The postgame interview lasted only a few seconds before Eli Drinkwitz realized he had a different problem behind him. Missouri had just beaten Kansas 38-21 in Lawrence, and the Tigers were still celebrating when Drinkwitz looked over his shoulder.
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“Our guys didn’t flinch. It’s a big-time win, and really proud of my—” He stopped. “I gotta make sure we don’t have anything stupid happen here.”
Immediately, he walked away from the interview. The camera stayed on the field, where Missouri players were celebrating around the Kansas players and, at one point, got hold of the Jayhawks’ rivalry drum. The camera showed Missouri players around the Kansas drum, with one clip appearing to show Tigers players banging on it.
The drum is not just another piece of equipment. It is part of the Border War tradition and is exchanged by the two programs after the game. Missouri ultimately reclaimed it after the win. Drinkwitz’s concern made more sense given everything that had happened before kickoff.
Kansas had spent the week leaning hard into the rivalry’s historic roots. Its athletic department posted imagery involving abolitionist John Brown, while a pregame video framed Kansas and Missouri as opposing sides in a historical battle between “heroes” and “villains.” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff also posted about the Jayhawkers on social media. Drinkwitz clearly did not forget about it.
“I was disappointed in the rivalry, the turn that it took today. I thought that was uncalled for,” Drinkwitz said in his postgame presser. “I’m just glad that this whole right versus wrong [expletive] that was started just got settled on a football field, because it’s a football game. It’s an American football game that people love to come watch and cheer for their teams. It’s not even deeper than that… This country needs unity now more than ever.”
In truth, Missouri was not simply a team celebrating a 17-point road victory.
Missouri had spent the night answering Kansas on the field. The Tigers did not even play a clean first half. Kansas blocked two field goals. The second became an 88-yard touchdown return for Austin Alexander. Missouri also committed special-teams penalties and struggled to get its run game moving early. Then the game flipped.
QB1 Austin Simmons threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns without any turnovers. Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode both topped 100 receiving yards and caught touchdowns. Jamal Roberts carried 28 times for 125 yards and added another score. The biggest defensive swing came from Robert Woodyard Jr.
He forced a fumble and intercepted Isaiah Marshall on consecutive Kansas possessions in the second half. Missouri turned those takeaways into 14 points. Kansas never recovered. So when the final whistle came, the Tigers had plenty of reasons to celebrate.
They had won five straight against Kansas and had just won in Lawrence for the first time since 2005. It was also the first meeting between the rivals at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium since that 2005 game. As for the postgame antics? Kansas did not invent the ugliness this week. It just found a very old way to bring it back.
How has Kansas and Missouri’s rivalry developed over a century?
The Border War comes from an actual conflict between Missouri and Kansas. That history eventually found its way into football. The two teams first met on a football field on October 31, 1891. Kansas won the game 22-8, and that became the origin of one of the oldest rivalries in college football.
In total, the two teams have played each other 122 times. Missouri currently leads the rivalry with 59 wins, while Kansas has won 54 times. Nine games ended in a tie. The war drum tradition began in 1937 and is maintained jointly by the student alumni associations of both universities.
When the rivalry moved to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the Lamar Hunt trophy was given to the winner to honor the founder of the Chiefs. 2007 also saw the most historic matchup between the two teams.
The No. 2 vs. No. 3 game between Kansas and Missouri, when Gary Pinkel and Mark Mangino led the teams, can be described as the peak of both programs at the top of their game. Missouri won 36-28.
In recent matchups, Kansas has failed to land a blow to its rivals. Missouri has won the last five games against Kansas, a streak that started in 2009. However, it was halted for 13 years after the Tigers moved from the Big 12 to the SEC. When Missouri announced its decision, Kansas responded by refusing to schedule non-conference games. The two teams ultimately resumed their rivalry game in 2025.