Missouri @ Nebraska preview
Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 8, 2009 ) Nebraska 27, Missouri 12
Fresh off one of the biggest wins in school history, No. 8 Missouri has little time to celebrate.
The undefeated Tigers (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) hit the road Saturday to face No. 12 Nebraska (6-1, 2-1) in a game featuring the two top Big 12 North teams.
Missouri’s 36-27 upset victory over then-No. 1 Oklahoma was a watershed moment for a school that has endured significant punishment at the hands of the Sooners through the years. Head coach Gary Pinkell had been 0-9 against Oklahoma, but Blaine Gabbert was able to deliver the win that eluded former standout quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Chase Daniel.
The win puts Missouri on the inside track for a place in the Big 12 Championship game, assuming they can clear one more hurdle: Taylor Martinez and the Cornhuskers.
Martinez personally knocked Oklahoma State from the ranks of the unbeaten last week, rushing for 112 yards and passing for 323 and five touchdowns in the win. His throwing was the story of the game, as Husker fans watched their fleet-footed quarterback suddenly become two-dimensional.
The Huskers are going to need every dimension possible to handle the Tigers, who feature the fourth-best scoring defense in the country. They also lead the Big 12 in sacks and rushing yards allowed.
But the news isn’t all good in Missouri. The Tigers will be without starting defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton, who broke his right ankle in the first half of last week’s game.
Gabbert looks to bring his hot hand from the Oklahoma game into Lincoln. The junior threw for 308 yards against the Sooners and now faces a Blackshirts squad that was uncharacteristically torched for 495 yards and 41 points last week against Oklahoma State.
Both Missouri and Nebraska are treating the game as a must win on their respective roads to a Big 12 Championship. The rivals have split their last two showdowns, with the winner going on to the conference title game. Yet neither team has been able to come home with a trophy.
This year they hope for more than a mere Dec. 4 appearance in Cowboys Stadium. A win on Saturday sets the stage for a Big 12 Championship, a BCS bowl berth and possibly a national title.