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Surprising Kansas outlasts Colorado, remains undefeated

Oct 21, 2007 - 3:58 AM BOULDER, Colorado (Ticker) -- Kansas continued its best start in 12 years and avoided becoming the latest undefeated team to fall in Boulder.

Todd Reesing passed for a touchdown in an efficient outing as the 15th-ranked Jayhawks outlasted Colorado, 19-14, in a Big 12 Conference contest Saturday.

Kansas (7-0, 3-0 Big 12 North) remained one of just five unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision by snapping its five-game losing streak here. The Jayhawks are off to their best start since 1995, when they also opened 7-0.

"I'm really proud of the way our kids played tonight," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "It was a big win on the road."

"Once you go out there feeling unbeatable, that's when you end up being upset," added star cornerback Aqib Talib, who made four tackles and batted down two passes. "We just prepare, we work hard during the week and it pays off on Saturday."

Ranked 13th in the initial Bowl Championship Series standings, Kansas was hard-pressed to remain perfect against Colorado, which stunned then-No. 3 Oklahoma here on September 29.

"We've got some hard-nosed, tough kids," Mangino said. "We have some talented kids, but the heart and soul of this team is the overachiever, hard-nosed kids. They're the ones that really buckled down here tonight."

Off to just its second 7-0 start since 1968, the Jayhawks forced three turnovers en route to their first win in Boulder since 1995.

Kansas also became the first Big 12 North team to start 3-0 in conference play since Nebraska in 2002.

"We did just enough as we needed to do to win the ballgame," Jayhawks running back Jake Sharp said. "We made just a couple more plays than them, and came out with the win."

The Jayhawks took a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter on Sharp's three-yard touchdown run.

Scott Webb booted a 35-yard field goal with 6:15 left in the third quarter and Reesing zipped a four-yard TD pass to tight end Derek Fine 4 1/2 minutes into the fourth period.

However, the Jayhawks failed to convert a two-point attempt, leaving their lead at 19-7.

"Our offense, I think, when the pressure gets put on us, we really respond well," Reesing said. "That's a tribute to all the guys working hard and executing the plays."

Colorado pulled within 19-14 on Cody Hawkins' five-yard scoring strike to Byron Ellis with 3:42 remaining.

After forcing a three-and-out on the Jayhawks' next possession, the Buffaloes got the ball back on their own 42-yard line with 2:26 to play.

But on the first play, Jayhawks defensive end Jeff Wheeler sacked Hawkins, who nearly lost a fumbled snap on second down. After throwing an incompletion on third down, Hawkins barely overthrew Josh Smith on 4th-and-18, ending Colorado's comeback bid.

"We're just more comfortable," Talib said. "Everybody who was on that field was on that field last year. We're more comfortable, more confident when we're out there, so we just got the job done."

The tight finish overshadowed a solid performance by Reesing, who completed 20-of-29 passes for 153 yards while rushing for 84 yards on seven carries.

Hawkins went 27-of-44 for 287 yards, two TDs and two interceptions for the Buffaloes (4-4, 2-2 North), who went just 5-for-17 on third down.

Hawkins' favorite target was Tyson DeVree, who finished with 90 yards and a TD on seven receptions.