Week 6: Missouri at Nebraska

Missouri engages in nothing less than shootouts and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is talking shutout?

Bo knows defense. And Bo may know history – the Tigers haven’t won in Lincoln since 1978.

Still, Bo should know this isn’t the LSU defense he grew used to sending out to snuff enemy offenses.

The fourth-ranked Tigers will hit Lincoln with an offense averaging 54 points and 596 yards a game. Quarterback Chase Daniel may be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. During one wicked stretch, the Tigers scored on 15 straight possessions.

“I’ve never gone into a game making concessions,” Pelini said. “I won’t start this week.

“We’re going to play the best we possibly can and try to shut them out.”

Try, they must. But succeed, that’s another thing.

The Cornhuskers defense has sprung leaks this season, coming off a game when previously scuffling Virginia Tech gouged them for 35 points and 377 yards.

While it doesn’t hang on Pelini, in his first year of a return to Nebraska, Missouri carved up the Huskers for 606 yards in a 41-6 rout in Columbia last season.

For the Tigers, they expect a different Nebraska defense this time around, if primarily in attitude.
But they expect nothing different from themselves.

“It’s not what they’re going to do,” Daniel said. “It’s about if we can execute to what they’re doing.”

Notes:

Nate Swift’s 88-yard punt return for a touchdown against Virginia Tech was the fourth-longest in Nebraska history, earning him Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Huskers have now returned a punt, kickoff and interception for a touchdown this season.

Player to Watch (Cornhuskers) – Joe Ganz, QB

Despite Pelini’s high hopes for his defense, there better be a fallback plan for a shootout. Ganz has thrown for at least 345 yards in four of his seven career starts. While he’s been a starter only for a limited time, his 27 career touchdown passes rank ninth on the school’s all-time list. If on, Ganz could give the Huskers a shot against a suspect Mizzou defense.

Player to Watch (Tigers) – Jeremy Maclin, WR

The speedy sophomore is a deterrent to wild gambling on defense. A deep threat, the Tigers will use the elusive Maclin on reverses and quick-hitting passes and screen plays, to offset blitzes. He leads the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 193.5 with yards rushing and receiving and returning kickoffs and punts.

Missouri by 20