Huskers' stock hits rock bottom
Ben Gouldsmith
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: Sports
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - If the Nebraska football team were on the stock market, now would be a good time to sell.
Saturday's 41-6 shellacking at the hands of Missouri may have solidified the Cornhuskers' status as a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12 Conference. They certainly didn't look like a team that will contend for a Big 12 North Division title, and voters in the polls took notice.
Nebraska dropped out of both major polls and now sits near the bottom of the "others receiving votes" category along with teams like Connecticut, Maryland, Wyoming and Mississippi State.
And that blowout home loss to Southern California on Sept. 15 isn't looking so justifiable either, after the Trojans lost Saturday to unranked Stanford in Los Angeles.
But that setback to USC seemed like a long time ago. Saturday's game at Faurot Field was a chance for the Huskers to redeem themselves against another top-25 team.
Unfortunately for Nebraska, Missouri just looked better in every phase of the game.
Nebraska was plagued by dropped passes, missed tackles, ill-timed penalties and much more. Missouri, meanwhile, scored at will and completely shut down what has become Nebraska's one-dimensional passing West Coast offense.
Missouri racked up 606 yards to Nebraska's 297, with only 74 of those Husker yards coming in the running game.
"I can't explain it right now," NU Coach Bill Callahan said. "It was not our standard of football, obviously."
What, then, is Nebraska's standard of football?
The only games the Huskers have dominated this season (Nevada and Iowa State) came against teams with losing records.
And Ball State (3-3), which was one missed field goal away from beating the Huskers in Memorial Stadium on Sept. 22, was handled 58-38 by Central Michigan at home on Saturday.
Nebraska's standard of play has been more comparable to Ball State and Wake Forest than it has been to USC and Missouri.
In the latter two games, which were billed as chances for the Huskers to make a statement on the national stage, the Huskers crumbled.
Saturday's 41-6 shellacking at the hands of Missouri may have solidified the Cornhuskers' status as a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12 Conference. They certainly didn't look like a team that will contend for a Big 12 North Division title, and voters in the polls took notice.
Nebraska dropped out of both major polls and now sits near the bottom of the "others receiving votes" category along with teams like Connecticut, Maryland, Wyoming and Mississippi State.
And that blowout home loss to Southern California on Sept. 15 isn't looking so justifiable either, after the Trojans lost Saturday to unranked Stanford in Los Angeles.
But that setback to USC seemed like a long time ago. Saturday's game at Faurot Field was a chance for the Huskers to redeem themselves against another top-25 team.
Unfortunately for Nebraska, Missouri just looked better in every phase of the game.
Nebraska was plagued by dropped passes, missed tackles, ill-timed penalties and much more. Missouri, meanwhile, scored at will and completely shut down what has become Nebraska's one-dimensional passing West Coast offense.
Missouri racked up 606 yards to Nebraska's 297, with only 74 of those Husker yards coming in the running game.
"I can't explain it right now," NU Coach Bill Callahan said. "It was not our standard of football, obviously."
What, then, is Nebraska's standard of football?
The only games the Huskers have dominated this season (Nevada and Iowa State) came against teams with losing records.
And Ball State (3-3), which was one missed field goal away from beating the Huskers in Memorial Stadium on Sept. 22, was handled 58-38 by Central Michigan at home on Saturday.
Nebraska's standard of play has been more comparable to Ball State and Wake Forest than it has been to USC and Missouri.
In the latter two games, which were billed as chances for the Huskers to make a statement on the national stage, the Huskers crumbled.
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Brian
posted 10/08/07 @ 9:04 AM CST
Ahhh man, that was terrible! I'm glad I didn't even bother to watch or listen.
At least we have Steve Peterson for 5 more years. Never forget his emergency news cast: "I refuse to let this program gravitate to mediocrity. (Continued…)
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