LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Kansas Jayhawks dropped a 38-21 matchup to #23 Missouri Friday night in the StorageMart Border Showdown at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The loss moves KU to 1-1 on the season, while Missouri moves to 2-0.Isaiah Marshall led Kansas with 168 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and another 23 on the ground. Nik McMillan led all Jayhawk receivers with 52 yards and a touchdown on a pair of receptions. Trey Lathan led the defense with nine total tackles, while Leroy Harris III forced a fumble and blocked a field goal.
Both teams were unable to score in the first quarter, trading punts and turnovers to open the game. Missouri's first chance to score, a 44-yard Blake Craig field goal attempt midway through the first quarter, was thwarted by Kansas' Corey Gordon. Charging off the edge, Gordon got a hand on the low, lined kick, and pushed it away.
The Jayhawks' special teams defense was the key to their first score of the night. Partway through the second quarter, another Craig kick was blocked by Harris before being caught by Austin Alexander. Alexander, who scored on a fumble recovery in the 2025 matchup between Kansas and Missouri, turned a corner and darted 88 yards the other way, giving the Jayhawks the first lead of the game.