Kansas football: Jason Bean, Jayhawks looking to repeat unlocking bowl eligibility vs. Oklahoma State

Jason Bean and Kansas football are no strangers to the situation they are in today. They’ll look to repeat what they did last year against the Pokes.

Coming off their third consecutive loss and still without starting quarterback Jalon Daniels at the helm, the Kansas Jayhawks were at a low point after eight games in the 2022 season. They held a 5-3 record but looked discombobulated without an identity. There was a serious chance the team’s magical 5-0 would finish in seven straight defeats.

But coming off a bye week with fresh bodies and plenty of time to practice, Kansas football was able to capture bowl eligibility against the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Devin Neal totaled 334 scrimmage yards, and the defense held the injury-riddled Pokes to just 16 points.

Jason Bean was a huge reason why the Jayhawks won that game. He threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-23 attempts, the highlight of his performance being an electric 73-yard touchdown run where he displayed his tremendous speed.

Kansas football now has five wins again and needs one more to head to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2007-2008. A victory would mean they secured a bowling appearance against Oklahoma State these past two seasons.

While Lance Leipold and KU do not seem to be taking a nosedive like one year ago, winning today’s contest would be huge for the program. It would effectively make this group bowl-eligible, and they’d have all the momentum in the world heading into their homecoming matchup versus Oklahoma after their bye week. Everything starts with the Jayhawks’ signal caller.

Bean has received a lot of criticism during his time in Lawrence. From his errant throw that effectively ended KU’s season in the Liberty Bowl to this season’s early struggles, the Jayhawk fanbase has been harsh on him. However, he did his job against UCF and we should be confident in him once again leading his team to a triumph.