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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1993)
Nebraskan Friday, October IS, 1993 f Sports Kansas State team sports a new attitude anyder squad earns Osborne’s respect By Mitch Sherman Staff Reporter r In 49 games at Kansas State, coach Bill Snyder has won 23 games. But that’s only half of the story. — Consider that it took 108 games for Kansas State to equal that same numberof victories before Snyder’s arrival. And since Snyder arrived at Kansas State, the Wildcats have snapped a 30-game winless streak, a 27-game Big Eight winless streak and a 16-game losing streak. To top it off, Snyder’s team is now 5-0 and has earned its first national ranking — 24th in the USA Today/CNN Coaches’ poll — since 1970. What do all those figures indi cate? A top-notch team, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. r “I think they’ve done a fantastic job,” Osborne said. “I think at one time, people from KSU had a little bit of a mental hang-up about play< ing Nebraska, especially in Lin coln. Oftentimes they would come in here not really believing thev could win.* Snyder said a good attitude this season contributed to his team’s leap into the polls. Being undefeated “is great if you don’t have any more to play,” Snydersaid. “Butthe first fivedon’t mean a whole lot if you don’t get something accomplished in the next six.” Osborne said Nebraska, too, had a lot to accomplish in its next six games. The true identity of the Comhuskers still is a mystery this season, Osborne said. See NEBRASKA on 8 Saturday, 1:00 p.m. TV: Prime Sports Network (delayed at 10:30 p.m. Central) Nebraska Kansas State QB 15 Tommie Frazier 6-2 200 FB 40 Cory Schiesinger 6-0 220 IB 44 Calvin Jones 5-11215 RQ 75 Bryan Campbell RT 70 Jim Hmietewski RQ 66 Brenden Stal LG 56 Rob Zatechka WR 83 Kevin Lockett 6-0 165 FK 18 Tate Wright 5-10175 LOLB 90 Bruce Moore 6-6 245 DT 67 Kevin Ramaekers 6-4 290 NT 99 Terry Connealy 6-5 275 54 Laird Veatch 6-3 225 45 Kirby Hocutt 5-10215 32 Ed Stewart 6-1 215 14 Barron Miles 5-6 160 6 John Reece 6-0 200 CB 4 Thomas Randoiph5-10175 P 38 Chad Romano 6-3 190 DEFENSE DN graphic . . _ . uanK Harmele/DN ba out?,de n?S?c!?er °^ayne Harris wraps up quarterback Tone* Jones during Nebraska s win over Oklahoma State last week. On Saturday, Harris and the Blackshirts will try to shut down Kansas State’s offense, which is led by junior quarterback Chad May and junior running back J.J. Smith. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. y TT • w ms separate programs, coach says By Derek Samson Staff Reporter Even though the Nebraska-Kan sas State game Saturday is a matchup of unbeatens, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said the two football programs don’t compare. Snyder said the Wildcats’ re cent success — including a 5-0 start this season — still does not bring it near the Nebraska football program’s success. So what separates the two pro grams? “Five thousand wins, I think,” Snyder said. “It’s the tradition and how the program has been built. It’s the consistency of their pro gram and the fact that it is very paramount in college football right now.” The 5-0 Wildcats are coming off a 10-9 victory a week ago with in-state rival Kansas. With the win, Kansas State moved into the top 25 for the first time since 1970. The Wildcats — ranked 24th in the CNN/USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 poll — have started off unde feated for the first time in 62 years. Snyder said the Kansas win should help his team against the Huskers. “There is that sense of being up,” Snyder said. “There is a sense that your players are a little more focused. Nobody seems to be down. It’s just another attitude that is pro moted by winning as opposed to losing.” A few players ill particular have benefited from that attitude. Jun ior running back JJ. Smith leads the Wildcats with 429 yards and six touchdowns on 90 carries. Junior quarterback Chad May also leads the offense with 1,044 yards and six touchdowns on 78-of-144 pass ing. In order to remain undefeated, Snyder said, Kansas State will have to nave everything go its way. “I have a great deal of respect for our football team,” he said, “but I also know Nebraska certainly is one of the finest football teams in the country. We’re aoina to have to play extremely well and we’ll have to have some good fortune. “Nebraska will have to stub their toe a time or two.” The Wildcats have a difficult stretch ahead with Nebraska, Col orado and Oklahoma as their next three opponents. “We’ve only done it once be fore and we didn’t win any of them, but I thought we played well,” Snyder said “We’re not going in with the idea that we just want self preservation and that we want to be alive at the end of the three.” Snyder said the next three games could answer any concerns he has about his 5-0 team. “We still have some question marks,” he said. “I don’t deny that, but I think a week ago we were saying the same thing. I think this stretch of games will create some answers for us.” JvSU quarterback finds his niche as team leader, winner By Jeff Singer Senior Editor Chad May hasn't just found a new team in Kansas State — he’s found a new life in college football as well. Two years ago, May, the Wildcats’ start ing quarterback, was struggling for a spot on the Cal State-Fullerton football team. Now, he’s the third-best passer in the Big Eight and is one of the main reasons why the 5-0 Wildcats are off to their best start in 62 years. Not bad for a player who didn’t know what the future held for him when he was forced to leave Cal State after its football program was dropped. May said being able to lead the undefeat ed Wildcats into tneir game Saturday against No. 6 Nebraska at Vfemorial Stadium was almost overwhelming. “It means a lot to me that I’m the leader of this team,’’ May said. “This game is going to be a big test for me.” May has passed all of his tests so far this season. The 6-foot-2 junior has completed 78 of his 144 passes for 1,044 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks third in the Big Eight in passing with an average of 208 yards per game. However, he said, he hasn’t been im pressed with his individual performance so far. “I’m not really happy with it—I should be passing for 250 or 260 yards per game,” May said. “But I am happy that we’re 5-0, and my team comes first.” But win No. 6 against the Comhuskers will be tough, he said. “We have a big test coming to Nebraska,” he said. “We’re going to have to go up there and do what we have been doing. We’re definitely going to have to jump on them early” Although the Wildcats were picked to finish in last place this season by the Big Eight Skywriters, May said, followers shouldn’t be shocked with Kansas State’s fast start. See MAY on 8 Third place on line when volleyball team faces Kansas By Tim Pmtsoii Senior Report* . The Kansas volleyball team is hew ing that Nebraska’s string of losses continues at least through Saturday. The Jayhawks will face the 13-3 Comhuskers Saturday night at the NU Coliseum in a 7:30 match. Kansas, 12-7, comes into the match tied with the Huskers for third place in the Big Eight. The No. 12 Huskers are coming off two straight conference road losses— to Oklahoma and No. 16 Colorado. But Jayhawk coach Frankie Albitz, in her ninth season with Kansas, said she knew the Huskers would be pre pared for Saturday’s match. “I’m sure they’re going to be ready,” she said. “They have great confidence and maturity.’’ Nebraska lost to Colorado in five games Wednesday. Before the Colo rado match, Husker coach Terry Pettit said he wanted his team to improve after every match until the end of the season. * “I want to see the team make progress,” he said. “I want them to plav harder and better than they played at Oklahoma, and I want them to play better Saturday than they did against Colorado." Albitz said Kansas could have a tough time against the Husker block ing combination of Allison Weston and Jen McFadden. “We’re trying to get better athletic ability every year, so we’re a little small,” she said. “(Weston and McFadden) will kill a lot of balls, but hopefully we’ll get around them.” With a win against the Huskers, the Jayhawks could move ahead of Nebraska to gain sole possession of third place. Nebraska's third-place spot in the conference is surprising, but Albitz said she kind of expected it. “Nebraska’s young this year,” she -44 Nebraska's young this year. It doesn't surprise me that they're struggling. —Albitz, Jayhawk coach said. “It doesn’t surprise me that they’re struggling, but I wouldn’t have placed them in third.” But, Albitz said, the Jayhawks aren’t playing as well as they were earlv in the season. “We started off the season well, but we're in a little slump right now,” she said. “We’re kind of young this year, so maybe this is to be expected.” Nebraska has not lost to Kansas in 51 matches. And, Albitz said, Kansas will have to play exceptional volleyball to beat the Huskers for the first time.
