Huskers stagger into showdown with Missouri

Eric Olson, Associated Press

Sunday, October 29, 2006

OMAHA, Neb. — About the only good thing that happened for Nebraska on Saturday was that Missouri lost.

The teams meet this week with sole possession of first place in the Big 12 North at stake.

"Next weekend’s game is going to be very big in determining the Big 12 North champ, and we’re well aware of that," defensive end Adam Carriker said.

The Huskers (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) are coming off a 41-29 loss at Oklahoma State in a game they led 16-0 in the first half.

Two straight losses have knocked the Huskers out of The Associated Press Top 25.

Nebraska appeared to be in control against Oklahoma State, with Brandon Jackson getting big chunks of yardage in the early going. He finished with a career-high 182 yards on 21 carries, but he ran only 10 times after the first quarter.

"It sucked because we felt like we were doing a lot of things offensively, and we were really taking advantage of them," quarterback Zac Taylor said. "Youve got to give them credit. They stepped up and they started making plays and adjustments. The second and third quarter we really could have taken advantage of the lead, but offensively we just didnt do it."

Taylor completed nine passes in a row at one point but was off target with 16 of 20 in the second half. He finished 21 of 39 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked five times.

"I was just out of rhythm. It was really embarrassing because those were throws that I could have taken advantage of," Taylor said. "I was just frustrated with myself."

The defense allowed 496 yards, the biggest play being Bobby Reid’s 45-yard touchdown pass to Adarius Bowman just before halftime to pull the Cowboys to 23-20.

"It gave them momentum right before the half," Carriker said. "We were going to go in with a 10-point lead. We were going to get the ball to start the second half. It was a big mental boost for them getting that touchdown. It was a huge play."

Coach Bill Callahan said the Cowboys’ crucial scoring play was made possible by Perrish Cox’s 39-yard kick return to the Nebraska 45. It was symptomatic of the Huskers’ struggles all day on special teams, he said.

"That was the killer right before the half," he said.

As disappointing as the loss was, Callahan said, the Huskers still can reach their goals.

"We still have an excellent opportunity to capture the North with Missouri coming in this week," he said after the game. "Secondly, we’ve got to get better. We’re certainly not pleased with our efforts today. We can play better, we can coach better and that was pretty evident today."