Kansas State Football

Who has Dominated UT more... OU or KSU

2007-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Only two teams in the Big 12 have winning records against the Longhorns since the Mack Brown joined the Horns. Let's take a look at who has been the most dominant over the Horns in these series.

Overall Record:
KSU vs. UT - 4-2 66.67%
OU vs. UT - 5-4 55.55%

With a win this weekend, OU's win percentage would rise to 60% against UT, but still below KSU's winning percentage over UT. Edge goes to KSU

Avg Score:
UT vs. KSU UT 21.3 - KSU 33.8
UT vs. OU UT 22.1 - OU 26.9

KSU has held the Horns to fewer points and averaged over 6 points more per contest. Edge goes to KSU

Average Margain of Victory:
KSU - 20.5
OU - 27

OU has several very lopsided wins against the Longhorns. Advantage OU

Average Margain in Losses:
KSU - 3.5
OU - 23

KSU has only lost to UT twice by a total of 7 points. Advantage KSU

So there you have it... the team that has dominated the Longhorns the most since Mack Brown took over is the Kansas State Wildcats.

Book 'em Horns

2007-09-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Kansas State vs. UT: Previous Opponents

2007-09-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Kansas States Opponents:
at Auburn: # 17
San jose State: # 89
Missouri State: NR

Texas Opponents:
Arkansas State: # 84
TCU: # 13
at Central Florida: # 60
Rice: # 107

Tale of the Tape: KSU at UT

2007-09-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Rushing Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 36, 187.25 per game
Kansas State: #75, 133.67 per game

Passing Offense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 33, 263.5 per game
Kansas State: # 21, 295.33 per game

Total Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 27, 450.75 per game
Kansas State: # 44, 429 per game

Total Offense Scoring: Slight Advantage Texas
Texas: # 23, 37 points per game
Kansas State: #27, 36 points per game

Rushing Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 21, 87.25 yards allowed per game
Kansas State: # 9, 68 yards per game allowed

Pass Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 59, 223.25 yards per game
Kansas State: # 37, 190.33 yards per game

Pass Efficiency Defense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 33, 109.09
Kansas State: # 48, 117.9

Total Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 31, 310.5 yards per game allowed
Kansas State: # 13, 258.33 yards per game allowed

Scoring Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 24, 18 points allowed per game
Kansas State: # 16, 15.67 points allowed per game

Net Punting: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 97, 32.2 per punt
Kansas State: # 43, 36.07 per punt

Punt Returns: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 28, 13.57 yards per return
Kansas State: # 3, 23.58 yards per return

Kickoff Returns: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 46, 22.82 yards per return
Kansas State: # 77, 20.67 yards per return

Turnover Margin: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 41, 0.5 turnovers per game
Kansas State: # 97, turnovers per game -1

Sacks: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 14, 3.25 sacks per game
Kansas State: # 4, 4.33 sacks per game

Tackles for Loss: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 10, 8.5 per game
Kansas State: # 7, 9.67 per game

Sacks Allowed: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # T-16, 1 sacks allowed per game
Kansas State: # 8, 0.67 sacks allowed per game

Another Great Video

2007-09-19T12:06:00.001-07:00

Let's Start getting ready for an Upset in Austin

2007-09-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

KSU Depth Chart - Week One

2007-08-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Two positions that were under scrutiny at Kansas State have been resolved -- at least for the moment.

Brock Unruh will play left guard and Brooks Rossman will handle placekicking duties, according to the first Wildcats’ football depth chart that was released Monday morning by the sports information office.

Coach Ron Prince, whose team opens at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at No. 18 Auburn on ESPN, was unsure last time he met with the media Aug. 18 about those two spots in particular, and wasn’t happy at all that they had not been cemented. They now have been addressed.

Junior college transfer Deon Murphy has won a spot at wide receiver and will be in on kickoff and punt returns.

Here’s a look at the other first team spots:

OFFENSE
LT: Alesana Alesana
LG Brock Unruh
C Jordan Bedore
RG Gerard Spexarth
RT Nick Stringer
TE Jeron Mastrud
WR Jordy Nelson
WR Daniel Gonzalez
WR Deon Murphy
QB Josh Freeman
RB James Johnson

DEFENSE
LE Michael Abana
NT Steven Cline
RE Rob Jackson
SLB Ian Campbell
MLB Justin Roland
MLB Reggie Walker
WLB Eric Childs
CB Justin McKinney
CB Ray Cheatham
FS Marcus Watts
SS Gary Chandler

Specialists
PK Brooks Rossman
P Tim Reyer
KR Deon Murphy, Justin McKinney, Leon Patton
PR: Deon Murphy, Jordy Nelson

Campbell Named to Hendricks Watch List

2007-07-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

For the second straight season, Kansas State’s Ian Campbell is listed among the top defensive ends in the nation as the junior is among 27 players named to the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award Watch List, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced Monday.

Campbell, a 2006 semi-finalist for the award and one of just three Big 12 ends on the list, is coming off an incredible sophomore campaign and is one of just four returning players nationally to record at least 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses in 2006.

Last season, Campbell was among the nation’s top pass rushers and earned All-Big 12 and All-American honors after totaling 67 tackles, 17.5 for losses, with 11.5 sacks. His 11.5 sacks tied the Kansas State single-season record and ranked second in the Big 12 Conference and 10th nationally. Campbell collected at least one sack in nine of 13 total games last season.

The 2006 Houston Chronicle Defensive Player of the Year, Campbell was the league’s leading tackler among defensive linemen, led the Big 12 in tackles for losses and ranked third in the league in fumble recoveries during league play with three.

The Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first team All American. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented. On field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities and contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the award’s winner.
The honor marks the third time this month that Campbell has been named to a preseason watch list. He is also a candidate for the Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Awards.
Campbell and Kansas State open the 2007 season with a nationally-televised game at Auburn on Sept. 1. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CDT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Wildcats to Practice in Kansas City

2007-07-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Kansas State football program and head coach Ron Prince announced Friday that the Wildcats will hold an open practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area on Saturday, August 11, at the College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) in Olathe, Kan.
The practice was approved by the Olathe Board of Education on Wednesday night and will include a two-hour workout followed by a 60-minute autograph session for the fans.
“We are always looking for creative ways to reach out and connect with our fans and supporters,” said Prince. “The open practice in Olathe is a terrific way for our fans in the eastern part of the state and in the Kansas City metropolitan area to come out and support the Wildcats. The cooperation we have received from the people of Olathe has been fantastic and we are grateful that the Board of Education has voted to approve this proposal. We could not be more excited that the idea to bring a K-State practice to Kansas City has become a reality.”
The practice will be held in the football stadium at CBAC (11031 S. Valley Road, Olathe, KS 66061) and is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. The fan appreciation autograph session will follow from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend the workout and parking is free.
“We’re very pleased to be taking what we believe is one of the first of many steps in further cultivating our District’s relationship with Kansas State University as we look forward with anticipation to the opening of their satellite campus and the biosciences park in the future,” said Olathe Board of Education president Kevin Gilmore. “This is also a cooperative effort with the City of Olathe and we believe this event will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase what makes our community such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”
The idea for K-State to hold an open practice at CBAC grew out of the University’s partnership with the City of Olathe to build a bioscience research center just west of the sports complex. Kansas State University president Dr. Jon Wefald said he was thrilled with the continuing evolution of the partnership between K-State and the City of Olathe.
“We are excited about our relationship with the City of Olathe and are looking forward to a long-term partnership with the establishment of the K-State Olathe Innovative Campus,” Wefald said. “Having this open practice and fan appreciation day is another great step toward strengthening the link between K-State and the City of Olathe.”
Olathe mayor Michael Copeland echoed Wefald’s sentiments regarding the Wildcats’ practice at CBAC as well as the connection that has developed between the city and K-State.
“When we were in discussions with Kansas State, we both recognized the learning potential for our students and we included a partnership with the Olathe District Schools in our agreement,” Copeland said. “With thousands of visitors coming to our community for the event, this is a wonderful first step in that new partnership.”
Kansas State’s practice in Olathe is one of two open workouts the Wildcats will host during their fall 2007 training camp. K-State’s practice in Manhattan on Saturday, August 18, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will also be open to the public and is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Big 12, college football could seek extra year of eligibility

2007-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Big 12 Conference officials will consider a significant player-eligibility change in college football when they convene this week for their annual spring meetings in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A top Nebraska official is helping push for the major change.

Husker athletic director Steve Pederson is chairman of the NCAA football issues committee, which is advocating a proposal that would give athletes five seasons of playing eligibility. As it stands, players are allowed to play four seasons in a five-year window.

“We’ve asked that it be put on the agenda of every conference in the country at their spring meetings so it can be discussed,” Pederson said of the proposal. “As a committee, we believe it has validity. And now we want to find out if other people believe like we do.”

The Big 12 meetings begin today and last through Friday. Among other agenda items for discussion will be an examination of future football and basketball championship sites. Omaha is among five cities that have forwarded formal bids to play host to future Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said the conference’s goal is to select future championship sites by the end of summer.

As for the player-eligibility proposal, Pederson said he hasn’t heard any convincing arguments against allowing players to play for five years.

“Some people might wonder about the costs,” he said. “Well, you have 85 players on scholarship, so the cost isn’t going to be any more if you have 85 scholarships spread over five years. The reality is a high percentage of players are here (at Nebraska) for five years anyway. That’s the situation at most schools.

“So why not let the players play the whole time?”

Current NCAA football eligibility rules state that if a player plays up to 30 percent of the games in a particular season, he exhausts that year of eligibility — pending an appeal to the conference and NCAA in certain cases (such as injury).

“What we end up with is a bunch of paperwork and coaches calculating whether or not a freshman should get in a game or not get in a game,” Pederson said. “If you have this (five-year eligibility), you would simply say, ‘When you start college, you have five years to play,’ and we wouldn’t worry about all this other stuff.

“If you would happen to get hurt and not be able to play two of those years, that’s the way it goes.”

The NCAA football issues committee eventually will review feedback from conferences and decide if there’s enough support to proceed with legislation.

Meanwhile, Pederson obviously would like to see Omaha land the Big 12 basketball tournaments. That would be great for the state and for the Husker program, he said.

The other four cities that have bid to play host to future basketball tournaments starting in 2008-09 are Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.

Cities that have bid for the football championship are Arlington, Texas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.

Future championship sites have been set only for the coming 2007-08 season — football in San Antonio and basketball in Kansas City.

There has been discussion of anchoring championship games at sites for extended periods, a scenario to which Pederson is opposed.

“By rotating them, we’ve given a lot of people a chance to see a lot of different events,” he said. “There would have to be some compelling reason to go away from that.”

Perhaps most important, he said, is having conference championships in venues that are full and in cities that show excitement for the event.

“We tried that in St. Louis, and it didn’t do very well other than Nebraska fans,” Pederson said.

K-State Baseball Opens Big 12 Tourney against #1 Seed Texas

2007-05-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Kansas State Baseball will open the Big 12 Tournament against #1 seed Texas Wednesday at 1:00pm. They will follow up that game with a 7:30pm game against #4 Nebraska and play again on Saturday against #5 seed Texas A&M on Saturday.

The complete bracket can be found here.

Great Video on K-State Football

2007-05-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Great video on K-State Football

Rivals Early 2007 Football Predictions

2007-02-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

NORTH
1. Nebraska (9-5, 6-2): The Cornhuskers must overhaul their defensive front four, but they got a big break with quarterback Sam Keller transferring in from Arizona State. That should make the loss of All-Big 12 quarterback Zac Taylor relatively painless.
2. Missouri (8-5, 4-4): Chase Daniel emerged as one of the conference's best quarterbacks last season, and he has a cadre of capable receivers at his disposal - led by tight end Martin Rucker. The defense needs some repair, though.
3. Kansas State (7-6, 4-4): The Wildcats showed promise with a freshman-infested starting lineup last year. Those guys figure to be better in their second seasons. Also, Ian Campbell gives the Wildcats the conference's best pass rusher.
4. Kansas (6-6, 3-5): Losing Big 12 leading rusher Jon Cornish will hurt, but the Jayhawks have a couple of good, young quarterbacks. If they can avoid fourth quarter collapses they could be a factor in the North race.
5. Iowa State (4-8, 1-7): Talented players like quarterback Bret Meyer, receiver Todd Blythe, linebacker Alvin Bowen and incoming four-star junior college transfer Jamicah Bass give the Cyclones reason for optimism. Last year's disaster is hard to forget, though.
6. Colorado (2-10, 2-6): Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Florida's Urban Meyer won national championships in their second seasons on the job. Colorado's Dan Hawkins would settle for a bowl game.

SOUTH
1. Texas (10-3, 6-2): When healthy, Colt McCoy was the Big 12's best quarterback a year ago. He has a good running back and upper-level receivers for support, but the middle of the offensive line is gone. The pass defense needs a serious upgrade, too.
2. Oklahoma (11-3, 7-1): The Sooners defense will be superb as usual. The loss of tailback Adrian Peterson is obviously significant, but the big question mark is at quarterback where a freshman - Sam Bradford or Keith Nichol - may emerge as the starter. Although that could be cause for concern, uncertainty at that position never seems to be a liability for Bob Stoops' team. 3. Texas A&M (9-4, 5-3): With several returning starters and a strong finish to the regular season last year, some might have thought A&M would be one of the favorites in the conference. However, that was before the Holiday Bowl disaster - which makes us unsure of what to expect from the Aggies in 2007.
4. Oklahoma State (7-6, 3-5): The Cowboys made tremendous progress in their second season under coach Mike Gundy, and they should continue to improve if quarterback Bobby Reid can avoid injuries.
5. Texas Tech (8-5, 4-4): Productive quarterback Graham Harrell and running back Shannon Woods are returning. However, the Raiders must replace three receivers and four offensive linemen. Expect the defense to have issues - as usual.
6. Baylor (4-8, 3-5): The postseason drought has stretched to 12 seasons and looks like it's getting longer. The Bears must rebuild their secondary, find a new quarterback and establish some kind of running game.

Bob Huggins Becomes Second Coach to Win 20 Games in his First Season

2007-02-25T04:25:00.000-08:00

David Hoskins scored 21 and Bob Huggins became the second coach at Kansas State to win 20 games in his first season in the Wildcats' 87-71 win over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.

Cartier Martin came off the bench to score 19, Clent Stewart added 16 and Blake Young had 13.
Huggins joins Lon Kruger as the only coaches for the Wildcats to record 20 wins in their inaugural seasons. Kruger went 20-11 in 1986-87.

It's also the first time the Wildcats (20-9, 9-5 Big 12) have won 20 games in the regular season since 1987-88. They won 20 in 1998-99 but didn't record No. 20 until the Big 12 Tournament.

The Wildcats have two games left in the regular season, at Oklahoma State and home for Oklahoma. The Cats should finish forth in the Big 12 and should recieve a 1st round bye for the Big 12 Tournament.

Foundation Snyder Built Beginning to Crumble

2007-02-25T04:18:00.000-08:00

Mark Janssen Senior Sports Writer - The Manhattan Mercury
2/16/2007 12:16:27 PM

Bill Snyder spent 17 years constructing a football mansion based on loyalty and commitment to a singular purpose.

In less than 15 months, that granite foundation is crumbling into fine sand. By ones and twos, members of Ron Prince's first football staff, and support program, are making a mass exodus.

* Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator, is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

* Running backs coach Tim Horton left to be offensive coordinator at the Air Force Academy.

* Pat Washington, wide receivers coach, is making a move to Mississippi State.

* Tight ends coach James Jones' contract was "not renewed."

* Strength and conditioning coach Rod Cole left K-State after 14 years of service to take a similar position at Texas A&M.

* Equipment manager Jim "Shorty" Kleinau, while not officially announced, has not been invited back after 28 years of service to the program dating back through coaches Jim Dickey, Stan Parrish and Snyder.

* Abby Boustead, director of football administration, left after one year to work on a graduate-degree at Florida.

* Graduate assistant Scott Frost has accepted a coaching position at Northern Iowa.

* And Wesley McGriff said "so long" to the Wildcat program for Miami of Florida — just a month after being hired.
There may be others.

Athletics is known for being a profession of change, but this degree after one year is reason to wonder what the heck is going on. To a large degree, Kansas State is starting over ... again.

Some movement could be spun as career advancement; others lateral, at best.
The coaches were just individuals coming through Kansas State University. Their position on the Wildcat staff was just a job — for the time being.

But with Kleinau, Kansas State loses an absolute rock in its foundation. No individual cared more, and put more into the Wildcats winning football games, than "Shorty."

Kleinau did jobs no one else wanted with pride and excellence. Washing socks to jocks, to maintaining a store of football gear wasn't a job. It was "Shorty's" profession at "his" school.

Kleinau has elected not to talk of his dismissal, but others within the program said there wasn't a "mesh" with the new leadership. One said "Shorty" wasn't "hi-tech enough."

Kleinau was the perfect "mesh" for K-State for 28 years. Significant wins meant enough to him that he would scoop up a handful of dirt, blades of grass from the sideline, and place them in a baggy as a personal souvenir.

Kleinau didn't watch hours of tape like position coaches, but in his way he made sure the Wildcats were equipped for victory.

Prince should be commended for putting seven victories on the scoreboard in 2006 and returning the Wildcats to the bowl scene.

But one wonders how the upset win over Texas distorted the true performance of the year, just as how the last two blow out losses to Kansas and Rutgers mangled what truly was accomplished.

In this space two days before the official announcement of Prince's hiring, the question was raised whether he would have enough connections to form a quality staff at the Big 12 level.

Most were young, most were without big-time collegiate experience, at least one was without a job ... and now they're gone. We don't know, but perhaps gone without a hint of a thank you to Kansas State, which gave each of them a mega opportunity.

In a teleconference after the first set of leavings and hirings, Prince said he was excited to bring "... star power to our roster of coaches."

This is nothing against the latest cast of replacements, but the second try of "star power" coaches has backgrounds from such locales as Richmond, Connecticut, Western Connecticut, Cornell, Central Connecticut State, Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Temple, Salisbury State, Kentucky State, Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Maynard Evans High School (Orlando, Fla.).

It's the hope here that their collective talents will be of Big 12 standards, and their loyalty will be to their school and not just a job — for now.

Loyalty?

Look under Kleinau — "Shorty" Kleinau — in the Wildcat dictionary.

K-State's 2007 recruiting class

2007-02-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

,Corey Adams
OL
6-4
235
Monument, Colo.

Alesana Alesana
OL
6-6
318
San Francisco City College

Clyde Aufner
OL
6-7
260
Raymore-Peculiar

Demetrius Bell
RB
5-8
158
Olathe East

LaMark Brown
ATH
6-3
215
Hazelwood West

Gary Chandler
DB
5-11
186
Coffeyville CC

Josh Cherry
K
6-1
170
McCook, Neb.

Jayson Cuba
ATH
6-2
216
Newton, Kan.

Kaleb Drinkgern
OL
6-7
260
Marysville, Kan.

Colton Freeze
OL
6-6
270
Liberty

Raphael Guidry
DE
6-4
245
LaMarque, Texas

Brian Harris
LB
6-4
220
East St. Louis, Ill.

Danny Hogan
WR
6-2
190
Dallas

Tysyn Hartman
ATH
6-3
191
Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel

Payton Kirk
DE
6-5
250
Liberty

Ben Liu
OL
6-6
325
Sacramento City CC

Jeremy Mack
TE
6-4
210
Blue Springs South

Kendrick Matthews
DB
5-11
180
Fresno, Texas

Deon Murphy
ATH
5-10
165
Coffeyville, Kan.

Chris Patterson
LB
6-3
220
Joliet, Ill., CC

Ernie Pierce
WR
6-4
215
Santa Barbara City College

Dante Pinchback
TE
6-5
255
Irving, Texas

Jeremy Reed
RB
5-11
205
Great Bend, Kan.

Jake Roepke
OL
6-7
298
Hoyt, Kan.

Kevin Rohleder
LB
6-1
205
Wichita Carroll

Eldridge Sims
OL
6-6
288
Compton College

Xzavier Stewart
DT
6-1
260
Chicago

Adonis Thomas
RB
5-10
175
Newark, N.J.

Dahrnaz Tigner
DB
6-3
210
Pompano Beach, Fla.

Brandon Walls
LB
6-0
205
Irving, Texas

Justin Woods
DB
5-10
180
Mill Valley

2006 National Championship Semi-Final Matchups

2006-12-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

December 23rd

The Sugar Bowl
2:30pm, ABC
#1 Ohio State vs.
#5 USC

The Rose Bowl
7:00pm, ABC
#3 Michigan vs.
#4 Florida

2006 National Championship Round One Results

2006-12-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Round One Results: There were no major upsets in the first week of the 2006 NCAA Division 1 National Championship tournament.

December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
45 Michigan
37 Louisville
Two offenses slugged it out for most of the game, but it was Michigan's defense that won it for Michigan. Louisville drove the ball deep into Michigan territory late in the game, but on 4th and 3, Michigan stopped Brian Brohm as he scrambled for the first down. Michigan moves on the face Florida in the Rose Bowl.

The Hoilday Bowl
24 LSU
31 USC
USC Quarterback John David Booty engineered an 84 yard scoring drive late in the 4th quarter that turned out to be the difference in a hard fought game. USC moves on the play #1 seeded Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

The Orange Bowl
13 Wisconsin
24 Florida
In front a crowd dominated by Florida fans, the Gators dominated both sides on the football. Leading 24-6 until Wisconsin scored a late touchdown. The University of Florida moves on to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl
38 Ohio State
27 Boise State
Boise State proves that they deserved to be in the picture by taking a 14-10 lead over Ohio State mid-way through the second quarter. However, Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith turned it on in the second half and Ohio State pulls away and will face USC in the Sugar Bowl.

Ron Prince on Houston sports talk radio talking about the Texas bowl

2006-12-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

Listen to it here...

Kansas State vs. Rutgers in the Texas Bowl

2006-12-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have my tickets... do you have yours?

Athletics director Tim Weiser announced Sunday that the Wildcats (7-5) have accepted an invitation to play Rutgers (10-2) in the inaugural Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. (CST) and will be televised nationally by NFL Network.
The Texas Bowl marks K-State’s 12th bowl berth in the last 14 years – a feat shared by just nine other programs in the country – and the Wildcats’ fourth trip to the state of Texas for a bowl game. The Wildcats, who are making their first trip to Houston for the postseason, have previously played in the 1997 Cotton Bowl, the 1998 Alamo Bowl and the 2001 Cotton Bowl.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our football program in the inaugural Texas Bowl and I am pleased to accept the invitation on behalf of Kansas State University," Weiser said. "The state of Texas has always been an outstanding bowl destination for our football program and our fans. The hospitality extended to our program and our supports has always been outstanding and we are honored to be part of an exceptional matchup between two of the nation’s top conferences.”
Kansas State won three of its final four games of the season to finish tied for second in the Big 12’s North Division under first-year head coach Ron Prince to earn its first postseason bowl berth since the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
“We are excited to be selected as the Big 12’s representative in the Texas Bowl and we are looking forward to playing one of the nation’s best teams in Rutgers on Dec. 28 in Reliant Stadium,” Prince said. “I could not be more proud of what our team has accomplished this season and I am pleased that all their hard work is being rewarded with an opportunity to play in a first-class event like the Texas Bowl.”
Under the direction of Home Depot Coach of the Year Greg Schiano, Rutgers has been one of the most notable turnaround stories in college football during the past two seasons.
Schiano guided the Scarlet Knights to just their second 10-win season in school history in 2006, including a thrilling, come-from-behind 28-25 victory over then third-ranked Louisville on Nov. 9. The win propelled the Scarlet Knights to their first top-10 ranking in school history. Overall this season, Rutgers has been ranked for 11 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch ever for the Scarlet Knights.
The 2006 Texas Bowl will be the first meeting between K-State and Rutgers on the gridiron and the second time the Wildcats have squared off with a current member of the Big East Conference this season. K-State fell to then-No.8 Louisville on Sept. 23 and is 4-7 all time vs. current members of the league.
The Wildcats have faced Big East teams in three bowls, splitting games with Syracuse in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl (W, 35-18) and 2001 Insight.com Bowl (L, 26-3) and falling to Boston College – now a member of the ACC – in the 1994 Aloha Bowl (L, 12-7).
Kansas State will begin accepting ticket orders for the Texas Bowl beginning at 9 a.m., Monday after the Wildcats accepted an invitation Sunday to play in the December 28 game in Houston against Rutgers of the Big East Conference.
K-State has been allocated approximately 10,500 tickets for the game, which will be played in Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Tickets are available through K-State in the stadium’s lower level at $35, $50 and $75, and in the Club level for $50 or $75.
The easiest method to order tickets is online at www.k-statesports.com, clicking on the bowl information tab and selecting “Buy Bowl Tickets.” Donors to the Ahearn Scholarship Fund and season ticket holders placing online orders should click on the “Donor/Season Ticket Holder” button for tickets. Fans may also order in person at the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum or by calling 1-800-221-CATS.
Ahearn Fund members and season ticket holders will receive seating preference for bowl orders placed by 5 p.m., Wednesday, December 6. Donors at the $3,000 level and above will be given seating priority up to 10 tickets. Donors below the $3,000 level and all other fans placing orders will receive seating priority up to six tickets. Assignment of all seating allocated to K-State will be based on the K-State Priority Points system. All orders will include a $15 handling fee and tickets will be distributed through a priority delivery service.
Fans interested in travel packages are encouraged to call the K-State Alumni Association’s bowl hotline at 866-373-7379. Travel options include air transportation and hotel, as well as land-only packages. For additional information on the travel packages, Alumni Association pre-game party and the all-University pep rally visit the Association’s web site at www.k-state.com.

2006 National Championship Bracket

2006-12-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

The final BCS standings are out and the top 8 teams remain the same as last week, but with some obvious movement at the top.

Once again, there are teams out there that could make a case for playing for the National Championship but will not have a chance. If and when the powers that be decide we should move to a playoff, here is what it would look like this year:

Round One:
December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
11:ooam Kickoff ESPN
#3 Michigan vs. #6 Louisville

The Hoilday Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ESPN
#4 LSU vs. #5 USC

The Orange Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ABC
#7 Wisconsin vs. #2Florida

The Cotton Bowl
7:00pm Kickoff ABC
#1 Ohio State vs. #8 Boise State

Results from the first round will be posted tomorrow with seating for the second round.

Another BCS Joke

2006-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

UCLA beat USC on Saturday and threw the BCS upside down. USC was a lock to play Ohio State for the Mythical National Championship game until they got shut down by UCLA. Now we have at least two teams, Michigan and Florida who both deserve to be in the Championship game, but only one will have a shot.

Michgans only loss came against the #1 ranked Buckeyes in Columbus, by 3 points. It was a great game and on a neuteral field, it could turn out differently.

Florida played the toughest schedule in the country and lost only to Auburn.

Both are very deserving. Then there are teams like Boise State who is undefeated. Oklahoma who should be 12-1, except that the referees robbed them of a win at Oregon State.

Later today the BCS rankings will come out and at least one team that deserves a shot at the National Championship will be left to play for money.

Yet another year has gone by when the BCS failed to deliver what it was designed to do. Guarantee a #1 vs. #2 championship game.

Early Kansas State Bowl Projections

2006-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

The projections are all over the board right now. Here is a sample of the destinations and possible opponents:

The Texas Bowl, Houston, TX
December 28th

Kansas State vs. Rutgers

This would be a great game for Kansas State if they got matched up against Rutgers. It would give Kansas State an opportunity to play a team that is currently ranked #13 in the nation.

The Insight.com Bowl, Tempe, AZ
December 29th

Kansas State vs. Minnesota

Not a great matchup for Kansas State but a better bowl then the Texas Bowl. A chance for Ron Prince to have his first bowl appearance in the same location as Bill Snyder's first bowl.

The Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX
December 30th

Kansas State vs. Iowa

Opprotunity for a win over a Big Ten school with a solid program on a down year. The Alamo bowl is a great destination for fans.

Independence Bowl Shreveport, LA
December 27

Kansas State vs. South Carolina

Great chance for rookie Head Coach to go against coaching ledgend Steve Spurrier. Not a great bowl destination, but the location of the first ever KSU bowl appearance vs. Wisconsin.

NCAA Football Playoff

2006-11-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year... teams are being slotted for bowl games and the final BCS rankings will be out next week to determine who will play for the Mythical National Championship. The NCAA Division 1 Football is the only sport on any level that does not decide its championship on the field. Instead it is turned over to computers and voters to determine who will get to play in one game to determine the eventual champion.

The system has been flawed from the beginning. It is setup to fail. We have had a split national championship under this system and almost every year the controversy surrounding the two team selected overshadows the actual game.

A playoff is the only way we are going to have a true national champion. All other divisions of NCAA football have a playoff.... why not in the only division that really matters. NCAA football is the greatest sport with the worst post season.

There are no legitimate arguments against an 8 team playoff. The NCAA cries about student athletes missing too much time, then they add a 12th game to the schedule. They are not concerned about the NCAA Basketball tournament with requires their student athletes to miss considerably more time then a football playoff would.

There are concerns about the Bowl system and what it would do to the minor bowls. This is also complete B.S. All the existing bowls would remain in place and be a reward for those teams that qualified. There would also be seven bowls involved in the playoff and they would all have a shot at hosting the eventual national champions.

Here is my proposal in a nutshell. We leave the BCS formula in place as it is. We take the top 8 teams in the BCS at the end of the year. These 8 teams would then play a tournament over 3 weeks to determine the National Champion.

You say what about #9, they won't have a shot. True, but if your team is ranked #9 or higher, you didn't take care of business throughout the year. Eight teams will include any unbeaten teams and usually all the one loss teams.

The teams would be given a week off after the end of the season and the first game would be on Dec. 16th and the Championship game would be two weeks later on the 30th. If you wanted to give the teams an extra week to prepare for the championship game, it could be held on Jan. 6th.

Below I have listed the first round games as they stand today. This is of course, subject to change after the final week of games this saturday.

Round One - December 16th

The Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX

VS.

The Orange Bowl, Miami, FL

VS.

The Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL

VS.

The Hoilday Bowl, San Diego, CA

VS.

Ron Prince turns up the heat on Mark Mangino

2006-11-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

There was plenty of criticism of the University of Kansas Head Football Coach Mark Mangino going into last weekend but the recent success of Kansas State Head Football Coach Ron Prince is really turning up the heat on Mangino.

After Mangino’s first winning season at KU, he was given a 5 year contract extension worth $1.5 million a year. This makes Mangino 21st on the list of highest paid NCAA football coaches. Ahead of the likes of Lloyd Carr, Steve Spurrier, Les Miles, Tommy Bowden, Rich Rodriguez, and Houston Nutt. He ranks 92nd based on winning percentage of active coaches. KU is not getting much return on their investment.

Mangino in his first four plus seasons has an overall record of 24-34 and is on his way to the his 4th losing season in 5 years. He is also responsible for landing the Jayhawks in hot water with the NCAA which resulted in a three year probation and the loss of three football scholarships. His biggest win as KU’s Head Coach would be a win over 23rd ranked Missouri in 2003. He has managed to increase home game attendance through his first four years, but it looks like it will be dropping slightly after this year.

All of these “great” accomplishments led to the 5 year contract extension mentioned above. After KU finished the 2005 season strong, including Mangino’s first ever bowl victory over the University of Houston, spirits were high in Lawrence.

It didn’t take long for that to change. An early non-conference loss to Toledo and several games that KU let slip away have led to much criticism of Mangino. The small fire that was slowing building was doused in gasoline on Saturday night when first year KSU Coach Ron Prince led the Wildcats to victory over the defending National Champion and 4th ranked Longhorns of Texas.

Nearly every preseason prediction had the Wildcats finishing last in the Big 12 North. Some had Kansas as high as 2nd. But with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, it is KSU sitting in 2nd place and KU looking up from the bottom half of the division. In his first year, Ron Prince was able to do something Mangino could not… beat a top ranked team. With a win Saturday over the Jayhawks, Kansas State will finish the season 8-4 and be headed to a good bowl game and potentially finish in the Top 25.

If Mangino loses his next two games and KU finishes the year at 5-7, KU could be looking for a new football coach after this year. At least Basketball season is here… oh wait… KU just lost to Oral Roberts and Kansas State just landed the best recruiting class in the country.

Looks like the Jayhawks could be relegated to the 2nd best team in Kansas in Football AND Basketball.

Stay Classy Texas

2006-11-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I guess the REAL reason UT lost to Kansas State was because Doug Flutie jinxed them. The Longhorn fans are working overtime to try and find a reason how the mighty Horns could fall to an unranked team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12.

Angry fan threatens Flutie and Family

FRAMINGHAM - An unhinged Texas Longhorn fan who blames Doug Flutie’s televised analysis for the team’s upset Saturday threatened the former football star and his family in an electronic mail message, police said.
The threat, which was not detailed by police, was sent to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism early Sunday, police Lt. Paul Shastany said.
“We have intentions of finding this person and speaking to this person,” said Shastany. “As threats go, it’s a pretty serious incident.”
Although the exact nature of the threat was not disclosed, the man, who investigators believe lives in California, wrote, “You jinxed the Longhorn faithful and a chance at the national title,” Shastany said.
“He was upset, wishing bad will and speaking badly about his family,” said Shastany. “At this point, the information is disconcerting enough to follow this up the best we can.”
Police spoke with Flutie, and he is aware of the threat, Shastany said, but there was no imminent danger and Flutie went ahead with a foundation fund-raiser last night at the Hyatt Regency in Boston.
Flutie is a college football analyst for ABC and ESPN. His playing career included winning a Heisman Trophy with Boston College in 1984, two stints with the Patriots and several championships in Canada. The Texas Longhorns were upset Saturday, when Kansas State beat them 45-42.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

2006-11-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Josh Freeman and Yamon Figurs for their Player of the Week awards. Mark Dodge from Texas A&M won the Defensive POY award for a great performance against Nebraska but the award should have gone to Ian Campbell.

Ian Campbell:
5 Tackles1 Tackle for Loss
2 Fumble Recoveries (Both led to TD's)
1 Pass Breakup
1 Sack

Mark Dodge:
17 Tackles
1/2 Tackle for Loss
1 INT (led to missed FG attempt)

Without a performance like that from Ian Campbell, Kansas State would have not beat the 4th ranked team in the country. Dodge played well in a losing effort, while Campbell played better in a winning effort.

KSU should have swept to Big 12 Players of the week awards.

Big 12 Football Players of the Week

2006-11-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

AT&T Big 12 Football Players of the Week - Nov. 13

Josh Freeman (Kansas State), Mark Dodge (Texas A&M), and Mason Crosby (Colorado) and Yamon Figurs (Kansas State) have been named AT&T Big 12 Conference Offensive, Defensive and co-Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively, as selected by a media panel. Freeman is honored for the second time in as many weeks, while Crosby adds to his Big 12 record with the ninth award of his career and second of the season. Dodge and Figurs receive recognition for the first time.

Offensive Player of the Week
Josh Freeman, Fr, QB, Kansas State (Kansas City, Mo.)
Freshman quarterback Josh Freeman passed for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead Kansas State to a 45-42 win over No. 4 Texas. Freeman completed 19-of-31 passes for 269 yards, including TD strikes of 36, 32 and 30 yards. The loss ended the Longhorns' 21-game Big 12 Conference win streak.

Defensive Player of the Week
Mark Dodge, Jr, LB, Texas A&M (Yerington, Nev.)
Playing on Veterans' Day, former Army serviceman Mark Dodge turned in a game-high 17-tackle performance in Texas A&M's 28-27 last-minute loss to Nebraska. Dodge returned his first interception of the season 16 yards in the fourth-quarter to set up an Aggie field goal attempt with 1:57 left.

Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Mason Crosby, Sr, PK, Colorado (Georgetown, Texas)
Mason Crosby connected on 4-of-5 field goal attempts and accounted for 15 points for Colorado in its 33-16 win over Iowa State. Crosby hit on attempts of 47, 38, 41 and 42 yards, while coming up just short on a school-record 65-yard effort.
Yamon Figurs, Sr, PR, Kansas State (Lakeland, Fla.)
Yamon Figurs' took his only punt return in K-State's upset of Texas 52 yards to the 8-yard line to set up a short touchdown drive to give the Wildcats a 21-14 second-quarter lead.

Big 12 Coach of the Year

2006-11-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

As the 2006 seasons nears the end, it is a good time to look at who is in the running for Big 12 Coach of the Year. Coach Prince threw his name into the hat on Saturday night with an impressive win over #4 Texas but lets look at all the candidates and their 2006 accomplishments.

North:

Nebraska - Bill Callahan
Record: 8-3 Overall, 5-2 Conference
Biggest Win: 28-27 at Texas A&M
Worst Loss: 29-41 at Oklahoma State

Nebraska was picked to win the Big 12 North and clinched the North with a hard fought victory in College Station last weekend. They played Texas tough in Lincoln and should have won that game. Will the Big 12 Championship game be any different? If Callahan and the Huskers can manage to beat Texas or Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game, Callahan could be the favorite to win the Coach of the Year in the Big 12.

Kansas State – Ron Prince
Record: 7-4 Overall, 4-3 Conference
Biggest Win: 45-42 against the University of Texas
Worst Loss: 3-17 at Baylor

Kansas State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 North and currently sit in second place, one game behind Nebraska. With a victory over Kansas on Saturday, the Wildcats will finish 8-4 overall with 5 conference victories. A considerable improvement over a year ago. Add to that a win over the 4th ranked team in the country and Ron Prince has a good case for Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Missouri – Gary Pinkel
Record: 7-3 Overall, 3-3 Conference
Biggest Win: 38-21 at Texas Tech
Worst Loss: 34-20 at Nebraska

Missouri started out strong and could finish strong. With games remaining against Iowa State and Kansas, Missouri should finish with a good overall record of 9-3. However, there were no marquee wins that MU can point to during the season. They played a very weak non-conference schedule and lost to the better teams in the Big 12. They have not had any letdowns against the weaker teams yet. If Missouri loses one of its remaining games, Pinkel has no shot, but if they win out, he deserves some consideration.

Kansas – Mark Mangino
Record: 5-5 Overall, 2-4 Conference
Biggest Win: 13-7 against South Florida
Worst Loss: 31-37 at Toledo

This has been a horrible year for the Jayhawks. KU gave a contract extension to a coach with a losing record and now they find themselves on probation for recruiting violations and likely to finish 2-6 in the conference.

Colorado – Dan Hawkins
Record: 2-9 Overall, 2-5 Conference
Biggest Win: 30-6 vs. Texas Tech
Worst Loss: 10-19 vs. D1AA - Montana State

Tough year for first year coach Dan Hawkins… Boise State remains unbeaten though!

Iowa State - Dan McCarney
Record: 3-8 Overall, 0-7 Conference
Biggest Win: 28-27 vs. Northern Iowa
Worst Loss: 16-33 vs. Colorado

Dan McCarney leaves the program as the after a tough year.

South:

Texas – Mack Brown
Record: 9-2 Overall, 6-1 Conference
Biggest Win: 28-10 vs. Oklahoma
Worst Loss: 42-45 at Kansas State

Texas found a replacement for Vince Young and looked to have a good shot at defending their National Championship until Josh Freeman and the Kansas State Wildcats defeated them last weekend. Texas had another great year and Mack Brown will get some consideration for Coach of the Year, however, the Longhorns were supposed to win all their games and they have lost two so far. Expectations are high in Austin and so is the talent level… 10-2 probably not enough to win the award for Brown.

Oklahoma – Bob Stoops
Record: 8-2 Overall, 5-1 Conference
Biggest Win: 17-16 at Texas A&M
Worst Loss: 33-34 at Oregon

If the Officials don’t hand Oregon the game against Oklahoma on September 16th, the Sooners are fighting for a spot in the BCS Championship game. OU should win out against Baylor and OSU and if Texas A&M can upset the Longhorns, OU will be playing in the Big 12 Championship Game. Given all the problems the Sooners have had losing Bomar and Peterson for the year, Stoops has done a great job this year. If the Sooners find a way into the Big 12 Championship game and beat NU, Stoops wins, if not, he still deserves some consideration.

Texas A&M – Dennis Franchione
Record: 8-3 Overall, 4-3 Conference
Biggest Win: 25-19 vs. Missouri
Worst Loss: 27-31 vs. Texas Tech

Coach Fran continues to struggle against the Big 12’s better teams. Against UT, OU, TTU, and NU Fran is 1-13 overall. He needs to worry about keeping his job, not the Coach of the Year award.

Oklahoma State – Mike Gundy
Record: 6-4 Overall, 3-3 Conference
Biggest Win: 41-29 vs. Nebraska
Worst Loss: 25-34 vs. Houston

Not a bad year overall for the Pokes but showed inconsistent play throughout the year.

Texas Tech – Mike Leach
Record: 6-5 Overall, 3-4 Conference
Biggest Win: 31-27 at Texas A&M
Worst Loss: 30-6 vs. Colorado

Disappointing year for the Red Raiders who cannot move from being a good team to a team that competes with Texas and Oklahoma every year.

Baylor – Guy Morriss
Record: 4-7Overall, 3-4 Conference
Biggest Win: 17-3 vs. Kansas State
Worst Loss: 66-24 at Oklahoma State

Another year at the bottom of the Big 12 South. Baylor needs to continue to improve as they have done the last few years.

The race for Big 12 Coach of the Year, in my opinion, comes down to three coaches. Bill Callahan, Bob Stoops and Ron Prince. Callahan and Stoops are both having great years and doing exactly what was expected of them. However, if you look at where Kansas State was picked to finish and where they are now, it is tough to argue that anyone is more deserving then Ron Prince.

Reason #7,346 to Hate Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns

2006-11-12T14:36:00.000-08:00

When asked about the #4 Longhorns loss to the unranked Wildcats, Mack Brown said "We didn't get beat by them, we just ran out of time."

What a Jackass!

Thanks for the Memories....

2006-11-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Can KSU Upset the 4th Ranked Team?

2006-11-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

The University of Texas had one and only one question mark coming into the 2006 season. Would they be able to replace the irreplaceable Vince Young at Quarterback? Going into the season two freshman were battling for the starting job and it looked like the answer to that question was no. However, Colt McCoy emerged as the starter and has turned into one of the best surprises of the year.

McCoy, a redshirt freshman, leads the Big 12 in Pass Efficiency and has an amazing 24-4 TD to INT ratio. He has great receivers led by Limas Sweed with 642 yards receiving and 10 TD’s. McCoy spreads the ball around, eight UT players have at least 15 receptions. One difference you see in the UT passing attack this year is the lack of catches by the TEs.

UT has also had a strong rushing attack Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young have both been productive runners for the Horns this year. Charles the leader with 714 yards on the ground.

Kansas State has played well against some great offenses this year. The Cats held Louisville to 24 points and only 247 yards of total offense. This is a team that is averaging 492 yards per game on the year.

The KSU defense will have to have a great game against Texas and it will begin with slowing down the passing attack. UT has done a great job at pass blocking this year only allowing 1.5 sacks per game. The key to KSU’s victories against UT in the pass has been unrelenting pressure on their Quarterback and forcing mistakes. Ian Campbell and company will need to get up field and try give McCoy something to think about every time he drops back to pass.

On the other side of the Offensive ball, Kansas State has been much improved over the course of the year. True Freshman QB Josh Freeman has shown steady improvement and while KSU ranks 10th in the Big 12 in Passing Offense, they are much improved in this area. Last week against the 6th best defense in the Big 12, Colorado, Freeman was 22 of 26 for 251 yards and two TD’s for an amazing QB rating of 191.1.

KSU will have to throw the ball to win against Texas. The one weakness in the UT defense is defending against the pass. They rank 11th in the Big 12, giving up 241 yards per game. The amazing thing is, UT is ranked 11th in pass defense in the league and 2nd in Total Defense. That is because they are holding opponents to 43 yards per game rushing.

UT will challenge the Freshman Freeman to beat them through the air. They will bring pressure on every play and Freeman will need to be ready for it. KSU will need to be creative in getting the ball to Leon Patton and James Johnson. Short passes to the RBs in the flat will allow them to get the ball on the edge and make some plays with their feet. However, KSU will only win this game if they can get the ball down field. It will be difficult for the Cats with sustain long 15-20 play drives. They are going to exploit the UT weakness in the Defensive backfield. That means the line will need to hold their blocks long enough for the receivers to get down field.

KSU has had great play on special teams all year and that will need to continue. If Kansas State can win the field position battle, they will be in this game at the end. However, if the Cats are starting every drive inside their own 20, they will have a hard time putting points on the board.

Bold and Daring. This is what Ron Prince said the 2006 Wildcats would be all about. In order for the Cats to win this weekend, they will need to be Bold and Daring. Coach Prince has me believing. UT will be busy trying to figure out how they can get into the BCS Championship and looking forward to their battle with rival Texas A&M.

KSU beats the 4th ranked team in the country at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Kansas State - 27
Texas - 24

BOLD AND DARING

Live or Die with Josh Freeman

2006-10-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Ron Prince has made it very clear. There is no Quarterback controversy in Manhattan.... but should there be?

Since being named the starter, Josh Freeman has been anything but spectacular. He has not thrown a Touchdown pass yet and has 8 interceptions. He is completing 41% of his passes and is averaging 121 yards passing per game. In his three starts, the Wildcats are 10 of 41 in Third Down conversions. He is the only starting QB in the country without a passing TD.

When Prince took over the job as the Head Coach at Kansas State, he said every position was open for competition. Each starter would have to earn his spot in the starting lineup... I guess this does not apply to his 5 star recruit at QB.

It is pretty easy to compare Dylan Meier and Freeman now. They have both played in at least 6 games. Each has about the same number of pass attempts.

Meier leads Freeman in every category. Higher percentage completions, better efficiency rating, more touchdowns, and less interceptions.

I am fine with the idea that Freeman is the future of this program so he should be playing. Continuing with Meier does nothing to help this team over the next few years. But Prince needs to come out and say that. He continues to insist that Freeman is not one of the reasons we are losing football games. Just this week, when asked about Freeman's play, Prince responded "I'm not disappointed in Josh, I'm disappointed in the fact that we weren't able to protect him.''

Freeman is one of the reasons we are losing football games. We cannot convert on third downs and we are horrible in the Red Zone.

106th in the contry on 3rd down conversions (30%)
93rd in Scoring Offense (19.5)
76th in Passing Offense (186 Yds per game)
115th in Passing Offense for Freemans starts (121 Yds per game)
79th in Rushing Offense (122 yds per game)

Some of that has to fall on the QB's shoulders. If in fact we are looking to the future, great, lets get as many reps as we can for Freeman. If we are trying to win today, Meier should at least be given an opportunity to compete for the starting Quarterback position at Kansas State.

Big 12 Predictions

2006-10-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Nebraska at Kansas State - Nebraska proves to be too much for the young Wildcats.

Iowa State at Oklahoma - OU bounces back from loss to UT

Oklahoma State at Kansas - KU wins a close game

Texas Tech at Colorado - Colorado continues to struggle and drops to 0-7

Missouri at Texas A&M - Missouri wins a close one on the road.

Baylor at Texas - The battle of unbeatens in the South will not me much of a battle, Texas big.

Q&A on Big Red Network

2006-10-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

I sat down and answered a few questions from the Big Red Network about the state of the KSU program and the big game this weekend against NU.

Q&A with Kansas State Blogger

First Year Coaches - Week 4

2006-09-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Boise State was the only team to win over the weekend and remains the only unbeaten team. Chris Petersen has picked up right where they left off last year after Dan Hawkins left for Colorado. I am sure Hawkins would switch places with Petersen if given the chance. The group is 16-27 on the year.

Standings:

(4-0) Boise State: Chris Petersen - Beat Hawaii with a trip to Utah this week.

(3-1) Kansas State: Ron Prince - KSU heads to Conference play 3-1 after a loss to #8 Louisville.

(3-1) Wisconsin: Bret Bielema - Tough loss on the road at Michigan.

(2-2) Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill - Rolled by OU - 59-0.

(2-2) Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald - Lost at Nevada with a trip to Happy Valley this weekend.

(1-3) Idaho: Dennis Erickson - Shut out bu Oregon State.

(1-3) Buffalo: Turner Gill - Shut out by Auburn 38-0.

(0-3) San Diego State: Chuck Long - Lost to Utah.

(0-4) Colorado: Dan Hawkins - Blew a 13-0 lead and lost to Georgia 13-14.

(0-4) Rice: Todd Graham - Florida State big... Army up next.

(0-4) Temple: Al Golden - Outscored 174-10 on the season.

Quotes from Talking Heads after KSU upsets Louisville...

2006-09-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Lee Corso - "Not so fast Nebraska, I have had my eye on the Cats all year, they are my sleeper."

Kirk Herbstriet - "With all those starters returning, I knew they would be strong this year. Does my hair look alright?"

John Madden - "You see, what happened here, was the purple team scored more points then the other guys. In football, when you score the most points, you usually win"

Dennis Dodd - "I knew Ron Prince would see immediate results and I was right again"

Stewart Mandel - "KSU has talent and an excellent coaching staff, this is not a surprise to me"

Chris Fowler - "This young coaching staff is living up to their expectations, I knew they would not only bring a high energy level to this program but a lot of experience"

Brent Mussberger - "Coach Snyder is doing an excellent job this year"

Big 12 Week 3 Results

2006-09-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

I went 11-3 on the weekend but the Big 12 did not fare so well, going 5-7. The Big 12 is 25-11 on the year, with the South at 13-5 and the North at 12-6.

Kansas at Toledo - Toledo wins in OT

Iowa State at Iowa - ISU falls to cross state rival

Marshall at Kansas State - KSU continues to improve and pulls away in the second half

Oklahoma at Oregon - OU wins a tough road game.

Baylor at Washington State - Baylor falls short on the road

Texas Tech at TCU - Texas Tech wins a high scoring battle

Texas at Rice - This game will seem like a home game for UT at Reliant Stadium, UT wins big.

Arizona State at Colorado - Buffs continue to struggle and move to 0-3

Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State - Florida Atlantic loses a second straight to Big 12 opponents

Nebraska at USC - Nebraska struggles against a tough USC defense, USC wins.

Missouri at New Mexico - Missouri may be the surprise team in the North this year, the win easily at New Mexico.

Army vs. Texas A&M in San Antonio - Texas A&M wins on the neutral field.

First Year Coaches - Week 3

2006-09-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

Boise State, KSU and Wisconson win again to maintain an undefeated record. KSU and Wisconson both play Top 10 teams this week against Louisville and Michigan. Four first year coaches are still looking for their first win of the year.

The group is 15-17 on the year.

Standings:
(3-0) Boise State: Chris Petersen - 17-10 victory over Wyoming.

(3-0) Kansas State: Ron Prince - KSU continues to improve with a 23-7 win over Marshall. .

(3-0) Wisconsin: Bret Bielema - Improves to 3-0 with a win over San Diego State.

(2-1) Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill - Roll over Tennessee Tech 44-0 with OU up next.

(2-1) Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald - Bounce back with a 14-6 over Eastern Michigan.

(1-2) Idaho: Dennis Erickson - 27-24 over Idaho State.

(1-2) Buffalo: Turner Gill - Loss to Northern Illionois with a trip to Auburn this week.

(0-2) San Diego State: Chuck Long - 14-0 loss to Wisconson.

(0-3) Colorado: Dan Hawkins - 21-3 loss on the road at Arizona State.

(0-3) Rice: Todd Graham - Ran into a pissed off Texas team, 52-7.

(0-3) Temple: Al Golden - Outscored 133-3 in first three games..

Big 12 Week 3 Predictions

2006-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 has started strong this year with a 20-4 start. Colorado is still searching for their first win and Baylor and Texas both sit at 1-1. All the other teams remain undefeated. The Big 12 hits the road in week 3, with 8 teams playing away and one team on a neutral field.

Can't Miss: Nebraska at USC
Hit or Miss: Oklahoma at Oregon
Must Miss: Kansas at Toledo

Friday, September 15th

Kansas at Toledo - Kansas wins a close one on the road.

Saturday, September 16th

Iowa State at Iowa - ISU falls to cross state rival

Marshall at Kansas State - KSU continues to improve and pulls away in the second half

Oklahoma at Oregon - OU wins a tough road game.

Baylor at Washington State - Baylor falls short on the road

Texas Tech at TCU - Texas Tech wins a high scoring battle

Texas at Rice - This game will seem like a home game for UT at Reliant Stadium, UT wins big.

Arizona State at Colorado - Buffs continue to struggle and move to 0-3

Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State - Florida Atlantic loses a second straight to Big 12 opponents

Nebraska at USC - Nebraska struggles against a tough USC defense, USC wins.

Missouri at New Mexico - Missouri may be the surprise team in the North this year, the win easily at New Mexico.

Army vs. Texas A&M in San Antonio - Texas A&M wins on the neutral field.

First year Coaches

2006-09-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

Three of the 11 first year coaches remain undefeated. Boise State, KSU and Wisconson all move to 2-0. While 4 coaches have dropped to 0-2, Colorado, Idaho, Rice and Temple.

The biggest upset goes to New Hampshire, knocking off Northwestern.

The group is 9-12 on the year.

Standings:

(2-0) Boise State: Chris Petersen - Beat a PAC 10 team, Oregon State 42-14.

(2-0) Kansas State: Ron Prince - Rolls past Florida Atlantic, 45-0.

(2-0) Wisconsin: Bret Bielema - 34-10 over Western Illinois.

(1-1) Buffalo: Turner Gill - Lose to Bowling Green 48-40.

(1-1) Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill - Lose on the Road at Maryland.

(1-1) Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald - A stunning loss to New Hampshire.

(0-1) San Diego State: Chuck Long - Weekend off.

(0-2) Colorado: Dan Hawkins - Beat by in-state rival Colorado State 14-10.

(0-2) Idaho: Dennis Erickson - Washington State wins easily, 56-10.

(0-2) Rice: Todd Graham - In the first game of the worst non-conference schedule in college football, Rice loses 16-26. Up next, Texas then at Florida State.

(0-2) Temple: Al Golden - 62-0 loss to Louisville.

Big 12 Week 2 Results

2006-09-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

I hate to brag, but after a 12-0 weekend, I am 23-1 on the year. CSU and OSU were the spoilers this week. Ohio State proved it was for real and Texas proved that Vince Young was all that.

Sat. Sept. 9th

Mississippi at Missouri - Missouri rolls 34-7.

Nicholls State at Nebraska - Nebraska in a laugher.

Washington at Oklahoma - OU and AD pull away in the 2nd half.

Colorado at Colorado State - 0-2 and the tough games are coming next.

Northwestern State at Baylor - Baylor gets first win of the season, 47-10.

UNLV at Iowa State - ISU by 6 points..

UL-Monroe at Kansas - Kansas squeaks by UL-Monroe, 21-19.

Florida Atl at Kansas State - KSU rolls before and after rain delay.

Texas Tech at UTEP - Tech needs OT to edge UTEP 38-35.

UL-Lafayette at Texas A&M - Easy win at Kyle Field.

Oklahoma State at Arkansas State - OSU 35 ASU 7

Ohio State at Texas - Troy Smith does his best impression of Vince Young.

Big 12 Week 2 Predictions

2006-09-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 started off the week 10-2, the only real upset came in Boulder, where Colorado lost to 1-AA Montana State. For the year, I am 11-1... nice way to start off the season but it gets a little trickier from here.

Can't Miss: Ohio State at Texas
Hit or Miss: Washington at Oklahoma
Must Miss: Northwestern State at Baylor

Sat. Sept. 9th
Mississippi at Missouri - Missouri pulls out the win to stay undefeated.

Nicholls State at Nebraska - Nebraska continues to roll along.

Washington at Oklahoma - Oklahoma failed to impress last week but will this week, OU big

Colorado at Colorado State - CU loses again on the way to an 0-4 non-conference start.

Northwestern State at Baylor - Baylor wins easily at home.

UNLV at Iowa State - Iowa State moves to 2-0.

UL-Monroe at Kansas - Kansas wins big at home, not Mangino big, but pretty big.

Florida Atl at Kansas State - KSU plays better after near disaster in week one.

Texas Tech at UTEP - Tech wins a close game on the road.

UL-Lafayette at Texas A&M - Easy win at Kyle Field.

Oklahoma State at Arkansas State - Not sure why OSU agreed to play this one on the road, but they get the W.

Ohio State at Texas - Offense led by a freshman QB cannot keep up with Troy Smith and company... Ohio State wins in Austin.

Two UT Players Arrested

2006-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

http://criminalathletes.blogspot.com/2006/09/two-players-arrested-on-drug-weapon.html

2006-09-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

The 2006 season kicked off for 11 new 1A coaches and the group went a combined 6-5. The big losers for the week are Colorado who lost to a weak 1AA opponent and Temple who lost to first year coach Turner Gill.

Boise State shows it can survive without Dan Hawkins who left for CU and Bret Bielema beats Bowling Green after taking over for Alvarez at Wisconsin.

Standings:

(1-0) Boise State: Chris Petersen - Continues the tradition of high powered offenses and beats Sacramento State 45-0

(1-0) Buffalo: Turner Gill - Wins 9-3 in OT over Temple.

(1-0) Kansas State: Ron Prince - Takes advantage of a questionable decision by Illinois State to go for two instead of a tie at the end of the game, hold on to win 24-23.

(1-0) Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill - The Blue Raiders held on to beat Florida Intl. 7-6 at home.

(1-0) Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald - Wins opener on the road 21-3 at Miami OH

(1-0) Wisconsin: Bret Bielema - Beat Bowling Green 35-14 in Home Opener.

(0-1) Colorado: Dan Hawkins - Loss opener to 1AA Montana State... Could be a long year for a team that went to the Big 12 Championship game last year.

(0-1) Idaho: Dennis Erickson - Beat on the road at Michigan State.

(0-1) Rice: Todd Graham - Rice was beating cross town Rival Houston 30-14 mid way through the 3rd qtr, but UofH scored 17 unanswered points to beat Rice 31-30.

(0-1) San Diego State: Chuck Long - Rallies in the fourth to within 3 points, but falls to UTEP in home opener, 34-27.

(0-1) Temple: Al Golden - Lost to first year coach Turner Gill in OT.

Chris Simms comes out of the closet...

2006-08-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

The truth is finally out there... what a huge burden that must have been all these years. Chris Simms, QB for the Tampa Gay Buccaneers and his former lover, Kyle Shanahan have revealed that their love for each other was so intense that they got their initials tattooed on each others lower legs.

While Simms had his mind set on putting his love on display for the world to see, Shanahan was not so sure. "Kyle was a real wimp about it," Simms said. "He got a small one on his ankle. He was afraid his mom and dad would see it, so he keeps it hidden underneath his socks."

Simms reveals more about their relationship "We talk at least once a week. We're obsessed... We have a great love..., and we're constantly talking" Simms said of Shanahan.

"I met Chris for the first time right after I transferred to Texas (from Duke) in January (of 2000)," Shanahan said. "I was the new wide receiver, and one day I was naked in the dressing room. Chris came up, introduced himself." He went on to say "He was prettier then most chicks at UT, so I thought 'what the hell'.
"Later, he invited me out to dinner. We hit it off immediately, and we've been together ever since."

This has been a tough year for the couple, Shanahan took a job in Houston as the Texans WR Coach while Simms remains in Tampa. They are however, considering buying a home together in Vermont where they plan on raising floppy eared rabbits during the off season.

They are also in negotiations for a reality show that will air on the Bravo Network called "Tight Ends".

KSU Depth Chart - Week One

2006-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Offense

WR 27 Jordy Nelson (6-2, 213, Jr.-1L) 10 Jermaine Moreira (5-10, 191, Sr.-3L)

LT 64 Nick Stringer (6-6, 271, Fr.-RS) 71 Derek Meyer (6-6, 301, Fr.-RS)

LG 67 Greg Wafford (6-2, 339, Sr.-1L) 69 Caleb Handy (6-1, 313, So.-1L)

C 79 Jordan Bedore (6-3, 302, So.-1L) 72 John Hafferty (6-2, 296, Jr.-2L)

RG 73 Gerard Spexarth (6-6, 312, So.-1L) 65 Logan Robinson (6-8, 338, Jr.-SQ)

RT 77 Michael Frieson (6-7, 316, Sr.-SQ) 76 Brock Unruh (6-5, 301, Fr.-RS)

TE 89 Rashaad Norwood (6-3, 229, Jr.-1L) 82 Michael Pooschke (6-3, 245, Jr.-JC) / or 85 Jeron Mastrud (6-6, 255, Fr.-HS)

WR 16 Yamon Figurs (5-11, 173, Sr.-2L) 88 Cedric Wilson (6-1, 190, So.-JC)

QB 9 Dylan Meier (6-2, 211, Sr.-2L) 1 Josh Freeman (6-6, 238, Fr.-HS)

RB 21 Carlos Alsup (6-0, 212, Sr.-2L) 14 Leon Patton (5-7, 184, Fr.-HS) / or 8 James Johnson (5-11, 200, Jr.-JC)

FB 28 John McCardle (5-8, 200, So.-1L) 87 Donald Raymer (6-2, 238, Sr.-SQ)

Defense

LE 98 Ian Campbell (6-5, 232, So.-1L) 54 Trevor Viers (6-4, 259, Fr.-HS)

NT 99 Steven Cline (6-1, 291, Jr.-1L) 56 Quintin Echols (6-0, 316, Sr.-3L)

DT 34 Blake Seiler (6-2, 254, Sr.-2L) 50 Alphonso Moran (6-0, 294, So.-1L)

RE 95 Rob Jackson (6-3, 265, Jr.-JC) 90 Eric Childs (6-3, 230, Fr.-RS)

SLB 53 Reggie Walker (6-0, 233, So.-1L) 37 Marcus Perry (6-1, 225, Jr.-2L)

MLB 52 Zach Diles (6-0, 240, Sr.-1L) 24 Maurice Mack (5-10, 215, Sr.-3L)

WLB 46 Brandon Archer (6-0, 239, Sr.-3L) 43 Antwon Moore (5-10, 209, So.-JC)

CB 3 Bryan Baldwin (5-10, 190, Jr.-1L) 6 Byron Garvin (5-10, 180, Jr.-2L)

SS 9 Kyle Williams (6-0, 201, Sr.-1L) 15 Kevin Hollis (5-11, 190, Fr.-RS)

FS 18 Andrew Erker (6-0, 195, So.-SQ) 2 Marcus Watts (6-2, 180, Jr.-1L)

CB 22 Justin McKinney (5-9, 185, Jr.-1L) 12 Devin Anderson (5-8, 178, Jr.-JC)

Specialists

KO 19 Jeff Snodgrass (6-0, 200, Sr.-1L) 18 Jared Parker (5-11, 197, So.-SQ)

PK 19 Jeff Snodgrass (6-0, 200, Sr.-1L) 26 Tim Schwerdt (5-8, 174, Jr.-1L)

HOLD 2 Marcus Watts (6-2, 180, Jr.-1L) 9 Dylan Meier (6-2, 211, Sr.-2L)

LS 62 Jeff Mortimer (6-0, 231, Sr.-2L) 82 Michael Pooschke (6-3, 245, Jr.-JC)

P 17 Tim Reyer (5-11, 208, Jr.-2L) 21 Cole Brokenicky (5-10, 197, Jr.-SQ)

PR 16 Yamon Figurs (5-11, 173, Sr.-2L) 10 Jermaine Moreira (5-10, 191, Sr.-3L)

KR 16 Yamon Figurs (5-11, 173, Sr.-2L) 10 Jermaine Moreira (5-10, 191, Sr.-3L)

Big 12 Week 1 Predictions

2006-08-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 starts off with a whimper. Baylor is the only school with a challenging game this weekend, and it is a game they should lose. With the Big 12 hosting powerhouses like Toledo, Montana State, Murray State, Northwestern State, Missouri State and Illinois State, they should finish the weekend at 11-1 and be prepared for a more challenging schedule next weekend.

Can't Miss: TCU at Baylor
Hit or Miss: SMU at Texas Tech
Must Miss: Missouri State and Oklahoma State

Winners are in BOLD

Thu., Aug. 31
Toledo at Iowa State

Sat., Sep. 2
North Texas at Texas
Montana State at Colorado
Louisiana Tech at Nebraska
Murray State at Missouri
SMU at Texas Tech
Northwestern State at Kansas
Missouri State at Oklahoma State
UAB at Oklahoma
The Citadel at Texas A&M
Illinois State at Kansas State

Sun., Sep. 3
TCU at Baylor

New NCAA Football Coaches

2006-08-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

There are 11 new NCAA Division 1 football coaches this year, including Ron Prince of Kansas State. I will be keeping a season long update of how each coach is doing at their new job.

Check back every week for updates.

Boise State: Chris Petersen
Buffalo: Turner Gill
Colorado: Dan Hawkins
Idaho: Dennis Erickson
Kansas State: Ron Prince
Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill
Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald
Rice: Todd Graham
San Diego State: Chuck Long
Temple: Al Golden
Wisconsin: Bret Bielema

More Trouble for OU...

2006-08-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Leon Warren. The Oklahoma man, 64, was recently nabbed for running a moonshine business out of his home. According to an August 7 District Court criminal complaint, Warren is facing a felony rap for operating a whiskey still and two misdemeanors for possessing non-taxed liquor and producing wine without a permit. Warren, who faces up to three years in jail and a $5000 fine if convicted of the charges, posed for the below mug shot at the Pushmataha County Sheriff's Office before posting $1000 bond.

As I am sure he is a booster of the University of Oklahoma, this could spell more trouble for the OU atletics programs.

Big 12 Post Secrets

2006-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

One of the hottest blogs is Post Secret. Their website sells itself as an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I thought it might be interesting if some of the past and present Big 12 athletes were to post their "post secrets"...

More to come as the year goes on...

Odds to Win the 2007 BCS National Championship

2006-05-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sportsbook.com has posted the odd to win the 2007 BCS National Championship. I have highlighted the best bets in BLUE and the worst bets in RED.

National Contenders
Ohio St 5-1
Notre Dame 5-1
Oklahoma 7-1
Texas 8-1
USC 10-1
Florida 10-1
West Virginia 10-1
Miami FL 15-1

Long Shots
Michigan 20-1
Auburn 25-1
Florida St 25-1
LSU 25-1
Penn St 35-1
Louisville 35-1
California 40-1
Iowa 40-1
Tennessee 40-1
Nebraska 45-1
Arizona St 45-1
Virginia Tech 50-1
Georgia 55-1
Oregon 90-1

No Shots
UCLA 100-1
Texas Tech 100-1
Texas A&M 100-1
Boston College 100-1
Arkansas 180-1
South Carolina 200-1
Clemson 200-1
Alabama 200-1
Georgia Tech 200-1
Maryland 200-1
North Carolina St 200-1
TCU 200-1
Wisconsin 200-1
Michigan St 200-1
Colorado 200-1
Arizona 200-1
Purdue 200-1
Virginia 200-1
Iowa St 300-1
Pittsburgh 300-1
North Carolina 400-1
Hawaii 450-1
Northwestern 500-1
BYU 500-1
Oregon St 500-1
Fresno St 500-1
UNLV 1000-1
Field 30-1 (Wake Forest, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt)

Note: I have listed most of the teams from the BCS conferences here, it is not meant to include all teams in the field.

KSU Football Blog top 25

2006-05-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

The BCS has asked that I begin ranking my Top 25 for consideration in future BSC rankings.

Defense will reload and be good enough, while the Offense is real and they are spectacular.

Adrian Peterson is the front runner for the Heisman

Louisville is WVU’s toughest opponent in 2006

Brady Quinn will carry the offense, but will the defense be good enough?

Reloading big time this year, but they have the athletes in place to finish in the Top 10

Should be solid on both sides of the ball and win the SEC West

Loss to Auburn keeps them out of the SEC Championship game

Without Vince Young to bail them out, they will likely lose 2 or 3 games, just like they would have last year without VY.

Look for Florida to win the SEC East with a victory over Georgia at the World’s Largest Cocktail Party.

Nate Longshore and Marshawn Lynch will lead an explosive offense

Will Proctor appears ready to take over for departed QB Charlie Whitehurst.

An early battle with Kansas State will give both teams an indication of what is to come

Could be the best Florida State team in the last few years

Drew Tate (QB) and Albert Young (RB) will put up big numbers for Iowa this year in a strong Big 10 conference

New Coordinators on Offense and Defense could lead to Michigan surprising a few teams

Defense should be tough again, but not as tough as the SEC East this year.

The Ducks have a difficult schedule including OU at home the third game of the season.

Could be a tough transition year for the Hurricanes

The defense will be good but can Zac Taylor continue to improve?

Can the Frogs make another BSC run? Probably not as they are replacing most of their O-Line

Schedule favors the Hokies but they have a lot of work to do

BC should be in the hunt until Florida State come to town in late October…

Does JoePa have one more year left? If you ask him, he has several more.

Offense should be explosive and the PAC10 won’t be as good either.

Graham Harrell will be the next no-name QB that carries the Tech offense.

Lance Berkman wins American Idol 5

2006-05-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Lance Berkman, aka Taylor Hicks for winning American Idol 5.

Houston Astro Lance Berkman won American Idol 5 over Katharine McPhee last night. Berkman, who is known as Fat Elvis within the Astros organization locked up first place last night after his performances on Tuesday.

Berkman’s Tuesday night performance included “Levon”, an apparent tribute to the Astros ability to “leave on base runners” this year. Another song sang by Berkman this season was “Not Fade” which he performed about the time the Astros began to fade. Along the same lines was “Trouble” which he dedicated to Russ Springer just after his 4 game suspension for plunking Barry Bonds. Berkman also lived up to his “Fat Elvis” nickname by singing “In the Ghetto”.

Lisa Dames - "No One Like Me"

2006-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is a bit off subject from Kansas State football, but well worth the diversion from our regular discussions.

Lisa Dames is a up and coming artist who is too old for American Idol but trying to make it in the music business.

Information from her bio...
Lisa Dames is a thirty-something singer/songwriter with an uncommon presence which is both commanding yet appealingly vulnerable. From an early age, her musical aspirations were met with discouraging admonitions she didn't have the right voice, the right look, or the right "anything." Despite such receptions, Lisa was to prove her detractors wrong. Originally from Cincinatti, Ohio, Lisa eventually garnered the attention of L.A. based, Grammy-nominated producer, David Grow. Nine months later, the result of their hard work paid off. Perhaps like the proverbial ugly duckling, Lisa blossomed into a breath-taking beauty who, on her new CD, "No One Like Me," unflinchingly tackles issues of betrayal, coping with un-met life aspirations, and personal redemption-- all with power and panache. These are her stories. This is her life and the emotion is sometimes raw, sometimes sassy but always very near the surface. Her voice is classic--almost old-school country-- while song after song she dazzles with facile rock-pop hipness. When not on tour, she happens to be a home-maker. But like the characters on "Desperate Housewives," she has not let her role as a housewife become a sentence. To the contrary, Lisa's passion to embrace her dearest dream at this point in her life underscores her determination to be her very best and have a voice for women of all ages who take inspiration from her story of hope and courage.

You can check out one of her new releases here... give it a listen then you can rank it.

Lisa Dames - "No One Like Me"

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

The First Decade of the Big 12

2006-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 Conference has 10 years under its belt now and earlier I posted an article about who the “Winners” and “Losers” in the first 10 years. But who has really won the most and lost the most? Who has the Championships to brag about? Who has the Bowl victories? Who has the most All-Americans?

The Big 12 by the numbers in the first 10 years has produced 3 National Champions, 3 Heisman Trophy Winners, 56 Consensus All-Americans, 33 Bowl Victories and 794 wins overall by all Big 12 teams.

The biggest indicator of overall success is wins and losses. Texas Leads the Big 12 in Conference wins and overall wins. Followed by Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas State. The Big 12 North has been more top heavy with only 3 teams with an overall win/loss record over 50% while the South has 5 teams at 50% or better.

Note: NU's overall win total should be 96, not 76, sorry for the confusion.

Another indicator of success is Championships. OU leads the league with 1 National title and 3 Big 12 Championships. While Nebraska and Texas are tied with 1 National title 2 Big 12 Championships each. Kansas State, Colorado and A&M all have one Big 12 title.

Overall Bowl standings are part of the picture as well. Nebraska leads the league with a 6-3 record overall in bowls and also in bowl appearances at 9, tied with Texas. Colorado UT and OU are the other teams in the conference over .500 in bowl games. Kansas State and Texas Tech have are tied for 2nd with 8 bowl appearances each. I am not sure which is worse, OSU at 1-3 in the bowls or Baylor who hasn’t been to a bowl since the Big 12 was formed.

Once again, UT leads the Big 12 with 14 All Americans and OU is right behind them with 12. Nebraska and KSU are next in line with 9 and 8 respectively.

So… what does all this mean? Who is the King of the Big 12 in the first decade? Here is how I would rank them from bottom to top…

12. Baylor – Starting with the easiest one. A total of 8 Big 12 wins, Zero bowl appearances and Zero All Americans. Baylor has lost 90% of the Big 12 games and 75% of the games overall over the last 10 years.

11. Kansas – KU has shown some life over the last few years but their 20-60 win/loss record in the Big 12 speaks for itself.

10. Iowa State – ISU has a 31% winning percentage in the Big 12 and only slightly better 42% overall.

9. Oklahoma State – An even 50% overall the last 10 years, but 1-3 in their 4 bowl appearances.

8. Missouri – Similar record to OSU but they have had more success in their bowl games.

7. Texas Tech – Tech has a solid record in the Big 12 with a 56% winning percentage but they have failed to win the Big 12 South and are 3-5 in bowl games.

6. Texas A&M – One Big 12 Championship and a 55% winning percentage help A&M to a 6th place finish but a horrible 1-5 record in bowl games prevent them from a higher finish.

5. Colorado – Solid 60% victories in the Big 12 and one Big 12 title to go with it. Colorado also has a winning 4-3 bowl record and has featured 5 All Americans.

4. Kansas State – 72% over all and 66% in the Big 12, one Big 12 Title and 8 All-Americans gives KSU a 4th place finish.

3. Nebraska – One National title, 70% winning record in the league and overall, 2 Big 12 titles and 9 All Americans lead Nebraska to a third place finish.

2. Oklahoma – 3 Big 12 Titles and 1 national title and a 69% overall winning percentage make Oklahoma the 2nd best team over the last 10 years.

1. Texas – 2005 moved Texas to the top of the list. UT has won more Big 12 games then anyone with 62 wins. They lead the league with 14 All Americans and they have a winning bowl record. Two League titles and their 2005 national championship make them the best team over the last 10 years from the Big 12.

2006 Post-Spring-Pre-Season Predictions

2006-05-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

It nut-cuttin’ time.

You have seen a few previews of Big 12 teams here and some information on what you can expect to see this year in the Big 12 but now is time to lay it all out there…

My Post-Spring-Pre-Season Predictions…

Team Conf Overall
KSU 6-2 9-3
NU 5-3 8-4
CU 4-4 6-6
ISU 3-5 6-6
KU 2-6 6-6
MU 2-6 6-6

OU 8-0 11-1
UT 7-1 10-2
TAMU 5-3 9-3
TTU 3-5 7-5
OSU 3-5 7-5
BU 0-8 3-9

Before you say it, yes, I am a homer. But there is no clear favorite in the Big 12 North, so why not KSU?

K-State loses to Louisville in non-conference and UT and a surprise upset to OSU at home but locks up the Big 12 North with a good ol’ ass whippin’ of KU to end the season.

Nebraska struggles on the road with losses at USC, KSU and Texas A&M, as well as a home loss to UT.

Colorado losses to Arizona State and UG in non-conference games and struggles in the Big 12 with losses at MU, OU and NU and looses at home to KSU.

In the South, Oklahoma returns to the top of the Big 12 and runs the table in the conference, with the only loss coming at Oregon, early in the season.

Texas has another great year but struggles to win the big games without Vince Young. Losses to Ohio State and Oklahoma put them out of the race for the Big 12 and a shot at repeating as national champions.

Texas A&M shows some signs of life with a good year but losses to UT, OU and Tech.

The Big 12 after 10 Years

2006-05-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

An Interesting article on who the Winners and Losers are from the creation of the Big 12...

The Big 12 after 10 years

Earl Woods Laid to Rest in Manhattan

2006-05-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

From the Manhattan Mercury...

Sunset Cemetery has become the final resting place for Earl Woods, the father of famed golfer Tiger Woods.

The elder Woods, who died last week at age 74 following a lengthy battle with cancer, was laid to rest between his father and mother during private committal services Saturday.

Family acquaintances indicated that Tiger Woods attended the service here, although it was not clear what other family members were present.

Apparently in the interests of privacy, the services were not announced ahead of time. The burial of Mr. Woods' ashes was announced today on Tiger Woods' website, tigerwoods.com.
A memorial service was held Friday at the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif. Tiger and his mother Kutilda were joined by about 200 invited guests for that event. Prior to that service, a small number of invited guests took part in a formal memorial service, also in Anaheim.

Earl Woods' connections to the Manhattan area were extensive. A native of the city, he was the youngest and only male of four children. His father Miles died in 1943 and his mother Maude in 1947, orphaning the boy at 15. Raised by his eldest sister, he was a star catcher at Kansas State University in the early 1950s, good enough to win a contract offer from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League. He turned down that offer to join the Army, where as a special forces soldier he was stationed at Fort Riley.

David Blaine – Magician or Idiot?

2006-05-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to say that I threw away 30 minutes of my life last night watching David Blaine fail miserably while attempting to break the record for holding his breathe. He came up almost 2 minutes short of the current world record of 8:58. As a matter of fact, his time is only 10th best ever recorded. It was the biggest live TV flop since Geraldo busted open Al Capone’s safe.

David Blaine’s extensive resume now includes being buried alive, frozen in time, stuck on a pole, locked in a box and drowned alive. That is not magic, that is a lame episode of “Fear Factor”. Fill the tank with flesh eating fish and goat testicles or have a crane violently shake the snow-globe type tank, then you have something.

Stuart Scott hosted the 2 hour event on ABC which featured segments on his the extensive training he went through in order to fall short by 20%. Perhaps Stuart said it best when Blaine fell short, Stuart, then off camera narrated the events by stating “While Blaine did not achieve what he had set out to do, people watched him” They interviewed Blaine’s head trainer, Kirk Krack, who adds nothing to this story, but I wanted to use his name.

The truly amazing thing about the David Blaine phenomenon is the people that follow him. Linda Brady, of New York City, brought along a boom box and loudly played Jennifer Lopez's "My Love is All I Have." "I just love him," Brady said. "He has a creative mind just like me, and he's crazy just like me."

Imagine the possibilities… I think after I get off work today, I will grab my “boom box” and head over to Roger Clemens’ house and blast out the “Player” classic "Baby Come Back". Come on sing it with me…

Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can't live without you

Another spectator, David Linker, said Blaine symbolized "man's strength to go beyond what normal people can do." Yea, that’s right and John Daly symbolizes man’s amazing ability to overcome additions like alcohol and gambling.

The only thing any of these stunts have managed to accomplish is the fill David Blaine’s bank account. Which I guess is the point, right?

University of Texas Used Cars

2006-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

University of Texas Used Cars

In 2005 University of Texas Used Cars (UTUC) had a record setting year. However, critics site that much of the success was due to the performance of one car, a prototype vehicle built by Volkswagon and Yugo, that we will call VY. UTUC had high expectations for VY and they paid off. He was all that they had hoped for. But VY was auctioned off at the latest used car auction as the third car selected and UTUC must find a replacement.

UTUC is known nationally for bringing in an excellent stock of used cars every year but their performance has consistently been below expectations. Leading to question weather or not Mack Brown was able to get the most out of the cars he brought in.

In 2006 Mack Brown insists that the low mileage models he has brought in will be able to replace VY. Brown says “My Mentor, Darrel always says… You gotta dance with who brung ya, well, the guy that brung me left the dance early but don’t worry, I got a couple of real beauties I am going to dance with. Both got low miles and all the bells and whistles, so we plan to use ‘em both.”

Some industry experts question Browns two car approach and site disasters in years past. As recent as 2003 Brown was trying to sell newly acquired VY and a less impressive Chevy Metro we will call Chance. You see Chance had been on the lot for a few years, so Mack thought he should get a shot. Of course, the biggest 2 car debacle Mack has been involved in was when he had just brought in a Cadillac Seville from an old lady in Simmsville and a trusted, reliable old pickup that came from a major applefarm just outside Austin. The old pick-up was called Major and was a favorite on the lot, but Mack picked up that shiny caddy from a guy named Phil in Simmsville and Mack had promised Phil, that his caddy would be to featured car on the UTUC lot. Mack stuck to his guns throughout the year, even when the Cadillac was under performing and Major was over-performing, Mack kept trying to sell the benefits of driving his Cadillac.

UTUC will have a lot of competition from the other 11 regional competitors. Including their annual battle against Bob Stoops of Oklahoma Performance Racing. OPR started slow last year and Mack was able to finish ahead of Stoops for the first time in many years. However, OPR was firing on all cylinders at the end of the year and looks like they could reverse the one year trend. Stoops who is known for bringing in good cars and turning them into great cars says UTUC is all about looks not performance, “UTUC brings in some decent cars and they shine them up, maybe add some spinners, but at OPR we rebuild the engines, the suspension and totally pimp ‘em out. When our cars roll off the lot, the buyers know they are getting an excellent product”

“We got the finest cars money can buy” says Mack. “We keep ‘em in the best garages and we got the biggest lot around. Some of out competitors invest a lot of time into their cars after they arrive, we just throw ‘em out there and hope for the best.”

UTUC will also be going head to head against the new kid on the block, Ron Prince from PowerCars. Prince is taking over the Manhattan based PowerCars from the retiring Bill Snyder. Snyder left a lot full of cars from the previous year and Prince has brought in a few of his own.

Another challenge will be from the CarHuskers. The revamped CarHuskers were a very successful John Deere dealership that had fallen on hard times. So they brought in Wild Bill Callahan to move from the old school mentality to a high performance system. Wild Bill brought in his “West Coast” philosophy last year and has turned the Carhuskers around and has them heading in the right direction.

The bottom line is that Mack Brown is the best used car salesman in the region. However, his competitors do more to make their cars perform at a higher level. And in the end, no matter how good the salesman is or how much you spend on Marketing and PR, the better product will come out on top. Until Mack finds another VY, they will have to settle for second place.

Hurricane Warnings in Manhattan Kansas

2006-05-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

In yet another sign of how times have changed since Ron Prince took over for retiring Bill Snyder, the Wildcats have nearly completed a contract with the University of Miami (not Ohio) for a home and home series in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. K-State will travel to Miami in 2011 and the 'Canes will be in Manhattan the following year.

"Ron (Prince) wants to have one marquee game on the schedule every year," Kansas State Athletic Director Jim Epps said. "That could also include teams from the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA. He's been very open-minded about playing the best schools out there."

As a Wildcat fan who has consistently had to defend the Wildcat program for their scheduling philosophy in the past, I am happy to see that Coach Prince has made a commitment to play one "Big-Name" school every year. This is good for the program for several reasons. First, it will better prepare the team for the Big 12 but more importantly, it will, most likely, put KSU on National TV in the pre-season. It will also eliminate the "they don't play anyone in non-conference" arguement that has been used against the Cats in the past to keep us out of Tier 1 bowls.

It kind of makes you wonder about the "no one will schedule a home and home series with us" arguement that the Athletic Department has been using over the last 10 years to justify the likes of Western Kentucky and McNeese State.

Mark Mangino Controversy in Lawrence

2006-04-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway has had several closed door meetings with Head Football Coach Mark Mangino, after reports surfaced that several items had disappeared from the Natural History Museum. Items missing included two stuffed Polar bears, three stuffed moose and several other smaller animals.

Several members of the museum staff had seen members of the KU football team carrying some of the items out of the museum to a waiting truck with Mangino at the wheel.

When asked about the reports, Mangino explained that he has been in a dispute with local Dillon’s grocery stores regarding the amount of meat they stock.

“Over the last several months, I have been buying every pound of beef and pork I could find but they are always out of stock towards the end of the week.” Said Mangino. He continued, “I tried some of the chicken, but it just seemed too healthy.” “I have a very high metabolism rate and I have to eat a lot of sausage and pork chops or I start to get weak and have even passed out”.

Dillon’s Regional Manager, Gary Jenkins, says they have struggled over the last few years stocking enough meat for Coach Mangino. “We have expanded our Meat departments at all of our Lawrence based stores and even increased the number of deliveries during the week. However, we have been unable to keep up with the Coach’s demand for fatty foods.”

Coach Mangino has offered to return two of the moose and one polar bear but he will have to replace the animals that he ate. “I had a helluva bar-b-que with that first polar bear. I had never eaten polar bear and thought it was kind of tough, then the Chancellor told be it was actually stuffed and I had eaten about 400 pounds of foam” “I will eat anything if you put enough bacon fat and butter on it” Mangino said when asked about eating the stuffed moose.

The plant and vegetation section of the Museum was untouched.

Big 12 Athletes in the NFL

2006-04-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Big 12 currently has 202 players listed by the NFL Players union. Here are some interesting facts about the players and the Big 12 schools the represent.

Nebraska leads the Big 12 with a total of 37 players in the NFL. Texas A&M and Kansas State are next with 25 each. Then Oklahoma at 24 and Texas at 22. Colorado has 21 players and then there is a big drop off to Oklahoma State at 11. Kansas, Missouri and Iowa State are tied for the fewest at 6 each. Here is the breakdown:

Nebraska 37
Texas A&M 25
Kansas State 25
Oklahoma 24
Texas 22
Colorado 21
Oklahoma State 11
Texas Tech 10
Baylor 8
Missouri 6
Iowa State 6
Kansas 6

I am a little surprised that Texas and Oklahoma are not higher on the list considering the level of play over the past several years at each of those schools.

The Big 12 is known for tough defenses and of the 202 players, 54% are on the Defensive side of the ball while the Offense accounts for 41% and Special Teams 4%. On Defense, the Defensive Line and Defensive backs account for 75% of the players with Linebackers the other 25%.

DL 41
LB 28
DB 41

Offensively, the O-Line accounts for 42% of the players currently active.

OL 35
QB 6
RB 15
WR 18
TE 9

The Big 12 has 9 Special Teams players as well.

Interesting facts:

Defense and Offensive Line account for 84% of all Nebraska players in the NFL

Four Teams are split evenly between offense and defense: Kansas State, Texas, Baylor and Missouri

Three teams are heavily weighted to one side of the ball: Oklahoma – 67% Defense, Iowa State – 67% Defense and Kansas – 67% Offense

25% of Baylors players are Special Teams players.

Schools with strong positional representation:

Kansas State – DB
Texas – DL
Texas A&M – DL
Nebraska – DB
Oklahoma – DB

Quarterbacks: The Big 12 only has 6 Quarterbacks in the NFL and Chris Simms is the only starting Quarterback at this time.

Spring Game Draft

2006-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Kansas State football program conducted its inaugural Purple-White Spring Game Draft Thursday at the Vanier Football Complex with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator James Franklin selecting their respective squads for Saturday's spring game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Morris, who will coach the White team, didn't waste any time putting his defense in place and made senior linebacker Zach Diles the first overall selection, according to K-State head coach Ron Prince.
Purple head coach, offensive coordinator James Franklin, also went with defense with his first pick, selecting redshirt freshman defensive end Eric Childs.
The balance of the two teams were filled out in less than an hour, Prince said, with the two coordinators alternating selections.
On Friday, the two teams will practice separately for Saturday's spring game, with Morris' White squad preparing in K-State's indoor football facility and Franklin's Purple charges working out in Snyder Family Stadium.
The workouts are open to all K-State students, faculty and staff with I.D.

Purple Roster

White Roster

2006 Big 12 Games of the Week

2006-04-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

September 2nd
Can’t Miss: Louisiana Tech at Nebraska
Hit or Miss: TCU at Baylor
Must Miss: Northwestern State at Kansas

September 9th
Can’t Miss: Ohio State at Texas
Hit or Miss: Washington at Oklahoma
Must Miss: Northwestern State at Baylor

September 16th
Can’t Miss: Nebraska at USC
Hit or Miss: Oklahoma at Oregon
Must Miss: Kansas at Toledo

September 23rd
Can’t Miss: Colorado at Georgia
Hit or Miss: Louisville at Kansas State
Must Miss: Southeastern at Texas Tech

September 30th
Can’t Miss: Texas Tech at Texas A&M
Hit or Miss: Kansas at Nebraska
Must Miss: Sam Houston State at Texas

October 7th
Can’t Miss: Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas
Hit or Miss: Nebraska at Iowa State
Must Miss: Baylor at Colorado

October 14th
Can’t Miss: Nebraska at Kansas State
Hit or Miss: Iowa State at Oklahoma
Must Miss: Baylor at Texas

October 21st
Can’t Miss: Texas at Nebraska
Hit or Miss: Texas A&M at Oklahoma State
Must Miss: Kansas at Baylor

October 28th
Can’t Miss: Texas at Texas Tech
Hit or Miss: Iowa State at Kansas State
Must Miss: Texas A&M at Baylor

November 4th
Can’t Miss: Oklahoma at Texas A&M
Hit or Miss: Missouri at Nebraska
Must Miss: Baylor at Texas Tech

November 11th
Can’t Miss: Texas at Kansas State
Hit or Miss: Nebraska at Texas A&M
Must Miss: Baylor at Oklahoma State

November 18th
Can’t Miss: Kansas State at Kansas
Hit or Miss: Missouri at Iowa State
Must Miss: Oklahoma at Baylor

November 25th
Can’t Miss: Texas A&M at Texas
Hit or Miss: Colorado at Nebraska
Must Miss: Kansas at Missouri

Colorado Spring Football Outlook

2006-04-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

In the Rearview Mirror
After winning 7 of their first nine games last year, Colorado went on a 4 game losing streak to end the season. Including being outscored 100-6 by Nebraska and Texas in the season finale and the Big 12 Championship game. The four game losing streak was one of the reasons Colorado has a new coach this year.

Looking to the Future
Dan Hawkins, 53-11 as a head coach, will have a number of issues to address to repeat as Big 12 North Champs this year. The defense was solid last year and returns eight starters from last years squad. On the other hand, the offense only returns 5 starters and must replace QB Joel Klatt.

Biggest Questions for 2006
Offense: Quarterback – The Buffs must replace Joel Klatt at Quarterback. Going into Spring ball the position was wide open with SR James Cox and JRs Brian White and Bernard Jackson battling it out for the top spot. White played with the First Team offense for three possessions and Jackson with the Second Team for another three possessions. Jackson led the Spring Game in Rushing with 60 yards on 10 attempts. They are both listed as starters but my money is on Jackson being the man at the beginning of the 2006 campaign.
Defense: Defensive Line – With the loss of James Garee and John Guydon, Vaka Manupuna from the front four, there are a lot of holes to fill up front for Colorado. SO George Hypolite and SO transfer from Notre Dame, Brandon Nicolas should be able to pick up the slack. Thaddaeus Washington could have an All-Big 12 type season, but that will depend on whether the front four can keep him freed up to get to the ball.
Special Teams: Punter – Ray Guy Award runner-up John Torp is gone as well as his back-up Matt Hammond. Replacing him will fall onto redshirt Freshman Matt DiLallo and Daniel Agostino. Long Snapper Greg Pace is gone as well. All these changes could lead to some early problems on the Punt team.

Team Strength in 2006
Offense: Wide Receivers – SR Evan Judge is the only loss from a talented group of Receivers. Returning are JRs Dusty Sprague, Stephone Robinson, Alvin Barnett and Reggie Joseph as well as a few talented young players that will push for playing time. Dusty Sprague led the spring game in Receiving but the key may have been the play of Sophomore Patrick Williams who had 3 catches for 41 yards.
Defense: Linebacker – Returning starters Thaddaeus Washington and Jordon Dizon will be the anchors for the 2006 Colorado Defense. Sophomore Brad Jones is expected to be the third starter. Washington will be mentioned for the Butkus Award in the pre-season and should have another great year.
Special Teams: Place Kicker – Lou Grouza 2005 Runner-up, Mason Crosby returns this year and has his sites set on making a record breaking 70 yarder.

Schedule
Sep 02 MONTANA STATE BOULDER
Sep 09 Colorado State at Denver
Sep 16 ARIZONA STATE BOULDER
Sep 23 Georgia at Athens, Ga.
Sep 30 Missouri at Columbia, Mo.
Oct 07 BAYLOR BOULDER
Oct 14 TEXAS TECH BOULDER
Oct 21 Oklahoma at Norman, Okla.
Oct 28 Kansas at Lawrence, Kan.
Nov 04 KANSAS STATE BOULDER
Nov 11 IOWA STATE BOULDER
Nov 24 Nebraska at Lincoln, Neb.

2006 is Successful if…
Someone steps up and Quarterback and is able to execute Hawkins Offense effectively. There is little time for learning once the season starts with games against Colorado St, Arizona St. and Georgia in the non-conference schedule.

2006 is a Failure if…
The Defensive line is unable to free up their linebackers to run the field and make plays.

Oklahoma Football Spring Outlook

2006-04-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma Football Spring Outlook

In the Rearview Mirror
Oklahoma finished the 2005 campaign strong, winning 6 of their last seven games to compile an 8-4 record overall. A very young team and the a schedule that was the most difficult in college football is part of the reason for the drop off. They also fought injuries to key personnel including RB Adrian Peterson.

Looking to the Future
The Sooners have 26 players back from last year that have starting experience, including standout RB Adrian Peterson and QB Rhett Bomar. On Defense, OU returns their leading tackler, Rufus Alexander and leading sacker Calvin Thibodeaux. The Sooners will once again be a dominant team in the Big 12 and should battle Texas to represent the South in the Big 12 Championship game.

Biggest Questions for 2006
Offense: Offensive Line – The Sooners only have one starter returning from last years team, RT Chris Messner. OU does have several players with starting experience
Defense: Defensive Line – OU’s defense is looking pretty stout heading into this year. The loss of Dusty Dvoracek will be a big hole to fill in the front four.
Special Teams: Punter – Coby Freeby was booted off the team earlier this week which means OU will have a new punter for the 2006 season. Freeby had a solid year last year averaging 42.3 yards per punt. He also was the holder on Place Kicks. This combined with the loss of Long Snapper Jacob Rice will be an area of concern for Coach Bob Stoops.

Team Strength in 2006
Offense: Running Back – Adrian Peterson missed most of 4 games last year battling an ankle injury and still managed to gain over 1200 yards and average 5.0 YPC. If the Offensive line can reload, Peterson should be back to his Freshman form when he finished 2nd in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Defense: Defensive Backs – Oklahoma was very young in the Secondary in 2005 and has a lot of players with experience returning. This from a group that in Big 12 games last year ranked #1 in Completion Percentage Defense, #2 in Passing Efficiency Defense and #3 in Passing Yardage.
Special Teams: Kicker – Garrett Hartley handled all the kicking duties last year and he has a strong leg. More then half of his kick-offs went for Touchbacks and he was 14-22 on Field Goals, including a 52 yarder against Texas.

Schedule
Sep 02 UAB Norman
Sep 09 Washington Norman
Sep 16 Oregon at Eugene, Ore.
Sep 23 Middle Tenn Norman
Oct 07 Texas at Dallas, Texas
Oct 14 Iowa State Norman
Oct 21 Colorado Norman
Oct 28 Missouri at Columbia, Mo.
Nov 04 Texas A&M at College Station, Texas
Nov 11 Texas Tech Norman
Nov 18 Baylor at Waco, Texas
Nov 25 Oklahoma St at Stillwater, Okla.

2006 is Successful if…
The Offensive Line can reload and fill the holes from last year.

2006 is a Failure if…
They lose to Texas.

Bennett Coming to Kansas State

2006-04-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Jason Bennett, a 7-foot-3 Center from Jacksonville, FL has signed a letter of intent to play for the Wildcats and Coach Bob Huggins.

Bennett averaged 12.5 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks last year and led Arlington Country Day High School to a second consecutive Class 2A state championship.

Bennett had verbally committed to Cincinnati last year but decided to follow Huggins to Kansas State.

"I saw what they did with their big man as far as teaching him and helping him gain weight and get stronger," Bennett said during a signing ceremony at his high school. "Coach Huggins has gotten a lot of players to the NBA. I think he can get another one there."

"I know I have to improve my offense - my jump shot and my moves in the post," Bennett said. "I feel comfortable with where my defense is, but my scoring has to get better."

“Jason is going to be the centerpiece of what we build in the future here at Kansas State,” said Huggins. “He is an outstanding shot blocker. He has a great presence around the goal and that will enable us to do more offensively. I fully expect Jason to come in and contribute immediately to this program. He is going to get nothing but bigger, stronger and better as we move closer to the fall.”

Kansas State Football Spring Outlook

2006-04-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Kansas State Wildcats Spring Outlook

In the Rearview Mirror
Another disappointing year for the Wildcat faithful as KSU landed in last place in the Big 12 North in 2005. The Cats finished 5-6, including a 2-6 record in Big 12 play. The year was not without a number of bright spots, including victories over state rival Kansas and the final game of Coach Snyder’s career, Missouri. Of course, THE story of 2005 was Coach Snyder announcing his retirement. After bringing K-State from the basement of the college football world to a penthouse suite Coach Snyder decided it was time to walk away. Regardless of the successes of Ron Prince or any other future coaches, Bill Snyder will always be thought of as the Heart and Soul of the KSU Football program.

Looking to the Future
Coming off a 5-6 season, you might think Coach Snyder left the cupboards bare for incoming Coach Ron Prince. Not so fast my friend. KSU has no fewer then 41 returning Lettermen and 20 starters back. However, everyone will be learning a new system and this team will need some time to adapt to all the changes. Coach Prince has said every position is open and all the players are starting with a clean slate.

Biggest Questions for 2006
Offense: The Quarterbacks - The Wildcats have 3 Quarterbacks on the roster this year with starting experience. However, when you have three quarterbacks with starting experience, it is usually because one has not stood out above the rest, and that is the case here. Additionally, Redshirt Freshman Kevin Lopina and true Freshman Josh Freeman are also expected to get looks from the coaching staff. Perhaps the favorite is Dylan Meier, after sitting out all of last year recovering from surgery. All five QB’s have the talent to lead the Wildcats this year, the one who is able to quickly adapt to Ron Princes system will be the starter when Illinois State come to the Little Apple. In my opinion, that guy will be Dylan Meier.
Defense: The Secondary – The Wildcats are returning plenty of talent from last years team, including Marcus Watts at Free Safety. After the switch from Wide Receiver, Watts finished 2nd on the team in Tackles and was selected as Honorable Mention All-League by the Coaches and the AP. The big question will be how the new defensive schemes work in the Big 12. New Defensive Coordinator, Raheem Morris will most likely implement a version of the Cover-2 or Tampa-2 Defense at Kansas State. This will be a huge change at KSU and it is yet to be seen how that defense will translate to the college game.
Special Teams: Punter – OK, maybe this is a stretch, but the Wildcats seem to be pretty solid in Special Teams. With virtually everyone of importance returning on Special Teams, Punting is the one area that could use some consistency. Tim Reyer averaged nearly 3 yards more per punt last year then he did his freshman year and was not as consistent as the coaching staff would have liked. If he can get back to his ’04 form, the Wildcats should be in great shape on Special Teams.

Team Strength in 2006
Offense: Offensive Line – Could this be the year we manage to make it all season without any major injuries to the Offensive Line? The injuries could turn out to be a big part of the O-Lines success this year. K-State returns seven lineman with starting experience. Because of the injuries, players got much needed playing time at multiple positions. Not to mention, the O-Line is Ron Princes baby. He is an experienced O-Line coach and will take great interest in the success of this group.
Defense: Linebackers – K-State is returning both the starting Outside Linebackers and has a Middle Linebacker with a lot of experience. Senior Brandon Archer has led the Wildcats in each of the last two seasons and should have another great year. Maurice Mack made the transition to the Weakside Backer last year and started all 11 games, finishing with 53 tackles. Zach Diles appears to be the man in the middle when the season kicks off. Diles managed 50 tackles last year in limited play. I also think Matt Wallerstedt will have a positive impact on this group. Matt was a standout at Manhattan High School and at K-State before starting his coaching career.
Special Teams: Punt and Kick Returns – Jermaine Moreira and Yamon Figurs should provide solid options in the returns.

2006 Schedule
Sep 02 Illinois State Manhattan, Kan.
Sep 09 Florida Atlantic Manhattan, Kan.
Sep 16 Marshall Manhattan, Kan.
Sep 23 Louisville Manhattan, Kan.
Sep 30 Baylor at Waco, Texas
Oct 07 Oklahoma State Manhattan, Kan.
Oct 14 Nebraska Manhattan, Kan.
Oct 21 Missouri at Columbia, Mo.
Oct 28 Iowa State Manhattan, Kan.
Nov 04 Colorado at Boulder, Colo.
Nov 11 Texas Manhattan, Kan.
Nov 18 Kansas at Lawrence, Kan.

2006 is Successful if…
Someone steps up at Quarterback.

2006 is a Failure if…
The team is slow in adapting to the new systems.

University of Nebraska Football Spring Outlook

2006-04-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Nebraska Football Spring Outlook

In the Rearview Mirror
Nebraska finished last season on a high note by beating Michigan in the Alamo Bowl, 32-28. The finished 2nd in the Big 12 behind Colorado with a 4-4 mark in conference play. It was the second year for head Coach Bill Callahan and first year for JUCO transfer QB Zac Taylor.

Looking to the Future
The Huskers are returning 16 starters from last years squad, 8 on offense, 7 on defense and a kicker. Zac Taylor will be in his second year leading the Husker offense and should have a great year. He broke most of the Nebraska passing records last year and should do it again this season. The Husker defense is returning 5 of the starting front seven and returning Husker players accounted for 34.5 of the NCAA best 50 sacks last year.

Biggest Questions for 2006
Offense: Offensive Line – NU returns two of the starters from last years unit, but the anchor, Kurt Mann will miss spring ball due to off-season shoulder surgery. He is expected to be ready for the regular season. However, NU must replace the right side of their line with the departure of Seppo Evwarye and Brandon Koch. The Huskers do have some experienced players that can step up into the starting role but will have to do so quickly with USC looming the third week of the season.
Defense: Secondary – The Huskers graduated both of their Safeties after last season. With three experienced CB’s look for one to switch to Safety during spring ball. They seem to be solid at cornerback but lack depth at Safety and in the Secondary in general. This is evident by the 5 scholarships given to DB’s in the ’06 recruiting class.
Special Teams: Punter – Nebraska will need to replace two-year starter Sam Koch who set the single season Nebraska record averaging 46.5 yards per punt. There are several candidates that will be fighting for the starting Punter position but it almost certainly will be a drop-off from last year.

Team Strength in 2006
Offense: Quarterback – Zac Taylor spent last spring trying to learn a new offense and fighting for the starting role. This year he enters spring ball as the #1 guy and can focus on getting better. He had an impressive first year, passing for 2,653 yards and throwing 19 TDs. He also had a 55.1% completion percentage. In ’05 he threw 12 picks and needs to cut down on those numbers.
Defense: The Front Seven – NU returns it’s linebacking corps in its entirety and both starting defensive ends. They lose the interior d-lineman but have some experienced players that should be able to step in right away. This group looks like the Blackshirts of yesteryear.
Special Teams: Place Kicker – NU returns Sophomore Jordon Congdon who after missing his first PAT attempt of the year, connected on 31 straight to finish the year. He connected on 19-23 field goals and will spend the spring focusing on extending his distance.

2006 Schedule
Sep 02 Louisiana Tech Memorial Stadium
Sep 09 Nicholls State Memorial Stadium
Sep 16 USC at Los Angeles, Calif.
Sep 23 Troy Memorial Stadium
Sep 30 Kansas Memorial Stadium
Oct 07 Iowa State at Ames, Iowa
Oct 14 Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan.
Oct 21 Texas Memorial Stadium
Oct 28 Oklahoma State at Stillwater, Okla.
Nov 04 Missouri Memorial Stadium
Nov 11 Texas A&M at College Station, Texas
Nov 24 Colorado Memorial Stadium

2006 is Successful if…
The Offensive line can reload after last years losses.

2006 is a Failure if…
They fail to find the right combination and depth in the Secondary

K-State News

2006-03-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Kansas State Football Spring Football Press Conference

Wildcats Still a bit Stunned that Huggins is New Leader

Facilities to Receive New FieldTurf

Huggins a Wildcat

2006-03-23T06:11:00.000-08:00

It appears that Bob Huggins has accepted the position as Head Basketball Coach as Kansas State University. I will have more later...

From the KC Star...

Huggins a Wildcat

Ex-Cincinnati basketball coach accepts K-State job
By HOWARD RICHMAN
The Kansas City Star
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Bob Huggins, who resurrected the men’s basketball program at Cincinnati, has accepted the job as basketball coach at Kansas State, a source close to the program told The Star late Wednesday night.
A news conference is expected today.
Huggins, 52, replaces Jim Wooldridge, who was fired March 9 after six seasons.
Neither Huggins nor K-State athletic director Tim Weiser could be reached for comment.
Huggins told The Cincinnati Post earlier Wednesday night that he declined to comment.
However, Huggins’ attorney, Richard Katz, told The Star early Wednesday night that something might be in the works.
“As far as I can tell you now, there is nothing to report,” Katz said. “There could be something later or tomorrow.”
It all went down sooner rather than later. And, with Huggins, the hiring surely will make a splash at a school hungry for the postseason. K-State has not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 1996. The Wildcats last played in the NIT in 1999.
Huggins is 567-199 in 24 seasons as a head coach at Walsh, Akron and Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a Final Four in 1992 before leaving the school late last summer after his wish to receive a contract extension was not granted.
In December, Huggins told The Sporting News what he wanted in his next job.
“I want to work with people who care. I’d just like to work with people who are honest, who care about kids who are going to work as hard as myself and my staff at trying to make guys as successful as they possibly can be,” Huggins said.
Huggins might not be coming alone — and that could be a huge bonus for K-State.
An Associated Press report Wednesday out of Columbus, Ohio, indicated two top junior players in that state might follow Huggins once they are done with high school.
One of them is O.J. Mayo, twice Ohio’s Associated Press Mr. Basketball. Mayo, a 6-foot-5 swingman, averaged 28.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and five steals at Cincinnati’s North College Hill. The team finished 24-1.
The other is his teammate, 6-6 power forward Bill Walker, who averaged 22.4 points.
“That could be right,” Mayo told the Associated Press about joining Huggins. “At the same time, we don’t want to go to a raw program. We have to see where he ends up, what the school’s fan base is like, see what the fans think about him, and make sure everything is great.”
Reports have stated Huggins denied he has had any agreement with Mayo and Walker.
A native of Morgantown, W.Va., Huggins played for the Mountaineers from 1975 to 1977.
His heroes growing up? NBA legends Oscar Robertson and Jerry West — and World War II Gen. George Patton, who had a reputation for being a tough guy.
Sounds like Huggins.
He was cut in 1977 after trying out with the Philadelphia 76ers. When he pursued a master’s degree after failing to catch on in the NBA, Huggins sold athletic shoes.
His first coaching job came soon thereafter. He was an assistant from 1978 to 1980 at Ohio State before spending 1980-83 as head coach at Walsh College, going 71-26. Huggins became assistant at Central Florida for the 1983-84 season but got back into head coaching for good starting in 1984 at Akron. The Zips went 97-46 in his reign, including one NCAA Tournament berth and two NITs.
Huggins took over at Cincinnati in 1989. Immediately, he set the bar high.
“This is a job where you can be in the Final Four every year. To me, that’s what it’s all about,” Huggins said in a published report.
In his first two seasons with the Bearcats, Huggins guided them to the NIT. In his third season, in 1991-92, they made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years. But it was so much more than that.
Cincinnati advanced all the way to the Final Four. It was the first and only time Huggins got the Bearcats that far.
Trouble struck in 1998 when the NCAA took away three scholarships from the Bearcats’ program and placed them on two years probation for lack of institutional control over the program.
Huggins almost departed Cincinnati for home in 2002. West Virginia was seeking a replacement when Gale Catlett retired. Huggins, however, turned down the Mountaineers.
A year later, in 2003, Huggins received a scare. He suffered a massive heart attack in late September in the Pittsburgh airport. Two weeks later, though, he was back in his office. The brush with his health altered his lifestyle.
“I’ve changed. I sleep now,” Huggins said in a published report.
Huggins encountered another off-the-court-issue in 2004 — one that landed him in court. Huggins was arrested for drunken driving in June and was suspended with pay for 77 days by the university. He eventually pleaded no-contest, was convicted and was ordered to attend an alcohol education course.
His run at Cincinnati ended before the 2005-06 season when the school refused to extend his contract, which had two years remaining. He was given two options: resign or be fired. Huggins agreed in principle to leave.
The news about Huggins had K-State abuzz late Wednesday.
“I guess my first thought is he’s had some success, but he’s also had some issues,” former K-State player Ed Elder said by phone.
Don Moser, a K-State season-ticket holder from Washington, Kan., who came to watch the women play in the WNIT, likes the idea of Huggins in purple.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Moser said.
Huggins wasn’t the only candidate on K-State’s radar. Former Northern Iowa coach Greg McDermott, introduced Tuesday night as Iowa State’s new coach, was sought by the Wildcats.
Northern Iowa athletic director Rick Hartzell told the Ames Daily Tribune that K-State was the only school other than Iowa State to ask for permission to contact McDermott. K-State made that request Saturday. But on Monday night, McDermott accepted the Cyclones’ offer.

Another Early Commitment for Ron Prince and the KSU Football Team

2006-03-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Ron Prince had an excellent 2006 recruiting class and is already received 6 commitments for the 2007 class.

There are several schools that have started signing early commitments but I am not sure it is a good thing. All 6 of the Wildcats' that have committed are from the High School ranks which is a positive sign that we are moving away from our dependence on Juco players, but none of them are rated by the major scouting organizations. Bill Snyder built our program on players that were largely overlooked by these same scouting groups but should we be making early commitments to these athletes? I would be more comfortable making early commitments to the nationally ranked players that want to be Wildcats. For example, this time last year, we received a commitment from a 4 star recruit, Leon Patton (RB).

Many of the concerns around early commitments have to do with disappointing Senior seasons. A serious injury could also restrict an athletes value when the actual signing day arrives.

My concerns are less about their senior year production and more based on the availability of scholarships to higher profile athletes that may want to sign with K-State towards the end of the recruiting season.

Let's take a look at one situation... First year Head Coach Ron Prince leads this years team to a Big 12 North title, a Bowl victory and a very impressive 11-3 record. Based on last years performance, you might think this is impossible, but the Big 12 North is wide open and we have a lot of starters returning next year. Evaluation of the schedule could easily lead to a 9-3 regular season, a loss in the Big 12 Championship game and then the bowl game.

If the situation I just described becomes reality, Ron Prince will be getting a lot of national publicity and he will be mentioned for National Coach of the Year honors. Let's face it, a first year coach taking a team that finished last in the Big 12 North to first would be a great story.

Those of us that follow K-State know that we were a better team then our record indicated the last two years and we would not be as surprised, but the national media has written K-State off and it would bring a lot of attention to our program.

In this scenario, K-State would be in a great position for recruiting at the end of the year. There would be blue chip athletes looking at K-State that had not even thought about them before the season. If we have over committed our scholarships by the end of next year, we may have to turn them away.

I guess that would be a good problem to have...

Wooldridge fired after KSU’s loss

2006-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Jim Wooldridge was fired today after their first round loss in the Big 12 tournament. Wooldridge was 83-90 after 6 seasons with the Wildcats.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14058780.htm

Spring Game Events

2006-03-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Spring Game Fan Fest Weekend Schedule of Events

Friday - April 21, 2006
10:30 a.m. - 22nd Annual Powercat Golf Tournament: Kansas State will host the 22nd Annual Powercat Golf Tournament at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan.

5:30 p.m. - 22nd Annual Powercat Auction: Kansas State will host the 22nd Annual Powercat Auction at Bramlage Coliseum. The auction features numerous unique and unforgettable trips as well as one-of-a-kind opportunities that make it a must for any true K-State fan.

Saturday - April 22, 2006
7:00 a.m. - KSU Wildcat BBQ Battle: Cooking begins in both the professional and tailgate division in Cat Town. The Grand Champion of this state-level competition will be designated as an official State Champion of Kansas, which will allow the winner to enter the American Royal Barbeque Contest, the nation's most prestigious barbeque contest.

11:00 a.m. - Carnival Midway opens: Admission to the county-fair style carnival and midway located in the West parking lot of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, complete with multiple rides and numerous game booths, is accessible only with a spring game ticket.

11:00 a.m. - Willie's Fun Zone opens: Willie the Wildcat and Kansas State's cheerleaders will host a fun zone for kids, complete with games, face painting and tattoos inside the K-State football indoor practice facility. Admission is free.

11:00 a.m. - Food service opens in Cat Town: Top-notch local barbecue vendors as well as a beer garden will be open and ready to serve.

11:00 a.m. - Live music in Cat Town: Local musical talent takes the stage in Cat Town.

2:00 p.m. - Kansas State vs. Kansas Baseball Game: Catch the Wildcats and Jayhawks battle in Big 12 baseball action at Tointon Family Stadium.

3:00 p.m. - Battle of the Bands: An event for K-State students. The contest, which will be held in the East parking lot of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, will decide the ultimate Wildcat band.

6:00 p.m. - Purple and White Spring Game Kickoff

Postgame - Autograph session: Fans are invited to join head coach Ron Prince, the coaching staff and players for a one-hour autograph session on the turf of Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Pre-Pre-Season Predictions for 2006

2006-03-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is my official pre-pre season predictions, which will change prior to the first game of the 2006 season. This is strictly for entertainment purposes, please no wagers.

Sept. 2 Illinois State W, 42-10
Sept. 9 Florida Atlantic W, 31-9
Sept. 16 Marshall W, 24-17
Sept. 23 Louisville L, 31-21
Sept. 30 at Baylor W, 30-10
Oct. 7 Oklahoma State L, 24-12
Oct. 14 Nebraska W, 27-24
Oct. 21 at Missouri W, 42-31
Oct. 28 Iowa State W, 17-16
Nov. 4 at Colorado W, 31-27
Nov. 11 Texas L, 27-24
Nov. 18 at Kansas W, 31-5

There it is... 9-3 for the first year of Head Coach Ron Prince.

A Bright Future for KSU Men's Basketball

2006-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Men’s Basketball program is heading to another year without a post season tournament appearance. They may get into the NIT tournament, but that is starting to look doubtful also. This has been a year of highs and lows for the Cats. Of course, the biggest highlight was going on the road and beating KU for the first time in 31 attempts. The Cats have played hard in every game and lost 7 games in OT or by 2 points or less. This is a young team, with 10 of the 11 leading scorers returning next year.

In other words, next year could be a great year for the Cats. Let’s not lose sight of that. Jim Wooldridge is near the end of his sixth year at Kansas State and the Wildcats have steadily improved since his arrival.

Coach Wooldridge appears to do everything the right way and is building a program we can all be proud of. Let’s hope for the best for the remainder of this year, and look forward to what could be a great year for KSU basketball next year.

More Love for Coach Snyder...

2006-02-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

Former Kansas State Football Coach Bill Snyder will be inducted into the Kansas State Sports Hall of Fame on June 3, in Wichita.

Snyder was one of 14 coaches and athletes announced today for the class of 2006.

In the last 17 years, Snyder posted 136 victories and was a three-time national Coach of the Year and five-time Big 8/12 Coach of the Year, with 11 trips to postseason bowl games. In 2003, Kansas State won the Big 12 Football Championship.

During his tenure as Kansas State, Snyder coached 22 all-Americans and 42 players that went in the NFL draft.

Coach Snyder Getting Some Love...

2006-02-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from a conversation with former Univeristy of Georgia basketball coach Hugh Durham...

Q: Does Georgia need to build a new basketball arena?

A: Two people in intercollegiate athletics changed the way people think about that. Mike Krzyzewski at Duke has proven you can build a program with an average arena, which is what Cameron is. And [football coach] Bill Snyder at Kansas State. The way he was able to win there in Manhattan, Kansas, just shoots down every theory about the role facilities play in building a winning program. Same thing with the Coliseum. It's plenty big and what they're doing [with the new $30 million practice and training facility] is needed from a competitive standpoint. That's just part of the arms race fueled by recruiting.

Eddie Sutton

2006-02-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Eddie Sutton is sixty freakin’ nine years old and he is out doing tequila shooters and popping pain pills until two am. I am not sure how I should feel about this… disgusted or in awe. If he is partying like Vince Neil at this age, imagine what he must have been like in his prime.

His blood test revealed blood alcohol content 3 times the legal limit. According to my calculations, he had to drink about 16 highballs in a 4 hour time frame to get to that toasted.

I am wondering what those cocktail hours must have been during Big 12 coaching conferences. Imagine back in the day when Tom Penders was the coach at Texas and Larry Eustachy was at Iowa State. They probably stayed up all night partying, Eddie doing shots, Penders prank calling his players and Eustachy making out with Co-eds.

KSU PA Announcer Resigns

2006-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

The fallout from the Manhattan Parks and Recreation investigation has reached the Kansas State Athletic department. Ivan Wilkinson, the Kansas State Football and Basketball PA announcer has resigned from his duties at Kansas State. Wilkinson became known for his "Good for another Wildcat FIRST DOWN" call and was a favorite among fans. He was a contract employee at Kansas State and it should not affect the athletic department at all.

http://www.themercury.com/view/article.asp?sectionid=News/Default/NewsArticles&id=922-2006-02-15-58114-49

2006 Kansas State Football Recruiting Class

2006-02-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Devin Anderson, DB5-10, 185, Ponca City, Okla. — Northeastern Oklahoma A&M

Brandon Balkcom, DT6-2, 280, Hazel Crest, Ill. — Norheastern Oklahoma A&M

Chris Carney, DB6-1, 175, Denver, Colo.

Ray Cheatham, DB6-0, 185, El Dorado, Ark. — Independence Community College

Gabriel Crews, DT6-3, 300, Joneboro, Ga.

Courtney Edmond, DB6-2, 220 , La Marque, Texas — Blinn College

Josh Freeman, QB6-6, 230, Kansas City, Mo.

Coutney Greer, RB5-10, 210, Midland, Texas

John Houlik, LB5-11, 215, Wichita, Kan.

Rob Jackson, DT6-3, 265, West Haven, Conn. — Fort Scott Community College

James Johnson, RB5 -11, 200, Port Arthur, Texas — Blinn College

Otis Johnson, DB5-11, 185, Houston, Texas

Zach Kendall, DT6-4, 280, Peculiar, Mo.

Scott Krehbiel, OT6-7, 280, Pratt, Kan.

Moses Manu, DE6-3, 260, Inglewood, Calif. — El Camino College

Jeron Mastrud, TE6-6, 255, Beaverton, Ore.

Kenneth Mayfield, OL6-4, 300, Randallstown, Md.

Davyon McGhee, LB5-11, 215, Houston, Texas

Antwon Moore, DB6-1, 218, P+onca City, Okla. — Northeastern A&M

Joshua Moore, DB5-11, 180, Pompano Beach, Fl.

Leon Patton, RB5-8, 175, Cedar Hill, Texas

Tony Purvis, DB6-0, 174, McCook, Neb.

Justin Roland, LB6-2, 250, Ponca City, Okla. — Northeastern Oklahoma A&M

Jamal Schulters, RB5-10, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y. — Fort Union Military Academy

Trevor Viers, DT6-5, 265, Windom, Kan.

Cedric Wilson, WR6-1, 190, Fort Pierce, Fla. — Garden City Community College

Inside Kansas State Athletics

2006-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

A great new feature on K-State's Sports Information's website. Lots of great videos to get you fired up for the upcoming Kansas State Football season.

http://inside.kstatesports.com/

Former Kansas State Football Coach Bill Snyder Enters Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

2006-02-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

Missouri is showing its true football colors by inducting two KANSAS football greats, Bill Snyder and KSU standout linebacker Gary Spani. Spani was a former Manhattan High, Kansas State and Kansas City standout. Coach Snyder and Spani will in Springfield, MO on Sunday to be inducted into the hall.

"I'm humbled by it," Snyder said. "I never thought you got into a hall of fame until a period of time had past from your playing or coaching days. Coming this quickly, it's certainly an honor."

Kansas State Football Blog Athlete of the Week

2006-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first installment of my Kansas State Football Blog of the week. I will pick a KSU Athlete each week to be the Kansas State Athlete of the week. This week goes to a Track and Field athlete... (maybe the last time that will happen)

Congratulations to Christian Smith, running at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, he set the NCAA record for the 1000 meters. A record which had sttod since Doug Consiglio of Arkansas set it in 1986.

Christian ran a 2:19.57 1000 meter, beating the previous record of 2:19.64. There was some controversy on the record after they were told the record was set on a 200 meter banded track (whatever the hell that is) and a conversion chart would have to be used to translate the time to a flat track. When all was said and done Track and Field News declared Smith's clocking as a national collegiate record.

It the understatement of the year, Smith said "That would have been a bummer"

Congratulations again to the Kansas State Football Blog Athlete of the Week, Christian Smith.

KSU players in 2006 Draft

2006-02-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Kansas State Football players available for the 2006 NFL Draft.

Jeromey Clary OT 6'6" 303
Davin Dennis WR 5'10" 177
Scott Edmonds DE 6'3" 262
Tearrius George DE 6'2" 248
Victor Mann FB 6'0" 269
Derek Marso DT 6'2" 312
Maurice Porter CB 6'0" 189
Ayo Saba FB 6'0" 275
Marvin Simmons OLB 5'11" 247

Who am I...

2006-02-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

I was born and raised in Manhattan and have been a K-State fan for as long as I can remember. I was there through the dark days of KSU football and have enjoyed the rise of the program to national status.

When I was a kid, we used to ride our bikes up to the stadium for every home game and we could usually sneak in. However, if we got busted, it just meant we had to wait until half time to enter, because back then, they opened the gates to the general public at the break.

I was there for the Ellis Rainsberger, Jim Dickey and Stan Parrish eras and even went to K-State's first bowl game, the 1982 Independance bowl. I will save the story for another day. I have been to most of the bowl games that K-State has been to since. I was in St. Louis when we lost our shot at a national championship to Texas A&M in double overtime and in Kansas City when we lost to the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship in 2000. As luck would have it, I was out of the country when we won the Big 12 Championship the next year, it seems I was the bad luck that prevented up from winning the first two.

I have seen K-State play in the Independance Bowl, The Copper Bowl, The Holiday Bowl, The Cotton Bowl, The Fiesta Bowl and the Alamo Bowl.

There it is... my K-State Fan Credentials...

Kansas State Football Head Coach Ron Prince

2006-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

Since I have some catching up to do, I thought I would post some background information on our new coach. I think HCRP will bring a fresh attitude and new blood to a program that needed a push back in the right direction.

Courtesy: Kansas State UniversityRelease: 12/09/2005

“I’ve been preparing for this opportunity my whole life,” were among the first words that came out of Ron Prince’s mouth after being introduced as Kansas State’s 33rd football coach on Dec. 5, 2005. And for Prince, serving as the Wildcats’ head football coach is truly a dream come true.
Raised in Junction City, Kan., which is located just 20 miles west of Manhattan, Prince literally grew up in the shadow of Kansas State University. And as far back as he can remember, at least to the age of three or four according to his best recollections, he has dreamt of one day leading the Wildcats.

With that dream now realized, Prince has hit the ground running in his short tenure with the Wildcats. Working at a break-neck pace, he has quickly gone about the task of solidifying K-State’s recruiting and building his staff, all the while beginning the long-term process of re-integrating himself into a community that has for so long been an integral influence on his life.
Prince came to Kansas State from the University of Virginia, where he served the past three seasons as the Cavaliers’ offensive coordinator and a total of five years as the offensive line coach on Al Groh’s staff.

In that time, Prince developed a reputation as one of the nation’s top young coaching talents, helping guide Virginia to four straight bowl berths from 2002-05. Along the way, his Cavalier offense set a dozen team and individual school records and had nine offensive players drafted by NFL teams.

Currently the youngest NCAA Division I-A head coach in the country and one of just four African-American head coaches in all of Division I-A, Prince joined Groh’s staff as the Cavaliers’ offensive line coach in January of 2001 and quickly went about molding the unit into one of the ACC’s best.

In 2002, Virginia's young offensive line provided solid protection for record-setting quarterback Matt Schaub, who was named ACC Player of the Year after throwing for a school-record 2,976 yards and 28 touchdowns. Tackle Mike Mullins – the lone senior starter on the offensive line – and Elton Brown each earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition in 2002. In addition, left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson received Freshman All-America distinction and guard Brian Barthelmes earned Freshman All-ACC honors.

By the 2003 season, his third at Virginia and his first as the program’s offensive coordinator, the Cavaliers’ front wall became a dominating force, allowing the ACC’s fewest sacks as it protected Schaub, who passed for 2,952 yards that season – the second most in school history.
Heading into 2004, Virginia’s line began to be considered not only among the best in the rugged ACC, but nationally as well. In fact, The Sporting News tapped Prince’s unit the No. 3 line in all of college football that season.

And with the offensive line leading the way, Prince’s 2004 Virginia offense rolled up over 423 yards of total offense per game, including over 240 on the ground, once again led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed and finished the year atop the conference charts in both total offense and rushing offense.

Virginia’s team accomplishments on the field during Prince’s stint with the Cavaliers are bolstered by the individual accolades received by UVa’s student-athletes. During his five-year tenure at Virginia, 37 Cavaliers earned All-ACC distinction, including 19 on the offensive side of the ball. Of those 19 offensive selections, 12 occurred with Prince at the controls of the Cavs’ offense.

In 2003, Prince’s offensive unit placed four players on the All-ACC squad, including future All-Americans Heath Miller (TE) and Brown (G), who received the prestigious Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is annually awarded to the ACC’s top offensive lineman.

In 2004, Virginia’s offense placed five student-athletes on the All-ACC team, the most of any school in the league, including Brown, who was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the second straight year, and Miller, who went on to win the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end.

The spring of 2005 brought more recognition for Prince’s charges at Virginia as a school-record seven Cavaliers were selected in the NFL draft, including four offensive players. Miller was a first-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Brown was selected in the fourth round by Arizona. Tailback Alvin Pearman was also picked up in the fourth round by Jacksonville and wide receiver Patrick Estes was taken in the seventh by San Francisco.

Prince capped his run at Virginia this past season by producing three more All-ACC selections. Ferguson, considered by many to be the top offensive line prospect in the country, led the way by earning first-team accolades for the second straight season and becoming the first Cavalier tackle named to the first team in back-to-back seasons since the 1990 and 1991 campaigns.
A 1988 graduate of Junction City High School, Prince played two seasons at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, receiving All-Conference honors as an offensive tackle on the field and Academic All-America and National Dean’s List accolades for his performance in the classroom.
In 1990, Prince transferred to Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. He played two seasons for the Mountaineers and helped ASU to a Southern Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA I-AA playoffs as a senior in 1991 before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the institution in 1992.

Prince received his start in coaching shortly after graduation, returning to the state of Kansas in 1992 to serve as a volunteer assistant coach working with offensive tackles and tight ends at Dodge City.

After just one season, Prince received his first offer to coach at a four-year institution and began his full-time coaching career as an offensive line, tight ends and strength and conditioning coach at Alabama A&M in 1993. During his lone season there, he helped produce three All-Conference players, including guard Joe Patton, who went on to become a third-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins.

A stop at South Carolina State followed in 1994. While at SCSU, Prince was instrumental in mentoring an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs lead the conference and rank among the national leaders (Division I-AA) in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense that season. South Carolina State also captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship that season and went on to defeat Grambling, 31-27, in the postseason Heritage Bowl.

During his tenure at SCSU, Prince coached four All-Conference offensive linemen, including standout tackle Raleigh Roundtree, a 1995 fifth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers.
From 1995 to 1997 Prince served as the offensive line coach at James Madison and helped guide the Dukes to an NCAA I-AA playoff berth and two consecutive top-25 rankings before taking the reins of the offensive line at Cornell from 1998-2000.

The following season Prince was tapped to coach the offensive line, and later the entire offense, on Groh’s staff at Virginia.

In addition to his duties on the collegiate level, Prince has also served NFL Minority Fellowships with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1996), Washington Redskins (1997), Atlanta Falcons (1999) and New York Giants (2000).

Born in Omaha, Neb., but raised in Junction City by parents Ernest and Georgeanne Prince, he is married to the former Zoé Ahern of Valhalla, N.Y. The couple has four children, Deuce (6), James (4), Grace (3) and John (1).

Welcome...

2006-02-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

This blog is designed to be a central location all KSU Football fans can use for updates on the K-State Wildcat Football program. It will include information on other K-State sports and some other college sports news but the primary focus will be the KSU football program.

Thanks for stopping by, it may be a little slow until spring football starts but check back in for updates from time to time.