Lance Leipold has changed plenty about Kansas football since arriving in 2021, but one stubborn problem keeps hanging around: the Jayhawks still aren’t getting it done in the games that matter most to the fan base.
That issue was on full display Friday night, when Kansas dropped a 38-21 decision to Missouri. The game had stretches where KU seemed to be building something, but the offense never found enough consistency through the air and the defense repeatedly failed to get the stops it needed. Turnovers and defensive breakdowns swung the night away from the Jayhawks.
This loss also makes the recent trend in the rivalry look even worse for Kansas. The Jayhawks were beaten 42-31 by Missouri last season, and this year’s result was even more frustrating. The schools won’t meet again until 2031, and by then Leipold may or may not still be in charge.
The Missouri result fits a larger pattern for Leipold in Lawrence. Kansas still hasn’t beaten K-State in its last 17 tries, and Leipold has now taken five losses against the Wildcats. He’s been close a few times, but close has not been enough.
There have been bright spots on Leipold’s ledger, including wins over Texas in 2021 and Oklahoma in 2023. But those kinds of statement victories have been hard to find lately. If you group together the three major losing streaks that continue to hang over the program - Missouri, Kansas State and Baylor - Leipold is 0-10 in those games.
For all the progress he’s made, the bottom line is still the same: Kansas can’t keep settling for five- or six-win seasons without breaking through against the opponents its supporters care about most. Friday was the first real misstep on Leipold’s 2026 résumé, and there isn’t much room for many more if the season goes sideways. Another rough year could put him on the hot seat entering 2027.
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Robert Woodyard Just Flipped Mizzous Biggest Game Of The Night
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For a matchup that always carries extra edge, Woodyards sequence was exactly the kind of jolt Missouri needed to separate itself in a game that had been dead even at the break. With Kansas already on the wrong side of that momentum swing, the Tigers now have to carry the same defensive energy forward into next weeks meeting with Troy. [Read more 🡒]
Eli Drinkwitz Just Raised The Stakes In Mizzous Kansas Rivalry
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Missouri then answered on the field with a 38-21 win, its second straight in the revived series. Drinkwitz made clear afterward that he was disappointed by the video and left open a bigger question about what comes next, signaling that the future of the rivalry may be just as unsettled as the emotions around this latest chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Finally Delivered The Border War Road Win Fans Craved
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The Tigers still had to work for it before taking control in the second half, but the payoff was obvious for a program and fan base that had waited a long time for this road result. Beating Kansas on its field does more than add a line to the record book, and Missouri now has a fresh reminder of what it looks like when the rivalry swings its way. [Read more 🡒]