Husker Football

Nebraska Secures 42-24 Win Over Missouri In Big 12 Opener

Husker Defense Was Not Impressive

by Ed Howard

September 30, 2000

LINCOLN - Eric Crouch threw a couple of touchdown passes and ran for another score, and top-ranked Nebraska finally got some points from its defense and special teams, as the Huskers opened the Big 12 portion of their season with a 42-24 victory over Missouri.

The game reflected less-than-inspired play by both teams.

If this were one of those Olympic games where they hand out style points, Nebraska would have been fortunate to come away with little more than a goose egg. Big, strong, fast and ever-ready to lay those bone-rattling hits on the other guy, the Huskers nonetheless looked a tad befuddled now and then - most especially on defense.

Missouri, 1-3 after Saturday's tilt, rolled up 492 total yards on Nebraska - 209 Rushing and 283 passing. Nebraska managed "only" 484 offensive yards, with 311 on the ground and 173 passing. If it were a horse race, Nebraska would have had its photo taken in the winner's circle - but Husker fans would have seen there was something wrong with that picture.

Coach Frank Solich didn't mince words about the Nebraska performance.

"I thought our guys played well at times. We have probably not put together a complete football game. We are still searching for that," Solich said. "Make no mistake about it, we feel very good about being 4-0 and we feel very good about getting this win." "We were not consistent on defense," Solich said. "We gave away way too many big plays. We weren't able to get them to where it was three downs and out."

For the second straight week Nebraska allowed its opponent to draw first blood. Halfway through the first period Tiger quarterback Kirk Farmer scored from the 1 to cap a six-play Missouri drive that began on the NU 40-yard-line.

Nebraska tied the score at 7 when he bolted over from 2 yards out to complete a Nebraska drive that covered 64 yards in 11 plays. The drive was highlighted by an 18-yard pass from Crouch to Newcombe, a 15-yard Crouch run, and an 18-yard aerial to Matt Davison that kept the drive alive when NU faced a third-and-18 situation on the Mizzou 26.

Crouch completed a pass to I-back Correll Buckhalter for a 34-yard TD on the Huskers' next possession. The 64-yard drive put NU ahead for good, 14-7.

Nebraska, whose special teams play has been lackluster all year, went up 21-7 when Newcombe fielded a Missouri punt and returned it 94 yards to score. The effort set an NU record and tied the Big 12 mark. It was the fourth time in Newcombe's career he had returned a punt for a TD.

Newcombe's romp to glory seemed particularly appropriate since the record he broke was set by Husker Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers, who had galloped 92 yards in returning a punt against Oklahoma State on Oct. 23, 1971. As fate would have it, Rodgers was honored in pre-game ceremonies before Saturday's game.

Missouri, though down, was in no way out.

Starting on the Tiger 25, Farmer completed four consecutive passes, the last one going to Justin Gage for 48 yards and a score. Nebraska 21, Missouri 14. Was this going to be a football game, after all?

Not to be outdone, Crouch and company mounted a 68-yard drive that began with Buckhalter's 58-yard run that took NU to the Mizzou 28. Three plays later Crouch hit Jon Bowling for 13 yards and tochdown. Nebraska 28, Missouri 14. That's how the first half ended.

NU couldn't do anything after taking the opening kickoff of the second half. Te Huskers stallked at the Missouri 25 and Josh Brown missed a field goal attempt from the 42.

Missouri, however, took advantage after it took over possession.Farmer hit Gage for 12 yards, then found him open on the next play for a 35-yard gain that took the Tigers to the Nebraska 26. NU got hit with a personal foul that took Mizzou to the 13 and Zack Abron rushed into the endzone from there. Nebraska 28-Missouri 21. This is a game!

Enter that all important factor of the game known as The Breaks. NU made one for itself. Chris Kelsay put a smack on Abron, and his fumble was picked up by NU's Jamie Burrow who rambled 28 yards to the endzone for a score. Huskers 35, Tigers 21. The Husker faithful were probably thinking that that one ought to take the steam out of Missouri.

Missouri's Brad Hammerich booted a 27-yard field on the next Tiger possession. Mizzou was hanging in there thought still trailing, 35-24.

At this point, it might be appropriate to acknowledge that Nebraska picked a good week to have the defense and the special teams put a couple of TDs on the board. Take away Newcombe's record-setting punt return and Burrow's fumble recover and score, and it occurs to you that NU would be trailing, 24-21. Oh, my!

Enter, at this point, another break of sorts. This one, late in the third period, was to the collar bone of Missouri's Farmer. Without the quarterback who had made clutch plays for them, the Tigers turned to freshman Darius Outlaw. Outlaw seemed full of passionate intensity, but decidedly lacking in big-game experience. A delay-of-game penalty and some broken plays got in the way of his best efforts.

In the fourth quarter it was clear that Missouri was just plain tuckered. Or, you could say that NU's traditional bang 'em hard and bang 'em often had worn the Tigers down. Crouch led the Huskers on a 93-yard scoring drive that took 11 plays and ate up 4:52. Crouch went the final eight yards himself, bouncing off a couple of would-be Tiger tacklers on the way.

Crouch, who carried the ball 24 times to lead all rushers with 135 yards, said NU's vaunted conditioning program was central to the victory.

"I think that we're the best-conditioned team in the country," Crouch said. "Eventually, wet into a rhytm offensively with the option and the power game and that helps us take over. I think its good to come out in the first half with a balanced offense though. It keeps teams guessing."

In the final minutes Nebraska had a touchdown called back. Those points would not have been important to deciding the outcome, but they could have had an influence on some of the folk who cast votes in the major polls.

Nebraska has decidedly lacked the kind of style, panache or whatever you want to call it that scribes and sportscasters like to see in a No. 1 team. Whether that will matter as the season goes on, so long as NU keeps winning, remains to be seen.

Missouri Coach Larry Smith was quick to note the 14 points that Nebraska picked up on the Newcombe punt return, and the fumble that turned into an NU score.

"In all of my 38 years of coaching I have neer had a team tht ha played as hard and fought so hard to win a game," Smith said. "I think the big difference in that game was basically two plays that Nebraska made. The punt return definitely was a big play and I think the fumble that they took in for a touchdown was the difference. Those two plays were the difference in the game."