3-2-1 KICKOFF
Oklahoma and Kansas kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Norman. Here’s what to look for:
3 Players to Watch
Kyler Murray: Murray won’t be honored during senior night, but the redshirt junior will almost certainly be playing his last game in Norman. His “Kyler Knows” Heisman Trophy campaign launched Thursday.
Kennedy Brooks: The redshirt freshman running back leads college football with 11.2 yards per carry. He and fellow back Trey Sermon will likely trade off big runs against the Jayhawks.
Caleb Kelly: Kelly has been shuffled from inside linebacker to outside linebacker and from starter, to backup to likely redshirt candidate. He started last Saturday at outside linebacker and played well. He might be there to stay.
2 Big Questions
Can the Sooners stay healthy? An injury or two won’t affect the outcome, but emerging from Saturday unscathed should be priority No. 1 for Lincoln Riley’s squad considering what awaits next weekend. OU is thin at center and running back. Will Riley take advantage of the new redshirt rule? If the game goes as expected there will be plenty of opportunities for freshmen to play Saturday. It will likely be the last chance for Riley and his staff to get an in-game look at the future.
1 Wild Prediction
Kansas will score 20 or more points. Maybe it’s not a wild prediction considering the state of OU’s defense, but it is wild through the lens of recent history. The Jayhawks haven’t scored 20 or more points against the Sooners since 2008. Todd Reesing and Dezmon Briscoe aren’t walking out of that tunnel Saturday.