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Challenge is mighty at Missouri, but Husker win would ease
doubts
October 3, 2007
By Jim D. Berryman
Nebraska will try to do something in Columbia, Missouri this
Saturday night that it hasn't done since 2001. That would be
to win a game.
The No. 17 Missouri Tigers (4-0, 0-0) host the Nos. 23/25
Nebraska Huskers (4-1, 1-0) in a Big 12 North showdown, that
will have major implications on how the North division falls
into place.
All that despite the fact that Mizzou has yet to play a
conference game.
It is early in the season, yes, but a road win by underdog
Nebraska would go a long way to improving confidence amongst
players on this year's Husker team, and its fans across the
nation.
Confidence is something that has waned among Husker fans in
recent weeks. Nebraska has produced shaky defensive
performances, and were out-gunned on yardage by inferior
teams.
Missouri looks to make a statement of its own, especially
after Kansas State and Colorado made huge statements last
weekend in their quests to win the Big 12 North, with
impressive wins over Texas and Oklahoma respectively.
Missouri actually climbed in the national rankings last week
from No. 20 to No. 17 in both major polls. That despite the
fact the Tigers were idle.
At the same time the Tigers were
sitting at home last Saturday, Nebraska defeated Iowa State by 18
points. However, the Huskers remained at No. 25 in the AP poll, and
actually dropped one position, from No. 22 to 23 in the USA Today
poll. Go figure.
It seems Nebraska has to earn every little bit of real estate it can
get in the minds of national pollsters, only to see teams favored by
pollsters skate by them.
At the same time, the Huskers haven't been playing very well in the
past 3 weeks, and have failed to impress a national audience, especially
after its embarrassing home loss to USC. Plenty of Husker fans
aren't sold on this year's NU team either.
The Huskers are desperate for a quality win, and a quality win on
the road at higher-ranked Mizzou would be just what the doctor
ordered. It would get the monkey off Big Red's back, at least for a
week or two.
The Huskers-Tigers game will be televised nationally by ESPN, with kickoff at about
8:15 p.m. Central.
Go Big Red!
jimdberryman@missingnebraska.com
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