BOULDER — There is a huge difference in this year’s Kansas team, and not just because it’s one of the nation’s five unbeatens, a statement nearly as illogical as the Rockies being in the World Series.
The truth emerged with 2:16 left in Saturday’s game against Colorado. The 15th-ranked Jayhawks (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) led 19-14 but had just given up a touchdown and Colorado (4-4, 2-2) had the ball on its own 42. A year ago, this was the trigger that transformed Kansas into your basic folding chair.
Then again, that was a year ago.
“They were confident,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “I listened to the coaches talking to them on the headset. … The kids went out there and when they jogged out on the field, even though they were a little tired, I thought they had a little swagger to them.”
Kansas? Swagger? Is this the same school that’s gone 7-43 on the road since 1997? Same school. Different team. Kansas sacked Cody Hawkins, nearly recovered a botched snap and forced two incomplete passes to secure the victory.
Sure, let them swagger. They have plenty to dance about. This marks their first back-to-back road victories in the same season since 1995, the last time they were this highly ranked. This is also the first time Kansas is the last unbeaten team in the conference this late in the season since 1968.
“It happened in camp,” tailback Jake Sharp said. “We realized we had enough athletes and good enough schemes, that if we play as well as we can possibly play and we execute, we’re a pretty darn good team.”
But how good? The nation discarded them in October after roasting a non-conference slate of marshmallows that included winless Florida International, two Mid-American Conference schools and I-AA Southeastern Louisiana. However, no longer can anyone take away a win at Kansas State, fresh off a win at Texas, and then winning at Folsom Field. Oklahoma couldn’t do that.
It’s more than swagger. It’s also talent, primarily at quarterback. In Mangino’s previous five years, he’s gone through many quarterbacks. But desperate in last year’s Colorado game, he took the redshirt off freshman Todd Reesing, who rescued Kansas that day.
This season, Reesing has started every game and entered Saturday 14th in the nation in pass efficiency. Going 20-for-29 for 153 yards and a TD in a road win doesn’t hurt.
“It’s made a major difference,” Mangino said. “Our first five years here I can’t explain how difficult it was to have a quarterback with all the injuries and problems at that position. It ripped the heart out of us.”
Kansas has the inside track on the Big 12 North title. Its only road games left are Texas A&M next week and Oklahoma State on Nov. 10. The Jayhawks sound ready.
“The big difference between this team and last year is the mental maturity of this football team,” Mangino said. “We’re a lot more mature emotionally, mentally. We’re tougher mentally. We haven’t had this toughness since 2000.”
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
