Kansas dominated on both sides of ball by Oklahoma State in 47-7 loss

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Shane Illingworth threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns, Chuba Hubbard ran for 145 yards and two more scores, and No. 17 Oklahoma State was able to rest its starters the final 20 minutes in its 47-7 victory over Kansas on Saturday.

Tylan Wallace had nine catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Braylon Johnson had four catches for 74 yards and the other passing TD, as the Cowboys (3-0, 2-0 Big 12) built a 31-0 lead by halftime.

Oklahoma State finished with 298 yards through the air and 295 on the ground for 593 yards of total offense. But as gaudy as those numbers might be, the Cowboys’ defense may have been even more impressive.

The Jayhawks‘ Jalon Daniels and Miles Kendrick were a combined 14 of 24 for 92 yards and a pick. Their running game generated just 101 yards. They were dominated in time of possession, number of first downs (31 to 12) and they didn’t have a play go for more than 10 yards until early in the fourth quarter.

Early on, the Jayhawks (0-3, 0-2) actually gave the roughly 10,000 fans allowed into Memorial Stadium for the first time this season a reason to cheer, making an impressive a goal-line stand that forced Oklahoma State to kick a field goal.

By halftime, though, many of those same fans had left.

The Jayhawks, who went three-and-out on their first three possessions, simply collapsed on defense. They couldn’t stop the Cowboys on a short field and watched Hubbard crash in from a yard out for his first touchdown. Then, after Kansas punted again, Illingworth found Johnson streaking downfield for a 66-yard scoring strike.

Kendrick replaced Daniels and fared no better under center, and the Jayhawks were forced to punt for the fifth straight possession. Illingworth needed only six more plays to hit Wallace with a 55-yard touchdown pass.

Hubbard’s second TD gave the Cowboys a 31-0 lead just before halftime. And on a day in which the Jayhawks celebrated the late Gale Sayers during a halftime ceremony, Hubbard did his best impersonation of the “Kansas Comet.” He stopped on a dime, reversed field, cut back in the secondary and then bowled into the end zone for the score.

Wallace added a second TD catch of his own to open the second half. And when the Jayhawks failed to convert on fourth-and-1 on their ensuing possession — which perfectly encapsulated their offensively inept afternoon — the Cowboys merely had to coast to the finish for their 11th consecutive win in the series.

HONORING THE PAST

Kansas unveiled statues of Sayers, who died last week at 77, and fellow All-American John Hadl at halftime in front of the nearby Anderson Family Football Complex. Sayers also had his No. 48 emblazoned on the field at the 25-yard line.

THE TAKEAWAY

Oklahoma State was hardly impressive offensively in its 16-7 win over Tulsa to open the season and a 27-13 win over West Virginia last weekend. But with quarterback Spencer Sanders still out with an injury, Illingworth looked much better in his second straight start and the rest of the offense followed.

Kansas has not allowed fewer than 38 points in any of its first three games, which is a considerable problem when the Jayhawks have yet to score more than 23, either. Things don’t get easier with back-to-back road games ahead.

UP NEXT

Both teams are off next week. Oklahoma State heads to Baylor on Oct. 17, the same day Kansas visits West Virginia.