KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Todd Reesing threw a touchdown pass to Kerry Meier with 27 seconds left to give Kansas a 40-37 win over No. 12 Missouri on Saturday.
The Tigers will still play for the Big 12 title, but they’ll do so coming off a hard-fought loss to their border rivals.
The Jayhawks (7-5, 4-4 Big 12) led by 16 early in the third quarter, let Missouri (9-3, 5-3) back in it, then traded touchdowns with the Tigers in the fourth quarter before Reesing hit Meier.
Reesing finished 37-for-51 for 375 yards with two interceptions, throwing two touchdown passes to Meier and one each to Dezmon Briscoe and Dexton Fields.
Missouri’s Chase Daniel had 391 total yards and threw for four touchdowns, but also had two interceptions, a fumble and was sacked for a safety in the second quarter. Jermey Maclin had nine catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Chase Coffman caught two touchdown passes for the Tigers.
Missouri struggled early, then found its rhythm in the second half, getting within a field goal after a pair of touchdown passes by Daniel.
Then the fireworks started.
Daniel hit Coffman for his second touchdown, a 6-yarder with just under 7 minutes left that put Missouri up 30-26. Reesing answered 31/2 minutes later with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Meier to put the Jayhawks back up.
Missouri got the ball back with 1:50 left, then quickly marched down the field for a 6-yard touchdown run by Derrick Washington that made it 37-33. The Tigers left too much time on the clock, though, and Kansas moved 67 yards for the 26-yard touchdown from Reesing to Meier.
Missouri still wasn’t done, marching quickly into Kansas’ side of the field to set up a 54-yard field goal attempt by Jeff Wolfert. Kansas partially blocked the kick at the buzzer, finally ending one of the wildest games in the 117-game history of the Border Showdown.
“Our injury list, a roll of toilet paper wouldn’t be enough,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “We’ve got guys that played today that could barely walk a week ago. It’s the guttiest performance I’ve ever been associated with as a coach. Our kids heard all week long we didn’t have a chance. Never tell KU they don’t have a chance.”
Last year’s game was one of the biggest of the college football season: No. 2 Kansas against No. 4 Missouri, winner earns a spot in the Big 12 Championship game, national-title and Heisman hopes on the line.
This year’s Border Showdown didn’t have the same kind of juice.
Missouri lost its chances at a national title with consecutive losses to Oklahoma State and Texas, and had wrapped up the Big 12 North title by beating Iowa State last week.
Kansas followed a 5-1 start with four losses in five games, leaving the Jayhawks hoping to get into a smaller bowl.
With less at stake, the buildup for this year’s game was nowhere near last year.
It wasn’t any better on the field, either — at least early.
Missouri needed 161/2 minutes to get a first down and Daniel started 0-for-6, throwing an interception on his third pass. He also fumbled at the end of a 54-yard run and was sacked in the end zone by Jake Laptad for a safety that put the Jayhawks up 12-7.
Kansas settled for Jacob Branstetter’s 34-yard field goal after starting its first drive on Missouri’s 20, and Reesing threw a bad interception in the end zone to end a 16-play drive that lasted more than 7 minutes.
It all changed in the second half.
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