Oct 20, 2021

KU Set to host No. 3/2 Oklahoma Sooners Saturday

Posted Oct 20, 2021 11:46 PM

LAWRENCE - The Kansas Jayhawks (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) will welcome the No. 3/2 Oklahoma Sooners (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN with Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, and Quint Kessenich on the call.

The Sooners come to Lawrence 7-0 after a 52-31 win over TCU on Saturday night to stay unbeaten. Coach Lincoln Riley’s team enters the game No. 1 in the conference in total offense, averaging 479.1 yards per game. The Sooners are also tops in the league and seventh in the country in scoring offense at 42.7 points per game. Quarterback Caleb Williams has thrown for 609 yards and six touchdowns on just 59 attempts, while running back Kennedy Brooks ranks 24th in the country, averaging 98.3 yards per game.

The Jayhawks are enjoying back-to-back home games for the first time this season after playing three road games in a four-week span early in the season. 

QUICK HITS
• Kansas enters this Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma with just 27 total penalties in six games this season. The 27 penalties are the sixth-fewest in the country and the lowest total in the Big 12 Conference. The Jayhawks are averaging 4.50 penalties per game, which ranks ninth in the country and tops in the league.
• After allowing six sacks at Coastal Carolina, the Kansas offensive line has allowed just one sack over the last four games, which came at Duke. The Jayhawks have started the same combination each of the last four games: Earl Bostick Jr. (Left Tackle), Malik Clark (Left Guard), Mike Novitsky (Center), Michael Ford Jr. (Right Guard) and Bryce Cabeldue (Right Tackle). That group has held the opposing defense sack-less in back-to-back games. 
• Junior wide receiver Trevor Wilson – a transfer from Buffalo in the offseason – is averaging 16.88 yards per catch, which ranks fifth in the conference. Wilson has 17 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown so far this season.
• The Kansas defense has forced at least one fumble in each game this season, including two apiece versus South Dakota and Baylor. The Jayhawks rank 9th in the country in forced fumbles per game at 1.33. Both super-senior defensive end Kyron Johnson and junior safety Kenny Logan Jr., have multiple forced fumbles this season. Redshirt freshman cornerback Ra’Mello Dotson forced his first career fumble Saturday versus Texas Tech.
• True freshman running back Devin Neal has rushed for 244 yards on 47 carries over his three games. Neal has started all three games, including two road contests at Duke and Iowa State. Neal is averaging 5.19 yards per carry over the three-game stretch. He had 74 rushing yards on 22 carries over his first three games.
• Junior wide receiver Trevor Wilson – a transfer from Buffalo in the offseason – is averaging 16.88 yards per catch, which ranks fifth in the conference. Wilson has 17 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown so far this season.
• Junior safety Kenny Logan Jr., is the only player in the country with 40+ tackles, at least five passes defended and multiple forced fumbles. The junior safety leads Kansas with 45 tackles and notched his first interception of the season last time out versus Texas Tech. He also has four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He ranks 10th in the country in kick returns as well at 28.9 yards per return.
• Super senior defensive end Kyron Johnson is approaching 20 tackles-for-loss for his career. Johnson enters Saturday’s game against Oklahoma with 19.5 career TFLs after notching another one last weekend against Texas Tech. Johnson had a pair of sacks against the Sooners last year in Norman.
• Kwamie Lassiter II had three catches last time out against Texas Tech, which moved him into 10th all-time in Kansas school history with 110 career receptions. He passed Harrison Hill, who ranked 10th previously with 108 catches. Lassiter needs seven catches to tie Richard Estell for ninth all-time. 
• Through six games, the Kansas offense has had 19 plays go for 20 yards or more. In nine total games last year, the Jayhawk offense had just 16 total plays of 20 or more yards. 

-kuathletics.com-