South Dakota State 41, Kansas 38
I wanted to be positive. But in Season Zero, I suppose K.U. fans won't find much of it. I mentioned in the previous entry the clash of styles and experience. K.U. plays fast but small. South Dakota State might be slower, but stronger and experienced. Strength won. So did experience.
South Dakota State looked like they had Jerome Bettis in the back field the way they carved the K.U. defense. The freshmen looked like freshmen. Kansas didn't even look close to competing at even a mediocre level at any position. Admittedly, the Jayhawks fought back. The final score could have been terrible. K.U. managed to get within three in the second half. But Kansas faces a serious re-examination of what is possible. The question is not whether Kansas can fix anything, because they can't, not this year anyway. The Jayhawks will most certainly lose all games by wide margins. The question is whether Kansas can maintain a positive attitude, play hard, and keep the fans interested. David Beaty has a tall task ahead of him. There is a reason few people wanted this job.
If there is something positive, and for K.U. fans it might be hard to find amidst a sea of depression; the Jayhawks didn't quit being down 24-7. Perhaps I will write more tomorrow.
Our first score came from a guy who ran track and field at a non-football school last year