MANHATTAN, KS – Today, UH and Kansas State get to it on a brisk Saturday morning in the first-ever Bender Bowl. John Bender was a football coach that spent time at Kansas State around 1915 and UH in the late ’20s before his untimely death in 1928. He gave both teams their nicknames and began Homecoming at Kansas State, which will happen today for the 107th time.
the daily #89 | 10/28/2023 | Archives
Little Apple. I love college towns.
Manhattan, Kansas, is pretty. The leaves are turning, but it’s now bitterly cold with a ‘feels like’ of 24. The people have been consistently friendly and said they hope I enjoy my trip. They’ve each made little suggestions, making sure I check out the restaurant Chef, go to the Homecoming Parade, and get to the stadium early. They have wondered how well UH will travel and, when told what I do, asked if I’m Joseph Duarte.
It’s definitely a small-town experience, which I love. You don’t get that when you travel to big cities for games. That didn’t happen in Kansas City for the Sweet 16, for instance.
3 Games. I’ve had a theory for years that college football teams don’t get up for three emotional games in a row. WVU was a big deal to Dana Holgorsen, Doug Belk, and the five other staffers and players who were there previously. The team made a big deal about it, leading to the Thursday night game. Texas was emotional for being Texas, for the comeback, and for how it ended. Can the Coogs sustain the progress they’ve made, or is it back to needing to know what this team’s identity is?
Today, Houston has a chance to prove that they belong. That Texas wasn’t a fluke or the progress I’m seeing is real, not just the result of home games and/or emotional games.
Watching. Today, I’m watching to see if UH:
- Comes out ready to play or needs time to ‘settle in’ again;
- Can re-establish their ground game;
- Continues with the 3-3 front, or if they go back to a more traditional Brian Early four-man front;
- Receivers make plays in the sloppy conditions. Nothing is worse than trying to catch a wet, heavy ball; and
- Is focused after a week of being told they were jobbed and getting attaboys for the inspired effort against UT.
You can’t forget going down 21-0 to Texas and not looking settled in any of the three phases. You also can’t forget how that team fought back, nor how they responded immediately after halftime. Which team shows up today?
There are certainly better weather conditions for beating a run-first and strong defensive team.
You don’t have to win to show progress. You can be ready to go from kickoff and put up a solid effort but lose in a hostile environment and still show progress.
Hoopin. After the football game, UH men’s hoops have their final tune-up for the 2023-24 season against UNC-Pembroke. In one reality, the preseason has been going on since July, when the team started practices for Australia. Getting these guys all the work they can get is a good thing, but the intensity in which this program constantly lives is a difficult thing to sustain from late July to early April. This season will require more patience from fans and the coaching staff, too, as the team navigates through replacing three starters and integrates two transfers and a bunch of younger guys.
After Thoughts. Starns Leland has hoops covered for us today, and after the two games, we’ll go live with the Cougar After Thoughts Show! (CATS!). We’ll talk football from Manhattan, hoops from Fertitta, and everything else.
