Tulsa. Wyoming. Missouri.

That’s it.

In Mark Mangino’s four-plus years as Kansas University’s head football coach, the Jayhawks have won three regular-season games on the road – at Tulsa in ’02, at Wyoming in ’03 and at Missouri in ’04.

The Jayhawks have lost 17 road games in that same stretch.

It’s to the point now where such futility can’t be ignored. But can it be solved before Kansas plays Friday at Toledo?

“We talk about it every day,” linebacker Brandon Duncan said. “How we have to go out there and block all the distractions and be road dogs. Go out there and get what’s ours.”

Duncan is one of many fresh faces on this year’s team. A red-shirt freshman, Duncan never has played a college football game on the road, and teammates like Kerry Meier, Justin Thornton, Jake Schermer, Olaitan Oguntodu, Jake Sharp, Caleb Blakesley and Arist Wright are in the same boat.

Mangino quoted former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Blaine Nye on Tuesday when expressing his hopes that this year’s young players were – to be blunt – too dumb to care.

The triumph of the uncluttered mind.

“I think the first inclination is that these guys will struggle,” Mangino said. “I’m going to tell you that they won’t, and the reason why I think that is because they don’t know any better.”

Kansas hasn’t exactly rolled over and played dead away from Lawrence. In 2004, three of the four road losses were by a combined 15 points. A 2003 loss at Colorado came in overtime. Later that year, the Jayhawks made it a game against Texas A&M in one of college football’s most hostile environments.

But the list of Mangino’s road victories is growing at a snail’s pace. And he thinks an attitude adjustment would make all the difference.

“Very good teams I’ve been associated with, those players kind of fed off the opposing crowd,” Mangino said. “When I was with teams that competed for championships, and I think this group will have that mind-set more than any group here, they got a big joy out of the crowd quiet. Kids would put their hand behind their ear and look at the stands and stuff.

“I think that’s a mindset of you going in and saying, ‘Listen, we’re going to feed off this environment and then we’re going to get it quiet.'”

¢ Toledo’s the favorite: Las Vegas initially determined Kansas as a 5 1/2 point underdog against Toledo. Betting has now moved the line to around 4 1/2.

“Us being underdogs is nothing new here at Kansas,” Mangino said. “Our kids kind of like it. If we’re favored in a game here at Kansas, I’m kind of worried. Our kids seem to fight and claw and scratch a lot better when they’re listed as underdogs.”

¢ He’ll be fine: Junior tight end Derek Fine, thought to be one of KU’s best weapons on offense, has one catch for 11 yards in the Jayhawks’ first two games.

“We’ve always, all along, had Derek Fine in the passing game,” Mangino said, before adding, “we need to get him the football.”

As for fellow tight end Marc Jones, a highly touted junior-college transfer who hasn’t played yet, Mangino said “He’s not ready yet to be a guy that’s out on the field, at least for any length of time.”

¢ Honored again: For the second straight week, KU running back Jon Cornish was named offensive player of the week for his game against Louisiana-Monroe. Cornish split the honor with quarterback Kerry Meier after the Northwestern State game.

Linebacker Mike Rivera was named defensive player of the game, while punter Kyle Tucker was cited for special teams.