LAWRENCE, KAN. — Todd Reesing sparked slow-starting Kansas with two rushing touchdowns, then passed for two more to lead the No. 25 Jayhawks past Northern Colorado 49-3 Saturday night before the biggest home crowd in school history.
Reesing, who has virtually rewritten his school’s passing records, took a seat on the bench midway through the fourth quarter with the Jayhawks holding a 35-3 lead. He hit 13 of 20 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns and scored on runs of 2 and 13 yards.
Jake Sharp scored on a 2-yard run and a 10-yard pass before the Memorial Stadium record crowd of 53,530, a fan base that’s been energized by 20 wins the past two years and seems to appreciate no longer being known as a basketball-only school.
But the Bears of the Big Sky Conference, who won only once last year and are struggling to transition to Division I, put up more fight than most in the big crowd expected. It was only 7-0 going into the second quarter, and Northern Colorado had missed a short field goal attempt.
Northern Colorado also got plenty of help from the Jayhawks, who picked up 68 penalty yards, including pass interference and roughing-the-passer infractions during the drive that set up Michael York’s 29-yard field goal in the third.
It was an especially long night for Kansas cornerback Anthony Davis. The sophomore, who played little last year, was flagged for pass interference three times in the first half.
Andre Harris, the junior college running back who’s been highly touted by Northern Colorado, had six carries for 22 yards in his debut. Bryan Waggener was 19-for-30 for 165 yards passing.
