51ºÚÁÏ

The 51ºÚÁÏ, Oct. 31, 1891: The Missouri University Foot-ball team went home very quietly tonight, and Monday there will be no exuberance in Columbia. The Kansas University boys on the contrary painted Kansas City red tonight and will wake up old Lawrence for weeks to come.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — So began the Border War, six score and 14 years ago.

But after five scores, 595 yards of offense and two comebacks, Border War No. 121 went a little bit differently from its 19th century premiere.

In 2025, there will be no exuberance in Lawrence. The Kansas-branded semi truck of equipment slinked out of the Faurot Field parking lot just before sundown. And if the music emanating from downtown Columbia on Saturday is any indication, CoMo ain’t sleepin’. Mizzou waited 5,033 days to beat the Jayhawks again. Might as well enjoy it.

MU 42, KU 31.

The Tigers took a note from the book of Deuteronomy and ate those birds clean. A career passing day from newly minted starting quarterback Beau Pribula. Two tailbacks over 100 yards rushing. Nine players with a catch.

And the whole Missouri program, off to a 2-0 start, remains in the promised land: better than that school to the west. Still.

Not that it was the most linear of wins. Defensive scores and lead changes did to heart rates what “Mr. Brightside� did to MU students' middle fingers — they raised ’em.

And a rivalry built on raids and razing entertained wholly in its grand resumption.

“What an undertaking,� Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “To go up six — we let our emotions get the better of us a couple of times. To be down, find a way to battle back in, tie the game up, take the lead, get down in the fourth quarter and put on 14 unanswered to put the game away — I’m extremely proud of those guys.�

More or less, that’s how it went down. But stick with this for the full breadth of drama.

The Tigers struck first, a five-play scoring drive capped off by a 32-yard rushing touchdown for running back Ahmad Hardy. It was a clean first strike, but the first blow was never going to be enough to win this fight.

Kansas scored the next 21 points.

Quarterback Jalon Daniels capitalized on coverage breakdowns and other assorted defensive gifts for the Jayhawks’ first drive. Then Pribula — who was otherwise excellent or very close to it — made his blunder.

Trying to pick up valuable yards on a third down, the signal-caller lowered his shoulder into contact. There popped the ball, where a KU cornerback scooped it up for a defensive score.

“It was a little ironic,� Pribula said, “because my main message to the team this week was to bounce back when we faced adversity. And that was kind of a self-inflicted wound on my behalf — it was really me that put us in that situation.�

All good, Beau. Eventually.

A 50-yard dime from Daniels set up a quarterback sneak for him that capped off the 21-0 run.

“They came to fight,� Drinkwitz said on his sideline. “Now, it’s time to fight.�

Pribula capped off a 15-play drive with a 4th-down touchdown pass to slot receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., who finished with a team-high 10 catches for 126 yards.

The Tigers’ defense did its part, too. Defensive end Zion Young got in Daniels’ face for what looked like a sure sack, only for the ball to pop free and a Kansas lineman to fall on it in the end zone for a safety. Two points, nothing like how coach Norm Stewart would’ve drawn it up.

“Since Kansas had got a defensive touchdown, we wanted to go out there and score on defense,� hybrid safety Daylan Carnell said.

Two short field goals for new kicker Robert Meyer put Missouri and Kansas back on even terms heading into halftime.

The second half was another back-and-forth exchange of blows. Kansas field goal. Pribula to tight end Brett Norfleet for a touchdown, part I. A Jayhawks touchdown drive that put them up 31-28 with 8:45 left in the game.

From there, three plays flipped the bout to the Tigers.

The reversal: Pribula to Norfleet for a touchdown, part II. On 4th and 1, Norfleet caught a short pass in the flat and then powered down the left sideline for a 27-yard score. 35-31, MU.

The takedown: With Missouri mostly looking to run down the clock, running back Jamal Roberts instead ran two-thirds of the way down the field for a 63-yard dagger of a rushing score. 42-31, MU.

The pin: With a comeback looking like a long shot, Carnell picked off Daniels to embellish the closing stages of a win.

Missouri remains ahead in the all-time series with Kansas, holding a 58-54-9 record. The archrivals will meet next year in Lawrence, where the Jayhawks have half a new football stadium to show off.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are on to their bigger fish to fry. Saturday’s rivalry game was a trap in that a loss to KU would’ve doomed Mizzou’s hopes of making the College Football Playoff or keeping a fanbase that has sold out 14 consecutive home games fully bought in. Next week, against a lowly Louisiana team, may be a stereotypical trap game.

There are big games — not bitter games like this one — on the horizon. South Carolina. Alabama. At Auburn, when this marathon homestand eventually ends.

Maybe that’s why Drinkwitz, who’s prone to a victory lap every now and then, was subdued despite beating his fans’ despised Beakers.

“We’re not into statements,� he said. “It’s the second game of the season.�