Buffs Edge Kansas State

BOULDER - The Colorado Buffaloes' needed help on offense and they didn't wait to find their answers on the recruiting trail.

They ripped the red shirt off freshman quarterback Tyler Hansen, who sparked them to a 14-13 win over Kansas State on Saturday night, snapping their three-game skid that had threatened to spoil their season.

Hansen made a surprise appearance in the first quarter and energized the Buffs (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) while confusing the Wildcats (4-3, 1-2).

It's not like Cody Hawkins, the son of Buffs coach Dan Hawkins, was benched, though.

He continued to split series — and even snaps within some series — with Hansen, and it was the more experienced Hawkins who came in with 5:17 left and the Buffs clinging to a 1-point lead.

Although Cody Hawkins mostly handed off to Rodney Stewart (29 carries for 141 yards) on the final series, he also hit Josh Smith for 22 yards on third-and-15 from his own 29 on the drive.

Instead of going for a 47-yard field goal with a minute left, however — the Buffs had already missed one and another was blocked — they went for it on fourth-and-4 and Hawkins' pass to Smith fell incomplete and Kansas State took over at its own 31 with 59 seconds remaining.

Josh Freeman's fourth-down desperation heave to Brandon Banks at the Buffs' 20-yard line was broken up by free safety Ryan Walters on the last play of the game. It was a fitting finish for Colorado's stingy defense, which disguised coverages and kept Freeman in check except for his 17-yard scamper into the end zone in the third quarter.

"We knew their defense had been playing tough and that was the heart of their team, but we didn't expect to have this dismal of a performance," said Freeman, who was just 20-of-41 for 237 yards.

And the last thing they expected to see was Hansen under center.

"No. 9? I had no idea. I was shocked," Wildcats defensive back Courtney Herndon said. "We were expecting Cody Hawkins or No. 16 (Matt Ballenger), and when No. 9 (came in), I was like, who is he? I didn't even know who the kid was. That shocked me big-time."

Hansen finished a modest 7-of-14 for 71 yards with one TD and one interception, but he also ran 19 times for 86 yards, bringing a dimension that Hawkins doesn't have. Hawkins was 6-of-11 for 35 yards and didn't attempt a single rush.

That athleticism is what forced the coaches to approach Hansen last Sunday about forgoing his redshirt season.

"Well, mainly it's because of his legs. He can really run," Dan Hawkins said. "And so it was a huge sacrifice for him, but I think it also speaks to the kind of camaraderie we have on our team."

Hansen said he didn't hesitate to accept the challenge when offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich raised the idea.

"He said I could really help the team out, and once I heard I could really help the team out, I was like, 'Yeah, absolutely,'" Hansen recounted. "I miss playing. I miss being out there in the lights. So, I wanted to."

Dan Hawkins said his son, too, had to sacrifice a lot over this move, and he was just as appreciative of that.

Cody Hawkins said he wasn't jealous or miffed because he's all about teamwork and winning.

"All I want to do every day is work hard and do what's best for the program," he said. "If that means I'm on the field or on the sidelines, it really doesn't matter to me. As long as we're winning and working hard and having fun.

"Tyler is a stud. The guy is very athletic and has a very strong arm, he's going to be an unbelievable quarterback. He's going to make a lot of plays for us. People should be excited about his future."

Hansen entered the game with the Buffs trailing 6-0 and promptly fumbled his first snap out of bounds.

"I was like, 'Oh, no! I'm not going to play (anymore),'" Hansen said. "I was kind of stressing about that."

But on third-and-12 from his 28, Hansen gained 13 yards on a draw play and suddenly the Buffs had the momentum.

He drove them to the Kansas State 4, where Hawkins re-entered and handed off to Stewart, a freshman who scored his first touchdown to give Colorado a 7-6 lead.

The next time Hansen drove the Buffs downfield, Hawkins stayed on the sideline and Hansen hit Scotty McKnight with a 21-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline for a 14-6 lead.

Cody Hawkins said that was the first time Hansen had ever run the play, a sign that he's a quick study and had been paying attention all along even though he wasn't planning on playing in a game until 2009.

Even Colorado's defense seemed to be energized by Hansen's debut.

"He went out there and made the crowd go 'ooh' and 'ahh' a little bit," Walters said. "So, any time the chains are moving and the offense is doing well, the defense is going to be fired up."

Cody Hawkins had given way to Ballenger in the Buffaloes' last two games, losses to Texas and Kansas, and when asked midweek if Hansen might get a shot under center, Dan Hawkins played the poker face.

Both teams had trouble with their kicking game.

Brooks Rossman kicked field goals of 37 and 53 yards but was wide right from 47 yards and wide left from 42 in the first half for the Wildcats.

Colorado had a chance to pad its 14-13 lead but Aric Goodman's 47-yard field goal try sailed wide right at the last moment. Goodman's 48-yard attempt in the first half was blocked by Ian Campbell, Kansas State's seventh block in seven games, best in the nation.

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Team Stats

Tyler Hansen

Cody Hawkins

Players Mentioned

Matt Ballenger

Aric Goodman

Tyler Hansen

Cody Hawkins

Scotty McKnight

Josh Smith

Rodney Stewart

Ryan Walters