Kansas and Missouri are set to renew their Border War on Friday night, and the matchup already has the kind of bite that comes with this rivalry. The schools met again last season, when Missouri rallied from behind to beat Kansas 42-31 after the Jayhawks started fast and faded late.
There’s also fresh fuel on the fire from Missouri’s latest headline-grabbing move: the Tigers are claiming a national championship from 1960. Kansas fans won’t need much convincing to roll their eyes at that one, especially since KU beat Missouri 23-7 that season.
The Big 8 later ruled two Kansas players from that game ineligible and awarded the win to Missouri by forfeit, but the NCAA still recognizes the Jayhawks’ victory. Missouri finished fifth in the final AP Poll that year and fourth in the final UPI Poll.
On the field, both teams opened with convincing wins. Kansas handled Long Island 51-6, while Missouri took care of Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14.
Those results offered a clean start, but not much in the way of real answers. Friday’s game should reveal far more about where each team stands.
For Kansas, the stakes are especially clear. The Jayhawks are still searching for an early-season identity, and this is the kind of game that can show whether they’re ready to settle in. KU needs to be competitive, keep the score tight, and give itself a chance to pull the home upset late.
The game is scheduled for Friday, September 11, at 7 pm CDT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. The Booth is still under construction on the east side and currently holds 32,000 fans.
The Border War will air on FOX and can be streamed on FuboTV with a paid subscription.
BetMGM lists Kansas as a 6.5-point home underdog. The over/under is 50.5, with Missouri at -250 on the money line and Kansas at +200.
Weather should be less punishing than what Kansas dealt with in Week 1. According to Weatherbug, kickoff temperature should be close to 80 degrees, with chances for showers during the day but mostly clear skies by game time. Higher humidity could make it feel warmer, and with sunset coming shortly after 7:30, temperatures should dip as the game goes on.
In Other News...
Kansas O-Line Has Something To Prove Before Missouri
Kansas spent its opener sorting out a rebuilt offensive line, and the early returns were encouraging. After losing three starters from 2025, the Jayhawks rolled past LIU 51-6 behind 613 total yards and strong work on third and fourth downs, a sign the front was doing its part in keeping the offense on schedule. Head coach Lance Leipold liked what he saw from the group as Kansas opened the year, but there is still a clear next step for a line trying to settle in quickly.
The next test comes into sharper focus with Missouri, a program that presents a much tougher style matchup than LIU did. The Tigers have a strong rushing offense and were already in action against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, so Kansas knows the challenge is about more than just pass protection or clean pockets. For a line with something to prove, this is the kind of game that can show whether the opener was a promising start or just the first step toward real steadiness. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces Two Lingering Questions Heading Into Its First Real Test
Kansas got little in the way of a real stress test in its first stretch, which is why the next game looms as a far better measuring stick for what this team actually is. The early schedule against lower-tier opponents told the Jayhawks only so much, leaving the usual September optimism intact while still keeping a few big-picture questions unresolved heading into a matchup that should reveal more.
The secondary is one of those spots, since the early pass defense work has not yet shown how the back end will hold up when it is challenged more consistently. The offensive line is another, with the unit still working toward a fuller answer after limited time together in camp, and those two areas figure to draw plenty of attention once Kansas finally faces an opponent capable of pushing both lines of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads Into Missouri With Two Big Injury Questions
Kansas spent part of its Week 1 victory over Long Island with one eye already on what comes next, and Lance Leipolds latest injury update gave the Jayhawks a little more to sort through before heading into the rivalry game at Missouri. The coach met with the media after the opener and addressed the status of wide receiver Cam Pickett and linebacker Bam Crouch, two players whose availability could shape how Kansas handles a far tougher test on the road.
Pickett has been working back in practice as he recovers, while Crouch was absent from practice because of an upper-body injury, leaving neither player definitively cleared for Saturday. For a Kansas team entering a critical matchup with Missouri, the uncertainty matters, especially with the Tigers also navigating their own injury issues and every depth chart decision carrying a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]