Missouri left Lawrence with more than a rivalry win Friday night. The Tigers also walked away with a clearer picture of the players already driving this 2026 season, and the trio at the center of it all showed up in different ways as Missouri beat Kansas 38-21 in the latest Border War meeting.
The game was locked at 14 at halftime, but Missouri took over after the break. The Tigers scored 24 points in the second half to pull away and move to 2-0 on the year.
Austin Simmons kept the offense moving from the start. In his first road start for Missouri, the quarterback went 19 of 29 for 292 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception.
He looked settled despite the atmosphere and continued what has been a sharp opening to his first season with the program. Through two games, Simmons has thrown seven touchdown passes and still hasn’t turned the ball over.
Robert Woodyard Jr. changed the game on defense. The senior linebacker delivered two of Missouri’s biggest plays after halftime.
With the score tied at 14 early in the second half, he forced a fumble that set up Missouri’s first lead of the night. On Kansas’ next drive, Woodyard picked off Isaiah Marshall, and the Tigers turned that takeaway into another touchdown to seize control.
Donovan Olugbode also kept building on a strong start. The sophomore wide receiver caught six passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, following up his season-opening performance with another big night. He has now topped 100 receiving yards in each of Missouri’s first two games and has quickly become one of Simmons’ go-to options.
Cayden Lee added to the passing-game punch as well, finding the end zone Friday and finishing with 120 receiving yards. Together, Lee and Olugbode give Simmons a dangerous pair to work with every time Missouri drops back to throw.
In Other News...
Eli Drinkwitz Took Missouris Border War Win To Another Level Online
Missouris Border War win over Kansas already carried the usual rivalry weight, but Eli Drinkwitz made sure the celebration did not stop when the game did. After the Tigers 38-21 victory, the Missouri coach jumped onto social media and started responding to Kansas players and fans, turning a Saturday win into a much longer night online.
Drinkwitz replied to posts tied to the rivalry, including a Kansas hype video and clips of goalpost celebrations, and he leaned into the back-and-forth in a way that fit the moment. Missouri has now won consecutive games since the series resumed, and with no meeting scheduled again until 2031, the online noise may be the loudest part of this Border War for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Border War Win Revealed A New Offensive Pecking Order
Missouris Border War win over Kansas did more than improve the record in Week 2. It also offered a clearer look at how the offense is being organized early in the season, with a tighter rotation than the opener and a few players beginning to separate themselves in meaningful ways. Quarterback Austin Simmons was at the center of it, posting a 90.2 Pro Football Focus grade over 69 snaps, while the backfield and receiver usage pointed to a more defined pecking order than the Tigers showed a week earlier.
Jamal Roberts was heavily involved as Missouri leaned on him in both the run game and overall workload, and the line gave Simmons enough protection to keep the offense on schedule. The pass blocking stood out in particular, with Luke Work drawing strong marks, and the Tigers still spread the ball around enough to use seven receivers. The question now is how much of that Week 2 distribution was a product of the matchup, and how much of it signals the way this offense wants to run going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cayden Green Made Missouris Kansas Win Mean Even More
Missouris win over Kansas had plenty of obvious stars, but Cayden Greens role gave the night a little extra weight. Coach Eli Drinkwitz handed out game balls after the 38-21 victory, and Green was among the players recognized alongside receiver Cayden Lee and linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr., a nod to how much the left tackle mattered in keeping the offense on track.
Greens presence was especially notable because his return came sooner than many around the program had expected, adding another layer to a rivalry win that already carried plenty of meaning. With Austin Simmons and Jamal Roberts also turning in strong performances, Missouri left the field with a result that stood on its own, but Greens contribution made the celebration feel even fuller. [Read more 🡒]