Sat Oct 11 16:18:11 2008

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Jayhawks hold off Buffaloes

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Lawrence, KS (Sports Network) - Jake Sharp rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, as the 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks held off a pesky Colorado squad 30-14.

Todd Reesing completed 27-of-34 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown for Kansas (5-1, 2-0 Big 12) which won its 13th straight at home. Kerry Meier had nine catches for 94 yards, and Dezmon Briscoe added five catches for 48 yards and a score for Kansas, which outgained Colorado 407-233.

Cody Hawkins completed 8-of-22 passes for 90 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions for the Buffaloes (3-3, 0-2), who have lost three straight after a 3-0 start. Hawkins added a rushing touchdown, while Rodney Stewart gained 77 yards on 18 carries for Colorado.

The Jayhawks held only a 16-14 lead entering the fourth quarter, but pulled away with two unanswered scores. Reesing found Briscoe for a 15-yard gain on 3rd-and-9 at the Kansas 40 early in the fourth, keeping alive a drive that Sharp capped with an eight-yard touchdown run. Sharp's second score of the game gave Kansas a 23-14 edge with 13:07 left in regulation.

The Kansas defense forced a three-and-out, and Sharp finished a quick 43-yard drive with a seven-yard TD run, pushing Colorado in a 16-point hole with 10:29 to play.

Hawkins was replaced under center by Matt Ballenger for the rest of the game, but Ballenger didn't have much more success on offense. After a three-and-out, the Colorado offense managed one first down under Ballenger before stalling again and punting with less than four minutes left, all but conceding the loss.

The win for Kansas sets up a big game next Saturday, as the Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. Oklahoma figures to drop from its No. 1 ranking after a 45-35 loss to No. 5 Texas on Saturday.

The Kansas offense struggled early, and Reesing was sacked at the Jayhawks one-yard-line, setting up a 27-yard punt by Alonso Rojas that gave the Buffaloes possession at the Kansas 28. Hawkins found Cody Crawford for a 16- yard gain on 3rd-and-9, and two plays later the two hooked up again, on an 11- yard touchdown strike that gave Colorado a 7-0 lead with 3:15 to play in the first.

The Jayhawks got on track on their next possession, moving 59 yards on 10 plays, but Jacob Branstetter's 39-yard field goal attempt was pushed wide right. Sharp took over on the next Kansas possession. After rushes of 21 and 10 yards early in the drive, he pushed into the end zone from one yard out to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:56 left in the half.

The Kansas defense added two points, as Jake Laptad brought Hawkins down in the end zone on 3rd-and-11 from the Colorado 16, and the safety pushed Kansas ahead 9-7 just 49 seconds after Sharp's score.

A five-yard Reesing TD pass to Briscoe, capping a 12-play, 78-yard march, gave the Jayhawks a 16-7 lead with 1:18 to play in the third quarter, but Colorado answered.

Josh Smith's 59-yard kickoff return set the Buffaloes up at the Kansas 41, and a 38-yard completion from Hawkins to Smith put Colorado on the doorstep. Hawkins pushed in on a QB sneak on the next play, again slicing the Kansas lead to two points, at 16-14 with six seconds left in the third quarter.

Game Notes

The Jayhawks won their third straight in the series, the first time since 1962-64 that Kansas won three in a row over Colorado. The Buffaloes still lead the series 41-24-3, and had won five straight prior to this skid...Ballenger completed 5-of-8 passes for 57 yards...Smith was Colorado's leading receiver, with one catch for 38 yards. Crawford had four grabs for 33 yards.