Ex-KU coach silent after loss
ISU's Allen declines comment
Terry Allen was awarded the game ball after Iowa State’s 45-3 football victory over Kansas University last season in Ames, Iowa.
The Cyclone players, you might recall, devoted their resounding season-opening win to ISU’s first-year associate head coach/tight ends coach, who was fired as KU head coach with three games left to play in the 2001 season — Allen’s fifth on Mount Oread.
Allen answered any and all questions after that victory, but he was uncharacteristically silent after his return game to Memorial Stadium, Saturday’s crushing 36-7 loss that dropped ISU to 2-9 overall and 0-7 in the Big 12 Conference.
Allen, in fact, left word through an ISU spokesman he wouldn’t be talking to the media after exiting the locker room, instead hurrying to the airport with head coach Dan McCarney.
As if on cue, Allen exited ISU’s locker room 45 minutes after the game and marched briskly to a van with McCarney, stopping for 20 seconds to hug three KU fans before continuing on his way.
He left the talking on the gray day to McCarney and a handful of Cyclone players.
“It is tough. It’s an all-time low,” said ISU freshman quarterback Austin Flynn, one of three QBs to play for the Cyclones, who gained 39 yards the entire second half — 176 for the game.
“It doesn’t get much worse than this,” said junior punter Tony Yelk.
“I am speechless. I do not know what to say,” added junior QB Waye Terry.
Kansas quarterback Bill Whittemore -- who threw for 221 yards and rushed for 85 -- tries to follow a block by Bob Whitaker (77) on ISU's Jordan Carstens.
McCarney was at a loss to explain his squad’s inefficiency on offense and defense, especially in the second half when KU rolled, 24-0.
“We have no consistency whatsoever at the quarterback position,” McCarney said. “We are trying to find somebody to take the job. We don’t need (Dan) Marino. We don’t need Sonny Jurgensen. We don’t need Terry Bradshaw. We need somebody to step in with some consistency to stop the nonsense of rolling quarterbacks through there.
“Obviously we don’t like this musical chairs, merry-go-round at quarterback.”
Three Cyclone quarterbacks combined to complete nine of 27 passes for 67 yards and two interceptions.
Terry completed five of 12 for 50 yards; Flynn two of six for three yards and an interception; and junior Cris Love two of nine for 14 yards with an interception. Yelk added one completion in one try, a 12-yard fake-punt aerial to Lance Young.
Victory over Cyclones makes Jayhawks bowl eligible
6Sports video: Kansas gains sixth win at ISU’s expense
Hear Mark: KU-ISU postgame comments
Photo gallery: KU v. Iowa State“I don’t know who will start next week at Missouri, and that is very, very disappointing,” McCarney said of ISU’s season finale.
ISU’s long pass play Saturday was 24 yards.
The long run of the day was a 21-yarder by halfback Stevie Hicks, who gained 62 yards off 20 carries.
The Jayhawks, who gained 401 yards, were led by QB Bill Whittemore, who rushed for 85 yards and two TDs and threw for 221 yards, a TD and one interception.
“He did today what he’s been doing when he’s been playing this year while healthy,” McCarney said of Whittemore. “My congratulations to him, and we sure wish Kansas and Mark (Mangino, coach) luck. We hope everything works out well with them and the bowl system in the Big 12, because they sure deserve it.”