What We Learned From The Kansas Border War Loss to Missouri

The Border War was gone for more than a decade, but Saturday proved it never really lost its edge. In front of a sold out Faurot Field, Kansas and Missouri traded blows both and forth all game long.

For Kansas, the Border War’s return ended with a tough lesson: it wasn’t the numbers that decided it, but the moments they let slip away.

The Jayhawks got out to a 21-6 lead, grabbed the advantage again late in the fourth, and still couldn’t close in a 42-31 loss.

So what should Kansas fans take away from the first Border War appearance since 2011? Here’s what we learned.

Jalon Daniels showed he’s ready for big stages

Kansas didn’t lose this game because of its quarterback. Jalon Daniels gave the Jayhawks answers every time Missouri pushed back.

In fact, his 223 yards and two touchdowns only tell part of the story. Daniels was the reason Kansas never flinched in the first half, even as Missouri’s comeback pressure mounted.

His strike to DeShawn Hanika for a 31-24 lead in the fourth quarter looked like the defining play of the rivalry’s rebirth.

That throw didn’t end up sealing the game, but it did show that Daniels can rise to the occasion in one of the most hostile environments Kansas will face all season. With Big 12 play looming, that’s a good sign.

The defense failed in the biggest moments

Kansas’ defensive numbers were already rough cause they were outgained by more than 200 yards at halftime, and worn down again late. But numbers don’t sting quite as much as the situations that led to the loss.

Missouri faced fourth downs on its go ahead drive twice. Twice, the Jayhawks had a chance to swing the game back in their favor. Both times, Beau Pribula converted. A few minutes later, Jamal Roberts ripped off a 63-yard dagger run to bury any hope of a comeback.

Defensive lapses happen over four quarters. But in rivalry games, you have to win the handful of defining plays. Kansas didn’t, and that’s why the scoreboard looks the way it does.

The Jayhawks had Missouri down 21-6. They had a fourth quarter lead in front of 70,000 rival fans. They had every chance to make a statement win.

Instead, they learned the cost of letting a rival hang around. Kansas defense gave Missouri extra life, the offensive line struggled in stretches to hold off pressure, and those cracks added up.

Kansas can’t carry this kind of inconsistency into Big 12 play. With West Virginia up first on Sept. 20, the Jayhawks need a statement win to stay in the playoff hunt.