Jayhawks fail to slow down Oklahoma, 56-3

It was only a matter of time before the red-hot Oklahoma Sooners offense was able to put the scoreboard operator to work against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Oklahoma (6-2, 5-0 Big 12) scored on seven straight possessions in the middle quarters to take a commanding seven score lead against the Jayhawks.

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield torched Kansas (1-7, 0-5) for 236 passing yards and four touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Dede Westbrook was the main target, getting 105 yards through the air. Westbrook gained 230 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

The KU offense had a tough time moving the ball against a defense that has allowed 33 points per game this season, which is 7th in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks finished with 170 total yards, and junior quarterback Montell Cozart threw two interceptions while averaging only 3.3 yards per attempt. Senior running back Ke’aun Kinner and sophomore Taylor Martin combined for only 30 yards on the ground and 1.6 yards per rush.

KU was only able to score once on a 16-play, 69-yard drive where the Jayhawks converted three third-down conversions yet were still held to just a field goal.

The Jayhawks defense held the Sooners to just 55 yards and only two first downs in the first quarter. Dede Westbrook scored the Sooners lone first quarter touchdown on a 71 yard punt return touchdown.

The Sooners tried to get the ball to Westbrook during their third possession, but the Jayhawks made them pay. Freshman safety Mike Lee used a big hit on a 5-yard Westbrook reception to cause a fumble. Sophomore Daniel Wise recovered to set up KU on the OU 25, only for the Cozart to throw an interception on the very next play.

In the second quarter, the Oklahoma offense started to look like the unit everybody expected to see. Mayfield orchestrated three straight touchdowns drives, including a 41-yard strike to Westbrook, to take a 28-3 lead into the half.

OU continued their assault with two straight scoring drives to start the second half. Joe Mixon punched it from one yard out on the first drive then Mayfield lobbed the ball over Lee to give senior receiver Geno Lewis a 7-yard touchdown grab.

Even the OU defense got in on the action after Jordan Evans intercepted Cozart and returned it for a pick-six to go up 49-3 with 7:58 remaining in the third quarter.

After one more scoring drive, this time a 10-yard rush by freshman Devin Montgomery, the Sooners took out the starters for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

The loss marks the 39th straight road loss for the Jayhawks.

Key stat

KU: KU averaged 2.6 yards per play to OU’s 7.6. There is not much to say other than that is not very good.

OU: The Sooners put up 406 yards and 49 points in the middle quarters. That, as they say, was the ballgame.

Takeaway

KU: Once you get past the 7-3 score at the end of the first quarter, the Jayhawks have almost zero moral victories or positive building blocks to take away from this performance. A Sooners blowout was expected, but that does not make this game any less painful for KU.

OU: With all the fatigue that must accompany a 66-59 track meet victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, this was a great job by the Sooners to come out and execute on both sides of the ball.

Next game information

The Jayhawks will head to Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers next Saturday. The Mountaineers will have something to prove after losing their first game of the season against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 37-20 in Stillwater, OK.

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Andrea Torres – @andreamarriie

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