Kansas tastes success on road for first time in nine years
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — The Streak is over. Finally.
The last time the Kansas football team had won a road game before Saturday, iPads did not exist. President Barack Obama was in the first year of his presidency, and Instagram was still a year from launching.
For that long — since September of 2009 — KU fans had waited patiently, trying to imagine what exactly it would take for their team to pick up a win away from Lawrence.
That answer came Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, as a dominant defensive effort that forced five turnovers combined with flashes of greatness from running back Pooka Williams helped Kansas to a 31-7 victory over Central Michigan. Williams, a freshman, rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
“For our program, for our fans, for our stakeholders, that was really important,” Kansas coach David Beaty said. “Our fans deserve it, and they deserve better.”
Here's the historical significance: The Jayhawks broke a 46-game road skid, which had already topped the previous FBS record of 44 set by Western (Colo.) State from 1926-36.
OKLAHOMA 49, UCLA 21
Kyler Murray passed for three touchdowns and ran for two, and the No. 6 Sooners walloped the visiting Bruins but lost star running back Rodney Anderson to a leg injury.
Anderson ran for 10 yards on the final play of the first quarter, then got up slowly. The preseason All-Big 12 pick headed to the locker room and later returned to the bench out of uniform.
Murray picked up the slack with 306 yards passing and 69 yards rushing.
BAYLOR 37, UTSA 20
Charlie Brewer passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bears toppled the Roadrunners in San Antonio.
Brewer's favorite targets, Jalen Hurd and Denzel Mims, made eight receptions apiece, both exceeding 130 yards.
Baylor is 2-0 after finishing 1-11 in 2017.
MISSISSIPPI ST. 31, KANSAS ST. 10
Nick Fitzgerald returned from a suspension two throw two touchdown passes, Kylin Hill ran for 211 yards and accounted for three scores, and the No. 18 Bulldogs' swarming defense shut down the host Wildcats.
It was the first road win over a Power 5 opponent for the Bulldogs (2-0) since Sept. 16, 1995, when they beat another Big 12 foe in Baylor. They had lost their last three such games.
TEXAS TECH 77, LAMAR 0
Red Raiders freshman Alan Bowman threw for 282 yards and two scores while playing only the first half, and they set a modern-day team record with seven rushing touchdowns while blitzing the Cardinals to win their home opener for the 19th consecutive season.
It was the most points scored by Texas Tech since an 80-21 win over Sam Houston State in 2005.
The Red Raiders (1-1) posted their first shutout since 2006, and even scored a touchdown on Adrian Frye's 48-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech hadn't rushed for more than five TDs in a game since 1950.
WEST VIRGINIA 52 YOUNGSTOWN ST. 17
Will Grier threw three of his four touchdown passes to Gary Jennings to lead the No. 14 Mountaineers to victory. West Virginia (2-0) piled up 625 total yards in winning their 15th straight home opener.
OKLAHOMA ST. 55, S. ALABAMA 13
Taylor Cornelius completed 25 of 40 passes for 428 yards and one TD to help lead the Cowboys rout the visiting Jaguars.
Tylan Wallace (10 receptions for 166 yards and one touchdowns) and Tyron Johnson (five catches, 137 yards) each recorded breakout, career-high totals for Oklahoma State (2-0).
IOWA 13, IOWA ST. 3
Mekhi Sargent had a 2-yard TD run with 4:47 left and the host Hawkeyes beat the Cylones for the fourth year in a row.
TCU 42, SMU 12
KaVontae Turpin ignited the sluggish Horned Frogs by returning a punt 78 yards for a touchdown before adding a 42-yard scoring catch, and the No. 16 TCU pulled away for a victory over the Mustangs in Dallas.
The start of the game Friday night between former Southwest Conference foes was held up two hours by lightning, and a steady rain fell until halftime. From wire reports