Some do, some don’t. Win, that is. A tale of two programs: Kansas State and Kansas. One’s got it going and one doesn’t.
Last Saturday Kansas State won a game it probably shouldn’t have and Kansas lost a game it probably shouldn’t have. The Wildcats overcame a fourth-quarter 24-12 deficit to edge by South Dakota, an FCS school. At about the same time Kansas couldn’t hold a fourth quarter lead and lost to Nicholls, an FCS school.
Kansas State found a way to win and Kansas found a way to lose. That’s the way it seems to go for winners and losers. Winning programs usually find a way to win a game even when they aren’t playing their best and losing programs usually find a way to lose a game even when they are ahead on the scoreboard.
The seemingly snake-bitten David Beatty, head coach for the Jayhawks says, “the sun will still come up tomorrow” but that loss probably made the sun set on his stint as boss of the Jayhawks. It may not happen this week or next week but the future, as seen on the futurescope of Jayhawk football, doesn’t any longer have David Beatty’s picture in it.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, special teams play once again bailed out a sluggish Wildcat football team. A supposed strength of Kansas State, the offensive line, struggled all game to block anybody against underdog South Dakota. Heck, they aren’t even the best team in South Dakota as South Dakota State carries that distinction! After the game Bill Snyder had lots of praise for his special teams but mostly held his critical tongue about the offensive and defensive line play for the Cats. I will bet you two-to-one that he is not that reluctant during practices this week!
This week Kansas goes on the road to Central Michigan. The Jayhawks haven’t won a road game since, oh, about the French Revolution! I feel really sorry for coach Beatty but sympathy isn’t going to win any football games. Kansas is in need of a bunch of “DO’s” and not any “DON’T’s”. Kansas State hosts a good Mississippi State team and good special teams play isn’t going to be enough against the Bulldogs. We’ve seen this scenario before though, where Kansas State stumbles in a game that they should have won easily and comes back to compete like crazy against a really good team.
Some DO and some DON’T!
CHALK TALK
— Pratt and Smoky Valley established last week that they are forces to be reckoned with in 3A and the Central Kansas League with dominating wins but don’t forget about Hesston. The Swathers had a closer-than-expected win over Hillsboro and will be two-touchdown favorites at Larned this week.
— Great Bend did just what they needed to do in an early-season win over Andover and should move to 2-0 this week as they get revenge for an upset loss to Hays last year. Great Bend 32, Hays 14.
— Larned showed their inexperience in a loss to a veteran Smoky Valley team. The Indians will get better as the season progresses but have a tough task against talented Hesston this Friday.
— Ditto for the Hoisington Cardinals who host a Nickerson team looking for redemption this week. Nickerson 24, Hoisington 20.
— The 18th-ranked Bulldogs from Mississippi State will be in Manhattan Saturday. Will the REAL Wildcat football team stand up? I think so. K-State 30, Mississippi State 27.
— The Chippewas of Central Michigan return only 4 starters on offense which SHOULD play into the hands of Kansas but, hey, we’ve learned that nothing goes as planned when figuring how a game might go for the Jayhawks. Still, that road losing streak has GOT to end sometime, doesn’t it? Kansas 27, Central Michigan 24.
— Lou Holtz, former Arkansas, Notre Dame and South Carolina football coach: “On this team we’re all united in a common goal: to keep my job!”
Buddy Tabler is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at budtabler@gmail.com.
