Missouri @ Nebraska football preview

Mizzou @ Nebraska Preview:

Last season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers rolled into Columbia expecting a tight game with the Big 12 North title on the line. Nebraska entered the contest ranked and 4-1, their only blemish coming against then No. 1 USC. Missouri demolished the Cornhuskers 41-6 behind a stupendous performance by Chase Daniel, who accumulated more than 470 yards of total offense, threw for two scores and ran for two more, setting in motion a five-game losing streak by Nebraska, all but ruining their Big 12 Championship aspirations. This season, due to the success of Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri, expectations have been tempered in Lincoln, although the Huskers still plan on defending Memorial Stadium against the incoming No. 4 Tigers.

When Missouri has the ball:

Things will probably get ugly for the Cornhuskers here. After allowing 35 points to an utterly inept Virgina Tech offense, Jeremy Maclin and company might end up having a field day. The winner of the lottery here might end up being Missouri running back Derrick Washington.

Although the Tigers are known for Chase Daniel and their mighty passing attack, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel has shown that he isn’t afraid to run the ball when an opposing defense shows a weakness in its front seven—as he did in last season’s Cotton Bowl against Arkansas, where Tony Temple ran for 281 yards and four touchdowns enroute to a Mizzou victory.

The trick will be whether or not last week was a fluke for the Huskers, who allowed Hokie quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and running backs Darren Evans and Kenny Lewis to run for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Nebraska was stout on defense earlier in the season, although they played games against the likes of Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State. Washington is currently averaging a staggering 6.8 yards per carry and has eight touchdowns in only four games. Look for Jimmy Jackson and Daniel to get involved on the ground as well. Daniel has the ability to scramble for yards on the ground and has yet to break out his wheels so far this season. Nebraska looked lethargic and bulky trying to defend the lithe and scrappy Taylor on scrambles in the flats last week, and Daniel burned the Cornhuskers rush defense last season for 72 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. If the Huskers haven’t improved in this region of the field this past week, they’ll have to defend against Jeremy Maclin out on the edges.

There are too many ways for Missouri to hurt Nebraska—something is bound to go wrong for the Huskers on this side of the ball.

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When Nebraska has the ball:

The Cornhusker offense will look to get the ball into the hands of their lone playmaker running back Marlon Lucky. Lucky ran for 1016 yards and also had over 700 yards in the air last season. Lucky is quick and elusive, primed to tear into, what has at times been, a weak Missouri defense. Lucky carried the ball 17 times in Columbia last season, netting only 67 yards, but traditionally runs better in Lincoln than he does abroad.

Gary Pinkel has built his defense around middle linebacker Sean Witherspoon. Behind Ziggy Hood and the rest of the Mizzou defensive line, Witherspoon possesses sideline-to-sideline quickness and always plays around the ball. Thanks to Witherspoon and the rest of Missouri’s front seven, Lucky might find himself short on gaps to cut through. The Tigers are currently holding opponents to less than 100 yards rushing per game.

Despite this, the Tigers defense is nothing impenetrable. William Moore, a preseason All-American at safety, has held up admirably at his position. However, Moore is far and away the best player in a Tigers secondary that has been burned deep several times this season. The Tigers have already allowed six touchdown plays of 30 yards or more this season, in only four games, albeit allowed zero in a 52-3 route against FCS Southeast Missouri State.

Huskers quarterback Joe Ganz will be the game decider. His role in Bo Pelini’s offense has always been as a care-taker for the offense. With the glaring weaknesses in the Mizzou secondary, Ganz will be called upon to take advantage and penetrate the holes in Missouri’s defense. If Ganz can make the plays with his arm, Nebraska could make things interesting late in the game.

Final Mizzou @ Nebraska Notes:

The home team has won each of the last six games, which plays directly into the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. If Nebraska’s going to have a chance, it’s going to have to rely on the arm of Joe Ganz getting the ball into the holes that he’ll probably find in the Missouri secondary. It’s unlikely though, that Ganz and the Huskers will be able to keep up with the No. 2 offense in the country tit-for-tat.

By Cory Spicer
Big 12 Fans Missouri Tigers Correspondent

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