The first thing KU fans will notice when they arrive at Memorial Stadium on Saturday is the construction on Campanile Hill. The new football facility may not be complete, but Kansas is hoping that once the game starts the fans will see a finished product on the football field.

“We’ve had a good preseason and practices have been good since school started, so I’m pleased with the direction we’re going,” coach Mark Mangino said. “Based on what I see on the practice field, I think we’re about where we should be.”

Kansas starts the season against Central Michigan at 6 p.m. on Saturday The Jayhawks have made some major adjustments since last season’s disappointing 6-6 finish in hopes of returning to the postseason.

Cramming all of the necessary preparation into one month of preseason practice is not easy for any team, let alone one that has made as many offseason adjustments as Kansas. The team made personnel changes in the winter, tweaked some things in the spring, worked on conditioning through the summer and attempted to put all the pieces in place this August.

The most important change happened near the top of the program. After five-year veteran Nick Quartaro resigned as offensive coordinator in December, Kansas hired Ed Warinner away from the University of Illinois to fill the void. Warinner has brought a strong running game to most of the teams he has coached, but he could bring Kansas versatility in the passing game and simplification on the sideline.

“We wanted to make it user-friendly,” Warinner said. “Once the players learn the base concepts, we are able to adjust off of it. It’s different in some ways, but we think it’s pretty user-friendly for the players.”

Players said the new offense Warinner designed was up-tempo and would stretch the field. Mangino said the team’s passing game would open up the field for the running game.

New players will be executing Warinner’s offense, most notably sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing. He played in parts of three games last season with mixed results, and will make his first start this weekend. In his limited action, Reesing has been exciting but inconsistent.

Reesing, an Austin, Texas, native, showcased a strong arm and the ability to escape the pocket and gain yardage in the open field. He passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more, but also threw three interceptions. Reesing officially won the starting quarterback job nearly two weeks ago after battling sophomore Kerry Meier for playing time through the spring and preseason.

“I’ve been in here every day watching film on Central Michigan,” Reesing said. “I’m trying to get the best edge I can to go into my first start and do the best I can to prove there is a reason I won this job.”

Reesing could be delivering the ball to a few new Jayhawks. Running back Carmon Boyd-Anderson and wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe, both freshmen, are listed on the depth chart and should play this weekend. Briscoe is a lanky wide-out who could return punts and Boyd-Anderson is a balanced running back similar to former Kansas star Jon Cornish.

“I’d say as a freshman, Carmon is as good as or more talented than any guys I’ve seen,” said senior fullback Brandon McAnderson. “He came in and had a camp that was very successful. He had some big runs, some nice runs, he’s a smooth runner.”

Joining the group of ready-to-play youngsters is freshman cornerback Chris Harris. Harris quickly secured the starting spot left vacant because of a preseason injury to junior cornerback Kendrick Harper. Harris is small and inexperienced, but Mangino said his confidence and attitude set him apart from most young players.

The season-opener will not only provide football-obsessed fans with plenty to digest: There will also be a treat for aesthetically inclined observers — brand new uniforms. The Jayhawks’ redesigned jerseys, which feature the Trajan font, are distinctly different from last year’s uniforms.

After all the waiting and work of the 2006 offseason, the real work begins Saturday.

­—Edited by Jeff Briscoe