Kansas @ Oklahoma State preview
Boone Pickens Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 11, 2014 ) Oklahoma State 27, Kansas 20
No. 12 Oklahoma State finished the first half of its schedule as one of 14 undefeated FBS teams at 6-0. A bye followed last weekend, and the Cowboys took time to reflect, rejuvenate and get ready for a much-tougher second-half slate, which begins with Saturday’s homecoming game against Kansas.
Of course, the 0-6 Jayhawks hardly qualify as formidable as one of four remaining winless FBS programs, but dates with fellow Big 12 heavyweights Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma occupy four of the final spots on the Cowboys’ schedule. And coming off three straight hard-fought wins, the bye week gave Oklahoma State time to refocus. “We’ve played a number of close games, so I felt that our players needed a break,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said at his Monday news conference. “If they’re not away from us, they don’t ever really get a break. ... From this point on, there aren’t any more open dates, so we have to stay fresh all the way through.” Kansas, meanwhile, is off to the program’s first 0-6 start since 1988, when coach Glen Mason’s Jayhawks dropped their first eight contests en route to a 1-10 finish.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Oklahoma State -33.5
ABOUT KANSAS (0-6, 0-3 Big 12): The young Jayhawks, who feature an FBS-high 37 first-time players, seem to be trending in the right direction, playing Texas Tech tough in a 30-20 defeat last Saturday after losing their previous four contests by an average of 32.3 points. Freshman quarterback Ryan Willis provided a boost last week, completing 35-of-50 passes for 350 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his second career start. Defensively, Kansas ranks last in the Big 12 in points (42.8), passing (308.3 yards) and total yards (559.8) allowed, but the Jayhawks had five sacks and nine tackles for loss against the Red Raiders, with defensive end Ben Goodman Jr. contributing a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (6-0, 3-0): The Cowboys have done it with defense, ranking second in the conference in scoring (20.3 points allowed) and total yards allowed (332.3). Oklahoma State also leads the Big 12 in sacks with 25, thanks largely to defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who is pacing the conference and ranks in the top eight nationally with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss following his huge game (sack, two forced fumbles, defensive TD) two weeks ago against West Virginia. Offensively, quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver David Glidden have formed a potent combo, hooking up 28 times for 457 yards and three TDs so far, but the sophomore QB will have to bounce back from his worst outing of the season after throwing for 218 yards, no TDs and three interceptions against the Mountaineers.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oklahoma State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings after a 27-20 victory in Lawrence last season.
2. The Jayhawks have dropped 35 consecutive road games, with their last win Sept. 12, 2009, against UTEP.
3. The Cowboys have won 29 of their last 30 home games against unranked opponents with last season’s 28-7 loss to Texas serving as the lone blemish.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 48, Kansas 17