Kansas had moments to hang around with Missouri on Friday night, but the miscues piled up fast enough to sink the Jayhawks in a 38-21 home loss during non-conference play.
The most damaging stretch came after halftime. Kansas had finally found a little rhythm late in the second quarter, but that spark never carried over. The Jayhawks’ first two third-quarter possessions ended in turnovers, and redshirt sophomore quarterback Isaiah Marshall finished with three giveaways in a second start that never settled into a clean, confident performance.
Grade: D
That offensive inconsistency put extra pressure on a defense that did not get nearly enough help. Kansas did force Missouri into one turnover, and the Jayhawks also benefited from two blocked field goals, but the Tigers still rolled up 469 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per play. Kansas also failed to record a sack, despite coming into the game looking to get after the quarterback.
Grade: D+
Special teams, though, gave KU a real jolt. Redshirt sophomore kicker Martin Connington missed from 52 yards out, but the unit more than made up for it by blocking two Missouri field goal attempts. One of those blocks turned into six points when redshirt sophomore cornerback Austin Alexander scooped it up and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown.
Grade: A-
Kansas’ coaching staff opened the game with plenty of aggression, and that approach helped the Jayhawks reach halftime tied 14-14 with a shot to win. But the second half told a different story.
The mistakes kept coming, and against a Missouri team with as much talent as the No. 23 Tigers, the coaches ended up sharing in the blame for a performance that never got clean enough to beat a quality opponent.
Grade: D+
Overall grade: D+
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Kansas Faces A Painful Border War Problem That Keeps Getting Worse
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The decisive sequence came in the second half, when Missouri seized control by converting Kansas turnovers into touchdowns, and the Tigers also had a long scoring burst that widened the gap. For Kansas, the frustration is not just the loss itself but the way the same problems keep surfacing against a familiar opponent, leaving the Jayhawks with more questions than answers whenever these two teams meet again. [Read more 🡒]