The Border War is back in Lawrence, and the matchup comes with Missouri installed as a moderate favorite heading into Saturday night.
When the line first opened over the summer, Missouri was listed as a 5.5-point favorite. After both teams handled Week 1, that number has moved to Missouri -6.5. The total sits at 51.5, pointing to something in the neighborhood of a 29-23 game.
Kansas has been a solid bet in this spot in recent seasons. According to Teamrankings data, the Jayhawks are 5-9 straight up as a home underdog dating back to the 2021 season, but they’ve covered at a strong clip, going 9-4-1 against the spread in those games. Eight of those matchups stayed under the total.
Missouri has been just as reliable when it leaves home as the favorite under Eliah Drinkwitz. The Tigers are 8-1 straight up and 7-2 against the spread as an away favorite in that span, with five of those nine games going over.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, with the game airing on FOX.
Both teams arrive off lopsided wins. Kansas opened its season Sunday with a 51-6 rout of Long Island, piling up 613 yards of offense, including 336 through the air and 277 on the ground. The Jayhawks averaged 8.1 yards per play, while Long Island managed just 146 yards on 53 snaps, good for 2.8 yards per play.
Missouri was just as efficient in its opener, rolling to a 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers finished with 562 total yards, including 357 passing and 205 rushing. Arkansas-Pine Bluff put up 198 yards, with 109 coming through the air and 89 on the ground.
Last season’s meeting was the first between the two programs in more than a decade, and Missouri walked away with a 42-31 win. Kansas actually grabbed control early after falling behind 6-0, putting together a stretch that produced two offensive touchdowns and a defensive score for a 21-6 lead.
Missouri answered before halftime, though, and the teams went into the break tied at 21-21. The second half turned into a back-and-forth fight until Missouri got a stop, scored again, and stretched the margin to two possessions before closing it out.
In Other News...
Kansas Fans Suddenly Have A Real Reason To Watch Melvin Council Jr
Melvin Council Jr. is back in the spotlight for a reason Kansas fans have not had to think about much since his playing days ended. The former Jayhawk has turned to the legal system in Monroe County, New York, after a dispute over how his junior college time should count against his NCAA eligibility, with his complaint arguing he has only logged three years of college basketball and should be granted one more.
For Kansas followers, the case matters because Councils path to campus was never ordinary. He had previously been exonerated of criminal charges that once complicated both his recruitment and his eligibility, and now the question is whether the NCAA will recognize his junior college seasons in the same way Councils camp sees them. If the challenge succeeds, it could reopen a door he and his supporters thought was closed. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas O-Line Depth Is Suddenly Putting One Rising Jayhawk In Focus
Summer camp has a way of reshuffling a depth chart before anyone gets too comfortable, and DeAndre Harper has become one of the more interesting names in that mix for Kansas. The transfer from Northwest Missouri State has stood out along the offensive line, enough to put him in the conversation as the Jayhawks continue sorting through their options ahead of a demanding stretch on the schedule.
Head coach Lance Leipold noticed the growth after Kansas opened the season with a win over LIU, pointing to Harpers work ethic and steady improvement. Even with that rise, the next step is still the tricky one, since the Jayhawks are staring at a tougher run that includes the Border Showdown with Missouri and a clearer picture of where Harper fits when the games start to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Offense Is Taking On An Identity Defenses May Hate
Andy Kotelnicki has wasted little time putting his stamp on Kansas, and the early signs point to an offense built to keep defenses guessing. The approach is rooted in personnel, not a rigid scheme, with versatility, physicality and unpredictability all shaping the way the Jayhawks want to play. Lance Leipold said the installation moved quickly after Kotelnicki returned, a reminder that this has been a from-the-ground-up project rather than a few tweaks layered onto the old system.
The early returns have been hard to ignore, even before the playbook is fully in place. Kansas piled up more than 600 yards of offense in the opener, a number that suggests the ceiling here could be real if the pieces keep fitting together. The bigger question now is how quickly that identity hardens into something opponents have to spend all week trying to solve, because the version taking shape already looks like one defenses may not enjoy seeing again. [Read more 🡒]