FIRST QUARTER

Colorado 3, Kansas 0

For a pair of offenses which entered today’s contest at Memorial Stadium hurting for consistent production, the early indications are that those struggles could continue.

Colorado opened the game by using a host of personnel to move the ball almost 20 yards, but backup quarterback James Cox threw a hurried incompletion under pressure to stall the drive. Kansas University wasn’t much sharper, hurting itself with a false start on third-and-nine to go three-and-out on its first turn with the ball.

The Buffs were aided again by a KU penalty on their next possession, when Kansas linebacker Mike Rivera de-cleated Cox when running out of bounds well short of the first down marker on a third-and-16, drawing a personal foul call. With that as a little fuel, the Colorado offense got rolling.

After the penalty, Colorado moved 40 yards in six plays to set up a 38-yard chip-shot field goal for Mason Crosby with 4:51 left in the first quarter.

KU showed some promise on its possession following Crosby’s kick, when Marcus Herford returned the ensuing kickoff to his own 41-yard line after a nice lateral cut to find the sideline. The Jayhawks then found success on third-and-six, when Marcus Henry snagged a pass behind him and got 16 yards on the play. But two snaps later, Barmann tried to squeeze a pass into the grip of Jonathan Lamb, only to have the route jumped by Colorado’s Terrence Wheatley, setting the Buffaloes up on their own 27-yard line.

The Jayhawk defense put the grips on when Colorado took possession, allowing a first down on a 13-yard Bernard Jackson quarterback scramble, but then stalling the drive at the CU 48-yard line. It brought the first quarter to an end.

SECOND QUARTER

Colorado 6, Kansas 0

The Colorado offense continued to plug away little by little after Kansas punter Kyle Tucker gave the Buffaloes favorable field position at their own 40-yard line.

CU’s drive went numb at the Kansas nine-yard line, but before that, tailback Hugh Charles was the spark this time around. He started with a nine-yard run to give CU a first down on second-and-six, and followed it with a twisting, cutting 18-yard run to put the Buffs in field goal range. Colorado nearly had a touchdown on two plays before settling on a 26-yard Crosby field goal to go up 6-0, but Riar Geer couldn’t haul in Bernard Jackson’s pass at the goal line.

Kansas gave fans on hand reason to stay awake on its next possession – for a little bit. The Jayhawks began the drive by going three-for-three on third down attempts, with the most impressive of which being on a seven-yard pass from Barmann to Henry on third-and-four. Upon catching the ball over the middle, Henry was thumped by CU’s Terry Washington, but maintained possession.

Another penalty set the drive back some, with a false start turning a second-and eight into second-and-13. Two plays later, facing third-and-seven, Barmann threw a deep ball to Murph, who ran a deep slant toward the west sideline, but the ball slipped off of his fingertips while going out of bounds. The Jayhawks went for it on fourth down, only to wind up three yards short of the sticks.

Colorado couldn’t take advantage of getting possession at its own 34-yard line, executing a quick three-and-out routine. A Matt Dilallo punt set Kansas up at its own 30 with 2:20 to go until halftime.

Colorado 9, Kansas 0

The Jayhawks then teased the same fans they’d woken up on their previous drive when they got the ball back.

Colorado burned all thre timeouts to try and get a legitimate possession before halftime, only to give KU an automatic first down on fourth-and-29 when Lionel Harris ripped Kyle Tucker down after punting the ball, drawing a personal foul call. But on the next snap, Barmann threw a ball for tight end Derek Fine into swarming triple coverage, and it was snagged by Colorado linebacker Brad Jones, who drifted into the secondary. It set Colorado up at the Kansas 30-yard line with more than a minute until the half.

Jackson started the drive with a 15-yard scramble, and Crosby ended it with a 32-yard field goal, to put Colorado up 9-0.

Right before the half, Mangino then sparked the day’s most intriguing personnel conversation.

While Colorado was padding its lead, he began to talk with true freshman quarterback Todd Reesing, who may have his redshirt burned once KU takes the ball to start the second half. Reesing put his helmet on for the half’s final minute, indicating he might come in soon.

Barmann has completed 11 of 18 passes, but has thrown for just 74 yards and has been picked twice.

It would spark an offense desperate for just that. The Buffaloes outgained the Jayhawks in yardage, 135-86 in the first 30 minutes. Most glaringly is KU’s 12 rushing yards on 11 carries. Jon Cornish has 21 yards on eight carries, still 18 away from becoming KU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since June Henley in 1996.

THIRD QUARTER

The Todd Reesing era got off to a bumpy start, safe to say.

The good was that he drew a cascade of cheers from the fans still on hand when leading the Jayhawks onto the field to start the half. The bad came three snaps later.

After throwing an incompletion on second-and-six, he threw another pass over the middle which was tipped and intercepted by Lionel Harris, setting Colorado up inside the KU 30.

The defense didn’t lose momentum from the turnover, though. Colorado wound up with a fourth-and-one at the 19-yard line, and Jackson could not get enough push to move the markers.

Reesing on the next possession threw a five-yard pass to Brian Murph on third down for his first career completion, which also resulted in a first down. Two plays later, Cornish ran down the right sideline for a 13-yard gain, which also put him over 1,000 yards for the year. The drive ran out of gas, though, just shy of midfield, forcing Tucker to head in again.

Colorado 9, Kansas 7

KU got the ball back quickly, aided by an offensive pass interference on Colorado on a third-and-long.

Reesing continued from there to look even more comfortable. On the first play of the next drive, he threw to fellow freshman Jake Sharp down the left sideline on a play action pass, and the speedy Salina Central product took it for 42 yards down to the Colorado 37-yard line. Three snaps later, Reesing showed his big-time arm again. Looking for Jeff Foster in the end zone, the throw was on the money in the back right corner, but Foster was interfered with, setting KU up at the 22.

One play later, KU answered for real.

Reesing threw a short dump pass to Cornish, who scooted 22 yards untouched to pull KU within two points, 9-7, with 4:35 to go in the third quarter.

Colorado’s offense looked fluent upon taking the field again, and began to control the clock with a stout running attack. They moved the chains deep into Kansas territory when Jackson scrambled for a 22 yard gain on second-and-nine down to the KU 27-yard line.

But on the final play of the third quarter, Kansas defensive back Aqib Talib made up for a near-miss on an interception earlier in the quarter. He jumped a comeback route on the near sideline at the Kansas 15-yard line, and took it 61 yards the other way, setting Kansas up on the Colorado 24 to start the final frame.

FOURTH QUARTER

KU 14, CU 9

Four snaps was all Reesing needed to continue to become a new fan favorite.

He ran for 14 yards up the middle on the first snap of the quarter, and three plays later took it in himself from three yards out, just 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. He sprinted across the goal line, pumping his fists, bumping in mid-air with Murph, and re-energizing a previously silent stadium.

The defense fed directly from it.

Colorado began the next drive by hurting itself with a holding call, and on third-and-14 from its own 16, Jackson went deep down the left side for Barnett on a post pattern. Talib played it perfectly, knocking it away sans interference, and getting KU the ball back on its own 47.

KU 20, CU 9

As opposed to the last three weeks, this time, KU took a huge step towards stomping on its opponents hopes of a late comeback.

On a third-and-10, Reesing turned in the game’s offensive play of the day. He was under durress from Lionel Harris, who actually had him wrapped up in the backfield. He escaped by running cartoon-like circles, and then threw the ball 31 yards downfield to Foster.

Reesing capped the drive with a beautiful fade lob to Derek Fine from five yards out. Kansas missed the two-point conversion, taking a 20-9 lead with 7:57 to go.

The defense continued to deal finishing blows when Colorado took its biggest offensive risk of the day.

Beginning to move the ball successfully again, Jackson threw a swing out to receiver Dusty Sprague in the left flat. From there, Sprague threw downfield, but Talib jumped in front of the intended receiver and grabbed the ball at its highest possible point, giving KU the ball again at its own 33, with 4:46 left to run out.

KU 20, CU 15

At that point, Reesing decided he hadn’t had enough of living up the moment.

In an instance similar to the earlier one where he was nearly sacked, Reesing escaped the pocket, and after zigging and zagging for a good 25 yards, he sprinted to the Colorado two-yard line before being tripped up.

Then, he reminded everyone he’s still a freshman.

After a five-yard offensive penalty, while being dragged down in the secondary, he fumbled the ball forward, and coincidentally flipped it into the awaiting arms of Colorado safety Ryan Walters, who took it for a pick-six of nearly 100 yards. The two-point conversion pass was dropped by a wide open Alvin Barnett, keeping Colorado in need of another touchdown with 3:17 to go.

Kansas’ Jeff Foster recovered the onsides kick attempt.

After running down as much aof the clock as the offense could, KU left Colorado on its own 18-yard line, with :59 left to go and a lot of ground to cover.

The Buffs shot themselves in the feet, first with a false start after a nice initial gain on first down, and then they negated a Jackson run to midfield due to a holding call. Jackson’s downfield bomb attempts failed, and Kansas finished off an opponent for the first time in nearly a month, 20-15.