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Although it didn't look like it in the opening minutes, things were back to normal in Memorial Stadium as ninth-rated (AP) Nebraska smashed Missouri, 63-6, to set up a Big Eight showdown at Colorado the following Saturday.
Like what Kansas State had done in the previous week's nail-biter, Mizzou stopped Nebraska on its first offensive possession, then drove deep into Husker territory to take a 3-0 lead on Jeff Jacke's 42-yard field goal with 11:36 left in the first quarter.
But, unlike K-State, which battled NU all the way to the end in a 38-31 loss, the Tigers were never in it again. Nebraska roared to three touchdowns for a 21-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, and averaged 13.5 yards per offensive play in the three drives. The Huskers, 5-1 overall, 3-0 in the Big Eight, went on to score touchdowns on eight-straight possessions and handed Missouri its fifth-worst loss ever.
By halftime Nebraska had a 42-6 lead, with 398 total-offense yards, and the Huskers went on to accumulate 681 in the game, including 511 on the ground.
Quarterback Keithen McCant was the instigator of much of the offense, as he accumulated 268 total yards and accounted for four TDs before a shoulder bruise sidelined him with 10:23 left in the third quarter. McCant completed nine of 13 passes for 144 yards and three scores while rushing for a career- and game-high 124 yards and a TD on nine carries. He would win Big Eight offensive player-of-the-week honors for the performance.
I-back Derek Brown chipped in 118 yards and two TDs on 18 carries, to extend his string of 100-yard games to seven, the third-longest in Husker annals.
The option series was open all day to Nebraska and the Huskers took advantage of it. Through the first three quarters, NU ran outside 19 times for 211 yards, averaging 11.1 yards per play.
Of the nine touchdown drives to the 63 points, the Huskers had six of at least 60 yards, with five of over 70 yards and two over 80.
The defense, meanwhile, held Missouri's 25-point-a-game offense without a touchdown. The Blackshirts yielded 261 yards (77 rushing, 184 passing), equaling their season low at the time, and forced three turnovers, all of which turned into touchdowns.
Notes: It was Nebraska's 13th-straight win over Missouri dating to a 35-31 loss in Lincoln in 1978 … the Huskers used a season-high 109 players … I-back Scott Baldwin returned to action for the first time since suffering knee and ankle injuries while scoring the Huskers' first TD of the season against Utah State, Sept. 7; he carried five times for 28 yards, and scored Nebraska's eighth touchdown on a 1-yard run in the third quarter — but dislocated a shoulder while scoring the TD … Mizzou fell to 1-2 in the Big Eight, 3-3-1 overall.
Quote of the game: "The option was pretty much there whenever we wanted it." — Nebraska quarterback Keithen McCant.
SERIES HISTORY
SEASON STATS | NU ROSTER
 |
Nebraska 63
Missouri 6
Oct. 26, 1991
Lincoln, NEMissouri 3 3 0 0 — 6
Nebraska 21 21 14 7 — 63
First Quarter
MIZ — FG Jeff Jacke 42, 11:36 remaining.
NEB — Jon Bostick 27 pass from Keithen McCant
(Byron Bennett kick), 8:57.
NEB — McCant 36 run (Bennett kick), 4:19.
NEB — Derek Brown 5 run (Bennett kick), 0:51.
Second Quarter
MIZ — FG Jacke 47, 11:31.
NEB — Johnny Mitchell 7 pass from McCant
(Bennett kick), 5:51.
NEB — Calvin Jones 5 run (Bennett kick), 3:07.
NEB — Tyrone Hughes 21 pass from McCant
(Bennett kick), 0:12.
Third Quarter
NEB — Brown 5 run (Bennett kick), 8:14.
NEB — Scott Baldwin 1 run (Tom Sieler kick), 2:02.
Fourth Quarter
NEB — George Achola 7 run (Sieler kick), 9:04.
Attendance: 76, 244.
Weather, overcast, 50 degrees, wind N 5 mph.
MU NU
First downs 16 32
Rushes-yards 32-77 68-511
Passing yards 184 170
Returns-yards 2-11 7-35
Passes 17-35-2 13-19-0
Sacks by 0-0 4-21
Punts-average 7-39 4-45
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 4-32 5-36
Time of poss. 25:02 34:58
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: Missouri, Michael Washington 11-48.
Nebraska, McCant 9-124, Brown 18-118, Achola 7-58, Jones 10-51, Lance Lewis 2-41.
Passing: Missouri, Phil Johnson 15-29-1-169.
Nebraska, McCant 9-13-0-144, Mickey Joseph 3-5-0-19.
Receiving: Missouri, Kenneth Dunn 4-69, Jerome Madison 3-30.
Nebraska, Mitchell 3-36.
Missed field goals: none.
Interceptions: Missouri, none.
Nebraska, Kenny Wilhite 1-17, Lorenzo Brinkley 1-0.
Tackles (UT-AT-TT): Missouri, Tom Reiner 7-5-12, Sharron
Washington 5-4-9, Maurice Benson 4-4-8, Mario Johnson 4-4-8.
Nebraska, Mike Anderson 3-6-9, Steve Carmer 3-4-7, Curtis Cotton 1-5-6.
Sacks: Missouri, none.
Nebraska, Ryan Barry 1, Terry Connealy 1, Greg Fletcher 1, Travis Hill 0.5,JohnParrella 0.5.
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