The Border War is back in Lawrence for the first time in 20 years, and Kansas gets Missouri on Friday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium with the game set for FOX. The Jayhawks also have a very specific mission: end a four-game skid against the Tigers.
That makes this week feel different, and the chess match between the coordinators could end up shaping everything.
On offense, Andy Kotelnicki has a history of revealing more once the first week of a full install is out of the way. Kansas didn’t show much in Week 1 in 2022, then came back in Week 2 with a fuller package and ripped West Virginia for 48 offensive points. A year later, the Jayhawks leaned into motion, played sideline to sideline with Illinois and opened up the field with deep shots after forcing the defense to stare into the backfield and flats.
This feels like the kind of game where Kotelnicki can pull something fresh from the bag. Maybe that means more option looks.
Maybe it means more misdirection. Whatever it is, Kansas will need answers ready because Missouri brings a defense that can make life miserable if you’re not prepared.
The defensive side is about discipline, and plenty of it. Kansas has to stay clean behind the line, because Missouri has players who can punish even small mistakes.
Ahmad Hardy does not appear likely to play - Pete Thamel reported he hasn’t practiced - but Jamal Roberts already showed what he can do against KU last season, going for 143 yards at an 11 YPC clip. Tight end Brett Norfleet is back too, after posting a season-high seven catches for 76 yards against the Jayhawks a year ago.
Those are the kinds of players who can wreck a game if the defense loses track of them or misses its gap responsibility. Kansas’ linebackers, Hawks and safeties have to be sharp, and that puts extra pressure on Elijah Cannon and Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman at the Hawk spot.
D.K. McDonald may also mix and match depending on the game state, especially after clearly preferring Cannon there in the opener, where Cannon was on the field almost every snap with the first unit.
The back end has to hold up too. Kansas was burned last year when players got out of position and failed to take proper pursuit angles, and the tackling numbers told the story.
The Jayhawks missed 24 tackles in that game, with 20 of those coming from linebackers or defensive backs. Against a Missouri offense with this much talent, those mistakes can turn a tough night into a long one in a hurry.
In Other News...
Kansas Offense Is Bringing New Pressure To The Border Showdown
Andy Kotelnicki is back on Kansas staff as associate head coach and offensive play caller, a move that gives Lance Leipold another familiar piece as the Jayhawks prepare for a rivalry matchup with Missouri. Kotelnicki and Leipold already know how to work together, and his return brings a coordinator with a reputation for clean structure and a clear offensive identity back into the fold at just the right time.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz gave Kotelnicki a notable public nod this week, praising the way he organizes an offense and builds its scheme. For Kansas, that kind of respect from the other sideline only adds to the intrigue around what the Jayhawks are bringing into the border showdown, especially with a play caller whose approach has clearly earned attention well beyond Lawrence. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads Into Missouri With Two Starter Questions It Can't Ignore
The run-up to Friday nights Border War has already been complicated for Kansas, with the Jayhawks facing a pair of starter questions as they prepare to visit Missouri. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on FOX, and the lineup uncertainty starts on defense, where linebacker Bam Crouch is listed as doubtful after getting hurt last week.
The concern does not stop there. Wide receiver Cam Pickett is also a game-time decision because of a leg injury, putting his availability in limbo for a second straight game and leaving Kansas to sort through two important spots before it ever takes the field in Columbia. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Doesn't Know If Melvin Council Will Suit Up
Melvin Council Jr.s push to get on the floor at Kansas took another step in court this week, but it still leaves the Jayhawks waiting on clarity. Judge Daniel J. Doyle signed an order to show cause requiring the NCAA to explain why Council should not receive an injunction that would make him eligible to play college basketball, a significant development for a player hoping to gain a sixth season based on the years he spent in junior college.
For Kansas, the timing is still the problem. Councils enrollment status at the university remains unclear, and the next hearing is set for Sept. 23, after the Jayhawks current late-enrollment deadline has already passed. So even with the case moving forward, there is still no answer on whether Council will suit up, leaving his status in limbo as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]