IRVING, Texas – For the 16th time in the 22-year history of the Big 12, Kansas men’s basketball has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference regular-season championship as the league released its coaches’ preseason poll Thursday.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll and KU received a unanimous nine first-place votes and a total of 81 points. West Virginia was second in the poll receiving 71 points, followed by TCU (64). Three teams – Texas (49), Baylor (47) and Oklahoma (43) were clumped in spots 4-6, followed by Texas Tech (36), Kansas State (27), Iowa State (22) and Oklahoma State (10).

Kansas has won, or tied for, 17 of the 21 Big 12 regular-season titles, including the last 13 consecutive, a streak which ranks tied for first all-time in NCAA Division I history with UCLA (1967-79).

Preseason top-5 in most publications, Kansas returns two starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 31-5 team, which won the Big 12 race with a 16-2 conference record. Senior guards Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk return as regular starters, while junior guard Lagerald Vick was also in the rotation with six starts. Sophomore center Udoka Azubuike had six starts in his 11 games played in 2016-17 before an injury ended his 2016-17 season.

Expect to see returning sophomore forward Mitch Lightfoot’s minutes increase. Redshirt sophomore guard Malik Newman, who sat out last year after transferring from Mississippi State, will play a significant role as will guards Marcus Garrett and Sam Cunliffe and forward Billy Preston. Garrett and Preston are freshmen, while Cunliffe is a sophomore who will sit out the fall semester after transferring from Arizona State last December. Last season, Garrett was the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, while Preston became KU’s 42nd McDonald’s All-American.

Graham is the 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, as selected by the league coaches, while Newman is the league’s preseason newcomer of the year. Graham was a preseason all-conference first-team selection while Newman and Mykhailiuk were on the preseason league honorable mention team. Additionally, Graham is one of 20 listed on the preseason Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List, an award won by KU’s Frank Mason III in 2016-17. Newman is one of 20 listed on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List entering 2017-18.

Historically, the preseason favorite has gone on to finish first in the regular season 14 times, which does not include 1996-9,7 as a coaches’ poll was not conducted. Kansas has been the preseason favorite in 13 of its 17 Big 12 regular-season titles, missing 1996-97 (no poll), 2005-06 (third) and 2010-11 (second).

2017-18 Big 12 Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Place. School (first-place votes) – total points
1. Kansas (9) – 81
2. West Virginia (1) – 71
3. TCU – 64
4. Texas – 49
5. Baylor – 47
6. Oklahoma – 43
7. Texas Tech – 36
8. Kansas State – 27
9. Iowa State – 22
10. Oklahoma State – 10

— KU Athletics —

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Kansas sophomore Malik Newman has been named one of 20 candidates for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.

Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor, in its fourth year, recognizes the top shooting guard in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

The 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and preseason honorable mention all-conference selection, Newman transferred to Kansas from Mississippi State following the 2015-16 season. The Jackson, Mississippi, native averaged 11.3 points and started 22 of 29 games at Mississippi State his freshman season. He scored a career-high 25 points against Ole Miss (Jan. 23, 2016) which included seven 3-point field goals made.

This past August Newman led Kansas in scoring in its 4-0 exhibition trip to Italy averaging 18.5 points per game. Included was a 32-point effort in the finale against the Italy All-Stars.

By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 6, 2018.

Jerry West attended West Virginia University and averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game in his three varsity seasons. He led his team to the NCAA Championship game in 1959 and was named a consensus All-American in 1959 and 1960. In the summer of 1960, he was co-captain of the U.S. men’s basketball team and won an Olympic gold medal. As a professional player, West played 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers making the All-NBA First Team 10 times. West won an NBA championship in 1972 and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite his team not winning the championship. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017), Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).

For more information on the 2018 Jerry West Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.

2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Candidates
Allonzo Trier – Arizona
Mustapha Heron – Auburn
Jerome Robinson – Boston College
TJ Haws – BYU
Marcus Foster – Creighton
Grayson Allen – Duke
KeVaughn Allen – Florida
Rob Gray – Houston
Malik Newman – Kansas
Hamidou Diallo – Kentucky
Bruce Brown Jr. – Miami
Lonnie Walker – Miami
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi St.
E.C. Matthews – Rhode Island
Khadeen Carrington – Seton Hall
Shamorie Ponds – St. John’s
Tyus Battle – Syracuse
Andrew Jones – Texas
De’Anthony Melton – USC
Daxter Miles Jr. – West Virginia

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*

— KU Athletics —

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Kansas senior Devonte’ Graham has been named one of 20 candidates for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday.

Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor, now in its 15th year, recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. Graham is vying to become the second-straight Jayhawk to win the award as Frank Mason III was KU’s first-ever Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award winner last season.

The 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, Graham is one of two returning starters for Kansas this upcoming season. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, earning second team honors last season and honorable mention accolades in 2015-16. Graham is KU’s leading returning scorer from 2016-17 at 13.4 points per game, which was 13th in the league. He ranked third in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.3, second in 3-point field goals made per game (2.6) and sixth in assists (4.1). Graham enters the 2017-18 season with 1,075 career points, which is 45th on the KU record list. His 186 3-pointers made are eighth on the KU career chart.

By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 6, 2018.

Bob Cousy played for Holy Cross from 1946-50 winning an NCAA Championship in 1947. He was named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1950. His success continued at the professional level as a six-time NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1963), NBA Most Valuable Player (1957) and 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63). In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include: FRANK MASON III, KANSAS (2017), Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (2016), Delon Wright, Utah (2015), Shabazz Napier, Connecticut (2014), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (2010), Ty Lawson, North Carolina (2009), DJ Augustin, Texas (2008), Acie Law, Texas A&M (2007), Dee Brown, Illinois (2006), Raymond Felton, North Carolina (2005) and Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s (2004).

For more information on the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award log onto www.hoophallawards.com.

2018 Bob Cousy Award presented by College of the Holy Cross Candidates
Collin Sexton – Alabama
Manu Lecomte – Baylor
Jalen Adams – Connecticut
Trevon Duval – Duke
Jordan Bohannon – Iowa
Devonte’ Graham – Kansas
Quentin Snider – Louisville
Nate Mason – Minnesota
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Bryant McIntosh – Northwestern
Matt Farrell – Notre Dame
Trae Young – Oklahoma
Kyron Cartwright – Providence
Shake Milton – SMU
Jaylen Adams – St. Bonaventure
Jordan McLaughlin – USC
Jalen Brunson – Villanova
Bryant Crawford – Wake Forest
Jevon Carter – West Virginia
Landry Shamet – Wichita St.

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*

— KU Athletics —

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The challenge for Iowa State after stunning Oklahoma on the road was to see if it could handle success.

Kansas made sure the Cyclones didn’t have to face much adversity on a soaking wet Saturday in Ames.

David Montgomery ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Iowa State throttled Kansas 45-0 for its second straight win.

Trever Ryen added a 68-yard punt return for a score for the Cyclones (4-2, 2-1 Big 12), who held the Jayhawks to a season-low 106 yards — Iowa State’s least yards allowed since 1963 — and shut out a Big 12 opponent for just the fourth time.

“They’ve been through a lot here. They’re not into everybody patting them on the back,” said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, whose team went 3-9 last season. “All they’re into is working and they’ve done a really good job in setting the tone.”

Montgomery turned an interception into a 4-yard TD run to open the scoring, and Ryen’s return gave Iowa State a 14-0 lead.

A bad snap on a punt by Kansas (1-5, 0-3) led to Montgomery’s 1-yard TD plunge that pushed the Cyclones ahead 24-0, and Marchie Murdock’s 8-yard TD reception to end the third quarter made it 38-0.

Kansas, which entered play averaging 26.5 points in two Big 12 games, put forth one of the worst offensive performances in school history.

The Jayhawks punted 13 times, were just 2 of 17 on third down and didn’t cross into Iowa State territory until midway through the fourth quarter.

Taylor Martin had 53 yards rushing for Kansas, which was without leading rusher Khalil Herbert (hamstring).

“We had too many errors in special teams…we’ve got to be able to play complementary football,” Kansas coach David Beaty said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: The Cyclones are just two wins from bowl eligibility at the season’s midway point, a result nearly every Iowa State fan would’ve taken in August. It’s not as though Iowa State played its best game of the season either. The Cyclones simply took advantage of an inept opponent, something that a lot of Iowa State teams in recent memory might not have been able to do.

Kansas: The Jayhawks started with more turnovers (two) than plays from scrimmage (one) after they muffed a punt and threw a pick — and things actually got worse from there. Kansas, which gained just 40 yards on 30 plays in the first half, looked like a team destined to finish winless in the Big 12. “They controlled the line of scrimmage,” Beaty said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Iowa State earned five points in last week’s poll. Could the Cyclones crack the Top 25 this week? Probably not — but they’re getting closer.

LANNING WATCH

Iowa State senior two-way player Joel Lanning finished with a team-high 10 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss. He also ran the ball eight times for 34 yards.

KEY NUMBERS

Kansas started Peyton Bender at quarterback and he finished 8 of 19 passing for 18 yards. Carter Stanley was 3 of 7 for 26 yards in garbage time. …Moos’s punts traveled a staggering 495 yards. …Montgomery rushed for 68 yards and Kyle Kempt went 13 of 20 for 122 yards with a touchdown for Iowa State. ..Iowa State’s Sheldon Croney picked up his first rushing TD, a 10-yarder, to close the scoring. …Kansas is allowing 55.3 points per game in the Big 12, while the Cyclones have let up just 16 in league games.

HE SAID IT

“They’re hard to come by,” Lanning said about the shutout. “We were clicking on all cylinders on defense.”

UP NEXT

Iowa State plays at Texas Tech next Saturday.

Kansas will face TCU on the road next week. The Jayhawks have lost 46 consecutive games played outside of Lawrence.

— Associated Press —

IRVING, Texas – Kansas guards Devonte’ Graham, Malik Newman and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk each garnered recognition on the 2017-18 Preseason All-Big 12 Team as voted on by the league’s men’s basketball coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.

Graham was named the 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, while Newman was dubbed the league’s preseason newcomer of the year. Graham was also a preseason all-conference first-team selection, while Newman and Mykhailiuk securing spots on the preseason honorable mention honors. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes in the selection process.

“This is a great honor to be recognized by the coaches, especially with all the great players in the Big 12,” said Graham. “It is also good to see Malik and Svi selected by the coaches. This is a team sport and we are working hard on getting ready for the season.”

Joining Graham on the five-member 2017-18 Preseason All-Big 12 Team are: Jeffrey Carroll (Oklahoma State), Vladimir Brodziansky (TCU), Zach Smith (Texas Tech) and Jevon Carter (West Virginia) with Graham, Carroll and Carter earning unanimous selections. Those student-athletes who received votes, including Newman and Mykhailiuk, received honorable mention recognition. Additionally, Texas’ Mohamed Bamba collected the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year recognition.

Graham is the eighth Jayhawk in the 21-year history of the Big 12 to be named preseason player of the year and the first since Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins shared the honor in 2009-10. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, earning second team honors last season and honorable mention accolades in 2015-16. Graham is KU’s leading returning scorer from 2016-17 at 13.4 points per game, which was 13th in the league. He ranked third in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.3, second in 3-point field goals made per game (2.6) and sixth in assists (4.1). Graham enters the 2017-18 season with 1,075 career points, which is 45th on the KU record list. His 186 3-pointers made are eighth on the KU career chart.

Newman transferred to Kansas from Mississippi State following the 2015-16 season. The Jackson, Mississippi, native averaged 11.3 points and started 22 of 29 games at Mississippi State his freshman season. He scored a career-high 25 points against Ole Miss (Jan. 23, 2016) which included seven 3-point field goals made. Newman is the third Jayhawk to be named Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, joining Tarik Black in 2013-14 and Mario Little in 2008-09.

A two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, Mykhailiuk started 25 of 36 games for KU last year and averaged 9.8 points per contest. Also in 2016-17, the Cherkasy, Ukraine, native ranked eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8) and eighth in 3-point field goals made (1.9). Mykhailiuk enters his senior season with 122 career 3-pointers made, which is 20th on the KU career list. His 38.1 3-point field goal percentage is 20th on the KU career list.

Preseason top-5 in most publications, Kansas returns two starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 31-5 team which won an NCAA-record-tying 13th-straight regular-season conference title, a streak which started in 2004-05. The 2016-17 Jayhawks also won the CBE Hall of Fame Classic and entered the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, advancing to the Elite Eight. KU opens exhibition play by hosting Pittsburg State on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.

2017-18 Big 12 Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year – Devonte’ Graham, Kansas
Preseason Newcomer of the Year – Malik Newman, Kansas
Preseason Freshman of the Year – Mohamed Bamba, Texas

Preseason All-Big 12 Team (^Denotes unanimous selections)
Devonte’ Graham, Kansas^
Jeffrey Carroll, Oklahoma State^
Vladimir Brodziansky, TCU
Zach Smith, Texas Tech
Jevon Carter, West Virginia^

Honorable Mention
Manu Lecomte (Baylor), Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (Baylor), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Kansas), Malik Newman (Kansas), Kameron McGusty (Oklahoma), Trae Young (Oklahoma), Kenrich Williams (TCU), Mohamed Bamba (Texas), Keenan Evans (Texas Tech)

*** The All-Big 12 Preseason Team is selected by the conference coaches, who could not vote for their own student-athletes.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Texas Tech piled up a whole bunch of points against Kansas on Saturday.

Nothing new there.

The Red Raiders did most of their work on the ground, though, their high-flying offense under coach Kliff Kingsbury showing remarkable balance in a 65-19 rout of the hapless Jayhawks.

That was something rather unexpected.

Desmond Nisby ran for 94 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Stockton had a career-best 161 yards and another score. And the Red Raiders (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) piled up 313 yards rushing in cruising to their 11th consecutive victory over the Jayhawks dating to an overtime loss in 2001.

“We needed to improve that area. Last week it really hurt us not being able to run the ball,” said Kingsbury, whose team bounced back from an agonizing 41-34 loss to No. 15 Oklahoma State.

“When they gave us an opportunity,” he added, “we were moving bodies.”

Nic Shimonek still threw for 233 yards and two scores, and Justus Parker picked off two passes and returned one for a score, to keep the Red Raiders perfect in 10 tries in Lawrence.

“We knew it was very important to start fast,” Stockton said. “When the offense has a chance to go down there and score, you have to put points on the board.”

Neither team ever got into rhythm, thanks in large part to nine video reviews called for by Big 12 officials. Six came in the first quarter — including three in a five-play stretch — which made referee Eddy Shelton more unpopular among Kansas fans than anyone on the Texas Tech sideline.

Kansas (1-4, 0-2) trailed 35-7 midway through the second quarter before slowly clawing back, spurred on by a change in quarterback from Peyton Bender to Carter Stanley. The two shared snaps early in the game, but Bender was ineffective and Stanley’s moxie seemed to energize the offense.

“Peyton looked like he was struggling a little bit with his command, and Carter looked like — when he was in there, he made a couple decent throws,” Kansas coach David Beaty said.

“We just felt like he gave us the best chance at that point.”

But after getting within 35-19 on Taylor Martin’s touchdown run in late in the third quarter, and forcing a quick fumble, the Jayhawks gave the momentum right back. Stanley’s pass was tipped and picked, and Shimonek hit Keke Coutee with a quick touchdown pass to restore order.

Coutee had eight catches for 87 yards, while Quan Shorts and Derrick Willies also had TD grabs.

Stanley finished with 110 yards passing, while Bender — who had beaten out last year’s starter in fall camp — was 12 of 24 for 146 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Red Raiders’ win streak against Kansas is their longest against a Big 12 foe, and very few of the meetings have been close. Their average margin of victory is more than 21 points, and the 65 points on Saturday surpassed their previous best against Kansas of 63 set in 2008.

“A few times this year we let teams get back in it,” Kingsbury said. “That was encouraging to see, when we had a chance to finish it, we finished it.”

QUOTABLE

Beaty on whether he was disappointed in the performance after having last week off: “I don’t get disappointed. I mean, it’s a job we do, right? We go to the next play. I mean, it is what it is. Y’all want me to say `disappointed’ a bunch, and I’m not going to do it.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas Tech has prioritized forcing turnovers after struggling in that category a year ago, and so far it has paid off. The Red Raiders came into the game with a Big 12-leading plus-seven turnover margin, and they added two interceptions and two fumble recoveries against the Jayhawks.

Kansas couldn’t overcome a litany of mistakes: The Jayhawks were twice stuffed on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, their two picks came at inopportune times, their defense missed a slew of tackles and running back Khalil Herbert — who had 291 yards rushing two weeks ago against West Virginia — only had 10 carries for 65 yards before departing with an injury in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech plays the second of three October road games Saturday at No. 23 West Virginia.

Kansas heads to Iowa State on Saturday for the first of back-to-back road games.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – West Virginia did what most people expected it would against Kansas in the first half Saturday, building the kind of lopsided advantage that should have made it an easy afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

Instead, the banged-up Mountaineers blew much of that lead during a stagnant third quarter.

It wasn’t until the fourth that Will Grier and Co. got rolling again. The star quarterback scored twice on the ground in the closing minutes, and finished with 347 yards passing while accounting for four scores, to a sew up a 56-34 victory that was far more difficult than coach Dana Holgorsen had envisioned.

”Looked good at times, looked bad at times,” Holgorsen said, wiping sweat from his brow. ”We were either rolling on offense or we were inept. I don’t know what it was.”

At least there were enough good times to overcome the bad.

David Sills V had 130 yards and two TDs receiving, and Kennedy McKoy also reached the end zone twice, as the Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) beat Kansas (1-3, 0-1) for the sixth time in seven meetings.

”We just got a little relaxed,” Sills said, ”and that’s something we can’t do.”

West Virginia overcome a career game from sophomore Khalil Herbert, who ran for 291 yards and two touchdowns. It was the third-most yards by a Kansas player on the ground in school history, trailing only a 396-yard performance by Tony Sands in 1991 and a 294-yard effort by Nolan Cromwell in 1975.

”We’ve been working on it all week, and the O-Line has been doing a great job. Today we just came out and executed,” he said. ”Thanks to the big boys up front.”

Peyton Bender added 197 yards and a TD through the air, but he also threw a pair of picks, one of which was returned for a touchdown. And a porous defense allowed 40 or more points for the third straight game.

”I thought the quarterback for them played really well today, and their running backs played really well,” Kansas coach David Beaty said, ”but their O-Line did a pretty good of protecting them.”

The Mountaineers looked as if they’d cruise past the Jayhawks again when they put together four straight touchdown drives in the first half. Each covered at least 80 yards, none took more than 3:22 off the clock, and the result was a 28-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

Herbert finally stopped the onslaught with a 67-yard touchdown run, but the Mountaineers’ Mike Daniels picked off a tipped pass a couple minutes later, and it was 35-13 by halftime.

That’s when the Mountaineers’ offense suddenly hit the skids, punting four times and turning it over once during a five-possession span. Meanwhile, a defense that had started to bottle up Herbert became leaky, thanks in large part to a slew of injuries, allowing short touchdown runs a couple minutes apart to make it 35-27.

Suddenly, a sparse crowd that turned out on a hot, sunny afternoon began to think back to 2013, when the long-suffering Jayhawks stunned the Mountaineers 31-19 on a cool November day.

The teams swapped TDs in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers getting a second chance at the end zone after an offside penalty on a field goal, and it was still 42-34 with 7:35 left in the game.

Grier answered with a QB keeper then scored again a few minutes later to put it away.

”I am seeing improvement, which is good. Very discouraged about that fourth quarter,” Beaty said. ”That’s not how I felt like that game should’ve ended up.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Mountaineers had 635 yards total offense. The Jayhawks had 564. … The teams combined to run for 655 yards. … Grier has thrown for at least 300 yards and Justin Crawford (125 yards and a TD Saturday for West Virginia) has run for at least 100 in four straight games. … Herbert has run for 428 yards combined his past two games.

THE TAKEAWAY

West Virginia: Grier had the Mountaineers humming early and late, but the offense sputtered out of rhythm during a long stretch in the middle of the game. Their counterparts on defense didn’t help much, getting pushed around by the Kansas offensive line most of the afternoon.

Kansas: Miscues doomed the Jayhawks, from the pick-six to penalties when they were going for it in fourth-and-short situations. But while Beaty insists there are no moral victories, the way Kansas responded to adversity was something to build upon.

UP NEXT

West Virginia has a week off before visiting No. 16 TCU on Oct. 7.

Kansas also gets a week off before Texas Tech visits Oct. 7.

— Associated Press —

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Nathan Rourke threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio defeated Kansas 42-30 on Saturday, extending the Jayhawks’ road losing streak to 42 games, the longest active streak in the nation.

Rourke earned his first start against the Jayhawks after shining in the first two games of the season.

“I really didn’t think too much of it [the start] because they were still going to go play both quarterbacks,” Rourke said.

Rourke succeeded Quinton Maxwell as starting quarterback, but both played as planned — and both had success. Maxwell entered the game in the middle of the second quarter, and he completed five of six passes, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Troy Mangen. That was Maxwell’s second touchdown of the season.

Mangen, who hadn’t caught a pass this season until Saturday, had three receptions. Two of those were for touchdowns. He finished with 35 receiving yards.

Although Maxwell didn’t start, the two-quarterback system worked well.

“They do a good job with the one-two punch with these two quarterbacks,” Kansas coach David Beaty said. “Honestly, on the field I didn’t recognize just a lot of difference.”

Although the Bobcats played both Rourke and Maxwell, the Jayhawks (1-2) especially couldn’t contain Rourke, who is deft at evading the rush.

Ohio (2-1) prospered on offense, rebounding from a subpar performance against Purdue. The Jayhawks, ranked No. 7 in the Big 12 in total yards allowed per game, gave up 450 total yards to the Bobcats.

“Our receiving corps showed up, did a good job,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said. “Quarterbacks did a good job, running backs did a good job, offensive line. So I thought it was a complete ball game from the offensive standpoint.”

Trailing 39-14 after three quarters, Kansas’ Peyton Bender passed a 1-yard touchdown to Jeremiah Booker early in the fourth, and Gabriel Rui added a 34-yard field goal with 5:35 remaining to cut the deficit to 39-24. Louie Zervos padded the lead with a 46-yard field goal before Kansas scored a touchdown on the game’s final play.

Jayhawks running back Khalil Herbert ran for two touchdowns and finished with 137 yards rushing. Bender threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns. His offensive line struggled, allowing five sacks.

Bender said he missed a few blitz pickups and acknowledged that he needed to throw the ball more quickly to help his offensive line.

“Some of those they just made nice plays, and then other times, in a few instances, I could have got the ball out my hand seeing blitz,” Bender said.

The Jayhawks struggled on defense, too, as they allowed an average of 7 yards per play.

The Jayhawks outscored the Bobcats 16-3 in the fourth quarter.

“We gotta come out faster, and that will take care of everything,” Kansas wide receiver Steven Sims said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas: The road losing streak continues. The Jayhawks again struggled to defend, which has been a problem this season.

Ohio: The Bobcats used both of their quarterbacks, which was expected. But what was not totally expected was Maxwell’s solid play in the second quarter. Rourke shined again, but Maxwell didn’t waver. As coach Scott Isphording said, the Bobcats have two good quarterbacks, and that’s a good thing for them.

UP NEXT

Kansas: Kansas is host to West Virginia on Saturday.

Ohio: The Bobcats play Saturday at Eastern Michigan.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Due to weather complications and changes to the NCAA football schedule because of Hurricane Irma, Kansas football’s game at Ohio slated for Saturday, Sept. 16 has been moved up to 11 a.m. (CT). Originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) kick time with a telecast on ESPNU, the KU-Ohio matchup will now be broadcast on ESPNU.

Kansas’ game at Ohio will mark its first road game of the 2017 season and also the program’s first time playing at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. The Jayhawks are 1-1 on the year, having opened with a 38-16 win over Southeast Missouri State, before falling to Central Michigan, 45-24, in its second contest.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Shane Morris threw for 467 yards and five touchdowns on an efficient 28 of 37 attempts while leading Central Michigan to a 45-27 victory over Kansas on Saturday.

In their first road game of the season, the Chippewas rolled into Memorial Stadium and took control late in the second quarter after a quiet start to the game for both teams.

A Kansas field goal made the score 10-6 in Central Michigan’s favor with just under five minutes left until halftime, as the two teams seemed to be fairly evenly-matched.

Less than two minutes later, however, Chippewa tight end Logan Hessbrook took a Morris pass 40 yards to the end zone. Then, with just six seconds remaining, receiver Corey Willis snagged a six-yard score as well. Suddenly, it was 24-6.

The Jayhawks responded with a quick 14 points out of the break, cutting the lead to just four, but the Chippewas drove down on the following possession and extended it back to 11 with Devon Spalding’s touchdown run from the 1. From there, they wouldn’t look back.

Offense was the key for Central Michigan, racking up 590 total yards. Most of their work came through the air, but five Chippewas combined for 123 yards on the ground as well.

“Our offensive production was outstanding,” coach John Bonamego said. “I think (offensive coordinator Chris Ostrowsky) called a good game. Shane Morris executed the offense. Our receivers ran, got open, and caught balls, and we were able to grind some yards in the running game as well.”

Mark Chapman led the game with 168 yards on eight receptions, and reeled in three touchdowns as well. He delivered the knockout blow, turning a short Morris pass into a 75-yard dash to the end zone after the Jayhawks had started to trim the deficit in the fourth.

“I think that’s the best play in football,” Morris said. “I just got to throw a little bubble out there, and he does the rest. He made a great play. I thought he was going to get tackled on the sideline honestly, but just shot it and he went. I mean, that’s an unbelievable play.”

Kansas quarterback Peyton Bender had a poor start to the game, but played decently once he got things together. He finished with 323 yards on 32 of 62 passing, but failed to find the end zone and threw two picks.

Jayhawks true freshman running back Dom Williams accounted for two touchdowns on the ground, and led the game in rushing with 64 yards. Receiver Ryan Schadler also ran it in for a score on a 33-yard reverse.

THE TAKEAWAY

Central Michigan: The Chippewas played an almost spotless game, their lone turnover coming off a punt return slip up. With just one game left before competition begins in what should be a tough Mid-American Conference, Central Michigan has reason to be confident.

Kansas: Not a good look for the Jayhawks in this one. After a strong opener against Southeast Missouri State, things seemed to be trending in the right direction for coach David Beaty’s team. But after this one, it seems Kansas could be heading for the same level of mediocrity they’ve carried in seasons past.

UP NEXT

Central Michigan: The Chippewas will next travel to Syracuse for their final non-conference game of the season against the 1-1 Orange.

Kansas: The Jayhawks will play their first road game of the season next Saturday as they travel to 1-1 Ohio in their non-conference season finale.

— Associated Press —