Report: Jason Bean to start at quarterback for Kansas vs. Oklahoma

According to a report by Pete Thamel, Kansas Jayhawks backup quarterback Jason Bean will get the start against the Oklahoma Sooners. It will be the fourth game in a row that Bean starts in the place of starting quarterback Jalon Daniels.

Immediately prior to the Texas game at the end of September, Jalon Daniels was scratched from the starting lineup due to a back injury. Since then, he’s been unable to get healthy again to lead the Kansas offense. Jason Bean also replaced Daniels against FCS Missouri State early in the season.

In Daniels’ place, Bean has done a good job conducting the offense. However, the Jayhawks are just 2-2 in the games he has started this season.

Jason Bean has proven that he can run the Kansas offense well in the past, albeit not as effectively as Jalon Daniels can when his back is healthy. Now, in his sixth college season and his third with the Jayhawks, Bean is completing 65.3 percent of passes for 913 yards. He also has nine touchdowns and only two interceptions. He also has 91 rushing yards.

This comes as Kansas needs a good offensive game against an excellent Oklahoma team that has one of the best defenses in the Big 12 this season.

The news that Daniels won’t be able to go in the Oklahoma game wasn’t entirely unsuspected. Earlier in the week, head coach Lance Leipold said that he was happy with how Daniels was progressing in his recovery. However, he did also list Daniels as doubtful for the Oklahoma game itself. So, it’s likely that Kansas was preparing for this possibility.

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold credited the running game for stepping up

In the absence of Jalon Daniels, Kansas has been trying to find a way to effectively run its offense without its leader on that side of the ball. Luckily, Lance Leipold has been happy with how the running game has stepped up in the absence of the team’s starting quarterback.

“We knew we were gonna have to run the football today to have a chance for success. Jason stepped up and handled the offense very well. Made throws when we needed him to. I thought Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw really played well and you’ve gotta credit the guys up front,” Leipold said.

“We talked about being physical up front and creating seams for those backs. We thought we could get them downhill a little bit and have a chance. It played out well.”