Kansas football coach Mark Mangino is turning Bill Whittemore loose.

During the preseason, Mangino talked about keeping Whittemore in the pocket and asking the quarterback to pass more and run less to keep the senior captain healthy during a rigorous 12-game schedule.

Whittemore has passed for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns through four games, but he also has rushed 37 times for 203 yards and three TDs.

“We think Bill is a big-play guy,” Mangino said Monday during the Big 12 teleconference. “He makes plays, and we don’t want to harness that. Sure, you will always worry about him taking a shot, but that’s football. We can’t sweat that. Bill wants to go out and make plays. He’s aggressive, and he’s hard-nosed. For me to say that if nobody is open to throw it away instead of running with it, he won’t do it. It’s just not in his makeup.”

Whittemore took a beating last year, rushing 137 times for 549 yards behind an ineffective offensive line. As the bumps and bruises mounted, KU’s coaches encouraged Whittemore to slide or get out of bounds to avoid taking hits.

Whittemore was trying to slide against Missouri last year in Columbia, Mo., when he was hit by a pair of Tigers and suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“We have asked him to try to hook slide when he is out in the open field,” Mangino said. “And he refuses to do it because he isn’t good at sliding — he must not have played much baseball, I guess. Players make plays, and we are not going to try and stop a guy from doing what he does best.”

Whittemore rehabilitated his knee, and Mangino overhauled his offensive line. Linemen Tony Coker, Adrian Jones, Joe Vaughn, Danny Lewis and Bob Whitaker have allowed only one sack, and the nation’s fourth-rated offense has led KU to a 3-1 start.

“I thought it would be good,” Mangino said of the Jayhawks’ passing game. “I knew that Bill was a talented guy and knew that our receiving corps was maturing and getting better. The question was, could we protect the quarterback with a bunch of new faces on the offensive line? And since that group has stood up and been accounted for, I’m not surprised.”

Hear Mark: Sept. 22 Big 12 coaches teleconference

Whittemore’s ability to scramble and throw on the run have negated any pressure opposing defenses have been able to bring. He ranks second in the nation in pass efficiency heading into Saturday’s home game against No. 23 Missouri (4-0).

“He makes a lot of big plays,” MU coach Gary Pinkel said. “When things fall apart, he makes big plays. Nobody’s going to shut him down, you just try to contain him the best you can.”

¢

Border War: The Kansas-Missouri showdown used to be the last game of the season, but the Border War hasn’t been the Jayhawks’ regular-season finale since 1996 — the first year of the Big 12 Conference.

“You like to see rivalries at the end of the year when teams are winning, when that game has national implications, when there’s bowls at stake, when there’s BCS spots at stake and that type of thing,” Mangino said. “Maybe eventually this may get back to the end of the year. We have to do our part at Kansas to make this a great game and generate enthusiasm on our side of fence and get our people fired up about it. I think the conference would certainly consider putting it at the end of the year where there may be some national implications.”

¢

Play for pay: Several coaches voiced support for giving players some sort of stipend — in addition to scholarships — during Monday’s teleconference, including Mangino.

“Some of the kids really need it to get themselves some clothes, be able to have some spending money,” Mangino said. “Nothing outrageous, nothing outlandish, but I think the youngsters should get some kind of compensation. We have kids from all walks of life. Some kids are fortunate and come from families that can give them spending money, can provide money for clothes, gas for their vehicle if they have a vehicle — that type of thing. I would like to see the kids have some kind of compensation. Nothing outlandish, but enough that the kids can have some necessities.”

¢

MAC Attack: MU’s Pinkel, a former Kent State tight end, was thrilled with the Mid-America Conference’s showing Saturday.

Marshall knocked off No. 6 Kansas State, 27-20, in Manhattan; Northern Illinois edged No. 21 Alabama, 19-16, at Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and Toledo stunned No. 9 Pittsburgh, 35-31, at Toledo, Ohio.

In addition, Miami of Ohio clobbered Colorado State, 41-21, on the road, and Bowling Green gave No. 5 Ohio State a scare before falling, 24-17.

“The only way you get respect is you earn it, ” said Pinkel, who was an assistant coach at Kent State (1974-75) and Bowling Green (1977-78) before serving as Toledo’s head coach (1991-2000). “If people don’t respect them now, then something is wrong. Bottom line is, they find a way to win game, and they’ve won some big, big games this year. They’ve been impressive.”