The Locker Room Show: A look ahead at college football
9:53 p.m. Friday, September 26, 2008
Unfortunately for KU football fans, they have to take a day off on Saturday because the Jayhawks have a bye week. It's coming at a good time. Kansas wrapped up non-conference play last Saturday. The Hawks went 3 and 1 in non-league play and showed some bright spots for the future. The Crimson and Blue rank 21st in the nation in scoring and have amassed 141 points in the last four games. But still lingering in the back of the minds of all Jayhawk fans is that 37-34 loss to 19th ranked South Florida in Tampa. So with that said, Big 12 play should be interesting. Up next for the Hawks, they will fly north to Ames, Iowa to take on Iowa State on October 4th.
To the Jayhawk's neighbors to the West, K-State has had a ten-day layoff since the last time they hit the gridiron. And the Wildcats have to recover from their first lost of the season. The Cats dropped their first game on the road to Louisville, 38-29. In that game, the K-State defense resembled Swiss cheese, giving up over 300 yards on the ground. But in the last tune-up before conference play kicks off, the Cats should play pretty well. Louisiana Lafayette comes to the Little Apple tomorrow.
"It was a game that we had a real good chance to play well and win. We didn't. It was on the road with a terrific crowd and everything like that," head coach Ron Prince said. "We're disappointed but not discouraged at all. We were very positive coming back, like our chances in the game this week. It's all we can try to do with this team. We just talked about being 1 and 0 each week, we weren't 1 and 0 last week and we'll try to be 1 and 0 this week."
They've got their work cut out for them. The Ragin' Cajuns have the 11th best rushing attack in the nation. Game time from Manhattan is set for 2:35.
To the Division 2 level now, needless to say, Washburn has been sliding since opening the '08 season 2 and 0. The Ichabods have dropped the first two conference games, both of which were on the road. Now the Bods are sitting in the cellar of the MIAA and now they have to claw their way out. The Woo is back in the friendly confines of Yager Stadium and they host fellow conference bottom dweller Missouri Western.
"We're not changing the offense or the defense or making wholesale changes," head coach Craig Schurig said. "It's just improve on what we've been doing, do what we do and do it better, not really focused on as much who our opponent is. We've kind of been our own opponent and worst enemy at times."
"We had a meeting and basically, you know, as a team, we thought that we need to fight harder," junior wide receiver Drameagon Powers said. "We felt like, as a team, we need to have heart, so basically we have the statement that we need to bring more more heart to the field."
The Bods and Griffons will do battle tomorrow at one clock from Yager Stadium.
On the other hand, Washburn's arch rival Emporia State is on the other side of the coin. No one expected ESU to be 3-and-1 and be in the middle of the conference race. The Hornets were picked to finish last in the MiIAA in the preseason coaches poll. Now they sit at 1-and-1 in the league and they look to improve their record tomorrow against Missouri Southern.
"You've heard the only cliché, one game at a time, that's what we do," head coach Garin Higgins said. "We're not worried about what people think about us or whatever. We're just trying to get better each and every week. I'm proud of the staff, the coaching staff here I have is excellent and I'm proud of our players."
"I think we're doing what we know we can do and we're doing what our coach expects, and we still got a lot of stuff to clean up so we expect to do better than what we've done," senior defensive lineman Angleo Webb said.
The Hornets will try to sting the Lions of Missouri Southern. Game time from Emporia is set for one o'clock.
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