Call It A Comeback

The SG Crew dispatched to Lawrence to watch the Buffs monumental collapse against KU; some DROPS from the 4th quarter:

DROPS: Reason #4080 to run the football with a 28 point lead: the wind. Like former KU coach Mark Mangino after a bowl of chili, the wind was blowing pretty good in the Buffs face in the 4th Quarter. When you have a diminutive QB who doesn't exactly throw Elway-esque lasers, keep the ball on the ground.

DROPS: Most of the focus is on what Dan Hawkins didn't do with the offense to win/salt away the game, but one simple fact is the defense gave up 35 points in 11 minutes! The KU QB had ample time to throw the ball and the KU O-line opened massive holes. The coaches did nothing creative with blitzes or schemes to help stem the tide.

DROPS: After the Buffs drove to the eight yard line with eight seconds left, Lil Hawk threw a TD to super freshman Paul Richardson. The refs disagreed and called it an incompletion. I was about 10 yards from the play and probably had a better view than the ref. Richardson caught that ball. How else do I know he caught the ball? His second cousin was sitting the row in front of me and like an old Brady Bunch episode snapped a picture of the catch.

DROPS: After KU cut the lead to 14 points with seven minutes left, Hawk his keen coaching acumen gathered the entire team on the sideline. I knew it didn't mean anything to most of the team, and it was confirmed the next day in the paper. To paraphrase what Hawk told them: "Just relax, we're up by two scores." Huh? In that case you need to get in their ass, tell them to knock someone in the damn mouth, to man up and get the hell on that bus with a W.

DROPS: Class act with Hawk brushing off his radio interviews after the game. KOA radio and more specifically announcer Larry Zimmer have been the biggest Buff pom-pom wavers for decades (not to mention a major financial booster) and Hawk gives them attitude and about 30 seconds of time? Yet, his players (about 30 years younger) can give their time to the press?)

DROPS: I'm not buying the conspiracy theories that Hawk was throwing the ball to try to get Lil Hawk the all-time passing record. For one, he's about 900 yards away and I just don't think he has that in him, especially with Nebraska on the schedule. Two, if he did get it, Buff Nation would see it as a phony record. The other theory is that AD Mike Bohn won't fire Hawk until after the season because Lil Hawk would quit too. A fifth year captain would quit the team with three years left? Abandoning his teammates? No way.

DROPS: I can't tell you how many texts I got after the game that basically said "What happened?" My simple answer to all: "Dan Hawkins happened."