OKLAHOMA ROLLS PAST KANSAS
NORMAN – Oklahoma looks ready to make its usual late-season push.
Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns and the 19th-ranked Sooners routed winless Kansas 62-9 on Saturday.
Stevenson, in his second game back from a suspension, also caught four passes for 60 yards.
Spencer Rattler passed for 212 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score to help the Sooners (5-2, 4-2 Big 12) win their fourth straight game. It was Oklahoma's 22nd consecutive November win dating to 2014.
"We've got to continue our climb," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "We keep getting a little bit better, and that's what we've got to keep doing is just keep getting better a week at a time. I know it sounds boring, but it's the right recipe."
The Sooners got a scare when Rattler left briefly in the second quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his left hip. He ran for a touchdown and took a hard shot right after he crossed the goal line.
Rattler returned and played much of the third quarter, but he wasn't fully himself.
"It was just a little sore," Riley said. "I think just trying to get through and finish on his throws -- you could tell it was affecting him just a little bit. He was able at the end of his game to kind of get it loosened up and start throwing the ball fine again. He was fine. Had the game not been out of hand, we certainly would have left him in."
Oklahoma tied a school record with nine sacks. Linebacker Nik Bonitto led the way with three.
"I feel like I played a good game," Bonitto said. "Got in the backfield a lot, made a couple plays. It was really good to help my defense. I'm just happy we got the win with that."
Jalon Daniels completed 11 of 31 passes for 115 yards for the Jayhawks (0-7, 0-6), who were held to 246 total yards. Kansas scored its lone touchdown on the final play of the game.
"I felt like we could run the football with them and throw efficiently," Kansas coach Les Miles said. "Not necessarily deep balls down the field, but efficient throws."
Miles said his team was hit hard by COVID-19 this week, especially on defense.
The Jayhawks kicked a field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to make it 31-3.
Stevenson's 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter increased Oklahoma's lead to 41-3, and the Sooners cruised from there.
"I still don't feel like they're — that we can't play with them," Miles said. "I didn't say we'd beat 'em, but certainly I thought that we would play with them today and give ourselves a chance to beat them late in the game. Nah. It didn't happen that way."
THE TAKEAWAY
Kansas: The Jayhawks had hoped to post a better showing, but it was the third straight game they allowed at least 50 points while losing by at least 30 points.
Oklahoma: The Sooners have their running game in order heading into the critical final stretch of the season. Oklahoma ran for 200 yards after rushing for 213 last Saturday against Texas Tech. Oklahoma scored at least 60 points in two consecutive games for the first time since 2015.
SOONER SACKERS
In addition to Bonitto with three sacks, Ronnie Perkins, Marcus Stripling and Isaiah Thomas all had 1 1/2. They hit Daniels for 73 yards in losses.
Daniels limped off the field in the fourth quarter.
"The update is when I walked by him and he says it feels a lot better," Miles said. "I don't know to what extent that means. He got hit a lot of times in that game, and we can't treat our quarterback like that or we won't have one. That's a fact."
TURNOVERS
Oklahoma intercepted Daniels' passes twice in the first quarter and harassed him for most of the game.
The Sooners had struggled to force turnovers in their first 1 1/2 seasons under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. But they forced two against Kansas after forcing three against Texas Tech the previous week.
"We're just really playing ball right now," Bonitto said. "Like coach Grinch says, when you do the right technique, when you run to the ball, when you follow that, bottom line -- good things are going to happen. You're seeing these turnovers start to come in bunches now."
RECORD PACE
Oklahoma's Marvin Mims had his seventh receiving touchdown of the season, tying Mark Andrews and CeeDee Lamb for the school freshman season record. Mims has the most touchdown grabs by a Sooner through the first seven games of a career.