Mizzou RB Jamal Roberts breaks free from a Kansas defender during Friday night’s “Border War” game in Kansas. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #23 Missouri (2-0) | 0 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
| Kansas (1-1) | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
LAWRENCE, KS — After struggling to get the game tied at halftime, the University of Missouri football team used a dominant second half to pull away from archrival Kansas for a 38-21 “Border War” victory, Friday night at KU’s David Booth Memorial Stadium.
The meeting was the 122nd time the Tigers and Jayhawks have met on a football field, and Missouri leads the all time series 59-54-9. But few of the previous matchups went the way Friday night’s contest did in Lawrence.
The evening began with a controversial hype video produced by Kansas that left Missouri’s players and head coach Eli Drinkwitz more than irritated. The folks from Mizzou were angry about it and did not mind talking about it after the game.
“You know, I was disappointed in the turn that the rivalry took today,” Drinkwitz said. “I thought that was uncalled for. This is about two teams playing football — especially on 9/11, when we need more unity now than ever before. To be putting some stuff on your screen celebrating — I mean, everybody has complicated pasts, and to make that an icon was bizarre to me.”
Drinkwitz continued: “I’m just glad that this whole right versus wrong bullcrap that was started just got settled on a football field. It’s a football game. It’s an American football game that people love to come watch and cheer for their teams.
“It’s not any deeper than that, and I get there’s a past to it, but why are we stirring that bullcrap up? It’s 9/11. This country need unity now more than ever. I was embarrassed for them, to be honest, and that’s why I tried to embarrass them at the end.”
Mizzou QB Austin Simmons looks to break away from a Kansas defender during Friday night’s “Border War” game in Lawrence. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
The Tigers, who came into the game ranked No. 23 in the country in both the Associated Press media and USA Today coaches polls, trailed 14-7 late in the first half, but managed to tie the game just before halftime when quarterback Austin Simmons hit teammate and best friend Cayden Lee for a 27-yard touchdown that tied the game.
Mizzou took firm control of the game in the third quarter, when linebacker Robert Woodyard produced two turnovers that both led to points for the Tigers.
First, Woodyard forced and recovered a fumble by KU quarterback Isaiah Marshall, which led to an 8-yard touchdown strike from Simmons to Donovan Olugbode that gave Mizzou its first lead. Then, on KU’s next offensive play, Woodyard intercepted a Marshall pass and returned it 28 yards to the KU 12-yard line.
Two plays after that, Mizzou running back Xai’Shaun Edwards broke through the line for a 10-yard touchdown that put the Tigers up 28-14.
“I thought we made plays all night,” Woodyard said. “But I was glad to make a couple of big plays to help out my team. We felt like if we were aggressive with them, we could make some plays and produce some turnovers, and we were able to do that.”
Mizzou WR Donovan Olugbode dodges a Kansas defender, after making a catch in Friday’s “Border War” game. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Kansas scored a touchdown late in the third to cut its deficit back to 28-21. But Mizzou dominated the fourth quarter. First, by putting together a 12-play, 61-yard drive, which led to a Blake Craig field goal that put the Tigers back up by 10.
Then, after stopping the Jayhawks on downs late in the game, Simmons threw his third touchdown pass of the night, when he hit tight end Brett Norfleet for a 13-yard touchdown that put the game away.
“This is my first time playing in any rivalry game or any type,” Simmons, who finished the night with 292 passing yards and the three touchdowns, said. “So it meant a lot to me. My last years at my old school, I didn’t play one snap in any of the rivalry games. But here, I really felt something special. It was the best feeling in the world I can tell you that.”
Mizzou LB Robert Woodyard celebrates after making an interception in the Tigers’ win over Kansas, Friday night. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Mizzou also got big offensive performances from running back Jamal Roberts, who finished the night with 28 carries for 125 yards, including a 64-yard score in the second quarter that put the Tigers on the board.
Receivers Olugbode and Lee finished with 121 and 120 yards, respectively, marking the first time since 2023 that Missouri had two receivers with 100 yards or more in the same game.
On defense, junior linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez led the Tigers with eight tackles, including his first quarterback sack of the season. Woodyard had six total tackles (five solo) and produced the two key turnovers that helped Mizzou take control of the game.
Ends Daeden Hopkins and Donta Simpson had 1.5 sacks each, while defensive back Jahlil Florence had a key interception in the first half that helped kill a Kansas drive.
“I was proud of our guys and really proud of our defense, but the story of the night was Austin Simmons,” Drinkwitz said. “He helped keep us steady when we weren’t executing like we need to. Then, once we got going, he helped us take off and grab the lead and take control when the opportunity was there.”
Mizzou QB Austin Simmons threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ “Border War” win over Kansas, Friday night. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Mizzou (2-0) will enjoy the rest of the weekend off, before it gets ready for a Week 3 matchup against Troy (1-0), which is playing at home on Saturday against Alabama State.
The Tigers and Trojans will meet next Saturday, September 19 at Faurot Field in Columbia. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Quarter | Time | Scoring Play | MIZ | KU |
|---|
| 2nd Quarter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 07:16 | KU – TOUCHDOWN – (07:29) Austin Alexander 88 yd blocked field goal return (PAT good) | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 05:22 | MIZ – TOUCHDOWN – (05:33) Jamal Roberts 64 yd run (PAT good) | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | 01:48 | KU – TOUCHDOWN – (01:54) Isaiah Marshall 20 yd pass to Nik McMillan (PAT good) | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | 00:30 | MIZ – TOUCHDOWN – (00:33) Austin Simmons 27 yd pass to Cayden Lee (PAT good) | 14 | 14 |
| 3rd Quarter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 11:40 | MIZ – TOUCHDOWN – (11:42) Austin Simmons 8 yd pass to Donovan Olugbode (PAT good) | 21 | 14 |
| 3 | 10:52 | MIZ – TOUCHDOWN – (10:56) Xai’Shaun Edwards 10 yd run (PAT good) | 28 | 14 |
| 3 | 02:07 | KU – TOUCHDOWN – (02:08) Isaiah Marshall 20 yd pass to Nahzae Cox (PAT good) | 28 | 21 |
| 4th Quarter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 11:46 | MIZ – FIELD GOAL – (11:48) Blake Craig 32 yd field goal | 31 | 21 |
| 4 | 02:02 | MIZ – TOUCHDOWN – (02:06) Austin Simmons 13 yd pass to Brett Norfleet (PAT good) | 38 | 21 |
2026 MIZZOU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3, 2026 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Arkansas- Pine Bluff | Faurot Field |   | W, 54-14 (1-0) |
| September 11, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Kansas | Lawrence, Kan. / David Booth Memorial Stadium |  | W, 38-21 (2-0) |
| September 19, 2026 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Home | Troy | Faurot Field |  | |
| September 26, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Away | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. / Davis Wade Stadium | ||
| October 3, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Florida | Faurot Field | ||
| October 10, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Texas A&M | Faurot Field | ||
| October 17, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Away | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. / Vaught Hemingway Stadium | ||
| October 31, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. / Razorback Stadium | ||
| November 7, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Texas | Faurot Field | ||
| November 14, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Away | Georgia | Athens, Ga. / Sanford Stadium | ||
| November 21, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Kentucky | Faurot Field | ||
| November 28, 2026 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Oklahoma | Faurot Field |