Missouri at Nebraska

Written by Steve Janus

The Big 12 North Champion will likely be decided this Saturday when the No.6 Missouri Tigers go on the road to take on the No.14 Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Tigers come in fresh off their 36-27 win over Oklahoma, while the Cornhuskers also come into the game off a big win, as they topped Oklahoma State 51-41 on the road. The home team has lost two straight in this series, including Nebraska’s 27-12 win at Missouri last season. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current college football odds have the Cornhuskers are 7-point favorites over the Tigers at home.

Missouri (7-0, 3-0 Big 12): You have to be impressed with the way the Tigers took down previously unbeaten Oklahoma last week. The Tigers trailed 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter, but scored 16 unanswered points to secure the win. Missouri finished with 486 yards of total offense, and defensively they forced the Sooners into three turnovers and held Oklahoma to just 99 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 30 of 42 attempts for 308 yards and a score, giving him 669 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games. Running backs De’Vion Moore and Henry Josey combined for 137 yards and a score on the ground, as Missouri ran for 178 yards on the game. Missouri also got a big game from their special teams unit, as place kicker Grant Ressel connected on four field goals, and Gahn Mcaffie took the opening kick back 86 yards for a touchdown.

With the Tigers playing well against the run, they forced Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones to throw it often, and he ended up finishing with 303 yards and three touchdowns, but also had those two huge interceptions. This week the Tigers won’t have to worry so much about the pass, but how they are going to contain Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez on the ground.

Nebraska (6-1, 2-1 Big 12): The Cornhuskers struggled to put Oklahoma State away last week, as they only had a seven-point lead going into the final quarter, but an early field goal and a 8 yard pass from Martinez to Brandon Kinnie sealed the win for the Cornhuskers, who still have a shot at playing for the Conference Championship with a win this weekend.

Martinez has really hurt opposing defenses with his ability to run the football this season, and while he ran for 112 yards on 19 carries, it was his arm that did most of the damage against Oklahoma State, as he completed 23 of 35 attempts for 323 yards and five touchdowns. Coming into the game Martinez had just three touchdown passes all season.

Defensively the Cornhuskers can’t be happy with the performance they put on display, as they allowed Oklahoma State to total 495 yards of total offense, 212 of which came on the ground. While Missouri doesn’t have the offensive fire power that the Cowboys possess, the Cornhuskers will have to play a lot better on this side of the ball if they want to come out on top.

Looking at the Odds: I am all over the Tigers to cover the 7 point spread this weekend, as they have the defense that can control Martinez and keep him from beating him with his feet. I also think the Tigers have the weapons on offense, especially in the passing game to keep Nebraska from running away. My final score prediction is Missouri 24, Nebraska 23.

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