MU drills Huskers

[KcMizzou]

LINCOLN, NEB. — Purging a 15-game, 30-year streak of indignities and torments
in one of the nation's football cathedrals, the Missouri Tigers bulldozed
Nebraska 52-17 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

Not since racking up 54 points in 1943 had Mizzou erupted with such a scoring
binge on Nebraska. Adding a certain symmetry to the breakthrough, the
fourth-ranked Tigers' margin of victory was reminiscent of the depths of their
frequent anguish in Lincoln.

Since MU's 35-31 victory in 1978, Nebraska had outscored MU by 384 points at
Memorial Stadium, including jackhammerings of 48, 57, 42, 57 and 44 points
during one particularly wretched stretch.

"It goes a lot deeper than us,'' said Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel.

Said coach Gary Pinkel: "This is not just about the 2008 team ... it kind of
closes things up a little bit for the players (and fans) behind them.''

This time, Mizzou scored more points in the first half than it did in any
entire game during the hapless succession, staking it to a second straight romp
and third victory in its last four games overall against their former nemesis.

But the victory left Pinkel fretting over at least one detail: MU never had to
punt.

"We're going to have to work on it in practice, because that's not reality,''
Pinkel said.

Before a national television audience on ESPN and the traditional red sea of
more than 85,000 in Nebraska's 294th sellout in a row, the Tigers improved to
5-0 for the third year in a row after previously strutting to just six such
starts in school history.

While the spotlight shined Saturday on Mizzou, it will be more illuminating the
next two weeks as it faces stiffer challenges: MU plays host to No. 21 Oklahoma
State (5-0) on Saturday before traveling to No. 5 Texas (5-0) on Oct. 18.

In losing its 10th straight game to a top 10 foe, once-fearsome Nebraska fell
to 3-2 and next week leaves home for the first time this season to play at No.
7 Texas Tech (5-0).

The dominating victory likely bolstered Daniel's early front-runner status in
the Heisman Trophy race. Although he wasn't prolific by his standards, Daniel
was precise in dissecting a Nebraska defense that entered the game 96th in the
nation in pass defense.

Through three quarters, Daniel had completed 18 of 23 passes for 253 yards and
three touchdowns with no interceptions.

In what was billed as a contrast to last season's 41-6 win, when Daniel called
Nebraska's unwillingness to change defenses "high school stuff," the
Cornhuskers had insisted all week they had numerous schemes to foil Mizzou.

But that wasn't evident, from the opening kickoff.

Three plays after Jeremy Maclin returned the kick 34 yards, Daniel hit the
blazing sophomore from Kirkwood High on a crossing patter and he skedaddled for
a 58-yard touchdown. In 59 seconds, Maclin had 92 all-purpose yards and MU led
7-0.

The Cornhuskers were momentarily unfazed, with nimble quarterback Joe Ganz
ad-libbing outside the pocket for a 20-yard TD pass to Nate Swift.

But the Tigers zoomed back to go ahead 14-7 on Derrick Washington's 3-yard run
to cap an 80-yard drive aided by two Nebraska penalties —defensive end Zach
Potter's personal foul on Daniel and cornerback Anthony West's pass
interference in the end zone on Danario Alexander.

Through three quarters, Nebraska committed 11 penalties for 86 yards to MU's
one for five.

Nebraska appeared ready to keep pace, with Ganz completing his third pass of 20
or more yards, but back-to-back sacks by Tommy Chavis and Jaron Baston snuffed
out the drive.

MU kicker Jeff Wolfert converted from 48 yards out with 10 minutes, 54 seconds
left in the second quarter to make it 17-7 on his 27th career field goal
without a miss in Big 12 play.

When Nebraska's next drive fizzled, the rout was on.

The Tigers cruised 75 yards to go up 24-7 on Jimmy Jackson's 1-yard run with
4:08 left in the half, and 1:09 later Brock Christopher intercepted a Ganz pass
and returned it 17 yards for a TD that made it 31-7.

The Huskers cut it to 31-10 with 22 seconds left in the half, which ended with
Wolfert's streak coming to an end as his 59-yard attempt fell short and left.

On its first drive of the second half, Mizzou pounced with Daniel's 7-yard pass
to Washington to make it 38-10. Washington's 43-yard run made it 45-10, giving
him 139 yards rushing to that point, and MU went up 52-10 on Daniel's 26-yard
pass to Danario Alexander late in the third quarter.

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