By The Associated Press
Kansas has positioned itself for a special season. The Jayhawks are ranked 23rd, with their only loss coming at Texas. But star quarterback Jalon Daniels has missed the past two games with a back injury, and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he doesn’t expect to face him this week. Kansas visits an Oklahoma State team coming off an inspired 29-21 win over Kansas State. The Cowboys have settled on quarterback Alan Bowman, and the offense has looked better in his two starts. Oklahoma State could make a statement with back-to-back wins against highly regarded teams.
No. 23 Kansas (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at Oklahoma State (3-2, 1-1), Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Line: Kansas by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Oklahoma State leads 41-30-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Kansas has positioned itself for a special season. The Jayhawks are ranked 23rd, with their only loss coming at No. 9 Texas. But star quarterback Jalon Daniels has missed the past two games with a back injury, and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he doesn’t expect to face him this week. Oklahoma State is coming off a 29-21 win over Kansas State. The Cowboys have settled on quarterback Alan Bowman, and the offense has looked better in his two starts. Oklahoma State could make a statement with back-to-back wins against highly regarded teams.
KEY MATCHUP
Kansas running game vs. Oklahoma State run defense. The Jayhawks rank sixth nationally with 232.3 yards rushing per game. Devin Neal leads the way with 593 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks fourth nationally with 7.7 yards per carry. Oklahoma State ranks 86th in rushing defense, allowing 154 yards per game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas: Defensive lineman Austin Booker. He leads the Jayhawks with 8.0 tackles for loss and five sacks. He had a sack and a forced fumble in Kansas' 51-22 win over Central Florida.
Oklahoma State: RB Ollie Gordon II. He had 21 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown against Kansas State. He has posted back-to-back games with at least 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career. He has 366 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season.
FACTS & FIGURES