It’s not Alabama vs Auburn, Ohio State vs Michigan, or Army vs Navy, but Kansas and Missouri have been doing this Border War thing since 1901 – an 18-12 Mizzou win – and have played it 110 times since.
There’s genuine hatred in this, even though the basketball side tends to get a little more heated. This time around, Kansas is trying to become a factor again after a few down years, and Missouri needs this just to keep the lights on with the SEC season coming up in a hurry.
- Missouri beat Kansas 42-31 last year, making it four in a row since a 40-37 Jayhawk win to end the 2008 regular season.
- Kansas started the season roaring, with a 51-6 exhibition over an overmatched LIU team. Missouri did its tuning up on Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 54-14 win.
Missouri gets Troy next, and then starts out the SEC season at Mississippi State. Kansas hops on a plane to London after this to start the Big 12 season against Arizona State.
Missouri beat Kansas 42-31 last year, making it four in a row since a 40-37 Jayhawk win to end the 2008 regular season.
Kansas started the season roaring, with a 51-6 exhibition over an overmatched LIU team. Missouri did its tuning up on Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 54-14 win.
Missouri gets Troy next, and then starts out the SEC season at Mississippi State. Kansas hops on a plane to London after this to start the Big 12 season against Arizona State.
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Game Time: 8:00 PM ET
TV: FOX
Location: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS
– Week 2 Schedule, Picks
– CFN Expert Picks: Week 2
Austin Simmons couldn’t have looked better. The Ole Miss transfer was on from the start against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, hitting 17-of-19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns. He spread around the throws, the running game did its job, and the offense did what it was supposed to do.
Yes, it was against an FCS team, but the Kansas defense still has to prove it can hold up against accurate passers who can move. The Tigers should be able to keep up the pace – the line will be good at keeping Simmons upright.
Kansas might not have a ton of talent on defense, but it’ll bring the heat and do whatever it can to make Simmons uncomfortable.
The Mizzou line is good, but the Jayhawks will get into the backfield and hurry up the process a bit. Simmons might have been great on his midrange throws, but the ground game didn’t dominate.
The Tiger attack is still without star Ahmed Hardy, who’s still recovering from suffering a gunshot wound at a concert, and the backs are good, but there weren’t any big, gashing runs against UAPB. Kansas showed off the offensive balance against LIU, the defense held up well against the run, and there appears to be a different level of speed this season – again, though, it was LIU.
It’ll be a firefight between two fun teams with lots of offensive ideas and playmakers ready to show off.
Overall, Missouri is a little worse than last year, Kansas is a little better, and the atmosphere will be fantastic with the rivalry game feel throughout.
Jayhawk quarterback Isaiah Marshall will take off and run more than he did against LIU, the Tigers will come close to running for 200 yards, and it’ll be a good back-and-forth fight until Mizzou takes over in the final five minutes.
Missouri 37, Kansas 31
Latest Consensus Line: Missouri -5.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 4
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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