PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Pooka Williams recorded the most rushing yards (252) by a Kansas freshman and the sixth-best total in Kansas history in the loss at Oklahoma on Nov. 17. The performance was the third 100-yard game for Williams and pushed him into second in the Big 12 behind Kansas State’s Alex Barnes. They are the only Big 12 rushers averaging 100 yards per game. Williams boosted his season total to 1,022 yards, becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Jayhawks since 2013. Williams also threw a touchdown pass.
–LB Joe Dineen is virtually assured of leading the Big 12 in tackles for the second straight season after recording 14 stops at Oklahoma. Dineen has been in on 133 tackles, including 97 unassisted stops, which leads the Bowl Subdivision. He has recorded double-digit tackles in eight games this season.
–S Mike Lee stripped an Oklahoma player of the football in a pile-up to generate a takeaway for the Jayhawks on their first defensive possession. The fumble was the third forced by Lee, a mark that leads the Jayhawks and ranks second in the Big 12. Kansas is tied for third nationally with a turnover margin of plus-15 and fashioned a 2-0 turnover advantage against Oklahoma.
–CB Shakial Taylor grabbed an interception to also give the Jayhawks a takeaway on their first defensive possession of the second half in the Oklahoma loss. The turnover set up a touchdown and was Taylor’s second interception of the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas leads Kansas 14-3, though a 13-game win streak in the series was halted the last time the Longhorns visited Lawrence and committed six turnovers in an overtime defeat. That was one of two Big 12 victories for fourth-year Kansas coach David Beaty, who in early November was told he would not be retained.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Sitting down with Les (Miles), he’s a very honest person and obviously this was an opportunity for him to get back at a Power Five conference and a chance to build a program, and he’s built programs in the past. So when you’re out and you want back in, you can feel the passion in the conversation, you can feel the want-to, and we certainly did that as we talked about this opportunity.” — Kansas athletic director Jeff Long.
