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Kansas doesn't lead the league in much, but there's a wide margin between the Jayhawks and anyone else when it comes to out-of-nowhere surprises. The Jayhawks trailed Colorado 45-17 with under 12 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but ripped off 35 points in the final quarter to beat the Buffaloes 52-45, winning their first conference game and sending Colorado to 0-5 in Big 12 play.
Rarely could two coaches' careers be more defined by a singular moment. Few if any thought Kansas could top an early season win over reigning ACC champion Georgia Tech, a week after losing to FCS opponent North Dakota State.
Now it has in dramatic fashion. Colorado clearly isn't a good team -- the Buffaloes can say goodbye to a bowl bid with six losses and Nebraska still to come -- but a win like this is something to build on. At the very least, Kansas has climbed out of the Big 12 cellar. If Turner Gill can keep these flashes going that Kansas keeps showing, such as the halftime lead against Iowa State last week or the convincing win against Georgia Tech, he can officially get this rebuilding project under way. Wins like these are what you build programs on. One building block at a time; make the players believe.
On the other side of the field, is there a worse way for a coach on the hot seat to lose? Blowing a 45-17 lead in 11 minutes to a team that has lost 11 consecutive Big 12 games? I don't know which team to be more surprised about. Colorado, meanwhile, has lost 15 consecutive road games under Dan Hawkins.
None, though, could be as costly as this one. More shocking than losing this game would be Dan Hawkins coaching another one for the Buffaloes.
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