By Steve Carpenter – Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team won its 21st consecutive home opener on Friday night.

The Blue Dragons hit a season-high .270 to sweep the Dodge City Conquistadors 25-18, 25-9, 25-15 in not only the home opener, but the Jayhawk West opener for Hutchinson.

The Dragons improve to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson plays host to Garden City at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Sports Arena. Dodge City falls to 0-7, 0-2 in the Jayhawk West.

The last time the Blue Dragons lost a home opener was 1998. Head Coach Patrick Hall is now 8-0 in home openers on the Hutchinson bench.

Hutch led Dodge City just 15-14 in the first set and dominated the match from that post. Hutch went on a 6-0 run to take a seven-point lead and ultimately a 10-4 run to close the set. After reaching 15-14 in the first set, Hutchinson outscored Dodge City 60-28.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Dodge City .270 to a negative .067. The Dragons had just seven more kills (30-23), but the Conquistadors had a 29-10 advantage in attack errors. The Dragons also had nine service aces to Dodge’s two.

Freshman outside hitter Camila Espejo hit .474 with nine kills on 19 attacks and six digs to lead the Blue Dragons offensively. Espejo has six kills in the first set, including two kills in that decisive 10-4 run to close the opening set.

Freshman Katelyn Elstun had eight kills on .263 hitting. Freshman Jenna Thorne had four kills on five attacks.

Sophomore setter Eboni Sapien finished with 11 assists, two aces and four digs. Freshman setter Lainey Robertson finished with 11 assists, six digs and two aces.

Freshman libero Alissa Bautista finished with 14 digs and three aces.

Thorne had four total blocks, while freshman Myracle Lettries had three blocks and four kills and freshman Jaydin Schake had three blocks each.

Dodge City, which had 12 kills and 29 attack errors, had eight kills from Ruby Osawavey. No other Conquistador had more than four kills.

By Steve Carpenter – Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Freshmen Samantha Vaughn and Mara Franke and sophomore Macy Smithcombined for seven goals and seven assists to lead the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team to a 13-0 victory over the Redlands Cougars on Friday afternoon at Don Michael Field.

Vaughn and Franke were two of six different Blue Dragons to have multi-point games in one of the more dominant performances in the last several seasons. Hutchinson out-shot Redlands 45-0, 28-0 in shots on goal.

The Blue Dragons improve to 2-1 and will play at Barton at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.

Vaughn scored four goals to lead the Blue Dragon onslaught. She becomes the 26th Blue Dragon with a four-goal game and it was the 55th all-time hat trick in Hutchinson women’s soccer history.

Three of Vaughn’s goals came on assists by Franke, who had a goal and four assists. Three of her assists came directly off corner kicks. Franke’s four assists tie for second most in a single game by a Blue Dragon freshman and ties for fifth most in Hutch single game history.

Smith had a career-high seven point game with two goals and a career-high three assists.

Freshman Chavelle Henry had two goals and two assists in her Blue Dragon debut. Freshman Cheyenne Busker scored a pair of goals.

Sophomore Naomi Waithira had a goal and two assists. She picked up the game-winning goal.

Freshman goalkeeper Chiara Soergel posted her second shutout of the season without facing a shot.

This was the 24th time in team history that Hutchinson has held an opponent to no shots taken and the 41st time the Blue Dragons faced no shots on goal.

Redlands goalkeeper Kennedy Hendren had 15 saves in the game.

Hutchinson led 6-0 at halftime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Playing high school ball in suburban Kansas City, lefty John Means hoped he would someday pitch at Kauffman Stadium.

Did he figure that actually would happen? Hardly.

Means made the wait worth it, pitching seven strong innings to claim his first win against his hometown team as the Baltimore Orioles pounded the Royals 14-2 Friday night.

“I didn’t think I’d ever make it here, to be honest,” he said with a big grin on his face. “It was always my dream, but I was a realist as a kid. I thought I’d have to get a job.”

“It was really cool. I grew up probably coming to 200 games here in my lifetime. I’m definitely familiar with the park,” he said.

Means graduated from nearby Gardner-Edgerton High School in Kansas. The 26-year-old All-Star said there were around 100 friends and family members in attendance.

“There were some people who didn’t even tell me they were coming that I saw when I was coming out of the bullpen,” he said.

Means (10-9) matched a career high for innings. He gave up two runs and five hits, walking none and striking out four.

“To perform like that in front of family and friends I’m sure feels great,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He did it without his best fastball and his best changeup. He didn’t throw that many breaking balls. For him to go seven innings against a big league ballclub without his best stuff is pretty cool.”

Means was activated from the family medical emergency list prior to the game. He was put on the list last weekend and returned to the Kansas City area. The team had said it was a private matter — Means said after the game that his father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a couple of weeks ago.

Before the game, Hyde said the timing was good for Means to return.

“The fortunate part was that he was able to come home,” Hyde said. “It just happened to work out that we were coming here. It’s his day to pitch and he gets the opportunity to pitch in front of numerous family members and friends. So it’s pretty cool.”

Means was a high school teammate of Royals center fielder Bubba Starling. The first time up, Starling doubled — he fouled out twice in his other at-bats against Means.

“He said, ‘slider, huh?’ when he walked past me after the double,” Means said.

Hanser Alberto got a career-high five hits and Pedro Severino had four of the Orioles’ 21 hits in their highest-scoring game of the season.

Jonathan Villar stole three bases, including a swipe of home when the Royals tried to pick him off third base.

“It feels pretty good,” Alberto said, “but it feels better when you get a ‘W.’ It was a great team win tonight. I’m sticking to my approach to hit it to the big part of the field.”

Jorge Soler hit his 38th home run, tying the Royals record set by Mike Moustakas in 2017.

“He feels good about it,” quality control coach Pedro Grafol said, translating for Soler. “Obviously, he tied the record. We lost, so that wasn’t good, but he was able to tie the all-time record here. He feels like if he breaks it, he breaks it, if he doesn’t he doesn’t.”

Soler hit a solo drive in the first, his 10th home run in August.

Anthony Santander hit a three-run homer that put the Orioles up 4-1 in the third. Severino added his second RBI single of the game, driving in Villar with a flyball that dropped between three fielders.

Eric Skoglund (0-1) gave up six runs on nine hits and three walks in four innings.

Royals left fielder Alex Gordon pitched for the second time in five games. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy is expected to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list for Sunday’s start against the Orioles. Duffy has been on the IL since Aug. 8 with a left hamstring strain. Duffy’s last rehab start was Aug. 25 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and it was enough to convince him he’s ready.

“That was a test, and I passed. I’m looking forward to sharpening a little bit more and getting that pitch count a little bit higher.” … SS Adalberto Mondesi may be activated Sunday as well when rosters can be expanded. Mondesi has been on the IL since July 17 with a left shoulder subluxation.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (6-13, 4.98 ERA) starts for Baltimore.

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez (2-7, 6.56 ERA) allowed one run on two hits in five innings against the Orioles in Baltimore on Aug. 19.

K-STATE OPENS KLIEMAN ERA WITH VISIT FROM NICHOLLS
Kansas State opens a new era of Wildcat Football under Chris Klieman as the 2019 season kicks off with K-State hosting Nicholls at 6 p.m., on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The contest will be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Drew Fellios (play-by-play) and Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on Sirius channel 111, XM Channel 200 and in addition to the TuneIn app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

A LOOK AT K-STATE

• K-State boasts 40 returning letterwinners – including 18 starters – from last season as the Wildcats usher in a new era of K-State football.
• Klieman’s staff features nine new coaches with Courtney Messingham leading the offense and Scottie Hazelton leading the defense, while quarterbacks coach Collin Klein returns for his fifth season in Manhattan.
• The Wildcats bring back a career 14-game starter at quarterback in Skylar Thompson, who enters his junior season as one of only two players in school history to reach 2,000 career passing yards prior to the end of his sophomore season.
• Thompson, a team captain, will have an experienced offensive line in front of him as there are five seniors in the mix to start, while they six possible starting linemen have combined for 96 career starts, including 38 by left tackle Scott Frantz, 30 by right guard Tyler Mitchell and 25 by center Adam Holtorf.
• The Wildcats do not return any rushing yards by running backs from last year – a program first since at least 1949 – but they did bring in graduate transfers James Gilbert (Ball State) and Jordon Brown (North Carolina), both of whom are career 1,000-yard rushers.
• At receiver, Dalton Schoen returns for his senior year needing only 10 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark for his career, while the tight end spot will be stabilized by sophomore Nick Lenners and senior Blaise Gammon.
• Much like its counterpart on offense, the defensive line is stacked with a two-deep of veteran players, headlined by senior tackle Trey Dishon, senior end Reggie Walker and sophomore end Wyatt Hubert, the latter coming off Freshman All-America honors in 2018.
• Linebacker returns the team’s leading tackler a year ago in Da’Quan Patton, while two of the three defensive backs who led the team in picks last year – AJ Parker and Kevion McGee – are also back.
• The kicker and punter spots are held down by players who were phenomenal in 2018 as kicker Blake Lynch is back after making 87.5-percent of his field goals last year, while punter Devin Anctil held a 43.6-yard average in 2018.

A LOOK AT NICHOLLS

• Nicholls returns 40 letterwinners, including 12 starters, off a team that finished the 2018 season with a 9-4 record and a 7-2 mark in league play to win the Southland Conference.
• The Colonels advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs where they lost to Eastern Washington, a team that made the FCS Championship but was downed by the Chris Klieman-led North Dakota State Bison.
• Nicholls enters the 2019 season by being ranked in the top 25 of the FCS, garnering an 11th-place ranking in the FCS Coaches Poll and a No. 12 spot in the STATS FCS Top 25.
• Tim Rebowe enters his fifth year at the helm after spending the previous 11 seasons as an assistant at Louisiana. He holds a 25-22 record in Thibodaux and has led the Colonels to consecutive FCS Playoff appearances.
• Quarterback Chase Fourcade enters his fourth year as the starting quarterback as he was named an FCS Preseason All-American and to the Walter Payton Award Watch List as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year.
• Fourcade has thrown for 7,728 career yards and 53 touchdowns, including career highs of 2,930 yards and 21 scores a year ago.
• Nicholls’ leading rusher from a year ago is also back in Dontrell Taylor, who just missed out on a 1,000-yard season with 990 yards and nine touchdowns.
• Fourcade also chipped in in the rushing game by totaling 659 yards and 13 scores.
• The Colonels’ leading returning receiver is Dai’Jean Dixon, who finished second on the team last year with 753 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 catches.

Defensively, Nicholls brings back its leaders in tackles (Khristian Mims – 76), tackles for loss (Evan Veron – 22.0) and sacks (Sully Laiche – 8.5), while two of the three players with a team-leading two interceptions are also back in Mims and Darren Evans.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES

• This marks the first time that K-State and Nicholls will meet on the gridiron.
• Similarly, the Wildcats have not faced off against members of the Southland Conference on too many occasions as they are just 3-0 against the league, all coming since 2003.

Interestingly, K-State has scored exactly 55 points each time it has faced a SLC member. In 2003, K-State downed McNeese, 55-14, while the Wildcats earned a 55-16 win over Stephen F. Austin in 2014 and a 55-19 triumph over Central Arkansas in 2017.

A NEW ERA

• The 2019 season opens a new era of K-State Football as Chris Klieman will lead the Wildcats for the first time this Saturday against Nicholls.
• Klieman was named the 35th head coach in school history on December 10, 2018.
• The previous 34 head coaches have combined to earn a 20-11-3 record in their first game leading K-State.
• Klieman is 2-0 in his inaugural game as the new head coach, earning a 48-3 win over Concordia (Ill.) as the new head coach at Loras College in 2005 and a 34-14 win at Iowa State as the new head coach at North Dakota State in 2014.

 

LOOKING FOR 200
• Bill Snyder Family Stadium is entering its 52nd year in 2019, and the Wildcats can hit a milestone win in the facility this Saturday as they hold a 199-116-3 (.631) all-time record.

• The record has been even better since 1990 as K-State holds a 153-40-1 (.791) mark when playing at home, including a 74-6 (.950) mark in non-conference games.

TEAM LEADERS

• Kansas State announced last Friday that seven players were voted team captains for the 2019 season.
• The list includes: Skylar Thompson, Trey Dishon, Denzel Goolsby, Wyatt Hubert, Dalton Schoen, Reggie Walker and Adam Holtorf.
• Each are serving as full-time captains for the first time.
• Hubert is just the eighth sophomore in program history to be named a captain. He is joined on that list by Mark Simoneau (1997), Terry Pierce (2001), Josh Freeman (2007), Alex Hrebec (2009), current K-State QB coach Collin Klein (2010), B.J. Finney (2012) and Dalton Risner (2016).

A WINNING HISTORY

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman comes to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018.
• Klieman guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record, making NDSU just the fifth team in FCS history to go undefeated and untied on the way to a national championship.
• A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Klieman has a career record of 72-13 (.847), as he went 69-6 in his five seasons at North Dakota State and 3-7 in one year as the head coach at Division III Loras College in 2005.
• Klieman’s overall winning percentage ranks fourth among all active NCAA coaches – regardless of division – and tops among active FBS coaches.

MESSINGHAM LEADS THE OFFENSE

• Kansas State’s offense will be guided by Courtney Messingham, who came to Manhattan after spending two years at North Dakota State and winning and pair of national championships.
• In 2018, Messingham’s offense set the school and Missouri Valley Football Conference records for points (622), touchdowns (80), rushing offense (4,293), total offense (7,076) and rushing touchdowns (54).
• Messingham’s appointment in Manhattan is his second in the Big 12 as he was at Iowa State from 2009 to 2013, the final two years serving as coordinator when the 2012 Cyclones ranked in the top five of six categories in ISU history.

HAZELTON LEADS THE DEFENSE

• Scottie Hazelton will run the K-State defense after spending the last two years as coordinator at Wyoming and the three years prior working for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• A 23-year coaching veteran, Hazelton’s defenses at Wyoming both ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense and in the top 30 in scoring defense.
• In his first season coaching the Cowboys in 2017, Hazelton’s unit led the nation in takeaways by forcing 38 opponent turnovers thanks to a nation-leading 18 fumble recoveries and a No. 2 national ranking with 20 picks.Nicholls at K-State

  Date: Saturday, August 31, 2019

  Kickoff: 6 p.m.

  Location: Manhattan, Kan.

  Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)

  Series: First Meeting

  TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

  Drew Fellios (Play-by-Play)

  Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst)

  Sirius Satellite Radio Ch. 111, XM Channel 200, Internet Channel 954

  Twitter Updates: @KStateFB

KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, today announced that Chairman David Glass and his family have reached an agreement under which John Sherman, a Kansas City, Missouri-based entrepreneur, and a group of local investors will acquire the Kansas City Royals franchise. Sherman and the co-investors will mark the third owner of the Royals since their inception in 1969 when Ewing Kauffman brought Major League Baseball back to Kansas City after a one-year absence. Closing of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including MLB approval.

“The decision to sell the Royals was difficult for our family. Our goal, which I firmly believe we’ve achieved, was to have someone local, who truly loved the game of baseball and who would be a great steward for this franchise going forward. In John Sherman we have found everything we were looking for in taking ownership of this franchise,” said David Glass, the team’s Owner and Chief Executive Officer since he acquired the team in April, 2000. “John Sherman and his group far exceeded our hope for the next caretaker of Royals baseball. His love for Kansas City and the game of baseball is well documented as are his philanthropic endeavors in the surrounding communities. A native of this area, John has made a huge impact in our business community and is so passionate about baseball that he purchased an ownership stake in the Cleveland Indians three years ago to begin his relationship with this great game. We are truly blessed to have someone of John’s stature and business acumen available to us from the metropolitan area to take the reins of this organization going forward.”

“As for my family, it has been an amazing run since we gained control of the franchise in 2000,” Mr. Glass continued. “I will miss this more than anyone realizes because I grew up loving this great game and was awarded a fantastic opportunity to own one of the 30 Major League clubs. We watched this club painfully come up 90-feet short in 2014 and then ultimately win that coveted World Series trophy in 2015. I will never forget the thrill of seeing over 800,000 people of this community come together on one sunny November day to salute the newly-crowned World Champions. It’s been a fantastic ride and I want to thank our great fans for supporting us through the years but now it’s time for someone else to oversee this franchise into its next championship and in John Sherman, we’ve found the perfect individual.”

“I am enormously grateful to David and the Glass Family for this extraordinary opportunity,” said John Sherman, “and am humbled by the chance to team up with a distinguished group of local investors to carry forward and build on this rich Kansas City Royals legacy. Our goal will be threefold: to compete for a championship on behalf of our fans; to honor their passion, their experience and their unwavering commitment; and to carry their hopes and dreams forward in this great Kansas City region we all love – – – for decades to come.”

John Sherman is an entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist whose footprint in the Kansas City region has spanned the broadest reach. He has founded two successful businesses based in Kansas City, Missouri. Since 2016, Mr. Sherman has been active in Major League Baseball as an owner and Vice Chairman of the Cleveland Indians Baseball Club and a member of the MLB Audit Committee.

Mr. Sherman has served and supported the Kansas City community extensively, and has been recognized with numerous honors for his business, civic and philanthropic leadership. He is past chair of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Truman Library Institute; he is also a trustee of both the Kauffman Foundation and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. He was named as both University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Entrepreneur of the Year and an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. John and his wife Marny are founders of The Sherman Family Foundation, which actively supports educational investment in the Kansas City region.

In 2014, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Missouri’s Bloch School of Business Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame with a group that included Ewing Kauffman, the original owner of the Kansas City Royals and Lamar Hunt, a founder of the American Football League (AFL) and former owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as sole financial advisor to the Glass Family and Kansas City Royals, and Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is serving as legal advisor. Inner Circle Sports LLC and Bowood Capital Advisors, LLC are serving as financial advisors to the Sherman Group, and Covington & Burling LLP is serving as legal counsel.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham and defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to the Wildcats’ game this Saturday against Nicholls. Quotes from both Messingham and Hazelton are below.

K-State and Nicholls kick off the 2019 season on Saturday at 6 p.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a game that will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and aired on the K-State Sports Network. The Wildcats are closing in on a sellout for an 11th-straight home opener, but scattered singles and standing-room only tickets remain. Those can be purchased by visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets, calling 1-800-221-CATS or visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

COURTNEY MESSINGHAM, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On Nicholls’ defense…

“They run really well and they are physical on their front seven.”

On his excitement for the season opener…

“I’m fired up to get out there. We’ve been practicing since spring ball, and our guys worked so hard in the summer and worked against each other. Then you go through fall camp and some point you have to go play against somebody else. So we are fired up just to get the opportunity to get out there and play.”

On the offense’s consistency…

“In practice I feel pretty good with it, especially when our ones are going. We have been consistent and have taken care of the football, which is one of the main concerns every day is take care of the football. But until you get out there and put the product on the field, you think you know, but until it really happens you are never really sure.”

On Nicholls’ backfield…

“Their deal is going to be how do they take full opportunity of every advantage that we give them. And we have to do a great job on our side of the ball taking care of the football, and making their offense drive long, long fields. When we get the football, every opportunity we get inside the 50, we need to be great with it and we need to try to put points on the board. If we punt, so be it, but let’s take care of the ball and make them drive the length of the field.”

On quarterback Skylar Thompson…

“I think the biggest thing is I feel like as camp has gone along, he really has really started to understand the why we are doing what we are doing. His ability to say, ‘Coach, I’d rather do this,’ or, ‘I think this fits better,’ I’m all in because he’s got reasons for why he is doing that. It’s the normal deal where someone says, ‘Hey coach, let’s take some shots and throw it down the field,’ and you want to say, ‘Well, give me some options.’ Well Skylar is ready now to start saying, ‘Yeah, I think if we do this. It fits better with what they are doing.’ That’s great growth and hopefully that continues.”

On scripted plays to start off a game…

“We are more of a script early and then kind of see how the thing unfolds. Obviously, we have a little bit of a contingency plan because you never know if they are going to play exactly what you anticipate.”

On the amount of receivers that might play in the game…

“I would hope five to six. It just kind of depends on how the game flows, and how guys play. I feel good with probably five or six guys getting out there and being able to compete and do well.”

On Nick Lenners and Blaise Gammon…

“The good part is both of them can be physical and are big, thick guys. Neither of them run extremely well. Nick probably runs a little bit better than Blaise, but both of them being 6-5, 6-6, 6-7’and 250 or a little bit more, it allows us to run the ball in either direction with both of them being the lead guy or an extension to the O-Line. I really feel like Nick has done a good job doing some of the motion stuff and be able to start on one side and motion over and play on the other side. So I feel good about both of them.”

On the tight ends/fullbacks…

“We’ll do a little bit of both, meaning we’ll play them 12 personnel and you might say, ‘Wow, it looks like he’s playing fullback than true second tight end,’ and then we will also play traditional where you would say, ‘That’s truly a fullback in the I-formation.’ Generally speaking, the tight ends wouldn’t, per se, be in there, but they could be just because Nick is a really smart football player and understands it. Logan Long, if he gets an opportunity, which he very well could and could definitely be a fullback, needs be. I think the fullback position, they’ve done a nice job. Also the guys that have taken over and playing it.”

On holding back plays in the game plan…

“To be honest with you, there may be some things that are not yet in the game plan, per se, but we pretty much look at these guys like it’s a must-win opportunity. You have to put everything out there that you need, so we didn’t hold anything back or not put anything in.”

On the patience with the offense…

“It doesn’t matter what was done in the past, it matters how much our guys really understand what we are trying to get accomplished now and the ability to execute it. So, hopefully we will play well. I think our guys are ready to play and chopping at the bit to get the opportunity to get on the field and see where things are at. Obviously, we are going to preach to them about taking care of the football and scoring points when we get an opportunity.”

SCOTTIE HAZELTON, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On coaches being either on the field or in the press box……

“Myself, Buddy Wyatt and Van Malone will be downstairs. Joe (Klanderman) and Tui (Mike Tuiasosopo) will be upstairs, and then our GA’s will be all be upstairs. We kind of do it by the situation. I am downstairs so I can communicate with linebackers and usually I can cross over to safeties and defensive ends. The guy who is downstairs generally handles all of the game on third down, whether it’s the defensive coach or which one of those guys handle it, and that is Buddy’s area. He is going to do that so Tui can watch the run schemes from upstairs. Joe prefers to be upstairs, and his vision is good about seeing what is going on across the field. I can crossover and talk to those guys if we need to and break it up that way.”

On the defense’s performance in practice…

“Its solid. We still have some ups and downs. They are still 18-to-22 year-old kids. For us, it has been a deal with understanding the style of practice. They have been trained to do it a certain way for so long, and we are doing things a little bit different that you switch something up on or take the pads off or put noise on and the communication goes down because they do not know how to fight through it. Then the next day, you address those things then they’ll be new to that. It is just trying to balance everything out that you could have on game day. Hopefully we will play pretty fast.”

On Nicholls quarterback Chase Fourcade…

“He is a player. Any level as you look at people, you can see he is experienced. He has won a lot of games and he understands their system. He is an explosive player both running the ball and throwing the ball. It gives you a fit on defense that is something you worry about all the time. A guy like that who has been in the system for a long time is dangerous. You can trick him and keep hitting him with things, but when he figures out what you are doing, he can hurt you and be explosive. That is really what offenses look for these days. You can hold them to zero (yards), zero, zero, one (yard) and then he goes for 35 (yards) and a touchdown. You can say you are playing good defense, but you’re down points and you are only eight plays into the game.”

On preparing for Nicholls…

“They have a lot of weapons. It is not just one back, they have about three back there. One guy is a speed guy that runs the ball and can find creases. They have two others that is a very good change up. They got a big bruiser in the backfield, and they got a guy that can cut and do all those things. For us, it is what it is going to be. You have to look at those things and say, ‘OK, if this guy is hurting us, what do you want to do?’ You have to adjust and see how the matchups work out during the game. I think everyone is going to do that. Everyone is going to have a good running back and quarterback, and everyone is at least going to have one good wide receiver. You can kind of make this your test process and say, ‘How are we playing this spot? If it is going to be an issue, then we switch and need to do this.’ We just have to see how it works as we go.”

On defensive end Kyle Ball…

“He has been consistent since he stepped onto the field this fall. He is a guy that understands the defense and his job. He did a really good job when he was hurt in the spring picking up the defense. Most guys without doing it, they cannot do it themselves. He had the ability to take things in the classroom, walk onto the field right away and do them. Reggie (Walker) was nicked up, but I think defensive end is a good position for us. We can play a lot of guys and keep them really fresh. We are excited to have all those defensive ends. They all have little slots where they can play in different areas and in the same area.”

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football Communications | K-State Athletics

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas Jayhawks kick off the 2019 season on Saturday, as they host the Indiana State Sycamores at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. The game will kick off at at 11 a.m. and will air on FSN with Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Jordan Palmer (analyst) on the call.

Saturday’s contest opens a new era of Kansas football, as it is the first under head coach Les Miles. Along with Miles, the Jayhawks bring in a rejuvenated staff, while returning 54 lettermen and 13 starters from a season ago, including eight All-Big 12 selections.

Prior to Saturday’s season-opener, head coach Les Miles met with the media to preview the Jayhawks’ meeting with the Sycamores.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Blue and Gold Scrimmage is tonight at Gowans Stadium. Here is the schedule of events:

5:30 – Gridiron Gladiator Teams warm-up
5:40 – 1st and 2nd grade teams run plays
5:50 – 3rd and 4th grade teams run plays
6:00 – 5th and 6th grade teams run plays
6:10 – 7th and 8th grade teams run plays

Four-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma is opening the season against a recently departed foe. New Houston coach Dana Holgorsen’s first game with the Cougars is the season opener Sunday at the Sooners. Holgorsen was at West Virginia the past eight seasons. Houston beat Oklahoma in the 2016 season opener. The Big 12’s first game is Oklahoma State at Oregon State on Friday night. There are eight games Saturday, including the league’s four new coaches all facing FCS teams at home.

Friday, Aug. 30
Oregon State vs. Oklahoma State, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 31
Northern Iowa at Iowa State, 11 a.m.
Indiana State at Kansas, 11 a.m.
James Madison at West Virginia, 1 p.m.
Montana State at Texas Tech, 3 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin at Baylor, 6 p.m.
Nicholls at Kansas State, 6 p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Texas, 7 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at TCU, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 1
Houston at Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) —One play stood out during the Packers’ 27-20 win over the Chiefs on Thursday night in the teams’ preseason finale. It happened on a dead ball in the fourth quarter.

After Packers running back Dexter Williams scored the deciding touchdown with 6:24 to play and Sam Ficken nailed the PAT, a fan raced onto the field as the two teams prepared for the ensuing kickoff. The fan ran about the length of the field and managed to take off his shirt before Kansas City safety Harold Jones-Quartey planted him at the 25-yard line.

The tackle earned the loudest cheer from the crowd of 73,803.

As for the game, Green Bay backup quarterback DeShone Kizer, with Aaron Rodgers looking on from the sideline, rebounded from a costly interception to finish with 77 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-15 passing.

Dexter Williams added 34 yards and a score on the ground for Green Bay, which opens the regular season Sept. 5 at rival Chicago.

The Chiefs, with reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes on the bench, were led by backup Kyle Shurmur. The undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt went 14 for 20 with 143 yards through the air and a touchdown.

The Chiefs got on the board first on a 28-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with about five minutes to play in the first quarter. Butker capped a 17-play, 80-yard drive led by Shurmur.

The Packers’ offense — with backup Tim Boyle getting the start under center and QB coach Luke Getsy handling the play-calling duties — punted on its first two possessions. But Green Bay linebacker Ty Summers made his case for a roster spot by picking off Shurmur and returning it 74 yards for a score to put the Packers ahead 6-3. Mason Crosby missed the PAT.

Green Bay increased its lead to 13-3 on a 2-yard pass from Boyle to Jace Sternberger. Boyle finished 3 for 6 with 18 yards and the score.

Kizer got his shot to make his case to be Rodgers’ backup and promptly threw an interception to safety Jordan Lucas. The turnover gave the Chiefs the ball at the Packers 7-yard line. That led to a 2-yard touchdown pass from Shurmur to receiver Jordy Fortson, who made up for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty earlier in the quarter. The Chiefs pulled within 13-10 with 3:43 to go in the first half.

Kizer rebounded on the following the drive, leading Green Bay on a 12-play, 81-yard march and capping it with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Evan Baylis. The Packers led 20-10 at intermission.

Chase Litton got the start in the second half and immediately led the Chiefs on a 16-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Litton found tight end Nick Keizer for a 4-yard TD.

Litton finished the night with 62 yards and the score on 11-of-19 passing.

After Darrius Shepherd fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, Butker knotted the score 20-20 just before the end of the third period.

Both teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to trim their rosters to 53 players.

HOMECOMING

Guard Kahlil McKenzie started the second half for the Chiefs. McKenzie was born in Green Bay and played at Green Bay Southwest High School. McKenzie’s father, Reggie, worked as the director of player personnel for the Packers.

INJURIES

Packers: Sternberger was carted off to the locker room just before halftime. … ILB James Crawford exited the game in the third quarter.

ROSTER MOVES

Chiefs: Kansas City signed QB Matt Moore earlier this week. The 10-year veteran last suited up in 2017, when he played in four games for the Dolphins, including two starts. The 35-year-old Moore completed more than 61% of his passes in 2017 for 861 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Moore played his last seven seasons with Miami after spending the beginning of his career in Carolina.

Packers: Green Bay agreed to trade OLB Reggie Gilbert to the Titans for a conditional 2020 draft pick. The move is pending a physical. Gilbert played all 16 games for the Packers last season and had 15 quarterback pressures to rank second on the team. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent from Arizona had spent the majority of his first two seasons on Green Bay’s practice squad before his breakthrough last year. … The Packers signed G Dejon Allen. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Allen went undrafted out of Hawaii in 2018 and spent the entire 2018 season on the Bears’ practice squad.

NEXT UP:

Chiefs: open the regular season at Jacksonville on Sept. 8.

Packers: play at rival Chicago next Thursday.