By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan.(AP) -- Todd Reesing waited for the question he had
never heard before, one he didn't particularly want to answer.

Eyes darting between the cameras, recorders and microphones
thrust into his face, the typically engaging and confident
Kansas quarterback seemed anxious as he waited for someone to
ask what it was like to be benched for the first time in his
career.

After a few questions about this week's opponent, the Jayhawks'
struggling offense, it came. Suddenly, Reesing's eyes narrowed.
He looked over his shoulder at the interviewer, then answered
the question with the same tenacity he's applied to opposing
offenses the past three years.

"Yeah, it was a big deal to me," Reesing said Tuesday. "It is
what it is. It's above my pay grade. It's his (coach Mark
Mangino's) decision. I'm still the starting quarterback here,
there's no doubt about that. This job is not up for grabs."

Mangino put Reesing in this tough spot by benching the senior in
the closing minutes of Saturday's 42-21 loss at Texas Tech.

Bothered by a groin injury suffered two weeks earlier against
Colorado, Reesing didn't have his usual mobility and was unable
to make up for breakdowns by the offensive line, leading to six
sacks. He seemed tentative at times, too, throwing for a
season-low 181 yards on 20-of-35 passing.

With Kansas trailing by 14 points and just over 7 minutes left
in the game, Mangino made the surprising move of replacing
Reesing with redshirt freshman Kale Pick, hoping it would spark
the offense.

It didn't and now, instead of being talked up as a Heisman
Trophy contender, Reesing's talking about holding on to his job
heading into Saturday's showdown with rival and Big 12
North-leading Kansas State.

"He has done a lot of great things here and we have all taken
for granted some of the great plays he's made, some of the
things he's done here," Mangino said. "But he's human. He's
going to make mistakes. We all do. The good thing about Todd is
you know he's going to respond. That's just his personality."

At the start of the season, it seemed preposterous Reesing would
ever be in this position.

A three-year starter, he had guided one of the most prolific
offenses in the nation, leading the Jayhawks to 12 wins and an
Orange Bowl victory as a sophomore in 2007, breaking nearly
every school record after that.

Mentioned as a Heisman candidate at the start of his senior
season, Reesing played like it through the first five games,
throwing for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns with three
interceptions to move the undefeated Jayhawks up to No. 16 in
The Associated Press poll.

Even Mangino, who refuses to campaign for postseason awards, got
caught up in Reesing's start, saying he at least had to be in
the Heisman conversation.

That proved to be the high point.

Over the past three games, all losses, Reesing has thrown two
touchdown passes with four interceptions, including on in each
of the first three possessions in a loss to Oklahoma. He's also
lost three fumbles and thrown for 405 yards the past two games -
37 fewer than he had in a win over Iowa State last month.

Some of it is the Jayhawks' shaky offensive line, some of it
probably Reesing's groin injury, though he won't use that as a
crutch.

Whatever it is, something clearly needs to change.

"We've just got to relax," Reesing said. "I'm not going to get
all tense and worked up about this stuff because I think it
would be counterproductive if we get tense and try to do too
much. We just need to take a step back, take a deep breath and
do what we've always done."

The Jayhawks are counting on it.

One thing about Reesing is that he doesn't give up. Ever.

Told he was too small to be a Division I quarterback, the
5-foot-11 Reesing has spent the past four years using his arm
and legs to prove everyone wrong. He's had a knack for escaping
seemingly inescapable situations and the Jayhawks have no doubt
he'll do it again.

"He's got a couple of bumps in the road here lately, but I'm not
going to panic," Mangino said. "I've got a lot of faith in him.
I have confidence in him and his teammates do. The best in the
business have rough areas. He'll be fine. He is a guy that is
not happy with the way things are going, so he is willing to
change."