Jake Heaps started his ninth straight game for Kansas, but only attempted eight passes while splitting time with Montell Cozart as the Jayhawks lost their sixth straight game.

On a perfect day for football in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Jayhawks were anything but in a 42-6 defeat at the hands of the #14 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Jayhawks dug themselves a huge hole on the first play of the game when Cowboy corner back Justin Gilbert returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to build what turned out to be an insurmountable 7-0 lead.

Heaps was under center for the first three Jayhawk offensive drives of the game, but couldn’t get much going.  He completed 2-of-4 passes for just three yards.  Two Series’ ended with punts while the other ended after just one play thanks to a Heaps interception.  

With the Jayhawks already down 14-0, Cozart took over for the Kansas offense. He was able to lead a nice drive, thanks to a 50-yard run by speedster Tony Pierson.  The drive stalled at the Cowboy 15-yard line before special teams failed the Jayhawks again.  Kicker Ron Doherty managed to hit the ball of the uprights from 32 yards out to leave Kansas scoreless.

Four plays later, Oklahoma State took a 21-0 lead on a 19-yard pass from Clint Chelf to Desmond Roland. The 80-yard drive took just 76 seconds for the explosive Cowboy offense.

Heaps got back on the field with less than five minutes left in the half and moved Kansas down the field into Cowboy territory before the plaque of the Jayhawks offense in 2013 bit them again.  

On second-and-10 from the Oklahoma State 38-yard line, Heaps dropped back and threw a beautiful ball that hit an open Pierson in behind The Cowboy defense, for what would have been a touchdown.  Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the ball went right through Pierson’s arms and fell harmlessly to the ground.  

Heaps got sacked one play later and Kansas had to punt the ball away.

Oklahoma State took full advantage of the Jayhawks misfortune and found the end zone for the fourth time with 15 seconds left in the quarter to take a 28-0 lead.

With 9 seconds remaining in the half, Heaps completed a pass to Josh Ford for 38 yards but Kansas couldn’t get off another play to capitalize on the great field position before time expired.

Heaps would not throw another pass the rest of the game, as the Jayhawks chose to go with Cozart for the entire second half.

Kansas finally got on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter thanks to a 40-yard field goal from Doherty.

After an 11-yard touchdown pass from Chelf to Tracy Moore put the Cowboys up 35-3, the Jayhawks scored for the last time on the day.  

On the ensuing kickoff, Kansas return man JaCorey Shepherd returned the kick 69 yards, to the Cowboys 25-Yard line. 

The Jayhawks couldn’t do much with the field position and had to settle for a 29-yard field goal to cut the lead to 35-6.  

The Cowboys found the end zone for the sixth time on the day on a 15-yard run by Jeremy Smith on the very next possession for the final touchdown of the night.

Heaps finished the day completing 4-of-8 passes for 56 yard and an interception, while Cozart was 6-of-17 passing for 56 yards.  He also carried the ball 18 times for 55 yards.

With the loss, Kansas has a record of 2-7, including 0-6 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks are back in action next Saturday as the Mountaineers of West Virginia invade Lawrence.

Related articles

• The Jake Heaps tracker, game 8: the Texas Longhorns (jmoneysports.com)