1350 KMAN Sports

K-State offense looking to take another step forward

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:45:48 +0000

Despite just 64 passing yards, the K-State offense scored 31 points in a season opening victory over UCLA. The Wildcats running game saved the day, posting over 300 rushing yards with the combination of Daniel Thomas and William Powell. Thomas ran over and past the Bruins for 234 yards on 28 rushes and two touchdowns. K-State coach Bill Snyder says he wanted the passing game to be more involved, but they went with what was working. Powell gained 72 yards on just 6 carries against the Bruins including a 28-yard touchdown gallop. Snyder says Powell is a nice change of pace in the vein of a Wildcat legend, Darren Sproles.

After building chemistry and continuity throughout 2009, the K-State offensive line lost a starter on the second play of this young season, when right tackle Ethan Douglas went down with an injury against UCLA. Coach Bill Snyder says Douglas won’t play at least this week against Missouri State. Zach Hanson, a backup at left tackle, stepped in for Douglas on the right side. Snyder was pleased with Hanson’s play being called in duty on game day. Hanson says he thought he did pretty well on the fly, and switching sides of the offensive line is tougher than you might think because all of the footwork associated with the position changes.

K-State will host Missouri State this Saturday night at 6:10 pm. Powercat Gameday kicks off our coverage on KMAN at 2:00 on the Big State on the west side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Freeman returns to practice for Buccaneers

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:17:39 +0000

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Former K-State standout and Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman practiced for the first time since breaking the thumb on his throwing hand and expects to play in the Buccaneers’ season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The second-year pro missed the last two weeks of the preseason after banging his right thumb on the helmet of a pass rusher during an exhibition against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 21. The Bucs were confident all along that he would return before the start of the regular season. Freeman did not wear a bandage or protective splint on the thumb Tuesday.

High school sports roundup 9/7

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:16:19 +0000

- Manhattan High girls tennis won the Topeka High quad. #1 singles player Alexandra Sager went 2-1, #2 singles player Annie Hodges went 3-0, the #1 doubles team of Julia Yang and Carolyn Fox went 1-2, and the #2 doubles team of Erin Cruise and Caitly Wichman (Wish-man) went 3-0.

- Manhattan High girls golf finished 3rd at the Salina Central Invitational held at the Salina Municipal golf course. Hays claimed first place with a 155, Hutchinson was second with 170, and the Tribe shot 177. Jenna Cruisenberry shot 40 for 8th place, and Aubrey Rumford also carded a 40 for 9th place.

- Clay Center swept Wamego volleyball, 26-24 and 25-21, 25-17 and 25-19.

Royals can’t play spoiler against Twins

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:15:39 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Jim Thome hit another towering homer, Delmon Young drove in four runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-3 on Tuesday night to take their largest AL Central lead in 10 days. Francisco Liriano (13-7) raised his second-half record to 7-0 in 10 starts, giving up seven hits and two runs in seven easy innings. J.J. Hardy had three RBIs for the Twins, who scored six times in the third against Brian Bannister (7-12) and moved 4.5 games ahead of Chicago in the division race. The White Sox lost to Detroit 9-1, ending their seven-game winning streak. The Twins have won five straight, 10 of their last 12 and 33 of 45.

K-State riding high out of season opener

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:37:41 +0000

K-State got it done on Saturday 31-22 over UCLA to open the season 1-0. A career day from Daniel Thomas led the way for the cats as he racked up 234 yards on the ground. Monday, head coach Bill Snyder spoke on the Big 12 coaches teleconference and Snyder says his team took some confidence out of game 1, but wants his team to become more disciplined.

Daniel Thomas racked up a career high 234 yards on Saturday and Snyder says K-State needs that kind of production from their workhorse back. Quarterback Carson Coffman had an up and down game against UCLA. Overall Snyder says it was a solid effort from Coffman.

K-State and Missouri State kick off this Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium at 6:10 pm.

K-State puts 14 players on NFL rosters

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:33:44 +0000

Kansas State placed 14 former players on NFL rosters as teams were mandated to trim their rosters to 53 active players on Saturday. Of the 14 players, eight are on offense and six are on defense. The longest-tenured former Wildcats include running back Rock Cartwright (ninth season), safety Jon McGraw (ninth season) and cornerback Terrance Newman (eighth season). Two players from the 2009 Wildcats captured spots on active rosters as sixth-round draft pick Joshua Moore remained on the Chicago Bears’ active roster, while wide receiver Brandon Banks made the 53-man roster for the Washington Redskins as an undrafted rookie free agent. The 32 NFL teams will fill out practice squads, which will be announced at a later date. The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 9, while a full slate a games are scheduled for Sunday, September 12.

Embattled Kansas AD Perkins retires

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:30:26 +0000

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Embattled Kansas athletics director Lew Perkins has retired, one year before he planned to step down. Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and Perkins made the announcement jointly in a news release Tuesday. Perkins is 65. He had said in June he would retire in 2011. Sean Lester was named interim athletics director. Perkins’ tenure at Kansas has been marked by both great success and personal embarrassment. Since he arrived from UConn, the Jayhawks have won the NCAA basketball championship and the football team won the Orange Bowl. But there have also been scandals and embarrassments, including a ticket scam allegedly conducted by staff members that cost the school as much as $3 million. Perkins has not been implicated in any wrongdoing in the ticket scandal.

Mizzou banged up on D

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:28:28 +0000

Missouri’s defense will be without starters Luke Lambert and Jasper Simmons this weekend against McNeese State. Coach Gary Pinkel says Lambert is week-to-week after hurting a hamstring. Simmons injured a knee, and Pinkel says he could miss one to two weeks after having surgery scheduled for today. Next up for Mizzou is a home date with McNeese State. Pinkel says he’s aware of the dangers of playing an FCS team, but really the Tigers can only beat themselves. Missouri and McNesse State kick off at 6 pm on Saturday in Columbia.

Twins trim Royals

Rob Voelker — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:26:28 +0000

Jason Kubel hit a go-ahead homer and Jim Thome launched his 585th career home run moments later, powering the Minnesota Twins past the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Monday. The fifth-inning shots by Kubel and Thome kept the Twins 3.5 games ahead of Chicago in the AL Central. The White Sox beat Detroit 5-4 in 10 innings. Thome’s blast hit off the top of the American flagpole beyond the right-field bleachers at Target Field. He is one homer shy of Frank Robinson for eighth all-time.

K-State’s Snyder not pleased UCLA is up first

Rob Voelker — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:32:56 +0000

A national television audience will witness K-State’s season opening clash with UCLA on Family Reunion Weekend. The Cats will be looking to even the score with the Bruins, who prevailed 23-9 last season in Los Angeles. K-State coach Bill Snyder says he doesn’t like opening the season with an opponent from a fellow BCS conference like UCLA, and would like to start out with a lesser foe like they did a year ago with UMass. “It would give you the opportunity to let younger people get game experience,” Snyder said. “It preserves the injury potential for your front line players. You know when the conference schedule begins, that it’s going to be eight weeks of very, very, very competitive football.”

The Cats and Bruins collide this Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm. Powercat Gameday starts our coverage on the Gameday Network at 10:30 am on the Big Stage located on the west side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium.