The smiles gleaming from Kansas fan’s faces in Boulder, Colo., after a 19-14 victory against Colorado showed their excitement. But there was also an element of surprise.

After all, it was 12 years ago when the Jayhawks last won two consecutive road games. And last season, fans became accustomed to collapses from the team on the road. So what exactly has changed in 2007?

“The team has a different mentality from where they were at a year ago, its got a tough mental edge to it, we’ve got some hard-nosed kids,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “You know we’ve got some talented kids but the heart and soul of this team are actually the over-achiever hard-nosed kids.”

Coming into this season, the Achilles’ heal of the Mangino-era Jayhawks was their play on the road. Mangino had posted a paltry 2-18 Big 12 conference road record in his first five seasons.

But with wins already in Manhattan and Boulder this season, Kansas has rid itself of the curse that haunted it in prior seasons. While Mangino credits a renewed focus from his players, the players think it’s the other way around.

“Coach keeps us focused,” junior cornerback Aqib Talib said. “Coach makes sure he has a speech for us every week to keep us down to earth.”

Perhaps, Mangino’s speeches weren’t as poignant last season. The Jayhawks failures on the road were like an avalanche: once it started, there was no stopping it. They surrendered an 18-point halftime lead at Baylor and committed five turnovers in a double-overtime loss at Toledo.

But when Kansas found itself trailing Colorado in the third quarter last weekend, it remained calm and collected. It took less than a minute and a half and five plays for Reesing, sophomore running back Jake Sharp and senior wide receiver Marcus Henry to star in a scoring drive that put the Jayhawks back on top.

“Our offense, I think when the pressure gets put on us, we really respond well and that’s an attribute to all the guys working hard and executing our plays,” Reesing said. “When these situations come, we have no doubt we can take the ball right down and score.”

Mangino said having Reesing on the field also helps the team play better on the road. In the past couple seasons, Mangino’s teams have been ravaged by quarterback injuries and inconsistent play. Reesing’s calming presence in the huddle gives the Kansas offense much-needed continuity, according to Mangino.

Mangino doesn’t feel ready to celebrate the road success of his undefeated team yet. But he can’t help but show a little relief.

“We’ve still got a lot of football to play here,” Mangino said. “But I’m proud of how our kids played in a hostile environment.”

Whether it’s the mentality of the players, the motivation from Mangino’s speeches or the comfort of a solid quarterback, Kansas has played significantly better on the road this season. The Jayhawks need all of those positives to come together Saturday when they visit Texas A&M at Kyle Field, a venue generally considered to be one of the toughest places to play in the country.

— Edited by Ashlee Kieler