LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas’ football team is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008.
Sophomore running back Devin Neal gained 224 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown (and also caught six passes for 110 yards) while senior quarterback Jason Bean passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards on four carries and a score as the unranked Jayhawks downed No. 18 Oklahoma State, 37-16, Saturday before 43,606 fans at Booth Memorial Stadium.
The win upped KU’s record to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 Conference games.
Six wins are required for bowl eligibility in a 12-game regular season. Oklahoma State fell to 6-3, 3-3, same record as KU.
The fans celebrated an impending bowl bid by rushing the field at the conclusion of the game. They tore down the south goalpost.
Neal gained 146 yards on 16 carries, while Bean scored on a remarkable 73-yard run as KU raced to a 24-7 halftime lead en route to snapping a 44-game losing streak versus ranked teams.
It was KU’s first win over a ranked opponent since Sept. 11, 2010 when the Jayhawks prevailed over No, 15 Georgia Tech, 28-25, at Booth Memorial Stadium. The win over the Cowboys was KU’s first over a ranked conference opponent at home since a 24-21 decision over No. 23 Iowa State on Nov. 26, 2005.
The Cowboys had won 12 consecutive games (and 17 of their last 18) versus KU entering Saturday’s contest. OSU had won nine in a row over KU in Lawrence.
KU jumped to a 7-0 lead 3:39 into the game on a 31-yard burst by Neal. That touchdown capped a four-play 73-yard drive set up by a Cobee Bryant interception. Bryant had missed the last six quarters because of injury.
KU settled for a 21-yard Jacob Borcila field goal to make it 10-0 with nine seconds left in the first quarter. KU had three straight plays from the 1, all Neal runs up the middle that were stuffed by OSU’s defense, with KU electing to kick instead of go for it on fourth and goal from the 4.
OSU cut the gap to 10-7 with 9:59 left in the first half on an 8-yard pass from Garret Rangel to Stephon Johnson. Rangel lobbed a pass to the right corner of the end zone, beating Mello Dotson on the play. OSU went 75 yards in 15 plays for the score.
Rangel took over this week for the injured Spencer Sanders.
Bean then produced one of the most exciting plays of the season. He raced 73 yards for a TD on a second-and-10 call from the KU 27.
Bean accepted the shotgun snap, raced up the middle, broke a tackle, hit the left sideline and outran corner Jabbar Muhammad the last 30 yards. Bean showed remarkable speed and good balance in navigating the sideline on the dash, giving KU a 17-7 lead with 9:10 left in the second.
KU’s defense had a crucial stand late in the second quarter.
OSU went for it on fourth-and-1 from the KU 14. QB Rangel fumbled the snap and the bobble was covered by KU’s Lorenzo McCaskill at the 13 where KU took over with 3:26 left before half.
The Jayhawks marched 87 yards in seven plays and scored on an eight-yard pass from Bean to Lawrence Arnold in the left corner of the end zone with :22 left to increase the lead to 24-7 right before the break.
On that drive, Neal had a 37-yard run that included a pair of impressive spin moves at the end of the burst. Neal also fumbled on the drive but it was covered by KU receiver Luke Grimm.
Neal gained 146 yards on 16 carries and scored a TD the first half. Bean gained 91 yards rushing on three carries and a TD. He also threw for 93 yards and a TD
KU marched 75 yards in 15 plays on its opening drive of the second half and scored on a 2-yard pass from Bean to Jared Casey. KU led by a commanding 31-7 with 7:08 left in the third.
OSU’s Tanner Brown connected on a 35-yard field goal with 3:27 left in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 31-10. KU’s Borcila booted a 20-yard field goal with 12:52 left to up the lead back to 24 points at 34-10.
OSU scored to slice the deficit to 34-16 with 9:21 left on a 35-yard pass from Rangel to Jaden Nixon but failed to convert the 2-point try. KU led by 18 following the Pokes’ 10-play, 75-yard drive.
Borcila hit a 31-yard field goal with five minutes left to give KU a 37-16 lead that would become the final score. Rich Miller intercepted a pass late for KU’s third interception of the day.
KU will next meet Texas Tech at 6 p.m. Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
