Burning Answers: Lessons Learned in Oklahoma State's Loss at Kansas

The Cowboys gave it their all on the road in Lawrence.

Nov 1, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores (6) throws a pass during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State showed some encouraging signs in another road matchup.

On Saturday, OSU lost 38-21 to Kansas on the road, but it was easily its best road game of the season. As OSU looks to navigate the rest of the 2025 season, this game could be a bit of a turning point for the Pokes.

Answers to burning questions for OSU-Kansas:

Who will be OSU’s quarterback?

Thankfully for the Cowboys, the answer to this question was Zane Flores. The freshman made his highly anticipated return from injury after missing the Pokes’ last three games and shined in his first game back.

While Sam Jackson V had done a solid job, especially considering the circumstances, it was a night and day difference with Flores back in action. He finished the afternoon completing 22 of his 28 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

After going with a passing touchdown throughout his first several games of collegiate action, his strike to Shamar Rigby on the first drive set up the best game of his young career, and potentially something for him to build on moving forward.

Can OSU’s offense finally find success on the road?

As it turns out, having an actual quarterback under center can help the offense find some success. OSU finished with a 21-point afternoon in Lawrence, which is more than the 16 points it had scored across its first three road games combined.

Assuming Flores can continue to play well and some of the other offensive factors for the Pokes can continue to trend in the right direction, November could at least be an interesting month for OSU fans. At the very least, getting some points on the board and playing a competitive road game is an encouraging sign.

Will OSU show that winning a game is still possible this season?

Although the Cowboys had their best road performance of the season, they were still trailing by 24 points in the fourth quarter and ended with a 17-point defeat. While it could certainly be easy to continue focusing on the negatives, OSU absolutely showed that a win could be within reach under the right circumstances.

OSU scored on the first drive to take a 7-0 lead and held that slight advantage for most of the first half. Although some missed field goals and other things eventually kept the Cowboys from staying in the ball game, perhaps a few of those things going their way, especially in a home game, could lead to a win.

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