The sellout was announced before the week even got properly underway. Kansas confirmed that David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium will be full on Friday night when No. 23 Missouri arrives for the first meeting between these two old rivals in Lawrence since 2011. Both teams are 1-0 after comfortable home wins in their openers. The Jayhawks now get a chance to measure themselves against a ranked opponent, and the Tigers get their first real road test of the season.
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold has been around long enough to know the stakes. He acknowledged this week that the rivalry isn't what it once was, given that the two programs no longer share a conference. But he also pointed to last year's meeting, the first between the sides in over a decade, as the moment the spark returned. The Jayhawks lost that game on the road in 2025, and Leipold made it clear he wants this fixture to continue into the future.
On the field, Leipold sees a Missouri team that is well coached and loaded with talent. He was particularly impressed with the confidence and accuracy shown by senior quarterback Austin Simmons, who transferred in from Ole Miss with a reputation that preceded him. Junior running back Ahmad Hardy did not play in the Tigers' opener, but Leipold noted the position group still has plenty of options. Defensively, he described a long, athletic unit that can create disruption, with a secondary that runs deep.
Kansas defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald spent his week studying Missouri's offensive line and came away with praise. He said the group up front is impressive, and even without Hardy in the lineup, the Tigers have a capable backfield that can run the ball. Simmons, he added, showed exactly why he was so highly regarded during his time at Ole Miss. The wide receivers can run, too.
McDonald's plan for slowing Missouri down is straightforward in theory. He wants his defensive line to stay in their gaps, with the linebackers and safeties fitting where they need to be. The secondary has to hold up in the passing game, but coverage alone won't be enough. The Jayhawks have to get after Simmons and force him into poor decisions. That's the balance, and it's easier said than done against an offensive line of this caliber.
On the other side of the ball, Kansas associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki didn't have to be around for last year's game to understand what this rivalry means. He knows it goes beyond football, and he expects a raucous environment inside the stadium. He wants the fans loud and obnoxious, as he put it. But he also stressed that the team has to stay committed to its process. If the process changes just because of the opponent, then the process is broken.
Kotelnicki returned to Kansas this season, and his arrival generated significant excitement about what the offense could become. Friday represents the first meaningful test of that. Watching film of Missouri's opener, and tape from last year, he sees a defense that flies around the field. He believes Kansas needs to take care of the football, generate explosive plays against a unit that is difficult to do that against, and block with physicality. That's the formula, but executing it against a defense that moves like this one is another matter.
The last time these teams met, Missouri came away with a victory in a game that was tighter than the final score suggested. The prediction for this one follows a similar line of thinking. Expect a battle that stays competitive for much of the night, with Kansas making things uncomfortable for the visitors. But once again, look for the Tigers to pull away late and win 34-24.
According to Yahoo Sports.
