The Kansas football team weathered a lightning delay and a string of late-game mistakes to stun No. 6 Oklahoma Saturday afternoon at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Devin Neal’s touchdown with just under a minute remaining went down as the game-winner as the Jayhawks became bowl-eligible for the second straight year and snapped an 18-game losing streak against Oklahoma in their final conference matchup before the Sooners leave for the Southeastern Conference.
Neal ran for 112 yards on 25 carries, and quarterback Jason Bean hit Lawrence Arnold for a 37-yard pass on fourth down to set up his game-winner.
The Jayhawks overcame a pair of late interceptions by Bean, despite allowing 269 rushing yards and five scores to OU, and won 38-33.
To open the game, KU gave the Sooners a heavy dose of Moore, Oklahoma, native Daniel Hishaw Jr. on its first drive and made it to OU’s 31-yard line with a third-and-7. The Jayhawks gave Neal a short carry and went for it on fourth down, but Trace Ford batted down a Bean attempt over the middle.
Three plays later, though, the Sooners’ quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw late to the outside on third-and-2. Mello Dotson jumped the route and took a pick back 37 yards for a game-opening touchdown.
OU was much more methodical on its next drive — at least at first. The Sooners entered KU territory on a pass interference penalty on Cobee Bryant, but Gage Keys and Hayden Hatcher wrapped up Gabriel on third down and Austin Booker grabbed him by the leg for a sack on fourth down to force a turnover on downs.
Lawrence Arnold snagged a 25-yard pass from Bean on third-and-8 and Hishaw and Neal carried the drive the rest of the way down the field as KU called six straight runs, culminating in a 9-yard touchdown for Hishaw.
Suddenly trailing 14-0, the Sooners got into KU territory in short order when a swing pass from Gabriel to Drake Stoops turned into 28 yards, between a 13-yard gain due to poor tackling and a 15-yard penalty on Craig Young. A third-and-1 false start momentarily slowed their progress, but Gabriel found Austin Stogner on a rollout on fourth-and-3 to preserve the drive.
The Jayhawks thought Rich Miller had ripped the ball away from Tawee Walker on the next play for a Kenny Logan Jr. recovery, but the referees ruled Walker’s forward progress was stopped. Gabriel cashed in on a quarterback run for a touchdown one play later.
KU went three-and-out and OU ran Walker four times for 25 yards before a 58-minute lightning delay. He added 30 more yards and a touchdown to cap off the drive and tie the game. Then Trevor Wilson dropped a slippery ball on a high and short kickoff, and Dillon Gabriel ran untouched into the end zone for a go-ahead score after just a minute and a half of game time.
A first-down scramble by Bean and a deflected, juggling sideline catch by Quentin Skinner got the Jayhawks deep in OU territory, but Bean couldn’t find an open Trevor Kardell in the back of the end zone and KU settled for a field goal with less than a minute remaining in the first half.
After the break, Jereme Robinson sprinted to the outside and tracked down Gavin Freeman on a third-down pop pass. The Sooners tried and failed to draw KU offside on fourth down and punted.
The momentum continued to flow in KU’s favor. A 39-yard connection between Bean and Mason Fairchild set up a second field goal for Keller to make it 21-20. Then JB Brown knocked the ball loose from OU receiver Jalil Farooq and recovered the fumble and Bean sprinted around right end for a go-ahead 38-yard touchdown on the very next play.
OU took back the lead in short order when a quick completion from Gabriel to Stoops, again aided by a missed tackle, resulted in a 39-yard gain. Gavin Sawchuk punched it in from 3 yards out and the Sooners went back ahead at the end of the third quarter.
KU benefited from effectively a 30-yard penalty on the next drive when Kendel Dolby was called for unnecessary roughness and the OU bench got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Bean slid short of the goal line on third-and-goal, but took a hit from Reggie Pearson, who was ejected for targeting. Hishaw scored his second touchdown of the game on the following play.
In a mirror image of Wilson’s fumble, KU regained the ball right away after Marcus Stripling couldn’t handle a pooch kick. But a holding penalty assessed to Ar’maj Reed-Adams wiped out a Hishaw touchdown and Keller missed a 42-yard field goal to cancel out the turnover.
The Jayhawks got the ball back, but Bean’s third-down toss into tight coverage got deflected by Dolby and picked off by Billy Bowman Jr. Gabriel powered through a pair of tackles for a go-ahead touchdown with 5:22 remaining.
After converting a fourth-and-4 with a 10-yard pass to Luke Grimm, Bean threw a second pick to Ethan Downs on a failed screen pass. But the defense earned him one more opportunity.
Bean was patient in the pocket and again converted, this time on fourth-and-6, with a shot to Arnold. The OU defense let Neal score to prevent a game-winning field goal and give the Sooners’ offense another chance.
Gabriel chucked up a deep ball to Brenen Thompson for a 39-yard completion down the right sideline. But his final attempt from the 23-yard line sailed too far out of the back of the end zone.
KU will travel to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State next Saturday.
How they scored
First quarter
9:32 — Mello Dotson 37-yard interception return. Seth Keller PAT good. KU 7, OU 0.
Second quarter
14:09 — Daniel Hishaw Jr. 9-yard run. Keller PAT good. 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:20 TOP. KU 14, OU 0.
10:15 — Dillon Gabriel 7-yard run. Zach Schmit PAT good. 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:54 TOP. KU 14, OU 7.
6:07 — Tawee Walker 2-yard run. Schmit PAT good. Nine plays, 66 yards, 3:11 TOP. KU 14, OU 14.
4:25 — Gabriel 9-yard run. Schmit PAT good. Four plays, 17 yards, 1:38 TOP. OU 21, KU 14.
0:50 — Keller 24-yard field goal. 12 plays, 79 yards, 3:26 TOP. OU 21, KU 17.
Third quarter
4:03 — Keller 29-yard field goal. Five plays, 45 yards, 2:45 TOP. OU 21, KU 20.
3:03 — Jason Bean 38-yard run. Conversion no good. One play, 38 yards, 0:08 TOP. KU 26, OU 21.
0:35 — Gavin Sawchuk 3-yard run. Conversion no good. Seven plays, 75 yards, 2:28 TOP. OU 27, KU 26.
Fourth quarter
12:25 — Hishaw 1-yard run. Conversion no good. Seven plays, 65 yards, 3:03 TOP. KU 32, OU 27.
5:22 — Gabriel 1-yard run. Conversion no good. Four plays, 14 yards, 1:23 TOP. OU 33, KU 32.
0:55 — Devin Neal 9-yard run. Conversion no good. Seven plays, 80 yards, 1:08 TOP. KU 38, OU 33.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
