A record 52,112 fans (oddly enough, that’s 2,041 more than official capacity) descended upon Memorial Stadium this Saturday, eager to feast their eyes on the latest iteration of the Kansas Jayhawk football team. And, despite a performance that failed to live up to the sheer entertainment value produced by last year’s 55-3 drubbing of the FIU Golden Panthers, many of those fans remained until the final whistle blew.

But I’m not sure I needed to tell you that. After all, you already knew that football season was coming up. If you’ve read this sports page even once in the past week, you could have turned to any given page and pointed to any given article and likely found your finger resting on print devoted to Todd Reesing and company.

But that’s not all. Chances are, you probably contributed to that new attendance record. Chances are, you cheered Daymond Patterson’s electric punt return. And chances are, you spent Sunday recovering from Saturday night’s postgame celebration.

If that is the case, then you missed out on a different Jayhawk victory. Only this victory wasn’t taken for granted by the KU supporters — even though the Jayhawks came into the game ranked. This game also had an element of drama, something FIU couldn’t provide.

But that’s not to say that there weren’t similarities between the weekend’s triumphs. Both games featured speed, skill and physical confrontations. And it just so happens that both teams achieved their respective victories in a sport that is known somewhere as football.

Now wait, hold on a second. I know that many of you are considering diverting your eyes from this column. I know the Free for All looks awfully tempting right about now, and I know the Sudoku puzzle is just calling out for some attention. After all, why pore through another condescending column demanding that you care about soccer (which is what I’m going to call it — sorry, international students and faculty)?

Here’s the good news: This is not one of those columns. I’m not going to demand that you follow the Gareth Barry transfer saga with the same voracity that you devoted to Brett Favre’s epic retirement debacle. Likewise, I won’t demand that you pester your roommates into going in on a Fox Soccer Channel subscription so you can catch all the CONCACAF Champion’s League qualifiers. The point is, I don’t expect soccer to become your game or America’s game.

So what do I expect? Nothing, really. What are my demands? I don’t have any.

What’s the point? Quite simply, that I’d like to see a greater student presence at KU soccer games. I don’t think that’s too much to hope for. After all, students are admitted for free. Parking is also free and generally easy to come by. And it’s not as if the games are a day-long endeavor. You can arrive moments before the game begins, flash your KUID and find a seat without any trouble. Less than two hours later, the game is over. That time won’t be too taxing either. Don’t worry about having to stand, because nobody does. And don’t bother warming up your vocal cords, because there isn’t any boisterous chanting expected.

But maybe, just maybe, a greater concentration of students at these games could change that. After all, it’s the student section that helps make Allen Fieldhouse the intimidating basketball palace that it is, and it’s the students who yell those words not fit to print as Alonso Rojas boots the ball to the opponent’s return specialist. Maybe, just maybe, more students in attendance could turn an otherwise unremarkable Jayhawk Soccer Complex into Lawrence’s own (very) little San Siro.

Lofty goals? Maybe, but goals are what soccer is all about. But let’s say this column falls flat. Let’s say that only you and a few other students show up to the Jayhawks’ next game (5 p.m. Friday, against the University of Alabama at Birmingham). But let’s also say that you get to see Monica Dolinsky turn on a defender, race down the center of the field and then drill the ball into the corner of the net. Let’s then say that you’re treated to several spectacular saves, courtesy of Julie Hanley. The thing is, these aren’t hypothetical examples. Kansas’ win against Auburn on Sunday featured both of these occurrences, as well as a dramatic finish. The team’s home opener saw the Jayhawks put three past the then-ranked No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be treated to as entertaining a game if you attend the next contest. And maybe, just maybe, you can help the University’s other football team set an attendance record of its own.