This game was on every single drug imaginable. Absolutely insane. Missouri opened up the game on defense, quickly getting a stop and forcing a three-and-out, which gave Missouri the ball. The offense would capitalize on the three-and-out, going on a 5-play, 71-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a 32-yard touchdown run by Ahmad Hardy. The Tigers would have the PAT blocked.

Surely, a game against your heated rival wouldn’t result in a blowout, would it? Absolutely not. After that six-point lead was posted, it quickly withered away, as the Jayhawks would answer with a 21-point barrage, led by a few nice offensive drives, but notably in the middle of that, was the Beau Pribula fumble that led to a scoop and score. The Tigers quickly had their backs against the wall, needing a response. How would they respond? It goes as follows:

• A long, 15-play, 75-yard drive that was run-heavy and extremely gutsy, with three third down conversions, as well as a fourth down conversion that resulted in a touchdown at the three yard line.
• Kansas would fumble after Zion Young got pressure on the first play of the drive, forcing Daniels to fumble and getting a crucial safety.
• Two drives that stalled out, but resulted in two field goals, which tied the game at 21.

Now that my friends, is how you respond to adversity. Most importantly, that shows us a glimpse of how good this team can be, despite pressure-filled situations. Many guys showed up in big-time moments today, the first of which was Kevin Coleman Jr. Coleman Jr had numerous 3rd and 4th down catches, including the 4th and 7 late in the game, that arguably saved it. Not even arguably if we’re honest, because Missouri likely loses if he doesn’t come up there. Coleman Jr had 10 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown, with a long of 50. His 50 yard reception was vital in getting his team to the goal line, late in the first half, to set up the 21-21 tying kick.

Beau Pribula showed a calm nature today. In Eli’s presser, he noted at times early in the game, that Pribula was “A little too early and had happy feet in the pocket.”. As previously mentioned, Pribula had a rough fumble at the start of the game, giving Kansas a 14-6 lead. However, despite the early mistake, Pribula would respond, throwing for 3 touchdowns and roughly 300 yards the rest of the way. Despite this being Pribula’s first game starting and finishing, he grew as a quarterback today and gave Mizzou fans hope for the future.

The Tiger defense certainly wasn’t perfect today, giving up a late touchdown drive that forced the offense to score, but the unit did step up when needed most. The defense, after going down 14-6, forced Kansas to go scoreless for two drives in a row, giving the offense the chance to get back in the game. Zion Young forced the safety, and the defense had a crucial three-and-out after. The defense held the Jayhawks to 3 early in the second half, and Daylan Carnell sealed the game with a pick, caused by immense pressure off of the edge.

Enough cannot be said about how Missouri responded to adversity today. Down 21-6, they did not blink. Impressive performance from the Tiger and will be fun to watch how they continue to grow throughout the season.