No fans, no band will be in stadium, yet there will be football late Saturday at KU
The pageantry normally associated with a college football season opener will be missing Saturday night at Kansas’ Booth Memorial Stadium.
Because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, there will be no tailgating allowed before the 9 p.m. KU-Coastal Carolina contest.
There will be no fans allowed into the stadium or on Campanile Hill to watch the game between the Big 12 and Sun Belt Conference schools. According to KU officials, the only “fans” to be visible on the FS1 broadcast will be a handful of players who will not suit up for the game and will be positioned in the first few rows of the 47,000-seat stadium.
No members of the Spirit Squad — the cheerleaders and Rock Chalk Dancers — will be on site lending support.
Perhaps most importantly … at least to second-year KU coach Les Miles, there will be no marching band performing in the stands before the game and at halftime.
“We are going to miss that band,” said Miles. His first KU team went 3-9 overall. Included was a 12-7 home loss to Coastal Carolina on Sept. 7, 2019.
“The band is special,” Miles explained. “You are talking about delivering spirit to a stadium. Generally speaking a great team and a great band can do that. I can tell you we are going to miss those guys.”
The Jayhawks players spoke this week about playing a game without fans and without music provided by fellow KU students in the band.
“I don’t feel it is a challenge,” KU wide receiver Andrew Parchment said. “When I’m on the football field, I don’t hear the fans until I come off the field. Right now we are focused on winning the game, not the fans.
“I know this year they (fans) are very excited about coach Miles’ second season, what the Jayhawks can bring,” Parchment added. “Hopefully within the next week we can find a way with health, with doctors to get fans in the stadium. But right now everybody is focused playing Coastal Carolina and everybody is locked in on that.”
KU’s next scheduled home game is Oct. 3 versus Oklahoma State. Nothing’s yet been decided regarding fans attending that game. The OSU contest follows next Saturday’s bye and game on Sept. 26 at Baylor.
In a perfect world, KU linebacker Kyron Johnson would be looking forward to a wild atmosphere on game day that won’t be a factor in Saturday’s late-night opener.
“I’m not going to lie. It puts a little damper on it. At the same time we are here to do a job,” Johnson said of trying to avenge last year’s loss to the Chanticleers.
“As far as I’ve heard we’ll have no fans. It’s just us and coach. It’s a job we’ve got to do. If we’re there to play another team and defeat another team that’s what we’re going to do,” Johnson added.
To combat the late start Johnson said: “One thing we’re doing is getting dudes in my position in film every day after practice and in the weight room more conditioned so we can be better prepared.”
The Jayhawks figure to be fired up playing a team that defeated KU in Miles’ first season in Lawrence.
“I’ve still got a bad taste in my mouth. I’m ready to go out there Saturday,” Parchment said.
Asked what the difference was between last year’s Week Two game vs. Coastal, in which KU scored seven points, and the following week in which KU put up 48 points at Boston College, Parchment stated simply: “Like I said, we’ve still got a bad taste in our mouth.”
Johnson does not want a repeat of a year ago.
“I just remember we lost the game,” Johnson said. “We should have never lost that game. For me it was probably the biggest upset. We had the potential. We had everything we needed. It just wasn’t executed right.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a revenge game (Saturday). I’d call it a, ‘Let me show you what I can do now. Let me show you the mistakes I made and how I corrected. Let me show you we’re here and not somebody you can think you can just come in here and take what you want.’’’
KU returns six starters on offense, five on defense, from a year ago; Coastal returns 10 players on offense who started six or more games last season and seven on defense from a last year’s 5-7 team.
Running back C.J. Marable, a 5-10 senior, is back after rushing for 148 yards on 24 carries and a TD versus KU. He also caught a 20-yard TD pass versus the Jayhawks.
“I am sure there are some changes that should be made that we looked at and made quality decisions. I think the Coastal Carolina game is old news,” Miles said.
Both teams have not named starting quarterbacks publicly for the game. KU will go with either 6-foot-5 senior Thomas MacVittie or 5-10 junior Miles Kendrick.
“I would think there is a good possibility that both quarterbacks would play,” Miles said.
Coastal will go with either 6-2 junior Fred Payton or 6-1 junior Bryce Carpenter. Both played against KU last year. Payton completed 6 of 9 passes for 98 yards and a TD; Carpenter2 of 5 passes for 21 yards and no scores.
