Why winning at Kansas isn’t a gimme for Oklahoma State
Justice Hill sidesteppedand weaved and even carried a defender a few yards as he made his way into the end zone. When hepopped off the Boone Pickens Stadium turf and flipped the ball to an official a week ago, all seemed right in Cowboy Land.Oklahoma State had 17 points, a quarterback with nearly 200 yards passing and a team with the No. 15 ranking in all the land— and it was still early in the second quarter against Texas Tech. My, how things changed. And not just on the field. The Cowboys gave up 27 unanswered points to the Red Raiders because of asputtering offense and a flummoxed defense, tumbled down the rankings, then unexpectedly lost one of their leading receivers, Jalen McCleskey, who decided to transfer. To make matters worse, Cowboy coach Mike Gundy threatenedto cut off media access to players for the rest of the season if any reporters asked players about McCleskey, turning a story making ripples locally into one that made waves nationally. But Saturday brings a crimson-and-blue balm. A gameat Kansas. Nothingfeels better than a win when you’ve hit the skids, and over the past few seasons, no program has provided more than Kansas. Over the past eight years, opponents won 81 of 96 games against the Jayhawks. Big 12 opponents won 67 of 71. Seems the only certainties in life are death, taxes and wins over the Jayhawks. Butwoe to those who are at ease in Lawrence and to those who feel secure on the Mount of Oread— at least those who wear orange and black. Now, I don’t say that because of anything Kansas has done this season. Yes, the Jayhawks won back-to-back games for the first time since 2009. Sure, that caused some pundits to lose their heads and say crazy things about how good Kansas has gotten. That ain’t true. Wins against Central Michigan and Rutgers do not a juggernaut make. And yet,Kansas is likely to play OSU tough on Saturday because that’s what the Jayhawks do in Lawrence. Two years ago, the Cowboys found themselves clinging to a four-point lead midway through the third
quarter. They scored 20 unanswered points to win going away, but that was atalented team. Mason Rudolph, James Washington and Co. were juniors. Justice Hill was a freshman phenom running alongside Chris Carson, a senior battering ram.That bunch would go on to smash Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. They had no business being in a tussle with Kansas deep into the second half.
But they were.
It was a similar story two years before that. The Cowboys weren’t nearly as talented in 2014— Daxx Garman was still quarterbacking them through the wilderness— but the Jayhawks were worse then, too. They had managed only 14 points combined in their previous two games.
OSU led comfortably at halftime, 20-7, but then the offense stagnated and the defense faltered, and with just under 7 minutes left in the game, Kansas tied the score at 20.
A 99-yard touchdown return by Tyreek Hill on the ensuing kickoff saved the day.
Two years before that, rain delayed the game in Lawrence for over an hour. The Cowboys surged after that, taking a 20-0 lead, but then had to hold on for dear life after the Jayhawks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Tight fits when OSU goes to Kansas have been a regular occurrence in the Big 12 era. During that time, OSU has beat Kansas in Lawrence more often by 10 points or less (four games) than by 20 points or more (three).
Now, when the Jayhawks venture to Stillwater, it’s a different story. The Cowboys roll. 2017: 58-17. 2015: 58-10.
2013: 42-6. 2011: 70-28.
But in Lawrence? Such blowouts have been few and far between.
The Cowboys are likely to end a tough week with a victory, but be on guard, my Pistol Pete-loving friends. Better teams than this one over the past decade have played in the shadow of Mount Oread and struggled mightily. Leaving Lawrence with a win won’t be easy.
But leaving Lawrence without one would turn a mess into a maelstrom.