Colorado-Kansas Notes
October 18, 2009 | Football
Colorado Notes
Quickly Colorado is now 2-4, 1-1 in the Big 12; Kansas State leads the Big 12 North with a 2-1 mark, with CU, KU and Nebraska all 1-1 ... With Kansas entering the game ranked No. 17 (Associated Press), since the start of the 1989 season, Colorado has now played the second most ranked teams in the nation (103), trailing only Florida (112) and equaled by Florida State ... CU is 43-58-2 in those games ... WR Will Jefferson made his first career start tonight ... The teams went "three-and-out" on the first four possessions; the game's initial first down came at the 8:19 mark of the first quarter ... Kansas netted only a first quarter field goal, extending the opponent streak to eight quarters at Folsom Field without a touchdown (CSU scored two first quarter TDs in the opener and KU got the next one late in the first half tonight) ... PK Aric Goodman's 45-yard field goal to open the second quarter was his first career make as a Buffalo between 40-49 yards (he was 0-for-8, and 2-of-14 including his time at Wyoming); he did make a 54-yard kick against CSU and had a 52-yard boot when he was a Cowboy ... Colorado's 24-3 lead in the second quarter was its second largest of the year, behind only the 24-0 final score in the win over Wyoming; it also marks the largest margin KU has trailed in 2009 (trailed 7-0 early against Duke and by six twice versus Iowa State) ... WR Scotty McKnight extended his regular season streak to 30 games with at least one reception ... CU was in danger of tying its record for losing its largest lead (21 points on two previous occasions, once to Kansas: in 1950, CU led 21-0 but lost 27-21; the other was in 2007 at Iowa State, losing 31-28 after leading 21-0).
SECOND QUARTER OUTBURST The 24 points scored by Colorado was its most in a single quarter since Aug. 30, 2003, when the Buffs scored 28 points in the second quarter of a 42-35 win over Colorado State in Denver. It was the eighth 20-point quarter in the Dan Hawkins Era; CU had scored 26 points in the second quarter of five games this season before tonight.
BRICK WALL West Virginia rushed for 257 yards on Colorado to open October (220 by Noel Devine), but in the six quarters since then, Texas and Kansas have combined for 38 rushing yards on 47 tries (when taking out sacks, it's 40 true rushes for 90 yards, or 2.25 per).
THE COUNT IS NOW 11 Eleven ranked, undefeated teams have now lost their "0" in the loss column at Folsom Field since 1989, as No. 17 Kansas (5-0) joins this list tonight. The last was Oklahoma in 2007, as the Sooners rolled in ranked No. 3 and left with a 27-24 setback to the Buffs. That was the first time since 2002, when Kansas State came to Boulder ranked No. 13 at 4-0 and lost, 35-31. Two bit the dust in 2001: Nebraska (11-0, No. 1 in the BCS and No. 2 in the polls) dropped a 62-36 game to the Buffs, as did Texas A & M (5-0, No. 20), 31-21. In 1998, No. 22 Texas Tech (6-0) fell to CU 19-17; in 1995, No.3 Texas A&M (2-0) lost, 29-21; in 1994, No. 10 Wisconsin (2-0) was crushed, 55-17; and in 1990, No. 12 Washington (3-0) left a 20-14 loser. In 1989, No. 10 Illinois (2-0) lost 38-7 and No. 3 Nebraska (8-0) fell, 27-21.
18 OF 22 Colorado has now defeated at least one ranked team in 18 of the last 22 seasons with its 34-30 win tonight over No. 17 Kansas.
THIRD DOWN SCROOGES AT FOLSOM The three opponents that have visited Folsom Field are just 12-of-49 on third down after Kansas was 5-of-17 tonight; the Jayhawks came into the game 13th in the nation converting at 50.7 percent; KU also earned first downs on just 4-of-22 second down plays (1-of-2 on fourth down).
3rd & LOOOOONG Kansas flirted with converting a 3rd-&-20 in the third quarter (gaining 19 on the play); but in the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks converted on a 3rd-&-29 (41-yard pass from Reesing to Briscoe), ending an 0-of-30 on 3rd-&-20 or longer by the opponent (dating back to 2004).
QB TYLER HANSEN (25-14-1, 175, 1 TD; 11-34 RUSH, 1 TD) Hansen made his first start of the year and amassed 209 yards of total offense. He had career highs in attempts, completions and yards, and had his second career TD pass and scored his first career TD. His first (and other TD pass) was in last year's 14-13 win over Kansas State, meaning both his career TD passes are against Sunflower state schools. CU is now 2-1 in games Hansen has started.
ILB JEFF SMART (6,2-8 TT) He now has 256 career tackles, tying him for 25th all-time. He is now the 10th Brian Cabral-coached linebacker in the top 25... with Cabral himself still tied for 16th all-time with 297 stops).
TB RODNEY STEWART (24-108, 2 TD) had his third 100-yard game of the season and sixth of his career, and in the process tonight became the 49th player in CU history to rush for 1,000 yards (ending the game with 1,040). It was the second time in his career he scored two touchdowns (also doing so against Wyoming). Stewart is also now 7-of-7 in his career in picking up a first down on 3rd-&-1.
RED ZONE DEFENSE Kansas penetrated the CU 20 six times tonight, scoring two touchdowns and two field goals and coming up empty on two other occasions (downs, clock); KU was 0-of-4 on third down inside the red zone (0-of-1 on fourth) and ran 15 plays for just 44 yards (2.9 per).
Kansas Notes
Kansas erased a 21-point deficit (24-3) before coming up short. The comeback would have tied the second-biggest comeback win in school history. Previous biggest comebacks were 26 at Iowa State in 1992 (trailed 47-21 before winning 50-47) and 21 vs. Colorado in 1950 (trailed 21-0 before winning 27-21).
Six Jayhawks made their first appearance on the defensive side of the ball this season in DT John Williams, S Lubbock Smith, LB Angus Quigley, CB D.J. Beshears, DE Quinton Woods and WR Bradley McDougald, who also played offense tonight. He played defense on third down in the fourth quarter.
LB Drew Dudley recorded a career high in tackles (previous best was 10 vs. Southern Mississippi).
S Darrell Stuckey recorded at least 10 tackles for the third time in the last four games. He also recorded his first interception of the season and eighth of his career. That tied him for 10th on the KU career interception list with Richard Bertuzzi and current Jayhawk Justin Thornton.
WR Kerry Meier recorded at least 10 receptions and 100 yards for the third straight game. He has had at least 10 catches in five of the last eight games and six times in his career and at least 100 yards in six of the last eight games and nine times in his career.
WR Dezmon Briscoe went over the 100 receiving yard mark for the third straight game and sixth time in his last eight contests.
QB Todd Reesing recorded his first career reception (14 yards) on a pass from Kerry Meier.
RB Toben Opurum recorded his team-high eighth rushing touchdown of the year (ninth overall) in the third quarter. He has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season.
P Alonso Rojas attempted and completed the first pass of his career on a fake punt in the third quarter.
PK Jacob Branstetter recorded a career-long 37-yard field goal in the first quarter and then bettered that with a 43-yarder in the third quarter. He then added a 42-yarder in the third quarter for the three longest field goals of his career. His previous long was 34 yards vs. Missouri in the last regular season game last year.
From First Half
Redshirt freshmen DT John Williams and S Lubbock Smith both made their first career starts. They became the 13th and 14th Jayhawks to make their first career start this year, as well as the fifth and sixth freshmen.
True freshman CB D.J. Beshears made his first appearance in a KU uniform this season. He became the 11th freshman to play for KU this year and fourth true freshman.
DE Jake Laptad recorded a sack in a game for the fifth time in six contests this year. He entered the game with 4.5 sacks this year and 14.5 in his career.
Kansas' three points in the first quarter were its fewest in a quarter in the last 16 periods (three in first quarter at UTEP). Meanwhile KU held an opponent scoreless in a quarter for the ninth time this season.
Colorado then scored 24 points in the second quarter, the most allowed in a period by KU since Texas scored 24 in the second quarter en route to a 66-14 win in 2005. The Longhorns scored 28 in the first quarter that day as well.
KU's late second quarter touchdown extended KU's streak of scoring in a quarter to 19 straight periods.
When Colorado scored a touchdown off a Kansas fumble early in the second quarter it marked just the second time a KU opponent has scored off a KU turnover this season (USM scored a touchdown earlier this season). CU did it again late in the second quarter off an interception.
Before today KU had fallen behind five times this season and responded with a game-tying or go-ahead touchdown on the next drive four times. KU fell behind 10-3 in the second quarter today and had to punt on its next possession. CU then scored to mark the first time the Jayhawks trailed by more than one score this year.
WR Kerry Meier recorded his team-high sixth touchdown reception this season (all in the last four games). He moved into a tie for four fourth on the KU career receiving touchdowns list with 16. He has now caught at least eight passes in four straight games.
