Playing in terrible conditions, the No. 21 Nebraska Cornhuskers looked like they were in a lot of trouble against the No. 24 Missouri Tigers.
The Cornhuskers trailed 9-0 at halftime and fell behind 12-0 by the start of the fourth quarter, showing little in the way of any offense.
Then came a fourth quarter explosion, as Nebraska reeled off 27 unanswered points to win going away, 27-12.
The win keeps Nebraska very much alive in the conversation for who will play in the Big 12 championship game.
Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 8:39 am by steve
The No. 21 Nebraska Cornhuskers’ top-ranked defense will face its most difficult test thus far tonight, when they visit Missouri to face the 24th-ranked Tigers, in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Bo Pelini’s defense has surrendered just 28 points in four games this season, but Missouri’s offense has been almost as impressive. Sophomore Blaine Gabbert, who’s in his first year as a starting quarterback, is the Big 12’s best passer heading into conference play. He has thrown 11 touchdowns to zero interceptions as the Tigers have gotten off to a 4-0 start.
In a game that, on the surface, appears to be the unstoppable force (Mizzou offense) vs. the immovable object (Nebraska D), expect neither to dominate. The Cornhuskers probably aren’t as good defensively as the numbers might suggest, but neither is the Tigers’ offense. More likely, the game will come down to how Nebraska’s young QB Zac Lee fares on the road in a hostile environment. He struggled under similar conditions earlier this season at Virginia Tech, but that defense was far better than Missouri’s is. Still, he’ll need running back Roy Helu Jr. to shoulder the load and alleviate the pressure on his arm.
Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 5:41 pm by Raj Sethi
Nebraska starting running back Roy Helu, Jr. missed practice on Tuesday because he wasn’t feeling well, according to head coach Bo Pelini.
Pelini said that Helu is expected to play on Thursday night when the Cornhuskers head to Columbia to play the No. 24 Missouri Tigers.
Not good timing for Helu or the Huskers, as they’re faced with a short week against an undefeated team in their Big 12 opener. Still, it sounds as if the illness is nothing of concern, so expect Helu to be his typical bruising self unless reported otherwise. Nebraska’s offense depends heavily on him, and so far in 2009 he’s delivered: Helu is averaging 6.4 yards per carry, including a 28-carry, 169 yard performance in the team’s only loss this season, a 16-15 heartbreaker at Virginia Tech. With another difficult road game looming, there’s no reason to think that if healthy. Pelini won’t rely on Helu to shoulder the load again.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 9:09 pm by Raj Sethi
