Missouri moved up in the national rankings Monday following a 38-21 victory over Kansas in Friday night’s Border Showdown in Lawrence. The Tigers are now ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the Coaches Poll after improving to 2-0. The victory was Mizzou’s first in Lawrence since 2001 and extended its winning streak against Kansas to five games, matching the longest winning streak in the series’ history.
Quarterback Austin Simmons led the way with 292 passing yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing, while Jamal Roberts rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Mizzou finished with 469 total yards compared to 255 for Kansas. The Tigers broke open a 14-14 game in the third quarter when linebacker Robert Woodyard forced and recovered a Kansas fumble and then intercepted quarterback Isaiah Marshall on the Jayhawks’ next possession. Those turnovers led to touchdowns by Donovan Olugbode and Xai’Shaun Edwards, giving Missouri a 28-14 lead.
Mizzou added a fourth-quarter field goal from Blake Craig before Simmons connected with Brett Norfleet for a 13-yard touchdown on fourth down late in the game to close out the scoring.
The Tigers have now won 15 consecutive regular-season games against nonconference opponents and will return to Columbia Saturday for their final nonconference game against Troy. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, where Mizzou will also celebrate the venue’s 100th anniversary.