Missouri rolled into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Friday and shattered a streak nearly 25 years in the making, leaving Lawrence with a 38-21 Border War win over their bitter rivals. The last time the Tigers celebrated a victory in the Jayhawks’ home stadium was back in October 2001, a wild 38-34 finish. This latest clash marked the first time these two met in Lawrence since 2005, and what a way to break the drought.
Simmons and the Receivers Keep Mizzou Alive Through Sloppy Start
Honestly, it was a pretty messy opening 30 minutes for the Tigers. Kansas blocked not one, but *two* field goal attempts in the first half! Austin Alexander even returned the second block 88 yards for a touchdown, putting the Jayhawks up 7-0 midway through the second quarter. The run game was practically lifeless too, picking up just 27 yards on their first 14 carries. But then Jamal Roberts woke it up, ripping off a 64-yard touchdown run on the 15th carry to knot things at 7-7. Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall, a redshirt sophomore, had some highlight-reel passes but was totally inconsistent, connecting on only 13 of his 30 attempts. Meanwhile, Mizzou’s southpaw slinger, Austin Simmons, was the steady hand, completing 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in just his second game. He found Cayden Lee up the middle for a 27-yard score right before halftime, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 14. Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode were absolutely dangerous all night, both crossing the century mark in receiving yards and grabbing a touchdown each. Olugbode even hit triple digits before the half for the second straight game to open his 2026 campaign.
Woodyard’s Dominance Changes Everything
Coming out of halftime, it was all about defense, and specifically, SEC transfer Robert Woodyard Jr. That guy was an absolute game-wrecker. On the Jayhawks’ very first offensive play of the second half, Woodyard stripped and recovered the ball on a Marshall fumble, setting Mizzou up at the KU 35. Five plays later, Olugbode punched it in on a slant for the touchdown. But Woodyard wasn’t done turning defense into offense. On the *very next drive*, he dropped back into coverage and picked off Marshall, returning it 27 yards to the opposing 12 yard-line. That’s right, takeaways on consecutive snaps for the dude! Xai’Shaun Edwards wasted no time cashing in, plowing into the end zone from 10 yards out, putting the Tigers up 28-14 less than five minutes into the third quarter. Kansas tried to hang around, cutting the deficit to one score late in the third with a 10-yard pass to Nahzae Cox. But Blake Craig nailed a field goal early in the fourth, and Brett Norfleet put the game to bed with a 13-yard grab.
What a statement win to break that long, brutal streak! With Austin Simmons looking sharp and those receivers cooking, plus Robert Woodyard Jr. being an absolute force on defense, the Tigers are looking good early. You gotta wonder what this crew can do next after finally shutting down a rival on the road like that. Get ready for more fireworks from this squad.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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