The Border War is back.
No. 23 Missouri travels to Lawrence on Friday night to face Kansas, and after what happened last season, the Jayhawks should have plenty of motivation.
Kansas jumped out to a 21-6 lead against Missouri last year before completely losing control of the game. The Tigers came back to win 42-31, extending their advantage in one of college football’s oldest rivalries.
I think Missouri beats them again.
Missouri’s Offense Looks Dangerous
The Tigers destroyed Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 in Week 1, and quarterback Austin Simmons was nearly perfect.
Simmons completed 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns, while Missouri finished with 562 total yards.
Kansas obviously presents a much tougher challenge, but I really like what Missouri has offensively.
If Simmons continues protecting the football and getting the ball to his playmakers, Kansas could have a difficult time keeping up.
Kansas Can Make This Interesting
Kansas looked pretty good itself in Week 1.
The Jayhawks destroyed LIU 51-6, with quarterback Isaiah Marshall throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns while adding 49 yards on the ground.
His mobility is something Missouri has to respect.
And with this being a rivalry game in Lawrence, I expect Kansas to come out extremely aggressive.
But there’s a pretty significant difference between doing that against LIU and doing it against an SEC defense.
Missouri Is Simply Better
Missouri is favored by around 5.5 points, and I think the Tigers cover pretty easily.
Kansas might hang around early because of the environment and emotion surrounding this rivalry.
Eventually, though, Missouri’s talent takes over.
The Tigers have the better quarterback, the better defense and more explosive weapons.
Last year, Kansas had its opportunity to beat Missouri and couldn’t finish the job.
This time, I don’t think the Jayhawks even get that close.
