Lance Leipold’s rivalry struggles continue as frustration grows among Kansas fans

Lance Leipold has helped Kansas football reach a level of stability the program had not experienced in years, but one major issue continues to follow the Jayhawks: rivalry games.

Following Kansas’ 38-21 loss to Missouri on Friday, Leipold is now 0-7 against Kansas State and Missouri during his time at Kansas. He is 0-5 against the Wildcats and 0-2 against the Tigers, giving him a winless record against the two programs that Kansas fans consider among the most important rivals on the schedule.

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The latest loss to Missouri added to the frustration. Kansas entered the Border War 1-0 after dominating Long Island 51-6, while Missouri also entered undefeated and ranked No. 23. The Jayhawks had opportunities early, but turnovers and defensive struggles allowed the Tigers to pull away in the second half.

Missouri eventually won 38-21, extending its winning streak in the Border War to five games.

For Kansas fans, the rivalry record has become increasingly difficult to overlook.

Social media reactions following the Missouri loss included frustration over the 0-7 mark against Kansas State and Missouri. Some fans questioned whether the program has reached a ceiling under Leipold, while others pointed to the improvement Kansas has made since he arrived and argued that the rivalry struggles should be viewed within the larger context of the program.

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Leipold took over Kansas in 2021 and inherited a program coming off several difficult seasons. The Jayhawks eventually reached nine wins in 2023 and defeated multiple ranked opponents during his tenure. Kansas’ official records also show wins over ranked Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado, BYU and Iowa State under Leipold.

However, the rivalry games remain a different story.

Kansas has lost five straight to Kansas State during Leipold’s tenure, while the Jayhawks have dropped both meetings with Missouri since the Border War returned to the schedule. Missouri won last year’s matchup 42-31 before returning to Lawrence and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lance-leipold-rivalry-struggles-continue-003433550.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-16 00:34:00

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