Chase Daniel sheds light on ‘hatred’ in Boarder War rivalry between Mizzou, Kansas
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
Some rivalries will never go out of style, no matter how long ago they began and no matter if the two teams stopped and restarted at some point. That’s the case for the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers, two teams that have met on the gridiron 120 times.
With this rivalry back for the first time in over a decade, it has prompted predictions from analysts, and some former players who have played in the rivalry have chimed in as well, including former Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel, who led the charge for the Tigers from 2005-2008.
On Friday, Daniel shared his opinion on the rivalry during an appearance on the SEC Network.
“The hatred runs deep,” said Daniel. “I remember when I first got on the campus in 2005, Gary Pinkel was like, ‘We hate Kansas.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, we hate Kansas. I’m from Texas. Alright. Don’t know why.’ And then you start getting history lessons each and every year. It’s one of those things where it’s good for college football.”
He went on to say that the 2 schools should play each other annually.
“It’s like civil war time. And the game hasn’t been played since 2011, and it was a shame,” Daniel said. “I’m really glad that we started playing them in basketball. I think this should be an every-year type thing.”
The matchup between the Jayhawks and Tigers is known as the “Border War” — a game that began with intensity on Halloween night in 1891. Why does this rivalry hold so much significance? During the 1850s, the rivalry between the Jayhawks and Tigers began with the violent “Bleeding Kansas,” where anti-slavery “Jayhawkers” from Kansas clashed with pro-slavery forces from Missouri over the legality of slavery in the Kansas Territory. This historical conflict, fueled by guerrilla fighting and terrifying raids, created deep-seated animosity and left lasting scars that extended into their first sporting event in 1891, which continues to define the rivalry today, according to the Columbia Missourian.
The 2 schools haven’t played each other since 2011, Mizzou’s last season as a member of the Big 12. The Tigers lead the all-time series 57-54-9 and have won each of the last 3 meetings.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on ESPN2.
