Hurts provides 4 TDs as No. 6 Sooners beat Jayhawks, 45-20

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Jalen Hurts threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 56 yards and two more TDs and added another line to his Heisman Trophy resume in leading No. 6 Oklahoma to a 45-20 victory over Kansas on Saturday.

Rhamondre Stevenson added 109 yards rushing and a score on just five carries for the Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), who spotted Kansas (2-4, 0-2) a touchdown lead before ripping off seven straight scores.

That allowed them to cruise to their 22nd straight true road win, the second-longest streak since at least World War II in major college football. Bud Wilkinson's Sooners won 25 in a row from 1953-58.

It also allowed Oklahoma to build momentum for next weekend's Red River Showdown with No. 11 Texas.

Carter Stanley threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Stephon Robinson, while Pooka Williams followed a 252-yard rushing performance against the Sooners a year ago with 137 on Saturday.

The rout most people anticipated didn't happen right from the start.

In fact, the Jayhawks outplayed the Sooners throughout most of the first quarter.

They had forced a punt and were pinned at their own goal line midway through the quarter when Stanley marched them 98 yards in just over 5 minutes. And when the senior quarterback lofted a pass to Daylon Charlot for a 22-yard touchdown, the home fans who braved a 30-minute lightning delay cheered the 7-0 lead.

Hurts and the Sooners eventually got on track.

They answered the touchdown with one of their own when Trey Sermon plunged in from 2 yards out. Hurts added a TD run of his own, then found CeeDee Lamb just before halftime to give Oklahoma a 21-7 lead.

Hurts kept adding to his impressive stat line after the break.

He ran for 36 yards, completed both of his passes and scored a TD to cap an 84-yard drive, then Hurts ran for 53 yards before hitting Sermons with a 15-yard touchdown pass.

Stevenson ripped off a 61-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to punctuate the win.

Still, it wasn't a perfect performance by the Sooners.

They had a long punt return TD brought back by a penalty, and Hurts threw his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter. And while the Oklahoma defense held the Jayhawks in check outside their long touchdown drive, new coordinator Alex Grinch's bunch failed to produce a turnover.

It was still plenty good enough to remain unbeaten as the Sooners set their sights on Dallas.

THE TAKEAWAY

Oklahoma could be forgiven for getting off to a slow start. Lightning delayed kickoff, and periods of heavy rain hurt an already sparse crowd that contributed to a sleepy atmosphere.

Kansas was battered so soundly by TCU last week that fans were bracing for the worst, but coach Les Miles at least kept his team in the game into the second half. That constitutes progress in Lawrence.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma heads to the State Fair of Texas to face the Longhorns next Saturday.

Kansas gets next week off before its own shot at the Longhorns.