Norman, OK (Sports Network) - The 22nd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners begin the post- Sam Bradford era this weekend at home against Kansas State in Big 12 Conference action.

Kansas State is 5-3 this season, including an impressive and somewhat unexpected 3-1 mark against Big 12 competition. The last two outings and four of the last five have resulted in victories for the Wildcats, including a 20-6 decision over Colorado last weekend. Bill Snyder has brought legitimacy back to the program, and K-State can earn bowl eligibility if it can upset the Sooners. Still, the coach isn't satisfied, especially with the play against Colorado.

"The name of this game for us is trying to get better," said Snyder. "We got better on defense and I am proud of that. We did not get better on offense."

Oklahoma's Bradford elected to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and there is a good chance that he will enter the NFL Draft. Therefore, Landry Jones is now the clear leader of the Oklahoma offense from the quarterback position.

"Sam has led us to two Big 12 championships and an appearance in the national title game, and has demonstrated uncommon leadership skills," said head coach Bob Stoops. "He is an absolute role model as a student-athlete and loyal teammate. We appreciate the incredible contributions he has made to this program and university."

Oklahoma is a disappointing 4-3 this season, with losses to BYU, Miami and Texas. Last weekend, the club managed to knock off Kansas on the road by a 35-13 final.

The Sooners own a commanding 69-17-4 series advantage over Kansas State, which includes a 58-35 victory over the Wildcats last season.

Kansas State is averaging 26.8 ppg and 356.5 total ypg, and of the 23 offensive touchdowns score by the Wildcats this season, 18 scores have come on the ground. Daniel Thomas is a true workhorse, as he has rushed for 814 yards and nine touchdowns on 165 carries. There are other talented backs on the team as well, especially Keithen Valentine, who has 347 yards and four touchdowns on a mere 46 attempts.

Carson Coffman has completed 71-of-117 passes for 860 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions. Coffman also has a pair of rushing scores, but he has shared time with Grant Gregory. In addition to three rushing touchdowns, Gregory has three passing scores with one interception and may be the better option under center. Regardless of who is throwing the ball, Brandon Banks is often on the receiving end, as he has 33 grabs for 368 yards.

Opponents are scoring 21.6 ppg against Kansas State this season, and the Wildcats are permitting 327.5 total ypg. With the exception of a couple of shaky performances, including a loss to Texas Tech in which 66 points were surrendered, the K-State defense has played quite well.

The Wildcats are limiting foes to 100.6 rushing ypg and 3.4 yards per rushing attempt. And while the club has come up with 11 interceptions, 226.9 passing yards per game and 16 passing scores have been surrendered. With 20 takeaways, Kansas State has certainly been opportunistic. Tysyn Hartman has four interceptions to his credit, and Emmanuel Lamur has recorded 41 tackles to go with two blocked kicks.

In the win over Colorado last weekend, K-State outrushed the Buffaloes, 204-60, and won the turnover battle, 4-1. Those two factors most obviously contributed to the victory. Gregory took all the snaps under center last weekend for the first time this season, and while he only completed half of his passes for 80 yards, he did run for a score. Thomas finished with 145 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts.

"We have got to play a lot better on offense," said Gregory. "Our defense played great and gave us good field position throughout the game. We did not capitalize on those opportunities. We have a huge test next weekend against OU (Oklahoma) and we have to get our mistakes cleaned up."

Against Kansas last week, Jones connected on 26-of-38 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. The Oklahoma quarterback relied heavily on Ryan Broyles, who made 11 catches for 121 yards and no touchdowns. Tailback Chris Brown, who carried the ball 22 times, finished with just 66 yards, but he did score a pair of touchdowns.

The Oklahoma defense was on the field for more than 33 minutes against Kansas last weekend, so the fact that the unit limited the Jayhawks to one offensive touchdown is impressive. The Sooners permitted a mere 81 rushing yards at a clip of 2.6 yards per carry. While they did allow 224 passing yards, it took Kansas 22 completions to reach that mark, and three interceptions were registered along the way.

"I thought [defensive coordinator] Brent Venables and our defensive guys had a great game plan," said Stoops after the win. "We were very aggressive in how we played."

Overall this season, Oklahoma is scoring 31.9 ppg to go along with 419.0 total ypg. The Sooners are gaining a mere 3.8 yards per rushing attempt, surprising considering the talent in the backfield. Jones has seen action in all seven games and has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 1,363 yards with 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. Broyles has turned eight of his 36 catches into touchdowns, and Brown has five rushing scores. As for DeMarco Murray, he will likely be able to play this weekend with an injured ankle, good news for the talented tailback and his team.

There are some fans and analysts who believe that Oklahoma possesses the nation's best defense, and it is hard to argue when considering the stats through seven games. Despite a tough schedule, the Sooners are only yielding 10.1 ppg and 264.9 total ypg. They are surrendering a mere 70.1 rushing ypg at a clip of 2.2 yards per attempt. The pass defense has been stellar as well, limiting foes to 9.9 yards per completion with 12 interceptions.