Adam Barmann has thrown four interceptions in two games since replacing injured senior quarterback Bill Whittemore in Kansas University’s football offense, but coach Mark Mangino is willing to overlook a few freshman mistakes.

“I am pleased with Adam Barmann’s performance at quarterback,” Mangino said Monday during the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “He made a few decisions he would like to have back, but all in all I thought he played pretty well.”

Barmann completed 24 of 34 passes for 204 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions Saturday in a 24-3 loss to Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.

One of those interceptions was a pass dropped by a KU receiver.

A week earlier, Barmann completed 25 of 37 passes with four touchdowns and one interception in a 45-33 loss at Texas A&M. His lone interception in that game was a desperation pass in the final minute.

The Weston, Mo., native has completed 69 percent of his passes (49-of-71) for 498 yards.

His performance Saturday came against a Nebraska team that ranks eighth in the nation in total defense and leads the nation in turnover margin.

“It was a great learning experience for him,” Mangino said. “He was coached all week that he was going to get a much different look than he had gotten from A&M, that they would work hard to disguise things and that he would have to work hard to understand it. Sometimes he did and sometimes he didn’t, but what a great experience for him to see that defense and understand how to play against it and how to attack it.”

In Saturday’s game at Oklahoma State (7-3 overall, 3-3 Big 12), Kansas (5-5, 2-4) will face a Cowboy defense that ranks 87th against the pass and 80th overall.

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There’s no guarantee Barmann will be under center. Mangino said Whittemore was “day-to-day.”

“I met with our doctor and trainer this morning,” he said. “He’s making really good progress. Every day that he goes out he seems to get a little better — the pain seems to lessen for him. It’s hard to tell. It’s truly day-to-day. Whether he can play this week … I don’t know. I would be speculating if I said he could. I’d just be guessing. We will just take it as it comes and will find out what happens as we go along.”

Whittemore suffered what was believed to be a collarbone injury Oct. 25 at Kansas State. At the time, KU’s medical staff said the Jayhawks’ captain might return for the Nov. 22 season finale against Iowa State.

If Whittemore does return this week — or next — it won’t be up to Mangino.

“I won’t take any chance at all with any young man’s health,” he said. “Our doctors have to clear him and have no reservation about his ability to play and compete and not be in any danger. That decision is really not in my hands. It’s in our medical staff’s hands.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Lewis Field in Stillwater, Okla.

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ISU game time: Kickoff for the Iowa State game has been set for 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It will be the only Big 12 game that day that won’t be televised.

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Stoops supporter: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops had his share of critics after OU blasted Texas A&M, 77-0, Saturday, despite Stoops’ pulling most of his offensive starters in the second half and yanking his defensive starters in the third.

Mangino, who worked on Stoops’ OU staff 1999-2001, defended his former boss.

“I know Bob very, very well,” he said. “He’s a good friend of mine. It’s not his character to do that. I think most coaches are courteous and don’t want that to happen. But sometimes it gets away from you.”

Mangino pointed to KU’s 64-0 loss to Kansas State last season.

“Like I told our kids last year after that game, ‘That’s our fault the other team scored 64 points — not theirs,'” he said. “It’s up to the other team to stop the other team. You can’t ask the team that’s winning to fall down and lay on the ground.”