The Streak is over. Finally.

The last time the Kansas football team had won a road game before Saturday, iPads did not exist. President Barack Obama was in the first year of his presidency, and Instagram was still a year from launching.

There are fourth-graders who had never witnessed a KU road win in their lifetimes. The skid lasted through five coaches — including one interim — through a nearly unimaginable span of ineptitude.

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For that long — since September of 2009 — KU fans had waited patiently, trying to imagine what exactly it would take for their team to pick up a win away from Lawrence.

That answer came Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, as a dominant defensive effort that forced five turnovers combined with flashes of greatness from running back Pooka Williams helped KU to a 31-7 victory over Central Michigan.

Here’s the historical significance: The Jayhawks broke a 46-game road losing streak, which had already topped the previous FBS record of 44 set by Western (Colo.) State from 1926-36 — a mark set a few years before the United States entered World War II.

It was a different era of football then. An Associated Press article from Western State’s streak-ending victory over Colorado College in 1937 praised the team for “packing a scoring punch” when it won the game 7-3. The game-winning touchdown also came on a double-pass from a fake field goal — an event not likely to occur in today’s game.

“It was very important for all of us to end that,” KU coach David Beaty said. “Our fans deserve better. I’m glad it’s over.”

From a big-picture perspective, it’s difficult to underplay the importance of getting that elusive road victory. KU’s coaches already face a challenge in recruiting, and the program’s black mark was going to continue to be a talking point until it no longer existed.

That day finally came on a windy and cool afternoon in Mount Pleasant.

Start with the defense. That was the biggest part of KU’s breakthough in this game.

Central Michigan had six first-half possessions and mustered one first down. The Jayhawks cut off running lanes and provided constant pressure on quarterback Tony Poljan, who rarely found open receivers.

KU, which only led 7-0 at halftime, saw its offense come to life after the break. That was helped by the explosive Williams, who sat out KU’s opening loss against Nicholls State for what the team called a non-disciplinary matter.

Williams — a true freshman who came to KU as one of the highest-rated recruits in program history — broke multiple tackles on a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, then sprung free on a draw play the next possession for a 41-yard score down the left sideline.

“Those are two plays that you don’t get to take out and say, ‘It was no big deal,’ because it was,” Beaty said. “When you’ve got a guy that’s that explosive, that can do the things he can do, he can change games.”

The defense made sure the lead would stand. KU senior linebacker Joe Dineen — in his 40th game — pulled down his first career interception, and early in the fourth quarter, Shakial Taylor leaped for a pick and spun off tackles for a 55-yard touchdown return to help push KU’s advantage to 28-7.

Beaty, facing heavy criticism in his fourth year after his team’s season-opening home loss to Nicholls State, picked up his second FBS win; the only other one was a 2016 overtime victory over Texas.

KU’s players mobbed the coach once he entered the locker room.

“You could just see pure happiness and excitement on his face,” receiver Kerr Johnson said. “He was in there turning up with us.”

The Jayhawks will play host to Rutgers at 11 a.m. next Saturday. And they’ll do so with their ugliest streak behind them.

“I’m excited to be on the team that broke it,” Dineen said. “It’s a long time coming.”