<table> </table> LAWRENCE | Around here, there&#8217;s still a feeling that Todd Reesing is capable of anything.</p><p>Forget the interception in the last minute of the South Florida loss. Forget the three picks in the third quarter of the Texas Tech loss. None of that matters here at the Anderson Family Football Complex, where Reesing&#8217;s teammates believe he&#8217;s &#8220;definitely got some magic up his sleeve&#8221; and his offensive coordinator takes time each day after practice to &#8220;thank God that I&#8217;m coaching him.&#8221;</p><p>Last season, &#8220;Thank God for Todd&#8221; shirts flew off the shelves in Lawrence, and it seemed quite plausible that Reesing had been sent to the Jayhawks by some higher pigskin power. At the time, he could do no wrong. But with KU sitting at 6-4 and staring at tough games against Texas and Missouri, Reesing has been unable to play the role of savior for his team this season.</p><p>Reesing was asked whether 2008 has been disappointing for him, and his response sounded like a prepared statement.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s been disappointing,&#8221; Reesing said. &#8220;I feel like I&#8217;ve been able to do my job better than I did last year. I&#8217;m completing a higher percentage of passes. I know people are going to want to point that I have more interceptions. Well, I&#8217;ve also thrown the ball more times per game, and it&#8217;s been a little bit tougher here and there to try and make plays.&#8221;</p><p>The numbers back up Reesing&#8217;s claim of improvement. He has completed 67 percent of his passes (62 percent last year) and is on pace to reach 467 attempts (446 last year) and 3,825 yards (3,486 last year). Reesing has done all of this against a tougher schedule and without consistency from his offensive line.</p><p>Certainly, nobody can doubt Reesing&#8217;s desire. In last week&#8217;s loss at Nebraska, Reesing threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 35 yards and a score. But he was sacked five times by the Cornhuskers, and, by the end of the game, Reesing was practically limping the Jayhawks down the field.</p><p>&#8220;He fears nothing,&#8221; KU coach Mark Mangino said after the game. &#8220;He&#8217;s played some great games since he&#8217;s been here, but I think today&#8217;s game typifies who he really is.&#8221;</p><p>Quarterbacks are supposed to be defined by their greatest wins, their moments of glory. But Reesing has stood out in 2008 for the way he has played during some bitter defeats. At South Florida, Reesing put on a show, passing for 381 yards and three touchdowns. His one interception came with less than a minute left, and it led to the Bulls&#8217; game-winning field goal.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve left a game where the coach on the opposing team didn&#8217;t go, &#8216;Wow, that guy&#8217;s really good,&#8217;&#8194;&#8221; KU offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. &#8220;That&#8217;s the ultimate compliment, what your peers and opponents pay you when you walk off the field.&#8221;</p><p>Nebraska coach Bo Pelini couldn&#8217;t help himself.</p><p>&#8220;Huge heart,&#8221; Pelini said.</p><p>Reesing isn&#8217;t playing for consolation prizes, though. He wants to win. And he isn&#8217;t going to let an injury &#8212; Reesing will be playing through some pain on Saturday against Texas &#8212; stop him from trying to stick it to the team he grew up rooting for as a kid.</p><p>Reesing doesn&#8217;t carry much bitterness toward Texas for not offering him a scholarship. He knows his limitations, and he is happy here, where he is appreciated like few other quarterbacks in KU history. Still, Reesing&#8217;s teammates are counting on him having something extra in store for Texas.