Oklahoma St. RB Hubbard looks to pad rushing lead vs. Kansas

Kansas (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) at No. 25 Oklahoma State (6-3, 3-3, No. 22 CFP), Saturday at 12 p.m. EST (ABC).

Line: Oklahoma State by 17.

Series record: Oklahoma State leads 38-29-2.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard, the nation’s leading rusher, could push his way deeper into the Heisman conversation with a big game. The Cowboys have won two straight to jump back into the Top 25 and clinch a bowl bid, but a loss would be a momentum killer. Kansas has shown signs of progress in former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles’ first year. A win over a ranked team would provide a boost.

KEY MATCHUP

Hubbard vs. the Kansas run defense. He leads the nation with 1,604 yards rushing. He faces a Kansas defense that is giving up 262 yards per game on the ground during Big 12 play and ranks among the nation’s worst — 126th out of 130 teams — overall against the run.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kansas: RB Pooka Williams. The explosive sophomore has saved his best performances for ranked teams. He ran for 137 yards and caught five passes against Oklahoma and ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns against Texas. He’s only 170 pounds, but he can handle a workload — he has at least 20 carries in five games this season.

Oklahoma State: WR Dillon Stoner. With star receiver Tylan Wallace sidelined for the season, Stoner is a good bet to be the primary target for Spencer Sanders. In his first game without Wallace two weeks ago, Stoner caught three passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-27 win over TCU.

FACTS & FIGURES

Kansas hasn’t beaten Oklahoma State since 2007. ... Miles had a 28-21 record at Oklahoma State before leaving the program for LSU. Current Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was Miles’ offensive coordinator. ... Oklahoma State ranks second in the Big 12 in total offense with 476.5 yards per game in league games. ... Sanders leads Power Five freshmen with 276.1 yards per game.

 

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