BOULDER — Colorado had better find a way to put up bigger numbers on the scoreboard, or the Buffaloes (3-2, 0-1 Big 12) could find it difficult to hang with their remaining opponents in an amazingly explosive conference.
CU ranks 11th among Big 12 teams in scoring offense (24.2), ahead of only Texas A&M (22.8). The other 10 league members average more than 30 points, with six surpassing 40 points per game.
With the level of competition stepped up, Colorado has averaged just 17.3 points for its past three games, against West Virginia, Florida State and Texas.
“We’ve got the guys (for a more productive offense),” CU sophomore wide receiver Josh Smith said Sunday. “We’ve got to get the guys to have confidence and not get down on themselves. We make big plays in practice every day. We just have to do it in games.”
Upcoming opponent Kansas (4-1, 1-0), led by junior quarterback Todd Reesing, averages 35.2 points per game, and the 16th-ranked Jayhawks matched that average last weekend with a come-from-behind 35-33 win at Iowa State.
“When you’re going to play those kinds of teams, the margin for error is very small,” CU coach Dan Hawkins said Sunday. “The reality is, we’ve got the Colts this week, the Patriots next week and then the Bears. It never helps if you panic. If you beat down on guys it doesn’t work. We just have to keep coming. We just have to adjust to it.”
Big commitment.
Colorado coaches had at least something to smile about Saturday night after a 38-14 loss to Texas. According to Internet recruiting sites, Colorado received an oral commitment from Jack Harris, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound senior offensive tackle at Chaparral High School in Parker.
ranks Harris as the state’s No. 2 senior prospect, behind Legacy defensive end Nick Kasa (6-7, 245), a five-star (by ) and four-star (by ) recruit who is considering CU. Harris also visited Oregon and Vanderbilt.
Footnotes.
Colorado’s game Saturday at Kansas will be broadcast on ESPN2. Kickoff in Lawrence is 10:30 a.m. MDT. . . . The Jayhawks have won 12 straight at home, the nation’s fourth-longest active streak behind Oklahoma (20), Boise State (16) and BYU (15).
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
The Jayhawks
Colorado at No. 16 Kansas Saturday, 10:30 a.m., ESPN2
For the record: The Jayhawks improved to 4-1 and began Big 12 play with a 35-33 win at Iowa State. Kansas overcame a 20-0 halftime deficit with three touchdowns in the third quarter. KU remained No. 16 in the AP poll and moved up one spot to No. 15 in the USA Today coaches poll.
Streaking: The Jayhawks have won five straight Big 12 regular-season road games. In the first 11 years of the conference, KU earned a total of six road wins.
Who’s hot: Junior QB Todd Reesing completed all four of his passes in the fourth quarter against Iowa State for 105 yards. He finished 18-for-26 for 319 yards, with three TDs and one interception.
Who’s not: In the past three games, the KU defense has yielded 402.7 yards per game. One of those opponents was lower-division Sam Houston State.
Key stat: Junior RB Jake Sharp, a backup most of the season, rushed for 79 yards and caught three passes for 107 yards against ISU.
FYI: The reigning Orange Bowl champion, Kansas is aiming to become the first Jayhawks team to go bowling in consecutive years.
Injury report: None reported.
Coachspeak: “We got to catch a little bit of (Kansas’) game on TV. Kansas has a good football team. In the first half it was turnover after turnover after turnover. Once they started to hold on to the football, they were better off.” — CU coach Dan Hawkins
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
