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Post commentMost of the statistics from the game were surprisingly even, given the high-powered offense the Tigers have shown this year and the less than stellar season that Kansas has exhibited following last year's 12-1 overall record that was capped off by a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. The Jayhawks (now 7-5) stepped up their game for what most have called the biggest contest of the year for both sides and were able to knock off 12th-ranked Missouri by a final score of 40-37.
Neither team went into the game with nearly as much on the line as last year's Showdown, when both teams were fighting for a potential No. 1 ranking, but the Tigers were still fighting for a top 10 spot and possibly a BCS bowl bid. Missouri had already clinched a spot in the Big 12 title game, but bragging rights and their chance at reclaiming a spot among the top 10 teams in the nation was still looming.
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing had one of his best games of the year -- competing 37 of 51 passes for 375 yards -- while Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel has only passed for less than the 288 yards from Saturday's game three other times this year. Mizzou's running game made up for the lack of offense through the air, however, as Daniel rushed for 103 of the 190 yards the Tigers put up the game.
The Jayhawks needed less than two minutes to draw first blood as Jacob Branstetter kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 3-0 Kansas with 13:06 to go in the first quarter. Neither team scored again in the opening quarter, but the Jayhawks were able to add to their lead with 14:25 to go in the half on a 9-yard pass from Reesing to Dezmond Briscoe to make it 10-0.
Four minutes later, the Tigers were finally able to get on the board on a 5-yard pass from Daniel to Chase Coffman to cut the lead to three, at 10-7. Jake Laptad was able to come up with a huge defensive play for the Jayhawks later in the quarter, sacking Daniel in the end zone for a safety to make it 12-7.
Kansas yet again added to their lead with just under two minutes to go in the half on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dexton Fields to make it 19-7, before Jeff Wolfert added on a 48-yard field goal to cut the lead back to nine going into the locker room for halftime.
The Jayhawks got on the board first in the second half as well on a 19-yard run by Jake Sharp with 10:26 to go in the third quarter to make it 26-10 and seemingly started to put the game away. The Tigers quickly started to mount their comeback, however, and cut the lead back to 10 on a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin to make it 26-16 near the midpoint of the quarter.
Just 1:03 later, the Tigers found the end zone again on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Saunders to bring themselves back within three with 7:17 to go in the third. Neither team was able to find the scoreboard again for the rest of the third quarter and nearly half of the fourth, but the Tigers were finally able to take their first lead of the game after Daniel completed a 6-yard pass to Coffman to make it 30-26 Missouri with 6:52 to go in the game.
Kansas was finally able to answer with 4:26 to go as Reesing found Kerry Meier for an 8-yard strike that put Kansas back on top by a score of 33-30. The Tigers hoped to put the game away as Derrick Washington ran the ball into the endzone from six yards out for his 19th all-purpose touchdown of the year to make it 37-33, but Missouri was unable to hold on as the Jayhawks put together a quick drive that resulted in another touchdown connection between Reesing and Meier with just 52 seconds left that resulted in a 40-37 victory.
Both teams showed strong red zone efficiency in the game as Missouri scored on all three of its opportunities and Kansas scored on four of five. After the loss, Missouri drops from No. 12 to No. 20 in the BCS rankings and will hope to redeem themselves in the Big 12 championship game against No. 2 Oklahoma on Dec. 6.
