Matt Miller/DN
CHRIS CANTY, a junior KSU cornerback, leads a defease that ranks third in the nation against the
pass.
Wildcat secondary excited
By Peter Mabhoefer
Staff Reporter
MANHATTAN, Kan.—In this'
sequel, you don’t see Mel Gibson
or Danny Glover, but the Kansas
aiaie secona
ary easily
could be
deemed “Le
thal Weapon
Three.”
Nebras
ka’s offense
will encounter
its toughest
Wliaucilgc Ul
the year on Gordon
Saturday, fac
ing the three-headed monster known
as the Kansas State secondary.
Junior comerback Chris Canty,
senior comerback Joe Gordon, and
senior free safety Mario Smith are
being touted as the Big 12’s best
defensive backs.
All have received postseason
honors; all are nominated for
awards this year; and all are com
ing into this game as a part of the
nation’s third-best defense against
the pass.
And all would give up every
thing for a victory against Nebraska.
“I want to be able to say that I
was part of the Kansas State foot
ball team to beat Nebraska,” Gor
don said.
Gordon has been sidelined all
season with a broken leg but is ex
cited to be back this week.
“Our expectation is to win,”
Gordon said. “We are not going to
get caught up in all the hype this
year.”
The KSU defense is taking a
mature approach to this year’s
game. A year ago, Gordon said, the
Wildcats were overwhelmed by the
aura surrounding Nebraska football
and Memorial Stadium.
“We have guys here now who
are ready to handle the big-game
type of situation,” he said.
Canty, an All-American as a
sophomore last season, said the
Wildcats are ready to face any chal
lenge. And having two weeks to
prepare for the Huskers, Canty said,
gives Kansas State an advantage.
However, Canty said he knows
the Cats must be prepared for NU’s
rushing attack.
“Being a defensive back is not
all about the pass,” Canty said. “You
have to be able to give run support
and cover the pass.”
Because of Gordon’s injury,
freshman Lamar Chapman has been
thrust into a starting role.
“It makes our team stronger,”
Gordon said. “We had some young
guys step up and fill in well.”
Tauke triggers NU
defense to hot start
TAUKE from page 10
hit it over the net,” Tauke said. “She
used to set me once in awhile, but now
she is setting me with a lot more confi
dence.”
Coach Terry Pettit said he wants
Nepo to get both Korver and Tauke
more attacks.
Tauke and Korver and getting the
ball about 20 percent of time, Pettit
said, and they need to get it about 35
to 40 percent of the time for the NU
offense to run at its best.
“(Tauke) probably right now is the
most effective attacker we have on the
team,” Pettit said. “We need to get her
the ball more. Down the road when she
has the opportunity to work with the
strength program, she’s going to be
even more impressive.
“She’s a player.”
In the last two weeks, Tauke has had
to step up even more.
Lisa Avery, who played sparingly
in six matches this season, is out for at
least six weeks with a stress fracture in
her left femur; and middle blocker
Stacie Maser plays a limited role, still
hampered by a knee injury she suffered
two years ago.
Tauke said she and Avery learned
a lot from each other in practice.
“It’s a lot different in practice with
out Lisa,” Tauke said. “Megan was up
with the setter all the time, and while
coach was busy helping Lisa with
something, I learned by listening to
what he had to say to her.”
«-—
If you can't have
fun, why play the
game of volleyball?"
ToniaTauke
NU middle blocker
Tauke has compared her play to
former Husker Peggy Meyer. Meyer
was a middle blocker on Nebraska’s
1994 team that finished the year 31-1,
one match shy of the Final Four.
Meyer, who wore the same num
ber as Tauke’s 22, hit .385 — second
best on the team behind then-freshman
Lisa Reitsma—as a senior.
Coming to Lincoln was the right
choice for her because the fans care
about her performance, Tbuke said,
“I like playing, and I like having
somebody care about what I do as
much as I do,” Thuke said. “You don’t
think about that much when you are
being recruited.”
At Nebraska—unlike many other
schools — she said the fan support
never dwindles.
“When you put so much ftme and
effort into something and there is no
one there to watch, it hurts.”
Braves take game one,
Yankees, Orioles win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — John
Smoltz took care of the Los Angeles
Dodgers for the first nine innings
Wednesday. His catcher finished them
off in the 10th.
Smoltz, who led the major leagues
in wins and strikeouts this season, al
lowed only four hits and Javier Lopez
homered to start the 10th as the Atlanta
Braves beat the Dodgers 2-1 in the
opener of their National League play
off series.
Smoltz, 24-8 this year, retired his
final 13 batters in a dominating per
formance. He struck out seven, walked
two and threw strikes on his last 17
pitches. He improved to 6-1 in
postseason play.
Mark Wohlers, who had a club
record 39 saves, worked around a (Hie- ;
out single by Greg Gagne to preserve
the victory for the defending World
Series champions.
In Baltimore, Cal Ripken scored the
tiebreaking run in the eighth inning,
and the Orioles beat the Cleveland In
dians 7-4 to take a 2-0 lead in their best
of-five AL playoff series.
Major league Playoffs
In the bottom of the eighth inning
with the game tied at four, Baltimore’s
B J. Surhoff hit a bouncer back to the
mound. Cleveland’s Paul Assenmacher
threw home to force out Ripken, but
the throw got away from Indian catcher
Sandy Alomar to give the Orioles a 5
4 lead.
Indian manager Mike Hargrove dis
puted the call, arguing that Surhoff was
in the base line and blocked the throw
lome.
Baltimore moved within one win of
becoming the first wild-card team ever
:o advance and pushed the defending
American League champions to the
Mink of elimination. Game three will
?e Friday in Cleveland.
The New York Yankees defeated
the Texas Rangers 5-4 in 12 ipnings
Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium
in New York.
The San Diego Padres will play at
St. Louis today. The Cardinals lead the
series 1-0.
Fans say this is the year for Wildcat victory
By Peter Mahhoefer
Staff Reporter
. MANHATTAN, Kan. — For 28
years, Kansas State football fans have
been clicking their heels three times,
begging for a win against Nebraska.
This year, confident Wildcat fans
want the seventh-ranked Comhuskers
to know “there’s no place like home.”
More than 43,000 fans will fill KSU
Stadium for Saturday’s showdown with
the Huskers. “Paint It Purple” signs are
posted everywhere on the Kansas State
campus.
Midcat fans think this is the year.
“Nebraska is going downhill,” said
Monica Sneed, a sophomore at Kan
sas State. “K-State will win the next
few years.”
Some Wildcat fans question the
ability of Nebraska’s first-year quar
terback, Scott Frost, and the rest of the
Husker offense.
“You guys need a quarterback,”
KSU junior Phil Freeland said. “That
Frost guy sucks. The win Saturday is
the first step to our national title.”
Sam Haney, manager of the Last
Chance Saloon near the KSU campus,
said, “Nebraska doesn’t have No. 15
anymore. If K-State doesn’t make stu
pid mistakes, they’re going to win.”
Kansas State alumnus Diane
Gonzoles, a founder ofNebraskans for
K-State, said, “I hope K-State serves
first. NU doesn’t seem to play well
when they are behind.”
Gonzoles, who is Gov. Ben
Nelson’s public affairs director, said
she is hanging a Wildcat flag in her
office at the Capitol this week.
“I used to leave (Manhattan) when
Nebraska or Oklahoma came to town,”
Gonzoles said. “The football players
wouldn’t even wear their letter jack
ets, because we were so bad.”
Husker fans may notice a few
changes to the Wildcats’ home field.
A Sony Jubotron replay screen has
been added to the stadium, high above
the east end zone.
The 2:30 p.m. game is sold out and
tickets are going for $75 to $100, KSU
fans said.
Despite the Wildcats’ 4-0 start,
'Some fans aren’t so confident.
“K-State can’t win,” KSU student
Marie Keogh said. “Our offensive line
is not that good. Nebraska is unstop
pable.”
Some Manhattan residents, how
ever, are looking forward to the Big
Red invasion.
'‘Nebraska fans spend .money just 1
the same,” Felax Seja, a Last Chance ,
bartender, said. “They’rewelcome, as
long as they tip well.”
Matt Millkr/DN
MANY KANSAS STATE fans, shown here during a KSU win over
ItexasTfech, think the Wildcats will beat Nebraska for the first time
lince 1968.