Kansas runs off 35 straight in fourth to stun Colorado
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas is used to great comebacks.
Take the 2008 NCAA basketball title game in which the Jayhawks rallied from nine points down in the final two minutes to beat Memphis in overtime.
But in football? Simple victories have been scarce, much less miracle comebacks.
That changed Saturday when the Jayhawks scored 35 unanswered points in the final 11:05 and overcame a 28-point deficit to beat Colorado 52-45. It was the greatest comeback in Kansas history.
"I'm still in shock," said
Johnathan Wilson, who caught a 38-yard touchdown pass with 9:26 left to cut the Buffaloes' lead to 14 points after Kansas recovered an onside kick. "The Colorado guys were talking trash to us ... and I really had no response. All of a sudden we started making plays and playing our game and they shut up real quick. As soon as I scored that touchdown, I felt like we were going to come back and win."
The 35 points in the fourth quarter were the most in Jayhawks history.
James Sims scored four touchdowns, all in the final 19 minutes, including the game-winner of 28 yards with 52 seconds left. He finished with 123 yards on 20 carries.
"I don't want to have to be in that situation again, having to come back like that," Sims said. "We figured once we got the onside kick and brought it down and scored and the defense got that pick, we felt like we were in the game."
Linebacker Steven Johnson said first-year Kansas coach Turner Gill had a prophetic message at halftime with the Buffaloes up 35-10.
"He said, 'You all need to come out here and get ready for the best comeback ever,'" Johnson said.
After Wilson's TD reception, Kansas cornerback Tyler Patmon spearheaded the next two touchdowns. He returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown with 7:12 left to trim the lead to 45-38. Patmon intercepted a
Cody Hawkins pass with 6:29 left, which set up the tying touchdown, Sims' 6-yard run with 4:30 left.
After Sims' go-ahead touchdown, the Buffaloes drove to the Kansas 7 in the final seconds. But two Hawkins passes into the end zone were incomplete.