Todd Reesing had to stop a second while pondering the question after his Kansas University football team’s 38-14 victory Saturday over Sam Houston State.
Surely his 57-yard, highlight-reel touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe in the second quarter would make it on “SportsCenter,” along with every KU football highlight film from 2008.
But did the KU quarterback consider the play a better scramble or a better throw?
“I’m pretty used to scrambling around and finding a way to avoid some tackles, so I’m going to go with the throw part,” Reesing said. “That was probably the farthest ball I’ve thrown in a while.”
Perhaps lost in the play – Reesing juked two Sam Houston State defenders before getting the throw off – was the fact that the 5-foot-11 junior launched the ball quite a distance.
Replays showed the ball traveled nearly 60 yards in the air, hitting Briscoe in stride at the goal line.
“I had to kind of throw a little crowhop into that one, kind of let the back foot come off the ground to get enough gas to get it there,” Reesing said.
After he had avoided the first two would-be tacklers, Reesing said he looked in the intermediate range but didn’t see any receivers.
Looking farther downfield, he spotted Briscoe sprinting toward the end zone.
“I just kind of threw it up, and I knew he had the guy beat,” Reesing said. “Honestly, I didn’t know if he’d get there or if I’d overthrow it or what. The fact that I hit him in stride kind of struck me, too.”
The play impressed more than Reesing. It also dropped the jaws of some of his teammates.
“I was in awe, and I’ve played with Todd for three years,” KU running back Angus Quigley said. “I was just like, ‘That’s our guy.’ That’s basically what I say every time I see something like that.”
The individual effort came at a crucial stage for KU.
Sam Houston State had just scored a touchdown to trim the Jayhawks’ lead to 14-7, and KU faced a nearly impossible third-and-25 at its own 43 when Reesing came through for his team.
“I know it was pretty exciting to be a part of it and watch the replay,” Reesing said. “It was a big play and a time when we needed it, too.”
