Tigers roll Nebraska 52-17
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
Different venue, different Husker head coach, same knockout result.
They introduced popular mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell early in Saturday night’s Nebraska-Missouri game. Liddell wore red and threw the bones and the crowd cheered.
And then the game continued and Missouri methodically went about dropping the Huskers in a fashion that showed the Tigers are worthy of their No. 4 national ranking.
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Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel demonstrated why he is leading Heisman Trophy polls, moving the chains with machinelike precision in a 52-17 Tigers’ win.
It was 30 years since Missouri last won in Lincoln, but the demons ran away and hid quickly, not bothering to try to stand up to the Tigers on this night. Whatever Nebraska threw at Daniel, the senior was ready to go one better.
Obvious to all: The Tigers are scary-good on offense. Also obvious: The road back to the elite for Bo Pelini’s program appears long and winding.
The Tigers scored on their first four possessions, and after linebacker Brock Christopher picked off a Husker pass and took it back 17 yards for a score to make it 31-7 late in the second quarter, any hopes of a Big Red upset blew away with the 25-mph wind.
Nebraska self-destructed a year ago in Columbia in a 41-6 loss on national television. This was a similar train wreck that no doubt had more than a few turning off the televisions early to see if they could find any sleep.
Really, it wasn’t even a lack of Husker effort. Missouri was just that much faster, stronger, disciplined and complete with the kind of quarterback that only comes to a program once in a long while.
Thrown in all kinds of Husker slop, penalty after untimely penalty — Nebraska had 11 penalties for 86 yards before the fourth quarter — and this one was tailor-made for a whipping.
Daniel carved up the Huskers from the first minute. The third play of the game gave everyone a taste of how this would play out. The Huskers blitzed, and Daniel cocked his arm and made them pay, hitting Jeremy Maclin on a crossing route.
Maclin shrugged off Husker safety Matt O’Hanlon at midfield and raced to the end zone for the 58-yard score. Missouri had a 7-0 lead 59 seconds into the game.
Nebraska had an answer. Husker quarterback Joe Ganz twice scrambled before connecting on third-down pass plays — one a 27-yard hookup to Roy Helu Jr. and the other a 20-yard completion to Nate Swift for a touchdown to tie the game and send the crowd into a frenzy.
After that, it was all Missouri all the time. The Tigers moved the ball at will, converting on 5 of 6 third downs in the first half. After 30 minutes, Mizzou already had 268 total yards of offense.
Nebraska was often using a 3-man front with one player free to roam, but the Tigers made mincemeat of it en route to a 31-10 halftime lead on Nebraska’s homecoming. The Tiger track meet was just beginning.
The third quarter brought three Missouri touchdowns — a 7-yard run by Derrick Washington, a 43-yard run by Derrick Washington, a 26-yard catch by Danario Alexander.
It was 52-10 after three quarters and thousands of fans in red looked for their car keys. Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel called off the hounds. Daniel’s night was complete. He ended 18-of-23 for 253 yards and three touchdowns.
Aside from a missed 58-yard Missouri field goal at the end of the first half, Nebraska did not stop the Tigers on an offensive possession until turning them back on downs with 3:08 left in the game and one-time NU commit Blaine Gabbert in at quarterback for MU.
There is no reprieve in sight. Next week, Nebraska gets another top-10 outfit in Texas Tech, which spent its Saturday scoring 50-plus against Kansas State.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
