The 17th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks take their
perfect record to Boulder this weekend, as they tussle with the Colorado
Buffaloes in Big 12 play at Folsom Stadium.
At 5-0, Kansas enters the week as one of nine remaining unbeaten teams left,
but this is just the team's second road game and first since defeating
Texas-El Paso (34-7) over a month ago. Most recently, the Jayhawks capped a
three-game homestand with a hard fought 41-36 victory over Iowa State in their
Big 12 opener this past weekend.
"We really just got to toughen up and get a little bit of a mental edge and
mental toughness to us," said head coach Mark Mangino, who knows tougher
opponents lie ahead like Oklahoma next weekend.
Still, Kansas has opened the season with five consecutive wins for the second
time in three years and owns a seven-game winning streak dating back to the
2008 campaign.
As for the Buffs, they gave highly-ranked Texas all it could handle last
weekend and even appeared on the verge of an upset before things fell apart in
a 38-14 setback in Austin.
"We obviously didn't do well on the punt team, and offensively, we gave a pick
for a touchdown," said head coach Dan Hawkins. "So, you've got to put three
phases together. When you play a great team like this, your margin of error is
going to be pretty small."
The game served as the Big 12 opener for Colorado, which is off to a dismal
start with losses in four its first five games. The team's lone win came over
Wyoming (24-0), while some surprising losses came to Colorado State (23-17)
and Toledo (54-38).
Colorado though, does own a 41-24-3 lead in the head-to-head series with
Kansas and that includes a 23-9 advantage in games played in Boulder. The
Jayhawks however, have won three straight in the rivalry and that takes into
account a 30-14 triumph in last season's meeting.
Kansas continued to churn out the yards last weekend, dialing up 551 total
yards in a narrow 41-36 win over ISU. The Jayhawks, who are averaging a
sizzling 40.6 ppg and 519.4 total ypg on the season, were once again paced by
Todd Reesing. One of the most underrated quarterbacks in the Big 12, Reesing
threw for a career-best 442 yards and four touchdowns on 37-of-49 pass
attempts and he also added a rushing score in the win.
"Certainly, our offense was fantastic tonight," said coach Mangino. "Todd
Reesing was phenomenal. The offensive line controlled the line the scrimmage
all night."
Reesing has benefited from a solid offensive line and he can make plays even
when faced with pressure. For the season, he has completed and efficient 69.3
percent of his throws with 13 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
Having talented wideouts like Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe has certainly
helped Reesing establish himself. Two of the most prolific receivers in school
history, Meier and Briscoe have already combined for 73 catches, 994 receiving
yards and eight scores. The duo went wild last weekend against ISU, as Meier
hauled in a school-record 16 passes for 142 yards and two scores, while
Briscoe finished with 12 catches for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Tailback Jake Sharp (leg) was unavailable again last weekend, so freshman
Toben Opurum got the start and rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on 24
carries. Opurum has done a nice job filling in for Sharp, who is listed as
doubtful, and he leads the team with 418 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
If Kansas is to compete for a Big 12 title, it will need more from its
defense, which has been exploited in the last two games. In last weekend's
game, the Jayhawks were shredded for 512 yards by ISU, which gained 219 of
those yards on the ground.
"On the defensive side of the ball, it was not a pretty picture," said
Mangino. "Having said all that, we did not play well on defense, and we have
to get better. We know what the issues are, and we have to get them corrected
on the practice field."
It certainly wasn't a good effort from the defense, which also allowed ISU to
convert 8-of-16 third downs, while failing to record a single turnover. The
Jayhawks have forced just seven turnovers through five games and they are
being torched for 259.8 ypg though the air, two areas that obviously need
improvement.
Justin Thornton currently tops the roster in tackles with 40 and that includes
a 14-stop effort in last weekend's win. As for the pass rush, which has
generated 16 sacks, Jake Laptad leads the way with 4.5 sacks.
The Buffs jumped out to a 14-3 lead on Texas before the wheels came off late
in the second quarter and the Longhorns rallied for a 38-14 victory. Colorado
set itself back with poor special teams play and a dismal effort from the
offense, which managed only 127 yards of offense.
Cody Hawkins, son of head coach Dan, continued to struggle and threw for just
68 yards and two picks on 6-of-18 pass attempts. With Colorado down by just
three points late in the third quarter, Hawkins threw a crucial interception
that was returned 92 yards for a touchdown by Texas. That was apparently the
snapping point for coach Dan Hawkins, as he removed his son in favor of Tyler
Hansen, who completed 3-of-5 tosses for 17 yards. Following the game, Dan
announced that his son was being replaced as the starter by Hansen.
"We're going to get him in there and he's going to be the guy," Dan Hawkins
said. "Cody wants to be a coach. He's going to learn what it's like to be a
coach."
Hansen, who played in five games as a true freshman last season, was about to
be redshirted before learning he might have a chance to play against Texas. As
a true freshman in 2008, Hansen's redshirt was stripped in game seven, so this
is a familiar situation for him.
"I feel good," said Hansen. "I guess I'm getting kind of used to burning this
redshirt (laughing)."
The Buffs are hoping Hansen can spark an offense that ranks last in the Big 12
with 309.4 total ypg. Scotty McKnight figures to be Hansen's main outlet, as
he leads Colorado with 30 catches, 337 receiving yards and three scores on the
season.
Facing one of the most potent attacks in the nation, Colorado's defense
stepped up and did its part by holding Texas to only 313 total yards,
including a mere 46 rushing.
"I thought the defense played great," said Dan Hawkins. "We did a great job
stopping their running game. They got one big play on us really, but they're a
good football team. You're not going to shut them down."
It was certainly a step in the right direction for this defense, which ranks
second to last in the conference, allowing 389.6 total ypg. Unfortunately for
the Buffs, their special teams disappointed in a big way, as Texas scored on a
blocked punt and returned another punt 74 yards to paydirt, changing the
complexion of the game.
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