With kickoff between Kansas and Missouri now less than 24 hours away, the first Border War in Lawrence since the 2005 season is finally here, and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is sold out for Friday night.
One of the biggest questions hangs over Kansas’ offense: how will Andy Kotelnicki choose to attack, and what will the Jayhawks’ offensive line be able to handle against Missouri’s front?
There are really two directions KU can go. Lance Leipold-led teams have shown a willingness at times to slow things down and drain the life out of the game, but that approach only works if the offense can stay on schedule and keep the ball moving. The offensive line is at the center of that.
Missouri’s defensive line may not have the same level of star power it did a year ago, but it still has talent and should be one of the best front sevens Kansas faces all season. If KU’s line isn’t moving people early, the Jayhawks may have to lean into a different, more aggressive plan.
That’s where Kotelnicki’s offense usually brings the heat. It can stress defenses down the field, but that kind of approach comes with real risk, especially with a first-year starter at quarterback. Even so, Kansas should have plenty of creativity in the playbook Friday night.
So the real question is simple: does KU come out guns blazing, or does it lean on a more measured style? The answer probably depends on the game itself, but how the Jayhawks balance those two gears will matter a lot.
In Other News...
Kasen Carpenter Gives Kansas Real Hope Ahead Of Missouri Test
Kansas enters the Border Showdown with a lot to like up front, and Kasen Carpenter has quickly become part of the reason why. The former Oklahoma State lineman, who also spent time at Tulsa before landing in Lawrence, was one of three transfers on an offensive line that helped fuel a dominant season-opening win. For a team trying to build early-season momentum, the immediate comfort provided by a veteran center has been a welcome development.
Lance Leipold has already pointed to the offensive line as a key area to watch, and for good reason. Missouri will provide a very different kind of challenge than what Kansas saw in Week 1, and the Jayhawks know the meeting will tell them a lot more about where this front really stands. Carpenters rise has given Kansas real hope, but the next test is the one that will show how far that hope can travel. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Should Notice What Just Changed In The Border Showdown
The Border Showdown already had plenty of attention around it, and the betting market has only sharpened that edge. Missouri opened as the bigger favorite, but the number has tightened at FanDuel Sportsbook after both teams handled FCS opponents in their season openers, with the Tigers carrying a national ranking and Kansas trying to sort through an early test that now looks a little more manageable on paper.
Part of the shift appears tied to Kansas backfield situation, with running back Ahmad Hardy unavailable because of an offseason injury. For a rivalry game that rarely needs extra juice, the changing line suggests there is real respect for what Kansas can bring into Columbia even before the full picture is clear, and it leaves one of the more interesting questions in this matchup still hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Leans Into Border War Tension With Provocative Missouri Message
The Border War is back on the schedule, and Kansas is making sure the old rivalry arrives with the kind of edge that has always made it matter. With No. 23 Missouri coming to face the Jayhawks, Kansas football rolled out a Civil War-themed hype video to stir up interest around a series whose name carries more than just football baggage.
The matchup has long been tied to the states deep historical conflicts, from the Kansas-Nebraska Act to Bleeding Kansas and the Lawrence Massacre, and the program clearly wanted to lean into that weight. The timing adds another layer to a game that already needs little selling, even if Kansas is leaving some of the full message to the imagination for now. [Read more 🡒]