Week 2 Primer: Firing Up The Border War

Recapping Week 0 and looking ahead to a Week 1 matchup against Wagner.

Author

Blue Wings Rising Staff
September 03, 2025

The Blue Wings Rising Newsletter will be a weekly publication that will cover the prior weekend of action and look ahead to the upcoming week. Moving forward, it will come out on Wednesday afternoons.

The Kansas Jayhawks once again find themselves 2-0 to start the season after another convincing win over Wagner on Saturday. This week, the 10th-oldest rivalry in college football resumes (three years later than it could have) when Kansas travels to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers.

The Rundown

Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-0)

Saturday, September 6th, 2:30 p.m. Central
Columbia, MO: Faurot Field (62,621)

TV: ESPN2
- Mike Monaco (Play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (Analyst), Dawn Davenport (Sideline)
Radio: Jayhawk Sports Network
- Brian Hanni (Play-by-play), David Lawrence (Analyst), Brandon McAnderson (Sideline)
- SiriusXM Channel 387
Online: ESPN+
Line: MU -6.5
O/U: 51.5
SP+: Kansas (26th Overall, 12th Offense, 42nd Defense) , Missouri (16th, 27th, 11th)
Series History: Missouri 56-55-9

Wagner Wrap-Up

Player Spotlight: The Tight Ends

Derek Noll

The announcing crew for Friday night’s game against Wagner sure was getting a kick out of themselves when referring to Kansas tight ends Carson Bruhn and Boden Groen. Their names rhyme, they play the same position, they’re both massive (Groen is listed at 6’4’, 240 while Bruhn is 6’6”, 255), but most importantly, they both had stellar games for the Jayhawks in game two.

On KU’s second scoring drive of the evening, Jalon Daniels found Groen on a 27 yard connection that took Kansas to the Seahawks 16 yard line. Two plays later, the Jayhawk faithful were waving the wheat and the ‘Hawks were off to a 14-0 start to the game.

Midway through the second quarter and the Daniels-Groen connection was back at it. The Jayhawks went from the KU 35 to the Wagner 39 thanks to a 26 yard reception from the Santa Ana, California senior.

Carson Bruhn got in on the action on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. He mad a 13 yard pickup that got KU out to the 38 yard line. The next play, Kansas was in the endzone after the long bomb to Emmanuel Henderson, Jr. and the fans were waving wheat once more.

And let’s not forget about DeShawn Hanika who also grabbed the first KU touchdown of the night, a four yard easy pass and catch that set the tone for the game and for the prominence of the tight ends.

It’s obvious that the Jayhawks overmatched the Seahawks everywhere on the field, but it’s possible that these three massive tight ends (Hanika is listed at 6’6”, 245 as well) and the crafty play calling of Jim Zebrowski could play a key role in the offense going forward.

Takeaways

Andy Mitts

Fans that want to be pessimistic about this team will point to the all-too-familiar struggles at the end of the first half where Jalon Daniels threw an interception into the corner of the end zone while up 29-0 shortly before the defense allowed a quick drive to give up a touchdown with under 2 minutes to go in the half. But this was the starting quarterback going for the kill shot at the end of a half that was intercepted on a spectacular grab by the defense, not an egregious mistake. And the young defensive secondary gave up a huge play that led to a touchdown, something that wouldn’t have been an issue at all if it had happened at any other point in the game. If that’s the only blip, it’s hard to argue the game was a huge success.

Once again, most of the questions that we were worried about coming into the season saw answers, as the depth was tested on the defense and the offense was able to put together a great performance from all over the field. The big test is still to come this week, but there is no reason to be upset about anything that happened in this game.

Grades and Stats

Kyle Davis

Offense

It’s a good start when you put up north of 600 yards, no matter the opponent. The second and third teamers continued the production, with KU averaging 6.5 yards per rush with seven different ball carries with at least three carries. Jalon Daniels was excellent once again with just one mistake marring what was otherwise a nearly perfect performance.

What’s keeping the Jayhawks from an A or A+ grade are the two red zone trips that resulted in turnovers instead of touchdowns. Still, the offense is in strong form two weeks into the season. 

Grade: A-

Defense

This was the expectation against an FCS opponent, but still, the Kansas defense has been rock solid while missing a different key piece each of the first two weeks. Wagner only accumulated 143 yards for the game, and 45 of those game on one play (the touchdown pass). 

Wagner had 12 possessions (not counting the end-of-half kneel down) and Kansas held the Seahawks to fewer than 10 yards in eight of those drives. That’s dominance and worthy of another A grade. 

Grade: A

Special Teams

The kick and punt games were again rock solid. This unit gets a bit of a ding for Tate Nagy running around a ton to only get seven yards per punt return. Still, no issues with this group through two weeks.

Grade: A-

Coaching

Jim Zebrowski is rightly getting a ton of love (as Jeff Grimes’ Wisconsin struggled in week 1) but I also can’t say enough about what D.K. McDonald has done so far this year. He made Fresno State look completely stuck, and then the Bulldogs put up 42 points in their second game. Now the real test for these new coordinators awaits. 

Grade: A

Scouting the Opponent

Kyle Davis

The first big test of the season is here for Kansas, and it doesn’t get any more heated or personal than the Border War against Missouri. Missouri was picked to finish 12th in the preseason SEC poll, but the Tigers are also receiving votes in the AP Top 25. 

After one week against an inferior opponent, the Tigers’ offense (with a handful of new pieces) looked strong. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula had one of the more impressive stat lines for a QB in his debut with a new school, completing 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and two TDs. He also showed off his wheels, though I don’t know how much we’ll see that moving forward. The other impressive newcomer is running back Ahmad Hardy, who had 100 yards in just 10 carries. Hardy was at Louisiana Monroe a year ago and racked up 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns, so he is a back you have to take seriously. 

The area to watch is Missouri’s run defense against the Jayhawks’ offense. Central Arkansas was able to get 154 yards on the ground against the Tigers, including quarterback Luther Richesson breaking off an 18-yard run and ending with 32 yards rushing. How much can KU’s option play – and then subsequent play-action passing – get to Missouri’s defensive front?

Player to Watch: Emmanuel Henderson, Jr

Derek Noll

Last week, I chose a player to watch that was later ruled out by injury, and let’s hope that it doesn’t happen again because this week’s player to watch is the explosive wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson, Jr.

In game one against Fresno State, Henderson had a fine game, but it wasn’t what the Jayhawk faithful was hoping for after the senior announced he was trading Alabama for Kansas. He caught three passes for 24 yards in a game that was all Jalon Daniels and Cam Pickett as far as the receiving highlights were concerned.

In game two against Wagner, Henderson had a bit of a breakout game. For one, the announcing crew couldn’t stop talking about his blazing speed, often referring to him as the fastest player on the field. This might not always be the case against bigger teams, but their point was made, Henderson is fast.

He clearly showed this trait on the game’s biggest play, his 62 yard reception on the second play of the second half. Henderson went blazing down the field, but that wasn’t his finest attribute of that particular play. Even with Jalon Daniels’ rocket of an arm, the pass was underthrown (was Henderson just too fast?!?) and Henderson had to adjust his run, come back a bit and make the catch. It was impressive.

Earlier in the game, Henderson scored his first TD as a Jayhawk on a quick pass from Daniels that Henderson made look easy and he went up and snatched the fastball out of the air. He finished the day with six catches, 130 yards, and two touchdowns.

Against Missouri, Kansas will have to be more creative and even more precise than they’ve been in the first two games. I fully expect offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski to come up with some interesting formations and play calls to get KU’s fastest player active against a tough SEC defense.

We all know that all eyes will be on Jalon Daniels in KU’s first game against Mizzou in forever, but keep one eye on Emmanuel Henderson. 

Check out the Rock Chalk Podcast, where Andy and Kyle previewed this week’s matchup:

Keys to the Game

Andy Mitts

Control the Run Game
In the first two weeks, the Jayhawks have shut down two running attacks in an impressive showing, regardless of the level of the opponent. But this week that takes a huge step up in difficulty, as Missouri is expected to have a solid running game in the run-heavy SEC. With the depth at the linebacker position razor thin and the running defense a huge issue last season, keeping Missouri from imposing their will on the ground will likely be the biggest key in keeping this one manageable.

Limit Risks
Against Wagner, Kansas went for the big hits and knockout plays, even to the point that they made some crucial mistakes. A reach across the goal line that ended in a fumble. An ill-advised throw into coverage at the end of the half to really twist the knife. A huge hit that was a textbook example of targeting. Against a team like Wagner, you can get away with those. But Missouri is good enough to punish those mistakes, and if Kansas gets too risky, it’s only a matter of time before Missouri returns with a knockout punch.

Push Kicking Advantage
It’s weird to think that the Jayhawks have the kicking advantage in this game. But Laith Marjan has been nothing but reliable so far while Missouri is dealing with the loss of their kicker Blake Craig to an ACL tear. And on the punting side, Finn Lappin has shown a remarkable ability to flip the field with some precise placement. In a game that should feature two productive offenses, the ability to maximum the field position flips could go a long way to deciding the winner.

Staff Predictions

Kyle: I really don’t know which way this one is going to go (great analysis, I know). The rivalry is not going to be as big of a factor for the players (save for a few hometown guys) as it is the fans, but I’m guessing Columbia will be one of the more raucous atmospheres that Kansas experiences this year. I don’t think the Jayhawk defense is going to be able to prevent Missouri from scoring like it has the first two weeks. But if KU can hold MIzzou to under 30, I like the Hawks’ chances of being in this one. Can Kansas control the run and limit mistakes on offense? That’s the key. And what the heck, I’ll say KU gets it done in a tight contest. Kansas 31, Missouri 28

Derek: I’m with Kyle, I have no idea. But I’m going to hop on the positivity train and start believing in this team, especially the offense which I think can flourish under new leadership upstairs. Give me big days from Jalon Daniels, Daniel Hishaw, and Emmanuel Henderson and just enough big playmaking from the KU defense to see this game out. Kansas 35, Missouri 31

Andy: Kyle and I discussed this on the podcast, but that rushing number that Missouri gave up against Central Arkansas is not impressive at all. The Jayhawks have been dangerous on the ground so far, and I expect that to continue. Add in that Missouri fans and players seem a bit too hyped up for this one, and I think we see a successful revival of the rivalry. Kansas 31, Missouri 21.

Game Notes

  • This 121st meeting between these two teams is the first since 2011, and the first to be played on a campus site since 2006.

  • The Jayhawks have been in the top 10 nationally for third down conversion percentage, leading the Big 12 in 2022 and 2024.

  • A win would give Kansas their third 3-0 start in the last four seasons. It would be their 16th win in Columbia.

Athletic Whiparound

Andy Mitts

Volleyball

The 15th-ranked Jayhawks dropped two 5-set matches over the weekend, losing to both #8 Wisconsin and #12 Creighton in Madison. The losses dropped Matt Ulmer’s squad to 1-3 on the season before today’s match against Bowling Green.

Kansas bounced back today with a 4-set victory over Bowling Green and will take on #23 Georgia Tech and #17 Purdue in West Lafayette to close out the week. First serve is scheduled against Georgia Tech for Thursday at 2pm and agaisnt Purdue for Friday at 6pm. Both matches will air on Big Ten +.

Soccer

Kansas came back from a first-half deficit to force a draw against #2 Florida State last Thursday, following that up with a 3-1 win over Drake to stay unbeaten on the season. For their efforts, junior defender Olivia Page was named to the TopDrawSoccer’s Women’s Team of the Week and freshman Mary Sola was chosen as the co-freshman of the week in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks head to New Haven, CT on Sunday to take on the Yale Bulldogs, with first kick scheduled for 11am.

This season, Blue Wings Rising will be providing the same coverage as prior seasons in a condensed weekly newsletter format. Newsletters will release on Wednesday afternoons.

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