photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas running back Ke'aun Kinner (22) evades Oklahoma State linebacker Devante Averette (40) during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.

Senior running back Ke’aun Kinner is having a terrific senior year.

Kinner has had two huge games, rushing for 145 yards on 14 carries vs. Oklahoma State and 152 yards on 18 carries Saturday against Iowa State.

He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry, up from 4.2 last season, and already has surpassed last season’s 566 rushing yards with 644, even though he has 23 fewer carries than in 2015. His season rushing total is the highest by a Kansas running back since James Sims rushed for 1,110 yards in 2013.

Kinner would need to rush for an average of 178 yards in his final two games to reach the 1,000-yard milestone. That’s an impossibility, as good as he looked Saturday, but not likely either.

KU head coach David Beaty sounded as if he’l be looking to call Kinner’s name more often, provided he recovers sufficiently from a rib injury that limited him in the fourth quarter.

KU’s increased use of Michael Zunica as a blocking has brought out the best in Kinner and improving Taylor Martin, the fastest player on the roster.

Khalil Herbert, sidelined by a toe injury, is a good-looking back as well.

Barring a shocker against either Texas in Lawrence or Kansas State in Manhattan, Kinner will end his KU career with a 1-23 record, not at all an accurate reflection of the sort of career he’s had for the Jayhawks.