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Missouri at Kansas college football Week 2 preview

Missouri vs. Kansas preview: Border War returns to Lawrence

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Friday, 2026-09-11 | 7:00 PM CT | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS | FOX
DraftKings snapshot: MIZ -6.5 | Over/under: 51.5 [S1]

What’s at stake

The Border War came back last season after a 14-year break, and Missouri rallied from 15 points down to win 42-31. Now the rivalry returns to Lawrence for the first time since 2005. Both teams opened with comfortable FCS wins, but this is the first game that can show whether those huge offensive numbers will hold up against a comparable roster. [S4/S6]

This is also an early résumé game between an SEC team and a Big 12 team. The winner leaves Week 2 with a rivalry trophy, a real nonconference win and far more evidence than either opener provided. [S1]

Three things to know

  1. Two new quarterbacks looked immediately comfortable: Missouri’s Austin Simmons completed 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns in less than a full game. Kansas’ Isaiah Marshall went 14 of 19 for 246 yards and two touchdowns, then added 49 rushing yards. The question is which debut travels better when the opposing defense can punish a late read. [S2/S3/S8/S9]
  2. Kansas can test Missouri’s run blocking: Missouri finished with 205 rushing yards, but lead back Jamal Roberts needed 13 carries for 47 yards and Eli Drinkwitz acknowledged that the early run game was not efficient enough. Kansas produced 11 tackles for loss against LIU, including four by Leroy Harris III. That is a far more revealing matchup than the final scores. [S2/S3]
  3. Even the record book is part of the rivalry: Missouri says it leads the series 58-54-9, while Kansas counts it as 57-55-9. The one-game swing comes from a 1960 Kansas win that Missouri records as a forfeit because Kansas used an ineligible player. The schools disagree, but both agree Missouri has won five of the last six meetings. [S4/S5/S10]

Stat comparison

MetricMissouri 2026Kansas 2026Missouri 2025 rankKansas 2025 rank
Points per game54.0 (No. 23*)51.0 (No. 26*)No. 33No. 72
Points allowed per game14.0 (No. 54*)6.0 (No. 21*)No. 16No. 87
Yards per game562.0 (No. 18*)613.0 (No. 16*)No. 32No. 67
Yards allowed per game386.0 (No. 90*)255.0 (No. 48*)No. 8No. 86
Passing yards per game357.0 (No. 15*)336.0 (No. 22*)No. 104No. 72
Passing yards allowed per game232.0 (No. 91*)184.0 (No. 63*)No. 11No. 57
Turnover margin+1 (No. 30*)+1 (No. 30*)No. 106No. 87

*The 2026 ranking is based on the 131 teams who had played by Saturday night. We did not wait on the Sunday and Monday college football games to publish the majority of our previews. [S7]

Players to watch

  • Missouri — Austin Simmons: His 17-of-19, 252-yard, four-touchdown first half made him the sixth Missouri quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in one half. [S2/S8]
  • Kansas — Nik McMillan: He caught six passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in his Kansas debut, giving Marshall a proven downfield target before the competition rises sharply. [S3/S9]

HE SAID IT

  • Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz: “We had multiple third and longs early, with an inability to run the ball at the efficiency that we need to.” Kansas made 11 tackles for loss in its opener, so Missouri’s own concern about early run efficiency points directly at a Week 2 matchup test. Source
  • Kansas coach Lance Leipold: “It took us a little bit to get our game speed underneath us, but we settled down, and then started taking control up front.” Kansas eventually controlled an FCS opponent up front; Missouri is the first test of whether that advantage carries over against a comparable roster. Source

Looking for a prediction?

I make final predictions on my TikTok/YouTube/Instagram/Facebook pages @uthinkuknowsports.

Sources

Full disclosure: I use AI tools to format my research into an article encompassing all of the information.

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