Jayhawk Football

As RVs from visiting teams are parked there, it happens a lot.

Regarding the question on parking -- Kansas' Memorial Stadium sits right in the middle of campus and is one of the more beautiful settings in college football, as it sits at the base of a hill we call Mount Oread (OR-e-ad) or The Hill. Because it sits in the middle of campus, parking is a challenge for tailgaters. You have two options: 1. Park in one of the yards of the houses north of the stadium. Most houses are rented out and occupied by students. Nearly all sell spaces in their yards for $15-$20. This is what I what recommend. 2. Park on the other side of "The Hill" near Allen Field House. There are large lots there where you can park for free. There is a regular shuttle bus on game days that you can ride for $1 to Memorial Stadium. This is where fans with RVs park. Here are some photos of the stadium that might explain what I am talking about: MEMORIAL STADIUM -- photo taken from The Hill facing north. MEMORIAL STADIUM -- aerial photos taken with view to the south. View of The Hill from Memorial Stadium PARKING -- Allen Field House is in the lower left hand corner of the photo. Memorial Stadium is not shown, but just off the north edge of the map. Parking using the $1 shuttle is in Lots 90 and 54.

FYI -- the Jayhawks aren't only about basketball. The South Florida game should bring close to a sell-out of 51,750. LAWRENCE, Kan. - As of Monday afternoon, University of Kansas season football tickets sales reached an all-time record of 28,100, athletic department officials announced. This season's total surpasses the previous record of 27,700 set in 1969, following Kansas' Orange Bowl season. Last year, the Jayhawks sold 26,700 season football tickets. "We're pleased our fans are excited about the upcoming season," KU Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said. "We know how excited they are because the phones and the lines at the ticket office are still active." Last season, KU averaged a school-record 43,675 fans in six contests at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks were 6-0 at home, which included the largest home crowd ever at Memorial Stadium - 51,750 - in the 40-15 victory against Nebraska.

Greetings Bulls, Looking forward to the Kansas-South Florida game on 9/23. Should be a good one. Come visit the Phog.net football board for some lively football discussion: http://mb24.scout.com/fkansasinsiderfrm5. Plus, we can give you some background on where to stay and what to do in the great college town of Lawrence on your visit. A little background on the Jayhawks: Coach Mark Mangino During the 2005 season, Mangino led the Jayhawks to their first bowl victory since 1995 as the team defeated Houston 42-13 in the Fort Worth Bowl. By appearing in the 2005 bowl game, Mangino became the only coach in KU history to direct his team to a pair of bowl contests during a three-year span. Mangino’s 2005 squad also posted a perfect 6-0 record at KU’s Memorial Stadium - the team’s first undefeated/untied season at home since 1951. In fact, KU fans backed Mangino and his team like never before. An average of 43,675 fans showed up per game -- an all-time Memorial Stadium record. He also guided the team to its first win over Nebraska since 1968, snapping a 36-game Cornhusker win streak. In addition, Mangino’s club won its third consecutive game against Border Showdown rival Missouri. Under Mangino’s guidance, senior linebacker Nick Reid became KU’s first-ever Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. WHAT’S COMING BACK -- The Jayhawks return 10 starters (seven on offense, three on defense) from a team which finished the 2005 season with a 7-5 overall record including a 42-13 win over Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl. TOUGH AT HOME -- In its six wins at Memorial Stadium last season, KU outscored the opposition 177-80 (winning by an average score of 29.5 to 13.3). The KU defense allowed just 58.5 rushing yards per contest at home. BY THE NUMBERS -- 6 - Number of KU wins last year in Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks ended the 2005 season with a perfect 6-0 home record. 7 - Number of offensive starters returning to this year’s team including four offensive linemen and a tight end. 9 - Number of KU opponents (out of 12) that failed to gain 100 yards rushing against the Jayhawks last season. 11 - Number of NCAA Division I teams that have been playing football longer than the University of Kansas. The Jayhawks are entering their 117th season on the gridiron. 14 - Number of Kansas football players named All-Big 12 following the 2005 season. BACKGROUND The Jayhawks return a strong nucleus of players on both sides of the ball as 42 letterwinners are back, including 22 on offense, 18 on defense and two specialists. In addition, the Jayhawks return seven starters on offense, three on defense and two specialists. After record-setting offensive displays during the early portion of Head Coach Mark Mangino’s tenure, the last two clubs have showcased some of KU’s best defenses in over 40 years. Jayhawk fans hope the two components will join forces in 2006 and lift the team to its first Big 12 North title. Five Jayhawks Earn Preseason Recognition Senior offensive lineman David Ochoa was named to the preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy, Rimington Trophy and Lombardi Award. The Houston, Texas, native was also listed as preseason second-team All-Big 12 by Collegefootballnews.com. Senior offensive lineman Bob Whitaker was projected as a secondteam All-Big 12 member and senior safety Jerome Kemp earned preseason All-Big 12 first-team honors by The Sporting News. Sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib was a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches and also was named to the preseason watch list for the Bronco Nagurski Award. Junior punter Kyle Tucker, a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2005, was named to the award’s 2006 preseason watch list. He also was named preseason All-Big 12 second-team by The Sporting News and Collegefootballnews.com. Experience Factor Heading into 2006, the Jayhawks have 13 players on the roster with more than 20 games of playing experience under their belts. Offensive lineman Bob Whitaker has participated in all 36 games the Jayhawks have played over the last three years, while offensive lineman David Ochoa, running back Jon Cornish and safety Jerome Kemp have each appeared in 35 career contests at KU. In addition, Travis Dambach (31) and Jonathan Lamb (30) have appeared in at least 30 career contests. O-Line to Lead KU Offense KU’s offensive line should be both deep and talented in 2006 as the Jayhawks return nine of 10 offensive linemen from last year’s depth chart, including David Ochoa, Bob Whitaker, Cesar Rodriguez, Ryan Cantrell, Jake Cox and Travis Dambach who combined for 47 starts a year ago. In 2005, KU’s offensive line helped lead a rushing attack which ended the season averaging 134.0 yards per game and nearly four yards per carry. (In 2004, the Jayhawks averaged just 94.0 yards per game and less than three yards per carry.) Ochoa, a senior captain, is on the preseason watch lists for the Lombardi Trophy, Rimington Trophy and the Outland Trophy after earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors by the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press in 2005. Whitaker, a senior, also was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection by the league’s head coaches last year and won the Gale Sayers Award for Most Courageous Player at the team’s end of the year awards banquet. About the Run Game The Jayhawks return more than 60 percent of their rushing offense, including two of the team’s top three ball carriers from last year. Senior running back Jon Cornish led the team in 2005 with 780 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while junior Brandon McAnderson added 102 yards and a score from his fullback position. As a team, the Jayhawks rushed for 1,608 yards in 2005 -- the second-highest rushing total in the Mark Mangino era. Freshman QB to Start Redshirt freshman Kerry Meier is expected to start for the Jayhawks. Meier, a record-setting quarterback at Pittsburg (Kan.) High School, was the winner of last year’s Otto Schnellbacher Award given annually to KU’s Offensive Scout Team MVP. The last freshman quarterback to see action for Kansas was current senior Adam Barmann who completed 25-of-37 passes for 294 yards in a reserve role in his collegiate debut against Texas A&M in 2003. KU Tight End is Just Fine Junior tight end Derek Fine had his most productive season at Kansas in 2005 after catching 22 passes for 244 yards including a touchdown. In fact, senior wide receiver Brian Murph is the only KU returnee to catch more balls last year. As one of KU’s four captains this season, Fine has proven that a tremendous work-ethic can pay dividends. Despite being a part of coach Mark Mangino’s first recruiting class, the 6-3, 245-pounder is just a junior. Complications from a routine surgery in the summer of 2002 forced him to leave KU and return home following two-a-day workouts. Fine dropped to 170 pounds while recovering at home in Sallisaw, Okla., but prepared himself for a return to the football field by running the hills of the nearby Brushy Mountains, and agreed to an arrangement with Mangino that enabled him to return in 2003 and begin his eligibility then. After a solid sophomore season and productive fall, the Jayhawks expect Fine to post even bigger numbers in 2006. KU Punter Solid Junior Kyle Tucker, returns for his third season as KU’s starting punter after averaging 42.9 yards per attempt last season. He unleashed a career-best 77-yarder against Texas Tech on Oct. 1 in Lubbock which ranks as the ninth-longest punt in KU history. More importantly, the Katy, Texas, native landed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line and forced 15 fair catches. Earlier this preseason, Tucker was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list after becoming a semifinalist for the award in 2005. Tucker’s overall performance his sophomore season earned him All Big-12 Honorable Mention honors in a vote of the league‘s coaches. Jayhawk Kicking Game Junior Scott Webb returns for his third season as KU’s starting placekicker after nailing 14-of-19 field goal attempts in 2005. Many Jayhawk fans can vividly recall Webb’s final field goal attempt in Memorial Stadium last year which handed the Jayhawks a 24-21 overtime win against Iowa State and propelled the team to bowl eligibility. He was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week following that kick and eventually earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status. As a freshman, Webb nailed all 29 of his extra point attempts and set a single-game school record in his first career game by connecting on nine point-after-tries against Toledo. Miscellaneous Jayhawk Notes Kansas is playing its 117th season of football -- only 11 NCAA Division IA schools have been playing football longer. Through 116 seasons, Kansas has posted a record of 536-531-58 ... Kansas has forced at least one turnover in 32 of its last 34 contests including nine of its last 10 games... Since 1995, KU is 30-10 when a Jayhawk player rushes for more than 100 yards in a game ... Senior offensive lineman David Ochoa has the team’s longest starting streak at 22 games -- dating back to the first game of his sophomore season.