Game Preview: OSU Rushers Should Have Their Way with KU’s Defense

The Cowboys’ offense has been slow out of the gate, thanks in large part to injuries, but that group could find its stride this weekend.

Oklahoma State travels to Big 12 bottomfeeder Kansas this Saturday with a quest of returning to Stillwater 3-0. Here is a preview of that matchup.

Viewing Info

Time: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Location: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium
TV: ESPN

Offensive Stats

	Oklahoma State	Kansas
Points Per Game	18.5	18.5
Total Offense	313	347.5
Passing Offense	141	174
Rushing Offense	172	173.5

Defensive Stats

	Oklahoma State	Kansas
Points Allowed Per Game	10	42.5
Total Defense	315	335
Passing Defense	225	141
Rushing Defense	90	194

Big 12 Standings

Team	Overall Record	Conference Record
Oklaohma State	2-0	1-0
Texas	2-0	1-0
Baylor	1-0	1-0
Iowa State	1-1	1-0
Kansas State	1-1	1-0
Oklahoma	1-1	0-1
Texas Tech	1-1	0-1
West Virginia	1-1	0-1
TCU	0-1	0-1
Kansas	0-2	0-1

Runnin’ Pokes

In their past five meetings with the Jayhawks, the Cowboys have run for 212.8 yards a game on average, and it doesn’t look like that average will go down in 2020.

KU’s run defense ranks ninth (of 10) in the Big 12 and 55th (of 72) nationally, giving up 194 yards a game through its first two.

In those last five meetings, OSU has rushed for fewer than 200 yards only once (coming in 2017 when OSU threw for 494 against the Jayhawks). OSU’s rushing attack has hurt KU in myriad ways as well.

There were times like 2018 or 2016, when Justice Hill ran for 189 yards and 162 yards, respectively.

But more than featured backs have hurt the Jayhawks. In 2015, Jeff Carr was OSU’s leading rusher with 51 yards. The Pokes’ committee approach also saw Chris Carson (44 yards), J.W. Walsh (24), Raymond Taylor (23), Rennie Childs (21), Corey Bennett (18), Taylor Cornelius (11) and Jalen McCleskey (10) all combined to run through KU.

Diving into memory to recall names like those should make it all the more scary for Les Miles’ bunch that the Cowboys have star Chuba Hubbard and breakout LD Brown this season.

Hubbard and Brown each surpassed the century mark last weekend against West Virginia, becoming the first duo to do so for the Pokes in a conference game since 2016.

Meanwhile the Kansas defense let Coastal Carolina run for 185 yards and the Chanticleers had only one negative rushing play.

In KU doesn’t commit a secondary-crippling amount of people to the box to stop the run, look for OSU’s rushers to have a huge day.