KU Coach David Beaty Talks OSU: ‘They’re Going to be Coming in Here Angry’

Kansas coach David Beaty, like the coaches of other teams Oklahoma State has played this season, had nothing but praise for Taylor Cornelius.

Cornelius, OSU’s redshirt senior quarterback, has been in a bit of hot water with the fan base after the Cowboys’ 41-17 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, but at his weekly news conference Tuesday, Beaty was high on the former walk-on.

“Cornelius, I think, does a terrific job of basically running the offense,” Beaty said. “He looks just like the guys before him. I’m not saying that he is a speedster, but the guy knows how to move. He can create a little bit on his own when he needs to. He certainly knows where to go with the ball, which limits the amount of time they’ve got to protect for him.”

Beaty was high on a lot of OSU guys Tuesday. He called Zach Sinor the “league’s best punter last year.” He said Calvin Bundage looks like “an NFL guy,” and he called Justice Hill “as dynamic as there is in our league.”

Sinor reemerged Saturday after having missed OSU’s opening three games after recovering from a hernia surgery with a 67-yard punt. Bundage got banged up this week, but he leads the Cowboys in total tackles with 21 and tackles for loss with six. Hill eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards Saturday and is averaging 97 rushing yards a game this season.

Beaty also mentioned how with all of OSU’s talent elsewhere, it’s easy to forget about the Cowboy Backs. Jelani Woods and Sione Finefeuiaki are the only Cowboy Backs that have caught a pass this season. Finefeuiaki’s was a 3-yard touchdown, and Woods has caught two passes and averaged 25.5 yards a reception.

“They’ve always had some really good tight ends that you’d better have a plan for because they’re going to catch four or five passes in the game, and it’s going to be 50 or 60 hidden yards that you didn’t account for,” Beaty said.

Kansas is 3-61 in Big 12 games since 2011, but this season KU and OSU are 0-1 in conference play with both looking for their first win.

“I know they’re going to be coming in here angry, but we’re angry, too,” Beaty said. “We both have something to atone for, and we’re going to see who can get their team ready the best, and that challenge is on me and on our staff.”