Will KU football & Oklahoma play again after last regular-season game as Big 12 foes?
The Jayhawks earned some long-awaited revenge in taking down No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Not only did KU (6-2, 3-2) break an 18-game losing streak to OU, coach Lance Leipold’s squad finally defeated the Sooners after playing them close in the last two seasons.
Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) will join the SEC next season, but it departs the Big 12 with its first loss to Kansas since 1997.
After the game, Leipold was asked if Kansas would be open to playing OU in the future.
“I respect the question. I play who’s on the schedule and go from there,” Leipold said. “That’s a lot of hypotheticals and things like that. Hopefully, if nothing else, we earn a bowl opportunity someday that maybe the schools match. But I can’t worry about who’s going to be with us and who’s not anymore.”
Players had varying reactions on the topic, though they certainly enjoyed handing OU a loss in the final Big 12 regular-season meeting between the teams.
Jason Bean converted a key fourth-quarter fourth down and Devin Neal ran for the game-winning score in delivering KU the win.
“It’s probably going to be a long, long time before OU plays KU again,” Kansas tight end Mason Fairchild said. “To get that last one, especially for me — losing to them four times and getting that last one — it does feel pretty sweet.”
Neal, who rushed for 112 yards, agreed that it was noteworthy OU was leaving for the SEC with a loss against Kansas.
“For us, it was really about getting (a game) back,” he said. “That’s what we talk about a lot — getting our revenge game back. So, it was really cool to play. ... I know a few guys on the team, too. Obviously got some brownie points there.”
As for playing OU again in the future?
Fairchild said it wasn’t much of a topic of conversation after the game, but Neal was enthusiastic about a future meeting.
“I would love to play those guys,” Neal said. “I mean the amount of fun that game was, even coming out into the delay with pouring rain. (It was fun) seeing how hyped the crowd is, seeing everyone that did stay and just our guys seeing how happy we were to play football.
“At the end of the day, it is a game, so (we’re) just enjoying it. It meant a lot to us.”
