The latest edition of the Border War between Missouri and Kansas turned out to be a mere skirmish for a half.
Robert Woodyard Jr. produced back-to-back turnovers soon after the break, and Austin Simmons and the potent Tigers offense turned them into touchdowns, helping No. 23 Missouri break open a tie game and roll to a 38-21 victory Friday night.
Jamal Roberts ran for 125 yards and a touchdown, and Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee caught TD passes, as the Tigers (2-0) beat their biggest rival for the fifth straight time in their first trip across the state line since Oct. 29, 2005.
The game was tied 14-all early in the second half when Woodyard fell on Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall’s fumble, and Simmons quickly found Olugbode for the go-ahead touchdown. On the Jayhawks’ next offensive play, Woodyard faded into the secondary and was there to pick off Marshall’s pass, setting up Xai’Shaun Edwards’ touchdown run.
Marshall finished with 168 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Jayhawks (1-1), who haven’t beaten Missouri since Nov. 29, 2008. The sophomore quarterback also carried 20 times but managed just 23 yards.
Kansas actually jumped on the Tigers early, just as it did last season in Columbia, when a series that went on hiatus after the Tigers’ departure for the SEC finally resumed after more than a decade. This time around, the Jayhawks capitalized on Missouri miscues: four false start penalties in the first half alone, blown blocking assignments and two blocked field-goal attempts.
On the second block, the Jayhawks’ Austin Alexander scooped up the ball and ran 88 yards for the first points of the game.
Roberts, once more taking center stage for the Tigers with All-American Ahmad Hardy rehabbing after a gunshot wound earlier this year, quickly provided an answer, jetting over the right side for a 64-yard touchdown run. It was the longest of his career, eclipsing a 63-yarder that Roberts scored with 1:49 to go to clinch last year’s 42-31 victory over the Jayhawks.
The teams traded touchdowns late in the first half, sending the 122nd edition of the Border War to the break tied 14-all.
But two big plays by Woodyards and the Missouri defense tilted the game in their favor, and after Marshall found Nahzae Cox to get Kansas to 28-21 late in the third quarter, the Tigers’ Blake Craig added a field goal to help them regain control.
—story and photo courtesy of the SEC