3 p.m. Memorial Stadium – Game-time forecast: 61 degrees, Sunny, 0 percent chance for rain, winds 7 mph NE – TV: FOX Sports 1

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Keys for Kansas:

1 . Prevent the big play

Nick Krug

Four big plays by Duke cost the Jayhawks dearly in that loss. Five big plays by West Virginia last week led to a 26-0 halftime hole. Week after week, KU’s top defensive players have said that if they could eliminate big plays, it would help keep the Jayhawks in the game, but so far that has been easier said than done. KU’s opponents have recorded twice as many offensive plays of 35 yards or longer than the Jayhawks (12-6), and many of them have gone for touchdowns and put the momentum on the opposing sideline. Defensive backs coach Scott Vestal said eliminating the big play is about each guy sticking to proper technique and fundamentals, and safety Cassius Sendish said it’s as much about the proper mentality as anything. KU has a saying about this very thing that goes: “Don’t go out and make plays, do your job, and plays will make themselves.”

2 . Quarterback must improve

Regardless of who gets the start under center, the Jayhawks have to get more from their quarterback if they hope to have a chance in this one. Interim coach Clint Bowen opened up the position this week and gave Montell Cozart, Michael Cummings and T.J. Millweard a chance to prove they were the right guy for the job. All three bring different things to the table, but the guy who shows he can make quick decisions and has good command of the offense is likely to get the nod. The Cowboys rank 91st in pass defense, giving up 263 yards per game to opponents. So there could be some plays to be made in the passing game. If KU can find those, that will only help a rushing attack that averages almost 170 yards per game and could kick-start a struggling offense.

3 . Slow down Tyreek Hill

The OSU junior is one of the 10 most dangerous offensive players in the nation, according to overall production. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Hill, technically a running back, is averaging 161.4 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12. He already has gained 807 yards on just 82 attempts, good for a 9.84 yards-per-touch average. He’s also a dangerous weapon in the kick-return game, averaging more than 23 yards per return on kickoffs and 9 yards per attempt on punt returns. So far this season, Hill has logged 38 rushes, 14 receptions and scored two touchdowns, one on a 97-yard kickoff return.

Nick Krug

Mega Match-up: OSU’s Red Zone Offense vs. KU’s Red Zone Defense

The Cowboys rank eighth in the country in red-zone offense, scoring points at a 96 percent rate every time they cross the opponent’s 20-yard line. The Kansas defense, meanwhile, ranks 45th in the country in the red zone, giving up points 79 percent of the time. OSU’s versatile offense, which has converted 10 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns, often keeps defenses guessing, and place kicker Ben Grogan (12-of-15 on the season) is perfect on field-goal tries inside the red zone through five games. Quarterback Daxx Garman (75-of-128 passing for 1,200 yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions) also has proven he’s capable of hurting defenses with his legs, particularly in the red zone.

5 Questions with senior cornerback Dexter McDonald:

1 . When you hear head coach Clint Bowen praise your play, as he did after last week’s game at West Virginia, what does that do for your confidence?

“It’s a great thing to have a coach like that who believes in you and has faith that the team can rely on you. That’s a weight that you like having on your shoulders. And coming through in big moments is something we want to do not only for our team but also for our coach.”

Mike Yoder

2 . You came to KU for two years and then left for a year to play one season at Butler Community College. Does it feel like this is your second stint at KU?

“It is sometimes crazy to think about that I was here and I left and that whole journey. Then again, it’s also like I never left because I’m so comfortable here. It’s as if it’s a second home for me. I love Lawrence, the team and everything about being here.”

3 . Does the KU defense feel pressure to be perfect?

“We don’t think we have to be perfect. If anything, the defense knows the talent we have, the seniors we have and how good we can actually be. If anything, we put pressure on ourselves to go out and perform the best we can to put our team in position to win.”

4 . Who’s your favorite cornerback of all-time and why?

“Mike Haynes with the Los Angeles Raiders, No. 22. I like him because he was the first corner, from what I believe and what I saw, to really be aggressive and really jam wide receivers and beat ’em up at the line. That’s what started wide receivers complaining about getting pressed at the line, and that’s when they started applying different rules.”

5 . Who’s the best receiver you’ve ever covered?

“It would probably be Kenny Stills from Oklahoma my red-shirt freshman year (2011). I’ve gone up against a lot of good guys since then, but the routes he ran were incredible. I think he caught one pass that game, and I didn’t get any other passes, but obviously he’s in the NFL doing great right now (with the New Orleans Saints).”

Jayhawk Pulse:

Last week’s 33-14 loss at West Virginia was the first for the Jayhawks under interim coach Clint Bowen, and although there were some similarities between it and the two that came before it, the Jayhawks walked away from Morgantown feeling like they played hard to the final whistle and encouraged by a strong second half on both sides of the ball. Both were elements of improvement that people believed could and would show up under Bowen’s leadership, and there were enough signs of baby steps for Kansas to take even greater energy into this week’s preparations. Nobody’s sugar-coating things inside the KU camp. Bowen and the Jayhawks know the bottom line is winning, and the effort they put forth last week was not good enough to accomplish that. But it’s the idea that they came away encouraged and eager to get back to work, perhaps even going beyond where they had been, that has people hoping better days are still ahead.

Tale of the Tape

KU run game vs. OSU run D – edge: Oklahoma State

KU pass game vs. OSU pass D – edge: Oklahoma State

OSU run game vs. KU run D – edge: Oklahoma State

OSU pass game vs. KU pass D – edge: Oklahoma State

Special teams – edge: Oklahoma State