KANSAS CITY — Through a dizzying 59 minutes, 56 seconds on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium, Mizzou and Kansas already had offered another game for the ages and brimming with indelible touches.

Bold decisions by both coaches that will be debated for years. The uncanny Danario Alexander's 181 receiving yards in one quarter for Mizzou. Gritty Todd Reesing's school-record 498 passing yards for Kansas.

But all of that was mere prelude to the moment of truth that put the rest of the game in context.

Mizzou walk-on kicker Grant Ressel's 27-yard field goal as time expired gave the Tigers an exhilarating 41-39 win — and made coach Gary Pinkel's decision to punt trailing 39-36 with just over 3 minutes left a stroke of genius, instead of the absolute wrong move, and left Mizzou's porous pass defense just part of the back story instead of the story.

If the victory over KU (5-7 overall, 1-7 Big 12) didn't exactly avenge last season's late 40-37 loss, it puts it behind the Tigers (8-4, 4-4).

"It's so personal," said Pinkel, adding that a loss to the rival creates a lingering cloud. "Every day, it's there. You're smiling, but you're not."

This time, they really could after Ressel's fourth field goal Saturday made him 24 of 25 in his first season as a starter. "Mr. Clutch," Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert called him.

But the low-key sophomore from Jackson, Mo., never before had been in the position he was at game's end and acknowledged, "It's kind of hard not to think about the consequences if you miss."

The best training he's had for the moment apparently was being taunted and distracted by coaches and teammates during situational practices. Those don't usually faze Ressel, though he added, "as long as the guys don't say things that are too mean."

Even as they expressed faith in Ressel, teammates were in various states of agitation before the kick.

Gabbert, for instance, turned away from the field, prompting linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to hug him as Weatherspoon watched. Gabbert, though, did sneak a peak at the videoboard at the other end.

When the ball went through — and after it was determined an ensuing penalty flag thrown was against Kansas — a helmetless Weatherspoon led the giddy charge onto the field.

Afterward, he still hadn't found it.

"Who cares?" he said, laughing. "We just won."

Despite outscoring Kansas 23-7 to open the second half and take a 36-28 lead, the win was less than assured after the Jayhawks took a 39-36 lead with 5:10 to go. And it looked downright improbable when the Tigers were stopped on the following drive and Pinkel opted to punt rather than go for it on fourth and 4 at its 39 ... with one timeout left ... against a team it had held to one three-and-out.

Even Jake Harry's punt that went 58 yards to the KU 3 carried no guarantee: The Jayhawks earlier had scored a touchdown and a field goal on drives that began at their 2 and 1.

"The third time's got to be a charm," MU nose tackle Jaron Baston said.

It proved true after KU opted not to try to drain clock but move the ball. Two incomplete passes took only eight seconds off the clock.

On third and 10, MU defensive coordinator Dave Steckel anticipated a quarterback draw and made the call accordingly even as players in the huddle were scoffing.

But Steckel proved prophetic, and defensive end Brian Coulter said his "eyes just lit up" when he realized he had a chance to take down Reesing for a safety credited to Aldon Smith and him.

So Mizzou got the ball back 20 seconds after giving it up and two points closer. With 2:39 to go, the Tigers took over at their 48 and had first and goal at the 5 with 51 seconds left after a 27-yard run by Derrick Washington.

Conscious of KU's offensive potency, MU played it as conservatively as possible from there, with Gabbert twice taking a knee to get the clock down to four seconds before Ressel's heroics.

He was one of many to come through for MU, with Washington rushing for 111 yards, Gabbert passing for 303 and running for a career-high 94 more and Alexander pulling in 15 passes for 233 yards — including a 68-yard TD.

Particularly because of repeated third-down defensive lapses, MU needed all of that after falling behind 14-3 early and trailing 21-13 at halftime.

The Tigers were fortunate to be that close, managing their only TD of the half on Washington's 1-yard run after MU defensive back Carl Gettis recovered a fumble by Kansas' Dezmon Briscoe and returned it 20 yards to the Kansas 5.