LINCOLN, Neb. — The heavy lifting is just beginning for third-ranked Missouri.
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The Tigers broke the 30-year hex in Lincoln with Saturday’s 52-17 win over Nebraska. But it’s the next two weeks — at home against No. 17 Oklahoma State and on the road against No. 5 Texas — that will determine whether the third-ranked Tigers stay alive in the national championship race.
Confidence shouldn’t be an issue. The Tigers (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) have scored at least 42 points in each game, and their 53.4-point average ranks behind only Tulsa’s 56.4.
They still average 569 yards despite recording a season-low 462 against Nebraska. Their production was compromised by having a short field for two touchdown drives.
Chase Daniel didn’t put up huge numbers, but he still was 18-for-23 for 253 yards and three touchdowns before turning things over to his backups in the fourth quarter.
"The scary part about this,” star receiver Jeremy Maclin said, "is we haven’t played our best game yet.”
The Tigers showed again that Daniel, their Heisman Trophy contender, has a strong supporting cast. Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman combined for 10 catches for 160 yards against the Huskers, and tailback Derrick Washington continued to be a nice complement to the all-out passing attack.
Washington averaged 9.9 yards a carry while running for a career-high 139 yards. He rushed for two scores and caught a touchdown pass.
"We played awfully well,” coach Gary Pinkel said, "but there are still some things we can do to get better. There are always lessons to learn. My big thing is trying to keep this team focused and getting better.”
The Tigers need to shore up their defense when high-scoring Oklahoma State visits this week. They’re 83rd nationally in yards allowed (377 ypg) and 114th against the pass (282 ypg).
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I think the difference is that Mizzou has confidence after last season. Remember, this is the almost the same Mizzou defense that rendered standouts Darren McFadden and Felix Jones useless in the Cotton Bowl last year. And OSU has only one target in the passing game. At the same time, OSU couldn't even keep A&M under 400 yards. Things are playing strongly in Mizzou's favor...the game being in Columbia and all.
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Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.