BOULDER — CU found a quarterback Saturday.
It happened in the fourth quarter, after the Buffaloes had turned a 24-3 lead into a 30-27 deficit, heartbreak again on their horizon.
“The quarterback for Colorado was the difference-maker today,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said after the Buffs pulled out a 34-30 triumph at Folsom Field. “It’s unfortunate they picked this week to take his redshirt off, but I think they found their quarterback, that’s for sure. He’s a heck of a player.”
The moment that Tyler Hansen became CU’s leader came early in the winning drive, after a penalty and two incomplete passes backed the Buffs into a third-and-15 from their own 19.
Hansen set up to pass. No one was open. The pocket broke down. Hansen scrambled to buy time, looking and moving, moving and looking, somehow escaping the rush until 6-foot-4-inch tight end Riar Geer broke free up the middle. Hansen fired a 29-yard strike.
“That was a crazy play,” Hansen said. “I was going through my reads and they brought some heat, avoided it a little bit, looking down the field, about to run, about to pass, about to run and saw Riar. We work the scramble drill every week, and he did it perfect. He got open, and I got him the ball.”
The most obvious difference between Han sen and Cody Hawkins, the quarterback he replaced, is Hansen’s running ability. He had CU’s long run of the day, 20 yards, and rushed for 64, although he got credit for only 34 after sack yardage was subtracted.
“He brings a whole new type of quarterback to our offense with his speed,” Geer said. “We can count on him to get out of the pressure and then we can open up some more options.”
Hansen’s running ability helped the Buffs avoid the pass-happy play-calling that had sabotaged them earlier in the season. They ran 43 running plays and 25 pass plays, finishing with 175 yards through the air and 147 on the ground.
Just as important was Han sen’s escapability in the passing game. Time and again when the Buffs’ pass protection broke down, Hansen slid or sprinted away from the rush, buying time until someone came open down the field.
“You’re looking downfield, going through your reads, what’s the corner doing, what’s the outside backer doing,” he explained. “You don’t see the D-linemen. It’s all passing lanes, so you don’t really see anyone coming at you, but it’s just all feel. You’ll get a feeling that someone’s coming off the edge real fast, and you’ve got to step up or something like that. It’s really more of a feeling. Those guys are big guys. I’m running for my life.”
The demoted young Hawkins seamlessly took on the role of adviser.
“He was telling me what they were doing defensively, what we were going to do on the next drive,” Hansen said. “He was always there. He was like another coach.”
Coach Dan Hawkins, who made the call to replace his son in the lineup, saw his decision pay off.
“He did a nice job,” he said of Hansen. “He made a lot of plays with his legs and made some good throws. What a great kid he is. He and Cody from the get-go were being unselfish, and that’s one of the cornerstones of our team. Having two guys like that bodes well for the foundation of this team. It’s about the team, it’s not about you, and in the end, the sun will shine on you.”
Actually, on a gorgeous autumn afternoon, the sun shone on them in the beginning. It had retired for the evening by the time Hansen engineered the winning fourth-quarter drive.
Fans may blame the elder Hawkins for not replacing his son sooner, but the truth is Hansen’s performance as a starter a year ago gave little indication of the maturity he demonstrated Saturday.
“I think I played a little smarter than I did last year,” he said. “I think I took my time to go through my progressions and looked downfield a little more and didn’t just look to run.”
After CU’s defense stopped KU’s final drive in the end zone, the student section flooded the field. Hansen had a look of pure bliss as the wave of humanity briefly lifted him and then escorted him to the locker room.
“I have no words for that feeling,” he said. “That’s just like a dream come true. It was unbelievable.”
Looking at the schedule, the Buffs now see an opportunity to turn their season around. Finally, they have the most important ingredient.
Dave Krieger: 303-954-5297 or dkrieger@denverpost.com
