Originally published: 1960
Kansas and Missouri will tangle for the 69th time in football this Saturday afternoon at Columbia, and never before has the game meant quite so much.
A capacity crowd of 41,500 is expected for the 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The sereis stands at 30-30-8.
For instance, a Missouri victory could mean a national championship for that school, an undisputed Big Eight title and the Orange Bowl bid.
For Kansas, it would mean an undisputed Big Eight title, the first first for the local school since 1930. Kansas tied for the crown with Oklahoma in both 1946 and 1947.
Because Kansas is on a one-year NCAA probation for a grid recruiting violation, this game cannot be televised live. KU also is prohibited from a bowl appearance this season.
Missouri goes into the game a one-touchdown favorite. The Tigers are unbeaten in nine games this season, while Kansas is 6-2-1 over the nine-game hump. KU’s losses were at the hands of Syracuse (14-7) and Iowa University (21-7). Both were No. 1 in the nation at the time.
This week, Missouri is No. 1 in both the Associated Press and the UPI voting.
Each club owns a bona fide All-American candidate — end Danny LaRosa for MU and quarterback Johnny Hadl for Kansas.
This is the third meeting for KU coach Jack Mitchell and MU skipper Dan Devine. Two years ago, the two teams played to a 13-13 tie, and last year the Tigers won 13-9 and earned the Orange Bowl visit.
Missouri is a “four yards and a cloud of dust” offensive team, although it boasts crack breakaway threats in Norris Stevenson and Mel West. Two Tiger lines are rated on about an equal basis.
Kansas University’s backfield is rated slightly ahead of the Tiger foursome, thanks to nifty Hadl, a triple-threat who can do almost everything on a football field, halfbacks Hugh Smith and Curtis McClinton and fullback Doyle Schick.
In addition, KU has a solid second unit backfield headed by Rodger McFarland, with Bert Coan and Gib Wilson at the halves and Jim Jarrett at full.
Coan, the talented Texan, is expected to see considerable duty on the first unit, also, sharing duty with Smith. Both are fast, and both can go the distance.
KU’s Mitchell said the key to this game lies in the line, and he figures Missouri has the better of it there.
However, MU’s Devine said earlier he doesn’t believe the Tigers can stop the Kansas offensive game, but by the same token, he doesn’t believe Kansas can stop MU.
If that be the case, Saturday’s 69th battle should be a high-scoring affair.