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By Andrew Hartsock
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2000
Dylen Smith picked a bad time to suffer his first heat-related woes of the preseason.
He left Saturday's practice early after feeling dizzy and did not attend the Get Ready Rally at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night — a week to the day from Kansas University's football season opener at Southern Methodist.

As late as Sunday evening, Smith — KU's 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior starting quarterback from Santa Monica, Calif. — still was under the weather.

"He said he still has a bad headache," said Sharon Smith, Dylen's mother. "He said he was dehydrated (Saturday) and they tried to give him an IV, but they couldn't find a vein, so they were giving him Pedialyte and telling him to drink fluids. I told him to eat a banana for the potassium. He said he got a lot of rest (Saturday) night, but he still had a bad headache (Sunday)."

Smith did not require hospitalization, contrary to what coach Terry Allen said Saturday night at the Get Ready Rally.

Allen later clarified that he had not taken Smith to the hospital, and the heat-related symptoms were not serious.

But Sharon Smith said her son vomited Saturday, in addition to his dizziness and headache.

"Other than dehydration, they wondered if it might be intestinal flu, since he was vomiting," Sharon Smith said. "Am I worried about him? Yes, but I told him to continue to do what they tell him, keep taking fluids and I'm waiting to hear how he is (today)."

KU took Sunday off and was to return to regular game-week drills this afternoon in preparation for Saturday's season opener at SMU.

If Smith doesn't recover in time for Saturday's opener, it would be a major blow to the Jayhawks' offense. Smith played in all 12 games last season and made eight starts. He completed 135 of 263 passes (51.3 percent) for 1,599 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Smith also rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Behind Smith is a young group of backups who have very little game-day experience. Red-shirt freshman Zach Dyer is listed at No. 2 on the depth chart, but he has never taken a snap in a major college game.

Jonas Weatherbie, a third-year sophomore, is the third-stringer. He played in two games last fall and completed the one pass he attempted.

Behind those two backups are true freshmen Mario Kinsey and Kevin Long. Allen has indicated he'd like to red-shirt both freshmen if Smith remains healthy.

Kinsey, who plans to walk on to the KU basketball team in October, is more like Smith in his run-pass ability, but Allen has been pleased with both newcomers in preseason camp.

The Jayhawks have suffered several heat-related illnesses this preseason. At the end of two-a-days, Allen said 12 to 15 Jayhawks had missed at least one practice with heat problems, and 10 of those suffered some full-body cramping.

The most serious ailment was to wideout Harrison Hill, who has missed a full week with chronic dehydration that has plagued him since high school. He remains day-to-day.

Smith wasn't the only Jayhawk sidelined Saturday. Fullback Moran Norris, another huge key offensively, also sat out with heat cramping.

He'll be there ready to play. His loss would change the game more than a single loss due to injury for either team. He would be starting even if he had lost his left leg and was blind in his right eye. As their QB goes, so goes the Jayhawks. He is a gamebreaker and a playmaker.

I hope it is hot for the game. Kansas will have an additional hour+ in the sun than SMU. It sounds like they are really struggling over there with the heat.

Thanks for the article SMUguy.

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Go Red, Go Blue, Go Mustangs, S M U

I agree with Graypony, no doubt Smith will play. He is the key to the game for Kansas and seems to mean as much to the Jayhawks as Ramon used to mean to our offense. His improvement over last year will be interesting to see. Frankly, I hope his health is no factor whatsover. I think you want to line up, with no excuses, and play their best. I hope thats what the players want.

I hope our Texas heat will affect Kansas' play by slowing them down. But, in saying that, I do hope that no player on either side has to suffer heat exhaustion and all body cramping. I do worry that sometime, something really awful will happen to a player.

I worry about all the football boys, SMU, U.T, Kansas and every other school where practices are held during August in over 100 degree heat. I would imagine that heat exhaustion and cramping require far too many players to receive I.V's. Something just doesn't seem right about that!

I wish the season could start later, and that all games could be played in the evening - for the players and the fans benefit. But, I know this is not possible because of t.v. revenues.

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Go Ponies!
-MustangMom

Not so fast, my friends!

Word out of Lawrence, Kansas, is that Smith will be ready to play Saturday. Expect the Jayhawks to bring their best to Dallas.