Border Showdown returns with milder temperatures than years past

This year's Border Showdown between the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks looks much nicer than in some years past. Historically, the rivalry game was played around Thanksgiving, meaning many of those games were brutally cold.

In the last 50 years, the coldest Border Showdowns happened in 1985, 1991, and 2007. Those games kicked off with a temperature near freezing, at 33 degrees. 2007 was the coldest overall as temperatures dove into the 20s during the game.

The showdown of 2007 was also a notable, high-stakes matchup. Both teams were ranked in the top 5, gunning for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. In the end, No. 4 Missouri upended second-ranked Kansas, 36-28, in the highest-scoring Border Showdown ever.

The most recent showdown in 2011 was also cold in the low 40s, but it wasn't as exciting a game. It was a rough year for the Jayhawks, ending the season with a 2-10 record, 0-9 in the Big 12. A blowout in the Border Showdown sealed the deal as Mizzou bested Kansas 24-10.

Saturday's forecast is perfect for some early fall football as sunny skies return and temperatures remain in the mid-70s.