Kansas left the Border Showdown with Missouri carrying plenty of questions, and the 38-21 loss showed just how much work still sits in front of Lance Leipold’s team. The Jayhawks had moments that suggested the game was there for the taking, but they couldn’t turn those stretches into enough points or enough stops.
The biggest issue started with the quarterback play. In his first start against an FBS opponent, Isaiah Marshall had a night full of swings, but the lows outweighed the highs.
He went 13-of-30 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also fumbled three times, losing one. The missed throws were hard to ignore, with Marshall sailing several passes over receivers or leaving them short.
That kind of outing raises immediate questions about how long Kansas will ride with him if the struggles continue. If he turns in a similar performance next week, it would not be a surprise to see Andy Kotelnicki give Cole Ballard some series.
The passing game issues also fed into a broader problem: Kansas never got its run game where it needed to be. Dylan Edwards and Yasin Willis, both preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List selections, combined for just 14 carries.
Marshall had 18 carries himself, and while Missouri was loading the box at times, the offense eventually became too predictable, with Marshall either running on designed plays or breaking the pocket on passing downs. The ground attack never really found a rhythm.
Willis, who opened the season with two touchdowns and 72 yards on 6.5 yards per carry, was a nonfactor against Missouri. That left Kansas without the kind of balance it needs to keep an offense moving.
On the other side of the ball, Austin Simmons was efficient for Missouri, finishing 19-for-29 for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas’ secondary held up for part of the night, but it started to break when the game tightened up. One of the clearest examples came when Donovan Olugbode raced 65 yards untouched down the left sideline after Austin Alexander blitzed with no one taking the wideout.
The problems in coverage did not stop there. Missouri kept finding success on out-breaking routes, and Kansas never really solved it.
It felt a lot like last season, when Beau Pribula threw for 334 yards against the Jayhawks. Those concerns in the defensive backfield are still hanging around.
Kansas also did itself no favors up front. Missouri was penalized 10 times for 76 yards, but the Jayhawks’ offensive line unraveled late.
With Kansas trailing 31-21 and trying to stay within reach, the line was hit with three costly penalties on one final push, plus a Tavake Tuikolovatu holding call that erased a big gain. Kansas finished with 11 penalties, and seven came from the offensive line.
That group is going to draw plenty of attention from Daryl Agpalsa after a messy night, especially with Marshall scrambling outside the pocket so often.
The Jayhawks now turn to next week’s London game against Arizona State with several fixes to make, and this loss made the list plain: the run game needs more life, the secondary has to hold up better, the offensive line has to clean up the flags, and the quarterback play has to become far more stable.
In Other News...
Robert Woodyard Just Flipped Mizzous Biggest Game Of The Night
A tight, physical Border War had barely settled into halftime with Missouri and Kansas deadlocked at 14 before Robert Woodyard turned the game on its head. The Missouri linebacker forced a fumble in the third quarter and later jumped a pass for an interception, giving the Tigers the kind of sudden, field-flipping momentum that can decide a rivalry game in a hurry.
Those two takeaways helped Missouri punch in a pair of touchdowns and stretch the lead to 28-14, a swing that landed with extra weight in a series that has already carried plenty of recent heat. With Troy coming next, the Tigers still have business ahead, but Woodyards third-quarter burst was the kind of sequence that can change how a night and maybe more gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Eli Drinkwitz Just Raised The Stakes In Mizzous Kansas Rivalry
The Missouri-Kansas football rivalry already carries more than enough history, but the run-up to this years game added a layer that went well beyond the usual trash talk. Kansas posted a pregame video leaning on the rivalrys Civil War roots, and Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz made clear he did not think the framing fit the moment, particularly with the game coming on Sept. 11. Missouri went on to handle business with a 38-21 win, giving the Tigers back-to-back victories in the revived series.
Drinkwitzs reaction after the game suggested the exchange may linger longer than the final score. He said he was disappointed by how the rivalry was presented and raised doubts about what the future should look like if that is the direction the buildup takes. For Missouri, the win was the headline on the field, but the off-field angle left the series with a sharper edge than either side probably wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Two Mizzou Cornerstones Are Finally Getting Statewide Recognition
Missouri will get a pair of familiar names back in the spotlight this fall, as the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes the 1994 mens basketball team and former track and field coach Dr. Rick McGuire. For fans around Columbia, it is the kind of recognition that feels overdue for two pillars of the programs history, one remembered for a deep NCAA run and the other for building one of the most enduring coaching legacies the school has had.
The Hall will honor both during its induction ceremony Oct. 25 in Columbia, a fitting setting for a class tied so closely to the university. The basketball team and McGuire each represent different eras of Missouri success, but together they underscore how much of the Tigers identity has been shaped by teams and coaches whose impact lasted far beyond a single season. [Read more 🡒]