When Kansas has the ball

Kansas rush offense vs. Oklahoma St. rush defense

The Jayhawks have continued to show that they can run the football, no matter who the opponent is. Never was that more evident than last week, when second-leading rusher Darrian Miller went down early and was replaced by red-shirt freshman Brandon Bourbon, who, ho-hum, picked up the first 100-yard game of his career. KU averages 236 yards on the ground and should find success again against OSU’s 85th-ranked run D.

Edge: Kansas.

Kansas pass offense vs. Oklahoma St. pass defense

KU quarterback Jordan Webb showed a couple of flaws last week against Texas Tech, throwing his first three interceptions of the season. Didn’t matter. Webb, who also threw three touchdowns, made enough plays and completed a high enough percentage of his passes to actually move up in the national rankings for pass efficiency. Webb currently ranks fourth in the nation in the category and should continue to make good decisions as long as the ground game is going.

Edge: Kansas.

When Oklahoma State has the ball

Oklahoma St. rush offense vs. Kansas rush defense

Because of the insane amount of weapons the Cowboys possess in the passing game, their running game often gets overlooked. It shouldn’t be. Led by sophomore tailback Joseph Randle, who hails from Wichita, the Cowboys are averaging 156 yards per game on the ground. Randle has recorded 461 yards and seven TDs while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Edge: Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma St. pass offense vs. Kansas pass defense

Two Heisman Trophy-caliber players highlight the Cowboys’ passing game. Senior quarterback Brandon Weeden has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns and junior wideout Justin Blackmon has racked up 450 yards and four TDs on 38 receptions. Four other OSU receivers have at least 16 receptions so far this season.

Edge: Oklahoma State.

Special teams

KU coach Turner Gill said earlier this week that he was disappointed by the production of his special teams units this season — particularly in the punt-return game, where KU has yet to record a positive return yard. On the other sideline, Oklahoma State has one of the most dynamic kick returners in the conference in sophomore Justin Gilbert, who has 286 yards and a touchdown in 12 kickoff returns in four games. Gilbert averages 23.6 yards per kick return.

Edge: Oklahoma State.