For Saturday's Big 12 North showdown, the Daily Nebraskan gets some guest pearls of wisdom from Daniel Angell, sports editor of The Maneater in Columbia, Mo.
Angell fires off three keys to a Missouri victory while DN Sports Editor Jeff Sheldon offers three must-haves for NU to avoid its third-straight loss.
Hold On To The Football
Missouri coughed up the ball four times last week and had a punt block, leading to all 26 Oklahoma points. The Tigers absolutely must control the battle of possession against Nebraska. MU is 0-2 when it loses the possession battle, and in a hostile environment, that is not likely to be reversed if the Tigers shoot themselves in the foot again.
Establish Ground Control
The Tigers have not shut down the rushing attack of anybody in the Big 12. Everyone in the conference has gained at least 100 yards on the Tigers except Texas Tech, who doesn't run the ball anyway.
Nebraska will gain yardage on the ground, which the Tigers must keep from being one-sided. Chase Daniel got nearly all of MU's rushing yardage, which can't happen again for the Tigers.
Keep the Huskers Down
Missouri has lost two of three, but Nebraska's lost two straight. A quick Tiger score could be huge in letting doubt creep in to the Huskers' minds as well as taking the crowd out of the game. If MU allows Nebraska to dominate early, it could be too big a hill for the Tigers to climb in what is certainly the biggest game of the season for both squads.
The Kicking Shame
NU's kicking performances have been shameful this season. It seems no one on campus can put a kickoff in the end zone, leading to the Huskers' 10th place league ranking in kickoff coverage.
The Huskers have only attempted five field goals, making three. Little mistakes in the kicking game can loom large in these close match-ups.
If It Ain't Broke...
If Nebraska can run the football early, which, by all indications, it should, then the Huskers need to stick with it. Let junior I-back Brandon Jackson and sophomore I-back Marlon Lucky win this game and keep the pressure off senior quarterback Zac Taylor, who hasn't been the sharpest all year.
Be Safe, Wrap It Up
Missouri's spread offense forces defenders to make one-on-one plays in space. NU must tackle sure, and not allow the Tigers' wide outs and tight ends turn small gains into big ones.
Putting some hits on Chase Daniel early on would help, too. NU's defense isn't playing with confidence right now. It must if the Huskers are going to snap the losing skid.
