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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Chalk the win in Border War No. 121 up to the Missouri Tigers. 

Playing Kansas for the first time in 5,033 days, Mizzou came back from down 15 points to beat the Jayhawks 42-31. 

MU (2-0) now leads the all-time series between the archrivals 58-54-9. 

Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 30 passes for a career-high 334 yards, plus three touchdowns. He leaned heavily on slot receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., who caught 10 passes for 126 yards and a score, and tight end Brett Norfleet, who scored two touchdowns. 

Tailback Jamal Roberts ran for 143 yards and a touchdown, which sealed the game inside the final two minutes. Safety Daylan Carnell pick off Kansas (2-1) quarterback Jalon Daniels with 1:06 to go to put a bow on the win.

Daniels was held to 16-for-25 passing, 212 yards and two touchdowns. He completed some easy throws but missed receivers on some key throws that might've given the Jayhawks a win.

Defense, Daniels help KU early

The Tigers only needed five plays — one of which was a 32-yard touchdown run from Hardy — to open the scoring, but the Jayhawks' defense and veteran quarterback provided a jolt to the system. 

Daniels, whom MU wanted to give nothing easy, found openings in simple fashion to lead a touchdown drive for a 7-6 lead — Mizzou's first extra point of the game was blocked.

Then Pribula, who lowered his shoulder trying to pick up valuable yards on a third down, fumbled. Kansas' Austin Alexander scooped up the ball with nobody between him and the end zone. 

Daniels had led the Jayhawks' first touchdown drive by punishing the Tigers for leaving him open targets. Wideout Levi Wentz then got himself mildly open past MU's Daylan Carnell, but it was a 50-yard deep strike from Daniels that set up his own QB sneak for a score.

At the end of the first quarter, Kansas led 21-6 despite both schools having gained exactly 123 yards. The second quarter saw balance — uncharacteristically, perhaps — restored. 

Safety equals spark

The comeback kicked into gear with another defensive score of sorts: a safety that added two points to the board for Mizzou. 

D-end Zion Young looked to have a sack of Daniels secured, but instead the ball rolled into the end zone where a Jayhawks lineman fell on top of it for a safety. 

The Tigers converted a 4th and 10 through a one-handed catch by freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode to set up kicker Robert Meyer's first field goal of the season, a 25-yarder that brought the hosts back within three points.

MU's most impressive drive of the first half came in the last 28 seconds of the period. Starting from its own 14-yard line with no timeouts, running back Jamal Roberts broke free for a 39-yard run to midfield. A false start penalty meant little because receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. turned a routine catch into a 50-yard gain all the way down to the 2. Meyer's second career field goal leveled the score at 21-all heading into the break — a normal football score accomplished quite abnormally.

The Jayhawks ran four plays in the second quarter for a net loss of 18 yards.

Fourth down decides it

Facing fourth down, trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Pribula found Norfleet for his second receiving touchdown of the day. Norfleet caught the pass short to the left sideline and sprinted in from 27 yards away, which gave the Tigers a four-point lead.

The best part of Pribula's game was his performance on third and fourth downs. In those situations, he completed 15 of the 18 passes he attempted, good for 177 yards and three touchdowns. 

That kind of timely passing made the difference in a remarkably close game.

Also making a difference: On 4th and 7 from his own 28 — and down by four points with no guarantee of getting the ball back — KU's Lance Leipold decided to punt the ball to the hosts.

His offense did get the ball back, but only after Roberts broke free for a 63-yard dagger of a touchdown, putting MU up 42-31.

Closer than it needed to be?

The game stayed close in the only stat that matters — points. But the rest of the numbers weren't exactly close at all.

The difference in total yards gained was vast: 593 for MU to 254 for KU. There was even more of a gap in team rushing: 254 yards to just 31.

Kicking changes offense

How Mizzou would fare without starting kicker Blake Craig — out for the season with a torn ACL — was an open question of both adjustment and results.

Meyer's first day as a starting college placekicker went fine. He had an extra point blocked but made two short field goals and the rest of his extra points.

The Tigers did adjust the aggression of their playcalling, though. MU went for it on 4th and 10 instead of trying a 48-yard field goal in the first half, then 4th and 4 instead of trying a 52-yarder in the third quarter. 

For now, at least, it seems coach Eli Drinkwitz prefers to use his kicker for only routine field goals. 

Next up

Mizzou's season-opening homestand continues with a game against Louisiana at 3 p.m. next Saturday. The Ragin' Cajuns (0-1) host McNeese State later Saturday but have already lost their starting quarterback to season-ending surgery.