Hill, Fulton soar in Jayhawk passing attack
By MIKE CONNOLLY
In a Big 12 Conference dominated by power running games and option attacks, the Kansas Jayhawks feature an aerial attack and a pair of talented receivers.
Kansas coach Terry Allen has implemented a high-powered passing game that he said is finally fully implemented.
“We’ve got a better grasp of the system,” he told the Topeka Capital-Journal. “Maybe we’ve just gotten more people to believe. The installation is complete. Now we’ve just got to fine-tune and that comes from getting your head right.”
Harrison Hill and Termaine Fulton are the best in a talented bunch of Jayhawks’ receivers.
They are speedy wide-outs with good hands and big play potential who will test the Irish secondary that has had previous trouble covering big play receivers.
“That’s probably my biggest concern right now: How good are our guys?” Irish coach Bob Davie said. “We played a lot of man-to-man in camp. I want to see how these guys can cover.”
The Kansas running game will be relying on an inexperienced offensive line to open holes in a deep and talented Irish defensive line.
If the Jayhawks are unsuccessful on the ground, they will turn to the air and throw the ball even more than usual.
Notre Dame secondary coach Lou West said the Irish don’t need to make special adjustments for the Jayhawk receivers.
“We are going to play our package,” he said. “Our kids worked hard on our package in the spring for 15 days and then came back in two-a-day camps and did the same thing. We are going to play what we know best.”
Hill led Kansas with 28 catches last year while Fulton averaged 20.1 yards on 25 catches with three touchdowns.
Senior captain Michael Chandler was 1998’s third-leading receiver. He returns to the lineup after surviving a gunshot wound in the groin and an ankle injury, resulting from a break-in at his off-campus apartment.
Redshirt freshman receiver Anton Paige adds speed and a long-ball threat off the bench.
West said that practices against the Irish receivers prepared the secondary for the Kansas offense.
“Just facing our guys has been the best preparation,” he said. “I think our guys are starting to mature well and do a good job running their routes.
“They have pretty good speed so we are doing a lot of stuff against our guys. We are also doing a lot of long-ball stuff.”
All Sports Stories for Friday, August 27, 1999
