When you lose a game after establishing a good look in the season, it sure does sting. A P4 college football program is still languishing in the wake of a brutal loss from Week 2. And as they hope for redemption next weekend, the head coach is now tasked with getting back their due recognition. The situation has now become a little tense, since $448 million is on the line.

The Border War rivalry resumed after a gap of 14 years, and unfortunately, Lance Leipold was on the losing side. A brutal 31-42 loss gave Mizzou bragging rights for the rest of the year. Now, as the Jayhawks gear up to begin their conference, fans seem to be disinterested. With the tag of a Border War loss, the HC called for fans to come back to the David Booth Memorial Stadium, renovated for $448 million. “Being told we still have tickets available for Saturday’s Big 12 Conference opener at The Booth! Let’s sell it out and #PackTheBooth. Rock Chalk!” he shared on X.

The Border War took place on enemy grounds this season, and it was a very disappointing show from a promising Jayhawks squad. The offense could only do so much when the defense gave up a total of 595 yards. Beau Pribula had free rein in the game, throwing for 334 yards. Before the game, Kansas was looking like a squad that could upset Missouri, given that they had 2 straight wins in the bag. These two unfolded in The Booth, which has a capacity of welcoming 41,525 fans. KU started strong this season, selling out tickets for the opener against Fresno State. The attendance dipped to 39,129 for the FCS clash against Wagner. The next game has become important for Leipold, but fans might be less enthusiastic to see it live.

Kansas is still the popular favorite to win its next game, against West Virginia. The Mountaineers are entering the game 2-1. However, they’re coming with a rivalry win over Pittsburgh, which has changed the odds for this clash. But this will also be an away game for them. Kansas had impressed fans in the first two games, who saw the worth of every spent penny in the newly renovated Booth. Maybe the return to familiar grounds will bring a change in the Jayhawks when they face the Mountaineers. Moreover, Leipold seems to have begun a unique trend with bye-weeks. In the

Based on how the players stack up on either side, Kansas looks to be the heavyweight in the room. They still have a star QB1 in Jalon Daniels. The bye week was a chance to get things back in order and come back strong to face West Virginia. Leipold sure is excited to come back. Given the recent history between the two programs, KU wouldn’t want a repeat of the past against WVU on Saturday.

Lance Leipold opens up on WVU wounds and upcoming game

Kansas has peculiarly suffered a few upset losses against West Virginia. Lance Leipold himself is 1-2 when it comes to the Mountaineers. And all three of these past games have been close wins for WVU. Kansas winning this game big will prove that this season is the one where Leipold clicks into being the Jayhawks’ HC. This is the perfect opportunity for them to dust off the criticism that came their way.

“You hope it’s one of those things that, personnel-wise, it’ll be a balanced matchup, that you’ve got to go out and play well. But again, to open up conference at home and have a chance to play against a team like this is exciting, and I think our guys understand that we need to play at our best to have a chance to win and get this conference season kicked off the right way,” Leipold told the press ahead of the clash. Kansas currently stands at No. 12 in the conference, and West Virginia is right below.

The Mountaineers are coming back with Rich Rodriguez, but there’s still a strong reason to believe that Kansas will be the victor in this clash. Lance Leipold will want to thoroughly use the comfort of the home ground to soothe the blow from the Border War loss. To get back in the rhythm, the Jayhawks will have to defeat the Mountaineers in The Booth to get out of the negative spotlight.