BOULDER, Colo. – Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains and surrounded by tree-lined hills, Folsom Field is one of the most picturesque venues in college football. None of that beauty found its way onto the field Saturday afternoon.

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Kansas Football vs. Colorado St.

Kansas (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) came out on top against Colorado (4-4, 2-2 Big 12) in a defensive struggle full of turnovers and big hits. For the better part of 60 ugly minutes for the offenses, the teams traded defensive punches until Kansas finally secured a 19-14 victory with fewer than two minutes remaining. With the victory, Kansas moved up to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll, No. 10 in the USA Today coaches’ poll and No. 9 in the BCS rankings.

An ugly win

The dropped passes, costly penalties and mental mistakes that played a large role in Saturday’s game allowed the rare moments of eye-pleasing football to stand out even further. The game’s most awe-inspiring offensive play, which came late in the first quarter, gave Kansas the upper hand early.

On third-and-four from his own 17-yard line, Kansas sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing dropped back to pass. As was often the case against the solid Colorado secondary, the quarterback could not locate an open receiver. Instead of forcing the ball to a covered teammate, Reesing doubled back toward the right sideline and took off running downfield.

The quick quarterback scampered past the Colorado defensive linemen and the first-down marker. Just when it appeared Reesing might head for the safety of the sideline, senior wide receiver Marcus Henry and senior tight end Derek Fine each latched onto a Colorado defender and opened a wide path for their quarterback.

Reesing didn’t beat the last Buffalo defender to the goal line, but he did advance the ball to the Colorado 30-yard line — just close enough for the Jayhawks to take a 3-0 lead on a 48-yard field goal by senior kicker Scott Webb two minutes later.

“It was either throw the ball away or try to make a play,” Reesing said. “I’m going to try to make a play in any situation. Luckily we got some blocks, and things worked out.”

Before Reesing broke the ice with his 53-yard dash, each team struggled to fall into an offensive rhythm. On its first two drives combined, Kansas gained just 31 yards on 10 plays. Colorado enjoyed a bit more success on its first two possessions but turned the ball over deep in Kansas territory to set up Reesing’s run and Kansas’ first score.

“We did an awesome job to drive them into their territory,” Colorado freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins said. “But we had a fumble and a couple of dropped passes and missed throws that killed drives. It was definitely a bummer.”

Defensive football

The Jayhawk offense appeared short on solutions for Colorado’s defense for most of the first half, but the defense forced two turnovers and allowed just 130 yards of offense before halftime. In addition to senior running back Hugh Charles’ first-quarter fumble, Colorado missed an opportunity to tie the game heading into halftime when Hawkins threw an interception with five seconds remaining in the first half.

Before the pick, the Buffaloes sat at the Jayhawks’ 27-yard line, safely within field goal range, with time running out in the first half. On third-and-one, Hawkins threw a pass but failed to loft the ball above the outstretched arms of a Jayhawk defensive lineman. The ball floated in space for a split-second before Kansas senior defensive tackle James McClinton snared it. McClinton made an awkward dash in the general direction of the Colorado goal line but quickly fumbled the ball in an unsuccessful attempt to lateral the ball. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, McClinton’s interception had taken them out of field goal range, and they returned to the locker room trailing 3-0 at halftime after a failed Hail Mary. After forcing one turnover in the first two games of the season, Kansas has forced eight in its last two contests.

“We’re playing a little better as we go on,” junior linebacker Joe Mortensen said. “We’re getting a little more pressure on the quarterback and we always fly around to the ball, so that helps us force turnovers.”

Winning turnovers

The Jayhawks continued to use takeaways to their advantage in the second half. Nursing a scant 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter, Kansas needed to stop a Colorado offense that had driven 80 yards for a touchdown just two minutes earlier. Sophomore safety Justin Thornton provided that stop with an exceptional interception at the Colorado 37-yard line. The Jayhawks capitalized on Thornton’s third interception of the season with a quick field goal to take a more comfortable 13-7 lead.

After the Kansas defense lent the offense a hand in the first three quarters, the offense returned the favor in the final 15 minutes of the game. The Jayhawks built one of their most impressive scoring drives of the season early in the fourth quarter, marching 94 yards on 15 plays and draining more than seven minutes from the clock.

A vast cast of characters contributed to Kansas’ touchdown drive, which put the team ahead 19-7 with 10 minutes 17 seconds to play. Senior running back Brandon McAnderson carried the ball twice for 17 yards, sophomore running back Jake Sharp ran five times for 20 yards and Reesing completed all seven of his pass attempts, including a four-yard touchdown toss to Fine.

“They came up to stop our quick slants, so it opened up the run game,” Sharp said. “Me and Mac were able to get some things done because the line blocked great and I think we won up front today.”

Reesing finished the game 20-of-29 with 153 passing yards and a team-high 84 rushing yards. Sharp had 53 rushing yards, and McAnderson had 44 of his own.

Game on the line

But Kansas’ work was not finished after the impressive touchdown drive. Colorado answered seven minutes later with a touchdown of its own to cut the margin to five points, 19-14, and took control of the football with 2:16 remaining. The Kansas defense was faced with two options: hold its ground or lose the game.

It went above and beyond the call of duty, pushing Colorado back eight yards over the course of four plays. Hawkins could not connect with freshman wide receiver Josh Smith on fourth-and-15, turning the ball and the game over to the still-undefeated Jayhawks.

“It was great,” junior cornerback Aqib Talib said. “The defense stepped up in the fourth quarter and showed the world what we can do.”

For the seventh consecutive game, Kansas displayed all the makings of a great football team. The offense endured more than 50,000 rampant Colorado fans, the coaching staff improvised masterfully and the defense stood up to intense late game pressure.

Saturday’s game may have been ugly, but Kansas left Folsom Field with something pretty — an unblemished 7-0 record.

— Edited by Matt Erickson