BOULDER – The 15th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks showed off an explosive runner Saturday to a Folsom Field crowd of 51,940 and a national ESPN audience.
Todd Reesing is a pretty good passer, too.
A nifty sophomore quarterback, Reesing is generously listed at 5-feet-11 and 200 pounds but came up big in the clutch in Kansas’ 19-14 victory. He set up a first-half field goal – the only score of the first half – with a 53-yard scramble, and keyed a 15-play, 94-yard drive in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Colorado trailed just 13-7 and had Kansas backed up on third-and-9 from the Jayhawks’ 21 when, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Reesing dodged a CU pass rusher, reversed his field from right to left and scampered 17 yards for the first down.
With Colorado’s spirit bruised, Kansas moved downfield. Again using his feet as well as his arm, Reesing ran around to buy some time outside the pocket and hit tight end Derek Fine for a 4-yard touchdown pass on third-and-2 with 10:23 remaining to give Kansas some insurance points at 19-7.
About the only thing Reesing couldn’t do was run in for the 2-point conversion.
Kansas (7-0, 3-0) remained the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 Conference in both overall record and league mark. The Jayhawks made a statement by winning their second straight Big 12 road game, having won 30-24 at Kansas State two weeks earlier.
Colorado (4-4 and 2-2) failed in its attempt to defeat a ranked opponent at Folsom Field for the second time this season, having upset then-No. 3 Oklahoma on Sept. 29.
Trailing just 3-0 at halftime, Colorado used some trickery to finally get on the board.
On third-and-1 from the Kansas 27, quarterback Cody Hawkins faked a fumble by holding the ball low to the ground as he ran back in the pocket. That froze Kansas linebackers, and Hawkins found senior tight end Tyson DeVree running alone down the middle for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown.
Colorado’s lead lasted exactly one minute and 23 seconds. As if getting a wake-up call, the Kansas offense needed just five plays to move 58 yards. A 27-yard strike by Reesing to Marcus Henry set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jake Sharp with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
Kansas smelled blood on the ensuing possession when Justin Thornton reached over DeVree and intercepted a Cody Hawkins pass at the Buffs’ 37. But Colorado’s defense limited KU to a field goal. That kept CU within a touchdown, at 13-7.
The speed of the Jayhawks’ secondary took away the threat of a deep pass by the Buffs. Cody Hawkins completed 13-of-20 passes in the first half. But none went for longer than 18 yards and the average gain per completion was 7.4 yards.
Kansas didn’t exactly glide down the field, either. Other than a few downfield passes to Henry, the Jayhawks resorted mostly to shovel passes to running backs and tight ends and swing passes to the outside.
Colorado appeared on its way to a touchdown drive late in the first quarter. But senior tailback Hugh Charles lost a fumble at the Kansas 13, losing his grip as a stretched for extra yardage after breaking the first tackle.
Taking over at its 11, Reesing got his team out of a jam by scrambling for 53 yards on third-and-4. Reesing danced around two Colorado pass rushers, turned and sprinted through open field up the middle.
Reesing’s scramble set up the only score of the first half — a 48-yard field goal by Scott Webb with 13:42 remaining in the second quarter.
In the first half, Colorado couldn’t come up with a play when it needed one. Another CU drive ended when senior wideout Dusty Sprague dropped a pass from Cody Hawkins on third-and-2 from the Jayhawks’ 28. Making matters worse for the Buffs, CU place-kicker Kevin Eberhart hooked a 46-yard field goal attempt, wide left, 5:12 before halftime.
Colorado goes back on the road this Saturday for a 10 a.m. game at Texas Tech. That will be CU’s third road game in October.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
