No. 23 Missouri straight up beat Kansas 38-21 in a Border Showdown that got seriously chippy, but Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t done talking after the final whistle. The man admitted he went out of his way to “embarrass” the Jayhawks at the end of the game, all thanks to a wild hype video Kansas dropped before kickoff. Seriously, he told reporters, “We left Kansas bleeding again,” and you know he meant it.
The “Bleeding Kansas” Video That Fired Up Mizzou
This whole mess started when Kansas put out a hype video that went viral, making its way right to Drinkwitz’s phone. And let me tell you, this wasn’t some generic highlight reel. The video took things way back, referencing the “Bleeding Kansas” era conflicts. The Jayhawks set up revolutionary abolitionist John Brown as an avatar for Kansas, and then, get this, they pointed to pro-slavery guerrilla leader William Quantrill as an avatar for Missouri. The narrator even hit you with, “There’s right and wrong. There’s Kansas and Missouri.” Talk about stirring the pot before a rivalry game. Drinkwitz said he was “embarrassed for them, to be honest,” after seeing it.
Drinkwitz Dialed Up the Disrespect to 11 on the Field
That video clearly stuck with Drinkwitz, because his late-game strategy wasn’t just about winning, it was about twisting the knife. With 28 seconds left and Mizzou already up by 17 points, Drinkwitz had no problem throwing the ball. After Kansas had a turnover on downs, Missouri backup quarterback Matt Zollers threw to the end zone from the Jayhawks’ 13-yard line. This move caused some pushing and shoving between players and coaches as the game wrapped up. Drinkwitz later said he “didn’t wanna score too bad or I’d have called timeouts and tried,” but the message was already sent. He even took to social media, tweeting, “Hey Jack!? How’d that hype video end!? Cause I’d didn’t see yall take the goalpost!? Was that supposed to happen??” What a brutal way to end a rivalry game.
More Than Just Football: The 9/11 Angle
Beyond the on-field shenanigans, Drinkwitz also condemned the video’s content and its timing. He pointed out the video was published just hours before the 25th anniversary of 9/11. He felt it was completely inappropriate to reference past divisions between the states on a day when national unity is so important. Drinkwitz told the media, “I was disappointed in the rivalry, the turn that it took today. I thought that was uncalled for. This is about two teams playing football. Especially on 9/11, when we need more unity than ever before.” He added that “everybody’s got complicated pasts” and making that an “icon was bizarre.” For Drinkwitz, it was all about settling the “right versus wrong” nonsense on the football field, because, as he put it, “it’s not any deeper than that.” This rivalry just got a whole lot more intense, and it’s clear neither side is backing down anytime soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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