Kansas drops 32nd straight road game, 27-14 to Rutgers
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Chris Laviano threw two touchdowns and Josh Hicks ran for 113 yards and two more scores as embattled Rutgers snapped a two-game losing streak and defeated Kansas 27-14 Saturday, handing the Jayhawks their 32nd straight road loss.
It was the first win for the Scarlet Knights (2-2) since coach Kyle Flood was suspended for three games on Sept. 16 for contacting a faculty member about a player's grade. Running backs coach Norries Wilson has run the team the last two games.
Laviano's touchdowns covered 14 yards to Carlton Agudosi and 7 to Matt Flanagan. Hicks scored on runs of 1 and 4 yards. Robert Martin had 17 carries for 102 yards as the Scarlet Knights ran for a season-high 312 yards.
Ke'aun Kinner scored on runs of 2 and 1 yard for Kansas (0-3), which is still looking to give new coach David Beaty his first win.
Laviano finished 18 of 25 for 201 yards and two interceptions.
Rutgers, which had six players kicked off the team since August and had star receiver Leonte Carroo suspended indefinitely for an altercation outside the stadium after a loss to Washington State, used a ball-control offense on drives of 91, 75 and 84 yards in opening a 27-7 lead early in the second half.
The Jayhawks hurt themselves with 15-yard penalties on each of the drives, including a horse-collar tackle by Ben Goodman on a third-down play that kept one of them alive.
Laviano capped the longest drive with the pass to Agudosi, who has moved into the starting lineup since Carroo was suspended. The pass to Flanagan capped a 31-yard drive set up when linebacker Kaiwan Lewis intercepted a pass by Deondre Ford. A botched extra point left the score at 13-0.
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Ford, who got the start because Montell Cozart had flu-like symptoms before the game, sprained a thumb on the next series and did not return. Cozart came on and finished the game.
Hicks had a 31-yard run to set up his 1-yard tally with 2:31 left in the half. He added his 4-yard score on the opening series of the third quarter.
Kinner got Kansas within 13 points late in the third quarter after a fumble by Hicks. Cozart drove the Jayhawks of the Big 12 Conference to the Rutgers 20 midway through the fourth quarter, but his fourth-down pass under pressure fell short.
It was the first meeting between Rutgers, from the Big Ten, and Kansas in football.
