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Oklahoma-Kansas Preview

Oct 21, 2009 - 5:41 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Oklahoma (3-3) at No. 25 Kansas (5-1), 3:30 p.m. EDT

Sam Bradford enjoyed a career performance against Kansas last season. He won't have a chance for another this year.

Playing without their star quarterback, the 25th-ranked Sooners hope they have enough to bounce back from their latest loss Saturday as they visit the No. 24 Jayhawks, who are coming off their first defeat of the season.

An already disappointing follow-up to his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 2008, Bradford will miss this contest after he re-injured his right shoulder on Oklahoma's second possession during a 16-13 loss to No. 3 Texas last Saturday.

Bradford has thrown for 562 yards and two touchdowns in less than three full games while being plagued by a shoulder injury suffered in Oklahoma's season-opening 14-13 loss to BYU on Sept. 5.

With the Sooners' national title hopes dashed, a decision on his status for the season has not been made.

"I think the fair thing to say is right now, he's not going to play this week," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "I just assumed everyone understood that. From there, the path hasn't been determined yet."

Though the Sooners (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) have faith in backup Landry Jones, they could certainly use Bradford, who threw for a career-high 468 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-31 win over Kansas in a matchup of ranked teams last October.

"They are still a productive offense," Kansas coach and former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino said of the Sooners.

While Jones has thrown for 1,111 yards and 11 TDs in five contests, Oklahoma will likely need to get its running game going in order to beat Kansas (5-1, 1-1) a sixth straight time.

The Sooners were held to minus-16 yards on the ground against Texas - their worst rushing output since 2002 versus Alabama (minus-23 yards).

DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, a pair of 1,000-yard rushers a year ago who've amassed 764 this season, were held to 20 yards on 17 yards combined versus the Longhorns.

Behind an inexperienced offensive line that will be without left guard Brian Simmons due to a knee injury, the Sooners rank 54th in the nation averaging 153.8 rushing yards.

If the run game continues to struggle, Oklahoma may again use Murray and Brown in the passing game. Murray, who's been bothered by an ankle injury, set career highs with eight catches and 116 yards last weekend. Brown caught four for 40 yards.

"A part of the run game the other day was some of the short passing game," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "Will it be that way this week and weeks to come? We do have some good backs with DeMarco, Chris and even our young guys, so we definitely need to get the run game going. We need to be a physical team."

Brown rushed for 92 yards and a TD on 12 attempts last season against Kansas, while Murray added 83 and two scores on 16 carries in that contest.

Though the Sooners hope their offense can get in gear against a Jayhawks' defense that allows 346.2 yards and 20.7 points per game, how well their defense can contain Kansas' high-powered offense could be the deciding factor.

Oklahoma - third in the nation allowing 9.7 points a game - will be put to the test against the Jayhawks, who are second in the country averaging 503.3 yards and fifth with 38.8 points per contest.

"We realize it's another big challenge," Stoops said.

The Jayhawks didn't have trouble scoring, but their defense let them down in a 34-30 loss at Colorado last Saturday.

"We are going to get better and move forward," said senior quarterback Todd Reesing, who threw for 401 yards and two TDs against the Buffaloes. "Every team in the (Big 12) North has a loss at this point. There is no reason to hang our heads."

Reesing, who's thrown for more than 400 yards in two straight games, totaled 342 through the air with two touchdowns and two interceptions against Oklahoma last season.

Dezmon Briscoe caught eight passes for 154 yards and a touchdown, while Kerry Meier increased his reception total to a Big 12-leading 54 after recording 11 for 103 yards against Colorado.

Briscoe caught 12 passes for a career-high 269 yards and two touchdowns in last season's loss to Oklahoma.

The Jayhawks' 20-17 win Oct. 4, 1997, marked their last against the Sooners. Oklahoma is making its first trip to Lawrence since winning 38-10 on Oct. 13, 2001.