted, and on a field goal with 2 seconds left, the Bulls would win it, 37-34.
To KU's neighbors to the west, K-State has had some time to relax the last few days. It will be 11 days between the Cats 69-10 beat down of Montana State and their first road game at Louisville. Wednesday's game marks a lot of firsts for the Wildcats. It's their first nationally televised game and the first time they will take on an opponent from a BCS conference. This game is also unique in timing since there are 11 days before they meet the Cardinals. They will also have 10 days after that game to prepare for their next opponent.
"It's definitely different for me because it seems like every time I've had a bye week, there is always something else going on," senior defensive end Ian Campbell said. "And now with two Saturdays open it's definitely kind of a different feeling."
"I think it's pretty significant because we have it on both sides of the game," head coach Ron Prince said. "I think we have a chance to take a real honest look at where we are, address those things outside the pressure of a normal work week."
You'll have to wait five more days to see the Cats on the gridiron. Kickoff from Louisville on Wednesday is set for 7 p.m.
To the Division 2 level now, Washburn is coming off one of the biggest victories in school history. The Ichabods notched their first win over a Division 1 AA opponent last Thursday when they took down Missouri State 35-27. But the Bods have to forget about that greatness pretty quickly because they open up conference play tomorrow when they travel out west to take on Fort Hays State. And the Woo knows when it comes to league play you have to hit the ground running.
"Once you hit conference, you basically get into a rhythm with your football team and it's just week to week now," head coach Craig Schurig said. "And obviously, I hope we start off in good form in this first week of conference."
"The first two games helped us knock the rust off and stuff like that. The offensive line, and it seems like the whole offense, is coming together real nice," senior offensive lineman Andy Kavanaugh said. "I mean we got those first two games now we are going to Hays and everyone realizes conference play and we got to gear it up another level."
Tomorrow the Bods kickoff from Hays at 7 p.m.
Now to Washburn's neighbors to the south, Emporia State will also kickoff its conference season when they take the number five-ranked Nebraska Omaha. This will be UNO's first game as a part of the MIAA. The Hornets were also Fort Hays State's first conference opponent when they joined league in 2006 and ESU won that contest 46-10. Kickoff from Omaha is set for six o'clock.
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