 "Photo: Chris Vankat")
Silence was golden during practices last week.
The calmness was the sign of a team disappointed in its previous performance, Nebraska coaches and players said.
Maybe after Saturday's 34-20 beating of Missouri (7-3, 3-3 Big 12 Conference) at Memorial Stadium, the Cornhuskers (7-3, 4-2) will practice with the same sense of urgency for the rest of the season.
"Practices were quiet," NU Coach Bill Callahan said after the win. "Whenever it gets quiet out there on the practice field, you know your team is pretty well focused."
Callahan credited Husker seniors and captains for rallying the team after a 41-29 loss at Oklahoma State in which the Huskers let a 16-0 first-half lead slip away.
NU junior cornerback Cortney Grixby said there was a noticeable difference in preparations for Missouri.
"The team understood what happened last week, and everybody took that to heart that we let up," Grixby said. "Take nothing from Oklahoma State, they're a great football team, but it just felt like we let up and didn't refocus. This week I think there was just a focus about the team, a quiet focus."
Against the Tigers, Nebraska jumped to a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter thanks to a 40-yard field goal by sophomore Jordan Congdon and a 28-yard touchdown pass from junior wide receiver Maurice Purify to fellow junior receiver Terrence Nunn on a reverse play.
Callahan said Purify had been practicing the play the past few weeks in practice.
"It was a great throw," Callahan said. "It was the right field position, the right time, and it couldn't have been any more opportune."
NU senior quarterback Zac Taylor completed touchdown passes to Purify and sophomore tight end Hunter Teafatiller in the second quarter in addition to another Congdon field goal, while Mizzou settled for two field goals to trail NU 27-6 at halftime.
Grixby said the Huskers refocused during the break so they wouldn't let another early lead dissipate.
"It's a whole other half. It's 0-0," Grixby said of Nebraska's mood in the locker room at the half against Missouri. "We had to start it over again just like the first half. That was an emphasis for us this week."
It paid off, as the Tigers never got within 14 points of the Huskers after halftime.
Nebraska rolled up 419 total yards against Missouri, with 236 of those yards coming in the passing game.
Taylor finished 13 of 21 for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
NU junior I-back Brandon Jackson rushed a career-high 32 times for 111 yards to lead the Husker running attack. It marked the third time in the past five weeks that Jackson broke the 100-yard rushing mark.
On the other side of the ball, the Blackshirts forced three Missouri turnovers to help the Huskers' cause.
Callahan also noted the progress made by NU's special teams, an area he said needed improvement after last weekend's loss to Oklahoma State.
Congdon, who missed an extra point against the Cowboys, booted two field goals and was 4-of-4 on extra points.
"I was really proud of all three phases of our team today," Callahan said. "Especially with the fast start, our special teams and our defense answered the call right from the get-go."
Saturday's win gave Nebraska sole possession of first place in the Big 12's North division.
The Huskers now only need to win one of their final two regular season contests to qualify for the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 2.
"This was like a playoff game," NU Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan said. "These last three games are playoff games. You come to Nebraska to play in these types of games."
