Lawrence, Kan. – Faced with few alternatives and a ton of impatience, Kansas and Colorado got together Saturday for a game of “Try What You Want” at Memorial Stadium.
The ultimate result was KU’s first Big 12 win, 20-15, and Colorado’s fourth conference loss. But getting there was where the fireworks were. And the head-scratching.
The scorecard:
* Colorado not only rotated quarterbacks Bernard Jackson and James Cox, but did so on an almost unheard of play-to-play basis until Cox broke his thumb in the second quarter and was lost for the game.
* Kansas burned the redshirt of true freshman quarterback Todd Reesing in the third quarter with just three games left. That move, however, proved to be pivotal.
* Colorado tried a twist on the halfback pass – the Buffs ran it with tight ends. That play ended in an interception.
* Kansas turned a fifth-year senior wide receiver, Dominic Roux, into a first-time defensive back. And on the flipside, KU threw cornerback Aqib Talib the ball on offense. But with two interceptions, Talib was doing just fine catching it on defense.
Afterward, CU coach Dan Hawkins was the least talkative he has been, not really caring to articulate the Buffs’ problems, which are the same now as they were in Week 1.
Instead, he one-worded his way through a postgame talk with the media and glided back into the locker room, running his hands through his hair.
His players, however, had something to say.
“We had them in the first half,” Jackson said. “Coming out (in the second half), they got that score, got momentum on their side and we just lost it.”
It wasn’t the worst offensive day the Buffs (1-8, 1-4 Big 12) have had, but putting it in the end zone again became a problem. The Buffs have gone eight quarters without an offensive touchdown, four of those Saturday, when CU reached the end zone on a 95-yard fumble return by safety Ryan Walters in the fourth quarter.
Other than that – nada.
“I think it’s a multitude of things,” tight end Riar Geer said. “This year, the ball really hasn’t been rolling our way with a new offense and a lot of new players.
“It’s all the same excuses that we’ve had forever. But the bottom line is it comes down to getting it done. We play well in practice, but we don’t play well in games.”
Colorado used Jackson and Cox starting on the first drive. Jackson ran the first four plays, then Cox entered the game on a third-down play. The second drive, Jackson had nine plays and Cox got four, and that resulted in Mason Crosby’s 37-yard field goal.
The two alternated until late in the second quarter when Cox broke the thumb of his throwing hand hitting a KU player’s helmet.
Colorado got three Crosby field goals in the first half for a 9-0 lead. Looking to jumpstart its offense and hopefully turn around a lackluster season, Kansas (4-5, 1-4) inserted Reesing in the third quarter. Reesing led three touchdown drives and finished with 90 yards on seven carries with a touchdown, and passed for 106 yards on 7-of-11 completions with two touchdowns.
“It feels great – such a relief,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “We were in the same predicament last year, but right now we are just focusing on one game at a time to become bowl-eligible.”
Meanwhile, CU just wants answers.
THE GRADES
Offense
F: CU coach Dan Hawkins said it all at halftime. “It’s World Series time and we’re playing baseball on offense,” he quipped. The Buffs continued to make the same mistakes on offense. And no one knows why, which means no one can fix them. That doesn’t bode well for the future.
Defense
C: The CU defense played tough, shutting out Kansas through nearly three quarters before a Jayhawks quarterback change put Buffs defenders on their heels. CU could not catch up with true freshman Todd Reesing, who ran and passed nearly at will.
Special teams
B: The return game settled back down to normal, and Mason Crosby made all three of his field-goal tries. Punter Matthew DiLallo, however, continues to struggle.
Overall
D: Colorado is being sabotaged by its offense, which is no longer improving from week to week. Kansas held the Buffs out of the end zone, took advantage of CU’s miscues and turned them into positives. Players and coaches insist the intensity and energy level are still high, but where’s the comprehension and focus?
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
