Missouri outlasts Nebraska

~ Smith racked up 480 yards, as the Tigers outscored the Cornhuskers 17-0 in the second half of a 41-24 win.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri won without Brad Smith last week. On Saturday he emphatically quieted talk of a quarterback change.

Smith set a school record with 480 yards in total offense, ran for three scores and threw for another, turning up the production after Missouri squandered an 18-point first-quarter lead in a 41-24 victory over Nebraska on Saturday.

"He put up some big numbers on us," Nebraska safety Keith Bullocks said. "It was not a surprise. Brad Smith running around, that kind of hurt us."

Last week, freshman backup Chase Daniel rallied Missouri from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in an overtime victory over Iowa State while Smith watched after taking a blow to the head. In the days that followed that comeback, there were some suggestions that perhaps Daniel deserved a shot.

"It's pointless to get motivated by that stuff," Smith said. "It wears off. You just have to understand how people are and just go out and play.

"That's all I can control, how I play the game."

Smith had 246 yards rushing on 28 carries and was 21-for-36 for 234 yards for Missouri (5-2, 3-1 Big 12), which has won three straight since a 31-point loss to Texas. David Overstreet had a key third-quarter interception to help the Tigers beat Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) for the second time in three years after winning only once in the previous 26 meetings.

Missouri has won two straight at home over Nebraska for the first time since 1967 and 1969, when the team was coached by Dan Devine. The final score, which gave coach Gary Pinkel his 100th career victory, was identical to that of Missouri's victory at home over Nebraska in 2003.

After the victory, fans tore down both goal posts.

Zac Taylor had two touchdown passes for Nebraska, which entered the game leading the nation in rushing defense at 65 yards per game. Missouri gouged the Cornhuskers for 277 yards on 49 carries and totaled 523 yards.

Nebraska had minus-2 yards rushing on 19 carries, the school's worst total since 1951.

"Do I want to be a minus-2? No," coach Bill Callahan said. "Do I want to run the football? Absolutely. But this game didn't warrant that type of action."

Missouri scored on its first four possessions, three touchdowns and a field goal, to take a 24-10 lead. A pair of turnovers that led to quick scores helped Nebraska tie it 24-24 at the half, before Missouri took control again after the break.

Smith's 45-yard run late in the third quarter, his third carry of 40 or more yards, capped a 97-yard drive and put Missouri ahead to stay at 31-24.

In the first quarter he was untouched on a career-long 79-yarder and had a 53-yarder to the Nebraska 16 that set up his 4-yard scoring run.

The go-ahead touchdown came at the end of a drive that began on Missouri's 3 after Jason Simpson stripped the ball from receiver Terrence Nunn and Overstreet recovered.

Smith moved to second in career quarterback rushing, trailing only Antwaan Randle-El, who played at Indiana from 1998 to 20001. He passed Dee Dowis of Air Force and Joshua Cribbs of Kent State. He's also second on Missouri's scoring list with 236 points.

Everything worked in the first quarter for Missouri's offense, which needed only 13 plays to score three touchdowns on its first three possession while running up a 21-3 lead. Smith's 79-yarder came on the first play after a Nebraska punt, and the Tigers also were successful on fourth-and-1 from their own 43 late in the period when Smith hit Sean Coffey for a 37-yard gain that led to a field goal by Adam Crossett for a 24-10 lead early in the second.

Smith also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Saunders for the first score of the game. Saunders alertly grabbed the ball in the end zone after it popped out of teammate William Franklin's hands, a play reminiscent of Matt Davison's miracle grab that helped beat Missouri in 1998 after the ball was kicked in the air by teammate Shevin Wiggins.

A blocked punt by Daniel Bullocks and a fumble recovery by Jay Moore after Barry Turner's sack of Smith led to two quick scores that helped Nebraska tie it at halftime. Bullocks recovered the blocked punt at the 1 and Cody Glenn scored on the next play. Nebraska needed two plays to tie it on Zac Taylor's 8-yard pass to Nate Swift after Moore returned the fumble to the 8.

Taylor had two touchdown passes in the half, also hitting Todd Peterson for a 34-yard score.

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MISSOURI 41, NEBRASKA 24

Nebraska 10 14 0 0 -- 24

Missouri 21 3 7 10 -- 41

First Quarter

Mo--Saunders 15 pass from Smith (Crossett kick), 12:51.

Mo--Smith 4 run (Crossett kick), 8:48.

Neb--FG Congdon 32, 4:29.

Mo--Smith 79 run (Crossett kick), 4:13.

Neb--Peterson 34 pass from Taylor (Congdon kick), 2:44.

Second Quarter

Mo--FG Crossett 29, 14:47.

Neb--Glenn 1 run (Congdon kick), 4:49.

Neb--Swift 8 pass from Taylor (Congdon kick), 2:07.

Third Quarter

Mo--Smith 45 run (Crossett kick), 2:38.

Fourth Quarter

Mo--FG Crossett 31, 13:43.

Mo--Temple 14 run (Crossett kick), 5:37.

A--60,641.

. Neb Mo

First downs 13 25

Rushes-yards 19-(-2) 49-277

Passing 281 246

Comp-Att-Int 22-43-2 22-38-1

Return Yards 54 11

Punts-Avg. 7-48 5-39

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1

Penalties-Yards 12-99 5-43

Time of Possession 25:46 34:14

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Nebraska, Ross 10-39, Glenn 3-5, Taylor 6-(-46). Missouri, Smith 28-246, Temple 8-32, Woods 5-15, Ekwerekwu 1-3, Team 2-(-1), Daniel 5-(-18).

PASSING--Nebraska, Taylor 22-43-2-281. Missouri, Smith 21-36-1-234, Daniel 1-2-0-12.

RECEIVING-- Nebraska, Swift 9-135, Peterson 3-65, Ross 3-6, Todd 2-23, Nunn 1-30, Hardy 1-10, Mulkey 1-9, Phillips 1-5, Lucky 1-(-2). Missouri, Franklin 9-94, Coffey 4-59, Ekwerekwu 2-54, Saunders 2-23, Temple 2-(-5), Britt 1-13, Rucker 1-6, Woods 1-2.