Anxiety sets in for season opener
By BRIAN KESSLER
The Eddie Robinson Classic will offer head coach Bob Davie a chance Saturday to see just where his 18th-ranked Irish team stands.
“I think all of us, obviously, are anxious,” Davie said. “You really don’t know. You think you know what you have, you hope that you’ve made some progress. You hope that you’re a better football team. The bottom line is that you really don’t know until Saturday.”
The same goes for Terry Allen’s Jayhawks, who are coming off a disappointing 4-7 season in which they won only one conference game. Allen’s team is still searching for its identity, especially on defense. The Jayhawks surrendered over 230 yards per game in the run-dominated Big 12 Conference. Kansas, however, is taking a positive outlook into Saturday’s showdown.
“The anxiety we feel for the Notre Dame game is more a sense of excitement and opportunity,” Kansas head coach Terry Allen said.
“I know Kansas is excited to play in this game,” Davie said. “I realize this is a great opportunity for Kansas, pretty much a bowl game.”
Davie is taking a Lou Holtz-like stance and downplaying the lop-sided matchup where the Irish are heavy favorites.
“This is going to be a close game,” Davie said. “This is the first game of the year. First games are always concerns. They [Kansas] are explosive. Both their tailbacks are quick and can make big plays anytime during the game. They’re a great team.”
“This is the biggest game of the season and that’s the approach we’re taking,” added junior defensive end Grant Irons. “We’re looking forward to Kansas. Our focus right now is them. As athletes, we know the importance of taking one game at a time.”
After three weeks of intense drills and conditioning, Irons and the rest of the squad hope their hard work pays off when the Jayhawks come to town.
“I think this week was critical to get everything fine-tuned,” Irons said. “We’ve worked real hard this summer on working out and we’re excited about Kansas.”
Preparing for the Jayhawks has been a difficult task for Davie and his staff.
“I see is a lot of schemes on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game,” Davie said. “They’re multiple on defense, they do a lot of offense, they change the things in the kicking game. They’re a tough team to prepare for.”
Davie’s main concern, however, is how his team has progressed in the offseason.
“I’d like to think we’re better; I’m not sure,” he said. “You look at our offense, I do think we’re more explosive than we’ve been. I’m anxious to see if we can get some big plays. You look at our wide receivers, the one thing we’ve done consistently throughout this camp is we’ve been able to throw and catch the football. And I hope we can continue that because I do think we’re better there.”
All Sports Stories for Friday, August 27, 1999
