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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

The starter against the Owls Saturday:


Mangino announces Barmann as starter
KU coach doesn't rule out playing true freshman

By Andy Samuelson, Online Sports Editor

Monday, August 29, 2005

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino announced Monday that junior quarterback Adam Barmann will be the starter for next Saturday's season-opening game against Florida Atlantic.

"We're going to go with Adam Barmann. Adam has earned the job," Mangino said during Monday's weekly Big 12 teleconference.

"He's had a great summer and a really efficient month of August," Mangino continued of Barmann, who completed 141-of-262 passes last season for 1,427 yards and 12 touchdowns. While Mangino said Barmann will be the starter he said Jayhawk fans could expect to see others occupy the position, and didn't rule out playing true freshman Kerry Meier of Pittsburg.

"Kerry Meier is still very much competing for the position as the No. 2 guy," Mangino said. In addition to the announcement of quarterback Mangino cleared up the status in his team's secondary, saying that in addition to Charles Gordon, senior Ronnie Amadi will start at the other corner spot. Junior Jerome Kemp will start at strong safety, with senior Rodney Fowler securing the job at free safety.

For more on this story, see the 6News sports reports at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband's channel 6 and pick up a copy of Tuesday's Journal-World.



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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

grayowl said


Are they referencing this for the remainder of the season or are they expecting a major blow-out? I hope not the latter, as I am stoked for a major season opening UPSET of Kansas.

So psyched for Saturday. Hope it will be televised!
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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

right now were +21. I'm on that like stink on sh!t. kansas is okay but a top 50 team at best. I like our chances. People underate the coaching standpoint.
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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

exit 39, i'd hang on for a few more days! I have FAU getting 24 right now at sportsbook.com and they were getting 22.5 this morning. I'm gonna hold on for a couple more days. People are burying Kansas right now, let em!
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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

Thanks for the reminder buddy. Rode FAU for some SERIOUS CA$H last season.

Time to move some money over to the book baby!!

Sounds to me there are very little believers in ol FAU on the sportsbook with the line getting smaller. Might want to jump on that 24 if its still available.
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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

More from the Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World:


Barmann tapped as starter – for now
By Ryan Wood, Journal-World Sports Writer

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino left the door open when he announced Monday that Adam Barmann would be the team's starting quarterback to open the season.

The junior will start Saturday's game against Florida Atlantic, beating senior Brian Luke and freshman Kerry Meier for the job after what Mangino called a strong offseason of preparation.

"Adam has earned the job," Mangino said during Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference. "He has performed at a high level throughout August."

Mangino, though, stressed the quarterback competition wasn't finished. He said Barmann might not be the only quarterback to see action Saturday, and, when asked, said Meier was not yet a lock for a red-shirt season.

"Kerry Meier is still very much competing for the position as the number-two guy," Mangino said. "He's not out of the mix yet, so we'll have to wait and see."

The news was somewhat expected, as Mangino had given hints of Barmann's progress since Big 12 Conference media days more than a month ago. Barmann looked the most consistent in open preseason practices, and Mangino said during spring workouts that as the incumbent starter it was Barmann's job to lose.

Barmann started the first eight games of 2004, passing for 1,427 yards and 12 touchdowns. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Iowa State but already had been replaced at certain times by Jason Swanson.

Quarterback is not the only position being fought for – the offensive line isn't settled, nor is defensive tackle or safety – but Mangino seems encouraged.

"The intense competition at those positions raises the level of play for our team," Mangino said. "Sometimes you have guys win the job by default or inherit them, and they're not as motivated."


?
Dinged up: Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger also spoke Monday in the Sun Belt coaches conference call, bemoaning the lack of progress his team made this preseason.

"Our training camp has been riddled with injuries, which is very discouraging with this young, new football team we have," Schnellenberger said. "By and large, we missed an awful lot of training camp."

At one point, 21 players were missing in action, forcing an open-to-the-public scrimmage to be canceled.

"Thank God we have a week to go solidify what we're going to be doing," Schnellenberger said.

?
Katrina woes: Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf coast Monday in Alabama, Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana, forcing the Sun Belt headquarters to be relocated temporarily to Jackson, Miss.

The storm first passed through South Florida last week, though, where Florida Atlantic is located. At that point, it was Category 1, and its impact on FAU's preparation was minimal.

"This one was really not a big thing for us," Schnellenberger said. "We did close campus for one day because it looked like it was going to come close to us."

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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

From the Lawrence, Kan. Journal-World. [Be careful what food you accept if you go to the FAU-KU game.] Honest. This was in the paper there. Not the student paper, but the real paper.

* * *
Tailgaters gone wild!

Grab your grill and favorite beverage: It?s time for football

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

No matter how the Jayhawks play on the field, the Atomic Buffalo Turds will be hot at Bruce Murrish?s tailgate party.

The name of Murrish?s favorite football fare may raise eyebrows, but he promises the ?turds? ? made from filling a hollowed-out jalapeno with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and pork ? are a crowd-pleaser.

?We try to have a variety,? Murrish says of his tailgate menu. ?If you stick to brats and hamburgers, it gets kind of boring. You want something different.?

With Kansas University returning to the gridiron Saturday, Murrish and hundreds of fellow tailgaters will be breaking out their grills and looking to score a tastebud touchdown in the parking lots surrounding Memorial Stadium.

The key is to find a balance of the right food, beverages and atmosphere to turn a football game into an all-day extravaganza with friends.

?It?s the new American social and the last great American neighborhood,? says Joe Cahn, the self-proclaimed Commissioner of Tailgating. ?The only stranger in the tailgate area is the one you haven?t said ?hello? to yet.?

Atomic buffalo turds

2 pounds fresh jalapenos
2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 heaping tablespoon dry onion
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 cup or more pulled pork or finely chopped little smokies
1 or 2 tablespoons honey
Barbecue rub
2 pounds bacon
Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and membrane and set aside. Set bacon out and let come to room temperature. Mix all remaining ingredients except barbecue rub thoroughly. Fill peppers with mixture. Cut bacon in half. Wrap half slice around each pepper. Sprinkle with barbecue rub. Cook at 225-250 degrees until bacon is one, or about an hour.

Source: Bruce Murrish

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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

More from the paper in Lawrence, Kan., home of the Jayhawks:


QB pick was no-brainer

Jayhawk contenders not shocked to learn Mangino tapped incumbent Barmann as starting slinger

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

So unsurprising was the decision to start Adam Barmann at quarterback that Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino didn't inform the candidates before informing the media Monday about his final decision.

"I actually found out in today's paper," senior Brian Luke said Tuesday. "But I'm not discouraged whatsoever by it. It's not going to affect the way I work."

Barmann, too, said he learned through the media of the final decision, but said it wasn't a shock based on practice.

"Coach never really came out and told us," Barmann said. "I've just been working with the (first team) most of camp. I felt it was always my job, I guess."

It is clear – and perhaps has been for a while – that Barmann will be the starter Saturday when KU plays Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium. But Mangino has said Barmann may not be the only quarterback to receive snaps. He won't discuss it further, though.

The unknown certainly raises eyebrows. Could the fill-in be Luke, the experienced fifth-year senior? Or will it be freshman Kerry Meier, who is eligible for a red-shirt season if the KU coaches want to save his talent?

"I don't want to divulge that at this point in time because we're still tinkering with the situation a little bit," Mangino said.

"In the back of my mind, I know what I want to do and what our offensive coaches want to do, but we still need a little bit more time before we make that final decision."

Some would assume that the "final decision" revolves around Meier's red-shirt option – a big choice that will have to be made before long, and also one that Mangino says ultimately he leaves up to the player. But nobody said as much at Tuesday's news conference at Hadl Auditorium, leaving an intriguing side story heading into Saturday's game.

It could stay dangling, though, if Barmann plays the whole game. Mangino didn't count that out, either, especially considering Barmann's level of play in the preseason.

"His performance on the practice field has been very good," Mangino said. "He's a better football player today than he was last season. He's healthy, throwing the ball very well, and has a much better command of the offense."

? True freshmen to play: While Meier's status remains a mystery, Mangino said a couple of true freshmen definitely would play Saturday.

As expected, Russell Brorsen will see the field as the number two tight end behind sophomore Derek Fine. Another sure bet will be James Holt.

"It's not so much that he's ready to play safety for us," Mangino said of Holt. "He's come in and proved that he's such a quick, tough athlete, that he's going to play on special teams for us. It's hard to ignore his ability on special teams."

Mangino also mentioned Darrell Stuckey as a possibility, and said a couple other freshmen were on the bubble.

? No Heaggans: Mangino has made no definitive decision on who will return kickoffs Saturday, but it won't be Greg Heaggans.

Mangino said Heaggans wouldn't play against FAU so he could tend to a personal matter. Mangino declined to say it was disciplinary.

With Heaggans unavailable, the duties could go to either Gary Green, Jon Cornish or Kenneth Thompson.

? Secondary sorted out: The four secondary starting spots seemed to be locked down, at least for this week.

Charles Gordon and Ronnie Amadi will start at the cornerback spots, while Rodney Fowler (free) and Jerome Kemp (strong) will play safety.

Mangino expects to rotate players without much of a dropoff, including Aqib Talib at either safety position. He also said cornerback Theo Baines, slowed by an undisclosed injury, would be able to play some Saturday.
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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

Coach Schnellengerger, as told by the Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World:


Football

Veteran football coach realistic about Owls' hopes
By Ryan Wood, Journal-World Sports Writer

Thursday, September 1, 2005

There are some coaches who reek of optimism and are quick to talk up their own players and the progress they've made, no matter how honest the assessment actually is.

And then there's Howard Schnellenberger.

Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic's football coach, lives by the code of honesty – no matter how much it stings to a sapling of a football program.

FAU, in its first year as a full-fledged NCAA Division I-A member, embarks on a brutal nonconference slate starting Saturday against Kansas University at Memorial Stadium.

Schnellenberger's prospects for the Owls? Not so good.

"We go into this game recognizing we're the prohibitive underdog, that a win by us would be something spectacular," Schnellenberger said. "But we go in knowing this is what we need to do to develop this football program."

Such a plan includes the game with Kansas – FAU is a 22-point underdog – followed by a clash with Oklahoma State next week, as well as matchups with Minnesota and Louisville later this season. Michigan State and Kansas State are on future slates.

The veteran coach hopes he has enough players to field a team after the overwhelming stretch of games upcoming. But if anyone knows what's best for Florida Atlantic, it's Schnellenberger, who has been in charge since the program was just a dream under construction.

"Obviously, we're way overscheduled for this time in our development," Schnellenberger said. "But for us to get to where we want to get to, we need to play as good a non-conference schedule as we can."

Of the six power-conference teams scheduled to face Florida Atlantic in the near future, half are planning a return trip to Boca Raton, Fla.

Oklahoma State will travel to South Florida for a nationally televised game next week, and Minnesota and Michigan State have arranged two-for-one agreements, too, meaning in a three-game series, FAU will travel twice and play one home game and be compensated nicely for agreeing to such a deal.

"Two-for-one is really good for us at this juncture," Schnellenberger said. "When Bobby Bowden was developing his team (at Florida State), he had to go out to Nebraska four times, maybe five times, and I'm not sure he got a return game."

Prior to being put in charge of FAU football in 1998 – two years before the program's first practice – Schnellenberger had success as coach at Louisville and Miami (Fla.), winning the national title with the Bernie Kosar-led Hurricanes in 1983. He also had a one-year stint at Oklahoma in 1995 and a two-year stint as head coach of the NFL's Baltimore Colts in the mid 1970s.

Faced with a new and unique task, Schnellenberger has done wonders erecting the Florida Atlantic football program from scratch.

After three years of fund-raising, getting the word out and corralling potential players, the Owls played their first game on Sept. 1, 2001. Just two years and 22 games later, FAU had defeated a I-A opponent, a 20-19 victory over Middle Tennessee State.

It's the fastest any program ever accomplished such a feat.

The Owls continued to rise, finishing 9-3 in 2004, beating four Division I-A teams (Hawaii, MTSU, North Texas and Florida International) and propelling the Owls into Division I-A on the right foot.

But an instrumental senior class was lost after last season, and it seemed that as soon as Schnellenberger put together a winner, he'd be forced to go back to the drawing board with an inexperienced squad.

To make matters worse, he'll do so playing several of college football's upper-echelon programs.

But you won't hear him complaining. And considering his tell-it-like-it-is approach, it shouldn't be dismissed as coach-speak, either.

"Being in a conference, we felt that it was going to be more difficult to get a type of non-conference schedule that we truly want," Schnellenberger said. "Thank God it turned out to be just the opposite."

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From Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World

From the Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World:


Dawson making KU lean, mean

Jayhawk football strength coach's tough love gaining following of strong, flexible players

By Tom Keegan, Journal-World Sports Editor

Friday, September 2, 2005

Everywhere his eyes take him in the Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Center, Kansas University offensive lineman Scott Haverkamp sees something that makes all the grunting and groaning seem worthwhile.

"I just look around the weight room, and guys' physiques are totally different than what they used to be," Haverkamp said. "Offensive linemen, granted, are going to have a little bit of a waistline, but they're starting to slim, starting to get broader shoulders. They're starting to look more athletic."

Haverkamp, a red-shirt freshman from Silver Lake, equally is floored by how some of those big bodies are moving these days.

"You'll catch yourself looking in the mirror and just be like: ?Wow, I can't believe I just made that cut.' Or, ?I can't believe how low my hips are getting on everything.' A lot of people don't realize how big a part of the game flexibility is."

KU strength coach Chris Dawson, the drill sergeant in charge of Operation Jayhawk Iron, does.

Dawson also realizes how inflexible demands lead to greater strength, flexibility and quickness. Compassion isn't in the equation.

"I call it convenience coaching," Dawson said of letting sympathy seep into the weight room. "If that's how we coached down here, we wouldn't get very much out of the kids. If I coached when I wanted to coach, they would probably give effort when they want to give effort. That's exactly how that would trickle down. So I don't mind pushing them and watching them struggle.

"If you're consistent about how you coach, they'll see results, they'll trust you, and they'll understand it's not going to be easy."


Tough love

Settling disputes as to whether a player who has lost count has done enough reps or needs one more are easy to settle.

"He'll make you go back and do more," Haverkamp said. "He's going to get up in your ear if you're not working as hard as you can. You don't like somebody yelling at you sometimes, but he gets the most out of you."

KU head coach Mark Mangino appreciates Dawson's hard-driving ways that don't drive away players.

"He's very demanding, but the kids know he's trying to make them better," Mangino said. "They respect him and they like him and that's not always the case with strength coaches. In a lot of situations, the players don't want anything to do with the strength coach. They avoid him."

A linebacker at Oklahoma from 1992 to '94, Dawson learned under Joe Juraszek, formerly of Oklahoma and now with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dawson's not a witch doctor who claims to have reinvented his profession with an assortment of trail-blazing theories and magic potions. He bypasses opportunities to self-promote by repeatedly reminding that if the athletes "didn't have ability, they wouldn't have been recruited." His lack of self-promotion lends credibility to his words, and those aren't weak on the topic of the Jayhawks and their improvement.

"I don't have any doubt we're stronger, we're quicker, we're more flexible," than a year ago at this time, said Dawson, hired Feb., 2003. "Our physical attributes have been enhanced by the way these guys have worked."

Five points

Strength, speed and flexibility are three of the five points of emphasis in Dawson's iron empire. He lists nutrition and supplementation as the fourth, and conditioning as the fifth.

"Personally, I'm a big believer in eating well," he said. "Eat well, and get proper rest. Most guys don't need to be taking supplements. If we've got a guy who needs to gain weight, certainly there are things we can give him to up his calorie intake. But a lot of people confuse supplement and substitute. You'll hear: ?I'm taking this protein shake for breakfast.' Wait a minute, that's no longer a supplement. It's a substitute."

Asked who was the strongest Jayhawk, Dawson smiles. He knows most measure that by asking the question jocks have asked each other in high school since the beginning of time: How much do you bench?

"I've always found humor in it," he said. "It is important that we bench press as far as upper-body strength, but as far as functional strength, if you're on your back having to press a guy off of you, that's probably not the best thing."

Fine-tuning

The art of fine-tuning the human body with weights and stretching exercises has come a long way, but Dawson likes to give credit to his professional ancestors.

"It's ever-evolving, but in a lot of ways, it brings a smile to my face," he said. "The last five to 10 years, core stabilization has been the common term, and I always think about the old black-and-white photo from what appears to be the early 1900s with the guy wearing the Jack La Lanne-type jumpsuit, holding the med ball. "

The bulk of the body reshaping has been done, and maintenance is the key during the season. The fun part begins Saturday with the season opener, a 6 p.m. kickoff against Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium.

"It's fun to see them rewarded for their efforts, things that they do that a lot of people don't see," Dawson said. "They're jaw-dropping at times. It's a heck of a commitment."

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