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KU vs. ISU

Ames, Iowa — Five games into the season, Kansas University's football team pretty much has revealed itself for what it is: slow and not very physical in the trenches, passive in the secondary, extraordinarily gifted, smart and gutsy in the passing game.

Marred by a defense that not only bends but breaks and a flawed offensive line, KU's path to victory involves riding two reliable and remarkable superstars, quarterback Todd Reesing and receiver Kerry Meier working in tandem, and a rotation of mystery playmakers taking turns as the third spark.

One week it might be Dezmon Briscoe. The next it could be Daymond Patterson. Then Johnathan Wilson might take his turn.

On Saturday afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium, where in the second half Reesing was vintage Reesing and Meier was pure Meier, junior running back Jake Sharp returned to prominence for the first time this season and sparked Kansas to a 35-33 comeback victory against Iowa State.

At running back, junior Jocques Crawford hogged the preseason hype, fueling it with a bold stated goal of rushing for 2,000 yards. Angus Quigley became the story, leading the run-challenged Jayhawks in rushing yards in each of the first four games. Sharp hung in the shadows, looking for daylight and instead seeing big bodies. On a team searching for featured running back, he was looking like the third option, a former future star, a flash from Salina who dashed to 63 touchdowns as a high school senior.

At KU, he had a good freshman year and better sophomore season.

As a junior? Entering Saturday's game, Sharp ranked third on the team in rushing with 86 yards, averaging 3.3 per carry. He carried it once in Saturday's first half, KU's most depressing half of football since it trailed 52-0 to Texas in Austin three seasons ago.

It all changed in the third quarter when Reesing faked a handoff to Quigley, Sharped slipped out of the backfield, caught Reesing's pass and burned 67 yards to the end zone. By game's end, Sharp had 186 all-purpose yards (79 rushing, 107 receiving).

"It boosts my confidence," Sharp said of what the game did for him personally. "If there was any little doubt in my mind, if I was like, 'Man, what's going on?' ... Hey, I can do this. My teammates and I, each and every one of us know we can help this team out, but it definitely helps."

Helps the never-ending transition from high school superstar to college contributor.

"We're just 19-, 20-year-old young men. You know college football is not an easy thing," Sharp said. "If everybody could play college football, everybody would. Let me tell you, I think everybody on our team will tell you that college football is as hard if not harder than everybody thought it would be. You've got to be a tough son of a gun to fight through all you have to fight through. Injury things, mental fatigue. We're taking classes, taking 16, 17 hours, we're keeping 3.0s. It's not a job for weak people, to say the least."

Flashing strength and speed, Sharp rejoined the ranks of playmakers.

"I definitely think I'm a guy who can make big plays for our team, and I was called on to do it today," Sharp said. "I think when I'm called on to do it, I'll do it."