Jayhawk Insider: Stephon Robinson stands out against OU

Written by Rachel Swanson

The University of Kansas football program continues to make strides in the right direction in its first year under head coach Les Miles. Despite losing 45-20 to No. 6/4 Oklahoma on Saturday, there were a few Jayhawks who gave a silver lining to the tough loss.

Junior wide receiver, Stephon Robinson Jr., had a career game against the Sooners, where his previous career-high receiving yards, 59 vs. TCU in 2018, was shattered today with his total of 131 yards. He tripled his career touchdown total, from one to three, while leading Kansas in receptions and receiving yards in the game.

Robinson came from El Camino Community College in Torrance, California, where he became the all-time single-season receiving holder for ECCC, totaling 49 catches for 1,128 yards, after just one year. Robinson then transferred to Kansas for his sophomore season for the opportunity to play Division I football.

“It is Division I football, any reps you get need to be taken seriously on the field. Going forward, we are going to continue to take those reps to get better,” Robinson said of taking advantage of the time he gets on the field.

Robinson’s two longest catches of the day, 39 and 24 yards, were also both of his touchdown receptions. Robinson scored both of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter, displaying the fight the Jayhawks showed in the final quarter of play.

“I love my team. We are going to fight the whole game and make sure we finish strong,”

Stephon Robinson

Robinson’s stellar game was backed by another solid outing by senior quarterback Carter Stanley. Stanley threw three touchdown passes, compiled a total of 230 yards through the air and completed 18-of-28 on the day, marking his fifth-career game with three or more passing touchdowns, including his third this season.

“I thought that Stephon Robinson’s two touchdowns and the way he played the entire day was just spectacular,” said Kansas head coach Les Miles when talking about the offense. “Carter Stanley, 18-for-28, 230 yards, three touchdowns. I mean I like his performance. I think there’s a great potential there to finish the season strong.“

Sophomore running back, Pooka Williams Jr., also gave a strong performance, recording 164 all-purpose yards, 144 of which were rushing. Williams is no stranger to success against the Sooners, after rushing for 252 yards a season ago in Norman, the sixth-most in Kansas school history.

“Our O-line (players) are the ones who deserve the credit,” said Williams when talking about the Sooners’ added attention to him this season after his breakout game against them last year.

Despite falling to the No. 6/4-ranked Sooners, Kansas showed fight in their performance, especially in the fourth quarter, where the team scored 13 of their 20 points. The Jayhawks have a bye week coming up this next week, where they will focus on getting healthy and preparing for the next challenge that lies ahead in Texas. Kansas will face the Texas Longhorns in Austin on Saturday, October 19 at 6 p.m., airing on the Longhorn Network.