Moments That Popped: No. 23 Missouri 38, Kansas 21

For the second straight season, the Kansas football team showed that it has the ability to compete and rise to the challenge of facing its Border War rival.

But for the second straight season, the Jayhawks came up empty, falling 38-21 to No. 23 Missouri on Friday night in the first game played between the two bitter enemies in Lawrence since 2005.

• Notes & Numbers from KU's 17-point loss to Mizzou

Neither team scored in the first quarter, and KU scored the first touchdown of the game to go up 7-0 in the second. Defensive back Austin Alexander returned a field goal try that was blocked was Leroy Harris III 88 yards to bring life to the home crowd.

The Jayhawks (1-1) led 14-7 late in the first half after a 20-yard TD grab by Week 1 star Nik McMillan with 1:48 to play in the half. But the Tigers (2-0) answered the KU score before the break, scoring on a 20-yard TD pass from QB Austin Simmons with 30 seconds to play in the half.

While the Jayhawks held the Tigers to a 3-and-out on their first drive of the second half, Mizzou controlled most of the rest of the final two quarters, outscoring KU 24-7 in the second half to roll to the win.

Inside the final minute, with their backup QB in, Eli Drinkwitz's team was still throwing passes to the end zone trying to add to the lead.

While Missouri wound up on the right end of a three-score outcome, it didn't always look like it was headed that way.

It was a wild first quarter with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

Both teams made mistakes, grabbed momentum and gave it back. Kansas got two massive plays from its special teams, with Matthew Gill's punt being downed inside the 5-yard line at the end of one drive and Corey Gordon blocking a Mizzou field goal try to keep points off the board.

Even the very end of the quarter had some fireworks. After an interception thrown by Marshall, which featured both KU wideout Keaton Kubecka and Mizzou DB Jahlil Florence taking the ball from each other at separate moments, KU lineman Tavake Tuikolovatu was flagged for a blindsided unnecessary roughness penalty that added 15 yards to the end of the interception.

The fun continued into the second quarter, when KU defensive end Leroy Harris III forced a Missouri fumble on the second play of the second quarter. KU safety Taylor Davis recovered the fumble and KU took over in Missouri territory.

Kansas took the lead on another wild play. A blocked field goal by Leroy Harris III landed in the hands of Austin Alexander, who returned it 88 yards for the Jayhawks' touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

It didn't last long. Missouri got serious up front on its next drive and finally got its run game going. That paid off big time when MU running back Jamal Roberts took a basic handoff to the right and ran 64 yards to the end zone to tie the game, outrunning KU DB Jalen Todd to the goal line in the process.

KU heads overseas next week to take on Arizona State in the first college football game ever played in London's famed Wembley Stadium in the Union Jack Classic next Saturday.

Kickoff for KU's Big 12 opener over the pond is set for 11 a.m. central time and the game will be shown on FS1 as the featured game on FOX's Big Noon Kickoff.

Here's a look back and some of Friday night's action.

LIKES

• D-Line delivers – Last year in this game — a 42-31 Missouri win in Columbia, Mo. — the KU front seven delivered in the way it competed and fought the bigger Tigers' offensive line to a respectable degree before the game got away from them. This year, on home turf, the KU D-Line was dynamite. It wasn't the result of winning some effort metric. This time, they were flat-out nasty, especially in the first half when guys like Marcus Calvin, Kevin Oatis and especially Leroy Harris III repeatedly stuffed the Mizzou run and swarmed to the ball to keep the Tigers' offense down. MU made some good adjustments, most notably throwing quickly into the KU zone looks. But that did nothing to take away from the way the D-Line played for much of this game. You might look at the stats and wonder how well the edge rushers played since they didn't record any sacks. Fair inquiry. But Missouri QB Austin Simmons (19-for-29, 292 yards and 3 TDs) got the ball out so quickly for so much of the game that there wasn't even time or hope of the KU guys getting their off the edge.

• Motion and misdirection masterful – One of the staples of an Andy Kotelnicki offense is pre-snap movement, lots of motion and misdirection and looks designed to stress the defense and keep them guessing and off balance. It's a particularly successful strategy when you're an underdog playing a more physically gifted team. And the Jayhawks used it to their advantage in a bunch of ways and in key moments during this one. A direct snap to Dylan Edwards. Marshall designed runs. Backup QB Cole Ballard on the filed with Marshall for several snaps. Tight ends Jailen Butler and Carson Bruhn lined up in the backfield. And even a key fourth-down conversion where offensive lineman Tavake Tuikolovatu lined up wide and went in motion back toward the line of scrimmage to roll with the flow of the run. This play came after a timeout and lineman Connor Stroh was lined up in the same spot on the play before the timeout.

• Tempers flare – It's tough to get too excited about extra-curricular activities in sports, but in these types of games, they're perfect. These two teams and their fan bases were reminded all week about how much they hate each other and how much hatred there has been in the bitter rivalry between these two. So, it only makes sense that there would be some bad blood boiling over when game time arrived. It never got nasty or too ugly, but there were a couple of after-the-whistle dust-ups and they were beautiful. In addition this, the Missouri Tigers players were engaged with KU fans in the northwest tunnel when they took the field and left the field, with one player even being recorded throwing up two middle fingers to the KU crowd during warmups before the game. Rivalries, right?

• Rivalry run-up – It might not sit well with everyone, but I liked the fact that Missouri tried to add to its lead, not once but twice, late in the game while leading by 11. Up 31-21, the Tigers could have settled for a FG to go up two touchdowns with 2:02 to play but instead threw a touchdown pass on fourth-and-nine to go up by 17. Then, later in the game and with their backup QB in, they threw another pass to the end zone that, had they converted it, would've made the final score 45-21. Depending on which side of the rivalry you're on, you might find yourself calling this classless or unnecessary. But not even the KU side was bothered by it. KU coach Lance Leipold said it's their prerogative to try and score and KU's job to stop them. And linebacker Trey Lathan said simply, "that's football." Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters after the game that he wanted to embarrass KU at the end because he was embarrassed for KU over the hype video the athletic department put out this week that had the slavery issue at the root of it as part of the history. That explanation is just as tacky, if not more so, as trying to run up the score. So, this almost landed in the dislikes section. But the bottom line for me is that these rivalry games are naturally heated and full of fire and passion and if you get a chance to put it on your rival, you gotta take it. I understand not everyone agrees, but I think it merely adds to the spirit of the whole thing.

DISLIKES

• Marshall turnovers – Kansas quarterback Zeke Marshall had an all-around rough night, with a few good moments sprinkled in. He completed just 13 passes in 30 attempts and threw 2 interceptions while coughing up one fumble. He did throw a pair of touchdowns but also ran for just 23 yards on 20 carries. You have to give the kid credit for continuing to compete after it looked like things had really come unraveled. His 10-yard TD pass to Nahzae Cox with 2:07 to play in the third quarter pulled the Jayhawks within seven and put an end to one of the wildest drives we've seen in recent years.

• Missed opportunities – Kansas coach Lance Leipold said after the loss that the Kansas defense played well enough to give KU a chance to win this game and then lamented the fact that the Jayhawks didn't take advantage of it, saying, "we put their backs to the wall too many times." Defensive end Leroy Harris III agreed and said that the Jayhawks felt they should've gotten more out of the good things that went their way early — two blocked field goals, a Mizzou field goal that hit the upright, downing the Tigers inside the 2-yard line and more. Harris said coming up short when those opportunities present themselves can often be the difference in games like these and you got the feeling that they were tonight. Even though KU led 7-0 and again at 14-7 late in the first half, the opportunity definitely was there for KU to have bigger leads and put more pressure on Mizzou. They just didn't capitalize.

• Overthrows a thing? – It was an up-and-down night for Marshall, but one thing that has shown up now in both weeks of the season is his propensity to throw high and with a little too much zip when receivers are closer to him. It's probably an inexperience thing as much as anything. When you get in games like that, and you're playing them for the first time, it's human nature to be a little too turned up and have the adrenaline affect your play. He often sees where he needs to go with the ball — sometimes he's still a tick late — and I think when he sees it, he gets juiced and wants to deliver it instantly and that often makes his throws sail. He's still in his infant stages as a starter, so he deserves time to grow out of this. But it's definitely something to keep an eye on and not something you want to see continue.

WHAT THE?

• 360-completion for a first down 🤯 – It looked like a disaster in real time. There was even a flag on the play. And it was almost a certainty that KU QB Zeke Marshall stepped out of bounds before the throw. But then the call went against the defense, replay showed that Marshall did not step out and tight end Carson Bruhn's effort to go make the grab on the circus play wound up paying off. First down Kansas. Marshall had a rough night in a lot of ways, but the fact that he even thought to make that throw — and then made it — was an indication that what came before the wild throw might have rattled him a little bit and had his head out of sorts. I know it worked out, but your QB can't make that throw under any circumstances. I mean... truly unreal.

— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com