Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoBoulder, Colo. ? Kansas University entered Saturday’s game at Folsom Field ranked second in the nation in kickoff returns, fourth in punt returns and 14th in net punting and led the Big 12 Conference in kickoff coverage.
Those lofty rankings likely will plummet after the Jayhawks’ 50-47 overtime loss at Colorado.
Kansas (4-2 overall, 1-1 Big 12) led 44-38 after quarterback Bill Whittemore completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Simmons with 8:55 remaining.
Vance Washington blocked Johnny Beck’s extra-point attempt, a play that proved critical when Mason Crosby kicked two field goals in the final 51/2 minutes to force overtime.
Colorado (3-3, 1-1) had put pressure on Beck several times before the block.
“Coaches kept saying, ‘Keep going. You’re eventually going to get it,’ Washington said. “It was actually the push the front line was getting. The more they pushed, the further I got. It was like magic.”
There was no magic for KU’s special teams, which had played a vital role in KU’s 4-1 start.
Beck made field goals of 21 and 35 yards, but missed a 40-yarder early in the third quarter.
“We can’t do that,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “We’ve played so well on special teams all year. Field goal and PAT was going pretty good. We got it blocked here. We didn’t do a good job protecting.”
KU had struggled with its long-snapping, but that wasn’t the case on either kicking miscue.
“The snap seemed to be there and the hold,” Mangino said. “We had some pressure on the left side. That shouldn’t happen.”
Senior punter Curtis Ansel, a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, also had his share of problems. On consecutive first-quarter possessions, Ansel shanked a 14-yard punt out of bounds and had his next one blocked. Those plays led to 10 points for CU, which led 17-7 after Crosby’s 23-yard field goal.
Crosby also thwarted KU sophomore return man Greg Heaggans by booting eight of his nine kickoffs for touchbacks, including seven that went out of the end zone. Heaggans didn’t get a chance to return a kick until KU’s final possession of regulation, and he was stopped at his own 15.
It was the first time this year Crosby had handled kickoffs.
“I think it helped keep my leg warm throughout the game,” said Crosby, who made all three of his field goals. “I was able to keep moving, and doing the kickoffs really kept me focused on booting the ball.”
CU punted only two times, and John Torp averaged 42.5 yards per attempt. Kansas freshman Charles Gordon made only one return for four yards.
Colorado return man Jeremy Bloom fared better, returning two punts for 23 yards and three kicks for 70. He also caught five passes for 97 yards and rushed once for 14.
“We wanted to get Jeremy in the game a little bit more, and he responded with some great catches,” CU coach Gary Barnett said.
Colorado snapped a three-game losing streak and bounced back from last week’s loss at Baylor.
Mangino was confident his team could make a similar recovery in time to face the Bears Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“We’re not going to hang our heads and feel sorry for ourselves,” he said. “That’s not going to happen as long as I’m the head coach.”
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoKansas University’s Charles Gordon couldn’t wait to watch the replay.
Gordon broke off an 82-yard punt return in the first quarter that set up the Jayhawks’ first confidence-inspiring score in Saturday night’s 46-24 victory over UNLV. The return awed the crowd as Gordon seemed to turn Rebel punter Gary Cook inside-out.
“I thought it was a nice move,” said Gordon, after he watched his shimmy-shaking, ankle-breaking replay on Memorial Stadium’s MegaVision.
“But I have to give credit to my blockers,” Gordon said.
If not, KU’s Greg Heaggans wouldn’t let anyone forget.
“I was right there. I made that main block to get him open,” Heaggans said. “I was like, ‘All right, you did good, now it’s my turn.'”
On his first kick-off return, the sophomore Heaggans didn’t show up Gordon, but he did stutter-step for a 32-yard gain.
“Yeah, I really do think those kind of returns really sparked us,” said Gordon, a red-shirt freshman.
Indeed, Saturday was a special night for Kansas’ special teams.
“Special teams is something we have made a high priority,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “We have had more meetings with the special teams than any other team I have ever coached with.
“I think special teams can give you an edge. The offense played well, but the special teams put them into that position.”
And it wasn’t just the Jayhawks’ kick-return game that excelled, although Gordon and Heaggans combined for 211 yards on seven returns.
Just ask Johnny Beck.
A week after the Jayhawks’ junior kicker missed a chip-shot field goal against Northwestern, Beck tied his career-best mark of four field goals against the Rebels.
“It was nice tonight to make some kicks,” Beck said. “We know that we go out there in practice every day and can make the kicks, but we definitely got some confidence that we can get it done now.”
Ecstatic special teams coach Clint Bowen said the highlights started to snowball.
“I believe they do lead to more plays,” Bowen said. “Take that punt return early in the game. Everyone on the sideline starts jumping up and down, getting excited. It’s a big play, it’s out in the open where a lot of people are going to see it and gets everyone excited.”
UNLV only returned one kick past its 20-yard-line, and Beck booted several into the end zone.
With all the talk about special teams, it was almost forgotten that KU punter Curtis Ansel was perfect Saturday. The senior known for his booming, field-position punts got off exactly none against the Rebels.
The only action Ansel saw was holding field-goal and extra-point snaps.
“At one point I turned to him and told him he’d really have to ice down his leg tonight,” Beck said of Ansel, who last week muffed the hold on the game-tying extra point. “I’m sure he enjoyed the vacation. But even tonight, just like all the special teams play, he was so valuable.”
WIBW video: KU streak ends in Boulder
