The Border Showdown is back under the Friday night lights, and Kansas and Missouri are set for their second meeting in as many seasons. A year after the rivalry was renewed in Columbia, the Tigers are headed to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for a rematch that comes with plenty of attention and a one-touchdown spread in Missouri’s favor.
Kansas opened its season with more than 600 yards from scrimmage with Isaiah Marshall at quarterback, a debut that offered plenty of reasons for optimism. The Jayhawks may not reach that same number again, but the first outing still gave them something to build on.
The defense, though, remains the biggest source of concern. A shaky secondary and a linebacking group that just lost its starting WILL have major questions to answer, especially in a game like this.
Missouri’s personnel news matters too. Ahmad Hardy being inactive doesn’t change the way one of the predictions views the matchup, and the Tigers are also set to get starting left tackle Cayden Green back from injury.
Green is described as one of the best blind-side protectors in college football, and his return should help stabilize the Missouri front. Even so, there’s a belief that Kansas can keep this close with home-field support and Andy Kotelnicki’s play-calling, particularly after Missouri’s defense gave up a pair of second-half touchdowns to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in its opener.
Still, that same prediction lands on Missouri, arguing the Tigers simply have more athletic talent across the board.
Not everyone is leaning away from the Jayhawks. One of the staff predictions points to the energy Kansas showed in its first game against Long Island, where Marshall and receiver Nik McMillan stood out.
That outlook sees Kotelnicki helping the offense score enough to turn this into a tight game, while acknowledging the challenge of slowing Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons and the Tigers’ rushing attack. The added wrinkle is the setting: this is the Border War, Missouri’s first trip to Lawrence since 2005.
That prediction backs Lance Leipold to come through with one of the signature wins of his career.
Another pick also goes with Kansas, citing the rivalry edge, the chance for revenge after last season’s loss in Columbia, and the return of Missouri to Lawrence for the first time since 2005. Cayden Green is expected to play, while Ahmad Hardy is out.
On Missouri’s side, backup Jamal Roberts is noted for the career-high 143 rushing yards he piled up against Kansas last year. There’s also confidence in Kansas’ linebacking depth even with Bam Crouch likely unavailable.
The key, as that prediction sees it, will be how Simmons and Marshall handle the moment. Both looked sharp against lesser opponents in Week 1, and the belief is that Kotelnicki has enough tricks ready to help the offense.
That view also expects Kansas’ defense to be better equipped to slow Missouri, with Leipold finally getting a rivalry win and the Jayhawks sending the Tigers back to Columbia with a loss.
In Other News...
Kansas Leans Into Border War Tension With Provocative Missouri Message
With No. 23 Missouri headed into a rivalry matchup with Kansas, the old Border War is once again carrying the kind of edge that goes well beyond the standings. The game traces back to 1891, and the surrounding history still gives the meeting a sharper tone than most nonconference dates, with the two states' Civil War-era tensions lingering over a rivalry that has never really needed much extra fuel.
Kansas tried to add some with a Civil War-themed hype video narrated by former player Gilbert Brown, leaning directly into the conflict that has long shadowed this series. The matchup has always been tied to the bitter history between Missouri and Kansas, including the Lawrence Massacre and William Quantrill, so the Jayhawks' message was hardly subtle. For Missouri, it is the kind of promotional jab that can make the lead-up feel just as charged as the game itself. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Border War Plan Just Changed In A Big Way
Missouris prep for the Border War took a sharp turn this week, with the Tigers set to take on Kansas on Sept. 11 without two running backs who were part of the game plan. Ahmad Hardy remains out while he continues recovering from a gunshot wound and still has not met the practice requirements to return, and Malae Fonoti is done for the season after suffering an ACL tear. For a game with as much history and emotion attached to it as Missouri-Kansas, the depth chart is already looking different than it did when the matchup was first circled.
There is at least one encouraging development on the offensive line, though. Left tackle Cayden Green is expected back in the starting lineup after missing the season opener because of injury, which should help stabilize the front as Missouri adjusts to the absence in the backfield. Even so, the Tigers now have to sort out how they want to attack a Kansas defense with a thinner rotation behind the line of scrimmage than they had hoped for. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Heads To Lawrence With Two Big Questions Up Front
Mizzou heads into Lawrence with a familiar kind of early-season uncertainty up front, where every bit of health and continuity matters before a rivalry game can get into a rhythm. The Tigers have already shown some of what they can be on offense and defense, but this matchup with Kansas puts a spotlight on the line play again, and on whether the group can hold up well enough to let the rest of the offense function the way it should.
Cayden Green has been a full participant in practice and is expected back, which would be a welcome stabilizer for a front trying to settle in. The bigger lingering question is Ahmad Hardy, whose status is still unclear, and that leaves Mizzou with at least one major piece up front hanging in the balance as it prepares for Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall and a game that could hinge on which team handles the trenches better. [Read more 🡒]