Mizzou's troubles with rush defense bode well for NU
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan said Monday that Missouri plays better defense than any Big 12 North team the Huskers have faced this season.
He apparently wasn’t referring to the Tigers’ run-stopping ability.
Missouri — which plays Nebraska at 11 a.m. Saturday in Lincoln — allowed 231 rushing yards last week in a 26-10 home loss to Adrian Peterson-less Oklahoma. Excluding their game against Texas Tech, which rarely runs, the Tigers have allowed an average of 214 rushing yards in league play.
Such a weakness figures to play into Nebraska’s hands given its emphasis on a strong rushing game. Then again, the Huskers were running the ball well against Oklahoma State last week before gravitating away from the rush during the second half of a 41-29 setback in Stillwater, Okla.
“We did what we thought was best for our team to win,” Callahan said during the weekly Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “There wasn’t a conscious decision on our part to say, ‘Let’s eliminate running the ball.’ I mean, you have to give the staff a little credit in that respect.”
To be sure, it wasn’t as if Nebraska abandoned the running game after halftime. However, statistics suggest rushing was de-emphasized. After rushing 23 times for 159 yards in the first half (6.9 per carry), and building a 23-20 lead, the Huskers had seven running plays (for 35 yards) during a third quarter in which neither team scored.
Quarterback Zac Taylor, meanwhile, was 2-for-8 passing for 36 yards during the third period. He also scrambled for 15 yards on a planned pass play and rushed for 2 yards on a broken play.
In a few instances, Callahan said Monday, Taylor changed plays at the line of scrimmage because of Oklahoma State’s defensive alignment.
“You have to give Oklahoma State credit,” Callahan said. “They did a nice job. They countered and had some defenses called where we got outnumbered and had to switch gears and do some other things. That’s just a part of the chess match you play.”
Oklahoma State made several halftime adjustments, defensive coordinator Vance Bedford told The Oklahoman newspaper. For instance, the Cowboys used significantly more man-to-man pass coverage, enabling them to use linebackers to stop the run and help apply pressure on Taylor.
The changes worked, as Oklahoma State recorded four second-half sacks and held Nebraska to 52 rushing yards on 17 attempts (3.0). By midway through the fourth quarter, the Cowboys had surged to a 34-23 lead.
“I really felt our rushing attack was strong in the first half,” Callahan said. “And there were instances and flashes of it being consistent in the second half. I just thought when we fell behind — it was an 11-point, two-possession game — I really felt the urgency to throw the football. That gave us our best option to win.”
Trouble was, Nebraska struggled in its passing game. After going 9-for-10 passing in the first half, Taylor in the second half misfired on 16 of his first 20 throws, before experiencing some success on the Huskers’ final scoring drive — after the outcome was decided.
Nebraska now faces a Saturday game that arguably belongs in the “must-win” category. The Huskers, with a record of 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12, would gain control of their destiny to reach the conference title game with a triumph over the 25th-ranked Tigers (7-2, 3-2).
Nebraska would then need a win at Texas A&M on Nov. 11 or at home against Colorado on Nov. 24 to earn its first North Division crown since 1999.
First things first. Missouri poses a serious challenge, said Callahan, noting the Tigers’ pass-rushing ability. They rank 12th nationally with an average of 3.22 sacks.
“I just love their attitude up front,” Callahan said. “I mean, they rush the passer better than any team I’ve seen the last couple of years. They completely stoned us last year. They got after us. They dominated us in our pass protection. We can’t get into that again.”
Missouri recorded four sacks and held Nebraska to 2 rushing yards in last season’s 41-24 triumph in Columbia, Mo.
“They’re exciting to watch,” Callahan said of the Tigers’ defense. “They can create plays, create turnovers . . . We’re going to have our hands full, I can tell you that.”
Callahan called it a “huge game” for both programs.
“I believe both teams have worked extremely hard to put themselves in position to take the lead in the divisional race,” he said. “We’re going to try to make the most out of that opportunity, just like Mizzou is.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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