Kansas running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. (9) breezes his way into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug

Trailing 10-7 with a minute remaining in the first half, looking for its first win of the season, last-place Oklahoma State had a chance to deal Kansas a significant blow when it reached first-and-goal at KU’s 3-yard line.

Instead, OSU went one yard in three plays, and instead of going for it on fourth down opted to play for the tie — a tie it didn’t obtain in the first place when Leroy Harris III blocked Logan Ward’s 19-yard field goal attempt.

The Cowboys never tied the game at all, let alone led, and KU scored touchdowns on each of its next four drives. The Jayhawks overcame an uneasy defensive start for a dominant final result, a 38-21 victory at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Jayhawks were bent on establishing a more balanced offense, and running backs Daniel Hishaw Jr. (an Oklahoma native) and Leshon Williams combined to carry the ball 28 times for 142 yards and three scores, while quarterback Jalon Daniels tossed a pair of short touchdowns.

OSU, led by a pair of former KU coordinators in interim head coach Doug Meacham and interim defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, put up a spirited effort that included the best performance of quarterback Zane Flores’ young career (22-for-28 for 235 yards and two touchdowns), but fell out of rhythm in the second half.

OSU advanced into KU’s territory early on a 21-yard pass from Flores to Terrill Davis, then benefited from a facemask penalty on Tommy Dunn Jr. The Cowboys reached a goal-to-go situation and went backwards on consecutive runs before Flores found a wide-open Shamar Rigby for the game’s opening touchdown, which was Flores’ first career touchdown pass.

On the Jayhawks’ opening drive, Daniels scrambled for a first down right as KU seemed to stagnate around midfield. He then lobbed one up to Bryson Canty for 24 yards on a jump ball. But the Jayhawks stalled at the edge of the red zone, with Daniels overthrowing Cam Pickett in the end zone on third-and-12, and settled for a field goal by Laith Marjan.

The Cowboys’ offense strung together some first downs once again, including a third-and-6 to open the second quarter with a pass from Flores to Gavin Freeman. An illegal shift penalty and Marcus Calvin’s first career sack set OSU back, and Logan Ward missed a 44-yard field goal wide left.

Daniels picked up a key conversion with a short pass to Keaton Kubecka, but on the next third-and-10, the Jayhawks didn’t get all of what they needed on a middle screen to Williams. Leyton Cure got the remaining two yards on a fourth-down reception, just his second catch of the year. The hard running of Hishaw helped KU inch its way down the field, and at the goal line he shook off a pair of Cowboys in the backfield on his way to the Jayhawks’ first touchdown of the day, which made it 10-7.

With a chance to embark on a two-minute drill, OSU encountered some early adversity when Jalen Todd stopped Freeman less than a yard short of a first down on third-and-5. Then KU was so sure it had wrapped up Rodney Fields for no gain on fourth-and-1 that a large group of Jayhawks was celebrating 15 yards behind the play — only for the officials to spot the ball for a first down.

Flores promptly hit Freeman downfield for 33 yards, and Fields brought the Cowboys to the 3-yard line. But OSU couldn’t punch it in and settled for a 19-yard field goal, which Harris deflected.

The Jayhawks got into OSU territory in a hurry on their opening drive of the third quarter, as Pickett took an option pitch 19 yards. Daniels connected with Cure for 27 more, and on third-and-goal tossed a short touchdown pass to Boden Groen to make it 17-7.

KU forced the first punt by either team all day thanks to a sack by Blake Herold, and backup quarterback Isaiah Marshall promptly took a designed run 43 yards into the red zone. Daniels lofted a fade to Bryson Canty for another touchdown, the Columbia transfer’s first of the season.

The Cowboys returned to their somewhat more methodical pace from the first half, with Flores and Davis connecting for a pair of first downs, and Flores finding Sam Jackson V — who until recently was playing quarterback for the Cowboys — for another. Jackson then broke open downfield for a 26-yard catch into the red zone, and Freeman scored on a pop pass to cut OSU’s deficit back to 10 points late in the third quarter.

Emmanuel Henderson Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards. Daniels couldn’t pick up a first down with a quarterback sneak on third-and-1, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Williams went for 32 yards on fourth-and-inches, and Hishaw cashed in with his second touchdown of the day that put KU ahead 31-14.

Lyrik Rawls stepped in front of a pass by Flores to force a turnover on downs.

Williams took 10 consecutive carries. On the seventh he got stopped on a third-and-1, but on the eighth he converted. On the 10th, he scored a 5-yard touchdown.

Davis kept OSU’s next drive alive with a strong catch over Austin Alexander on fourth down. A strip-sack by cornerback Syeed Gibbs coming after former Lawrence High (and now OSU) quarterback Banks Bowen on a blitz, which resulted in a fumble recovery for Gage Keys, was deemed targeting upon review.

Bowen led the Cowboys on an 11-play drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run by Sesi Vailahi.

The Jayhawks, who improved to 5-4, will travel to face new Big 12 foe Arizona next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Central Time. A win would earn KU bowl eligibility for the third time under Lance Leipold.

Notes and observations

Rawls, the former OSU Cowboy facing his former team, was KU’s fourth rotational captain on Saturday. He had also served in that role for the game against Wagner on Aug. 29.

The Jayhawks technically started three offensive tackles. Nolan Gorczyca lined up as an extra lineman to the left of left tackle Calvin Clements, a package KU used a couple times on its opening drive.

Marjan now owns the record for most consecutive field goals by a KU kicker with 12.

Marshall’s 43-yard run was KU’s longest since Williams’ 62-yard touchdown against West Virginia on Sept. 20.

Gibbs will miss the first half of KU’s game against Arizona due to targeting.

How they scored

First quarter

10:40 — Shamar Rigby 12-yard pass from Zane Flores. Logan Ward PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 4:20 TOP. OSU 7, KU 0.

3:56 — Laith Marjan 39-yard field goal good. Thirteen plays, 59 yards, 6:40 TOP. OSU 7, KU 3.

Second quarter

3:23 — Daniel Hishaw Jr. 3-yard run. Marjan PAT good. Fifteen plays, 75 yards, 6:55 TOP. KU 10, OSU 7.

Third quarter

10:19 — Boden Groen 3-yard pass from Daniels. Marjan PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 4:41 TOP. KU 17, OSU 7.

6:55 — Bryson Canty 5-yard pass from Daniels. Marjan PAT good. Three plays, 54 yards, 1:22 TOP. KU 24, OSU 7.

1:55 — Gavin Freeman 10-yard pass from Flores. Ward PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 5:00 TOP. KU 24, OSU 14.

Fourth quarter

13:49 — Hishaw 3-yard run. Marjan PAT good. Six plays, 44 yards, 2:57 TOP. KU 31, OSU 14.

6:04 — Leshon Williams 5-yard run. Marjan PAT good. Ten plays, 39 yards, 6:31 TOP. KU 38, OSU 14.

1:19 — Sesi Vailahi 2-yard run. Ward PAT good. Eleven plays, 75 yards, 4:45 TOP. KU 38, OSU 21.

Box score