The more everyone talked about a change of the guard coming Saturday, the more things stayed the same. Same Missouri. Same Gary Pinkel. Same Blaine Gabbert. Same Shawn Watson. Same Roy Helu. Same Helu to everyone, apparently, except Watson.
Nebraska pounded Missouri in a 31-17 victory that featured several big hits, and a near come-from-ahead loss designed by Watson himself. Helu jumped out of the box with a 66-yard TD on Nebraska's first play, added a 73-yarder on his third carry and stood at 142 yards at that point. Then, in true Watson form, he quit using his best running back. Quit using the best running back in the Big 12.
He took his foot off the gas and appeared disinterested in scoring during the second and third quarters. Watson let the Tigers creep back into the game. Sure, the defense had given up some yards, but they had held the nation's fifth-ranked team (hahahaha) to just 14 points through most of three quarters. He almost blew the game, and this time, more needlessly than ever. Apparently, Helu's dominant performance was a surprise to the Wise One. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Watson was forced to hand it to Helu, over and over, due to Zac Lee's general ineptitude passing the ball. Lee can officially be crowned the King of the Nine Step Drop and Three Yard Pass.
Helu brought the victory home, racking up 10 carries and 53 yards to drain the clock. And this couldn't have worked against a Texas team that got blasted by Iowa State and lost to Baylor Saturday? Please.
As for Pinkel, he proved overmatched in yet another big game. He didn't adjust to the gimmick defense Nebraska showed. Well, except for that awful stack formation that ceded a 33-yard waltz into the endzone for Mizzou's first score. And somehow, NU tried it again only to see another Tiger touchdown nullified by penalty. Pinkel proved he is perfect for Missouri. A second-rate coach for a second rate program. A has-been and never-will-be.
Even more perfect is his marriage with his starting QB Blaine Gabbert. PYB has called it for some time--Gabbert melts under pressure. He had an even more meaningless passing day than usual, throwing for 199 yards on 42 attempts. That's a pathetic average of less than five yards. Even more pathetic than his season average of 7.1 yards. You could see it in his eyes, as the Blackshirts' weak pass rush rattled him during the first series. You could see it in the second half, when he ducked like a seventh grader as the oncoming blitz from Courtney Osborne closed in. Enjoy the NFL, the league always needs a few more clipboard holders.
This was a good win. A great win, in terms of what it means for the rest of this season. But in Frank Solich fashion, it should have been bigger. There were more positives (Helu's possible emergence as workhorse RB, Ciante Evans playing great in the stead of Alfonzo Dennard who got crushed by friendly fire from new starter Osborne, defense tackling better and stifling the run game a bit, a bit of noise from the blue hairs at Memorial) than negatives (injuries to two of NU's top three players, Dennard and Taylor Martinez, Watson's continued ability to outsmart himself, the terrible pash rush, another exhibit as to why the Big 12 has the worst fucking officials in the country).
Now the Cornhuskers travel to Ames for a matchup with Iowa State. Will they be looking for revenge for last year's 9-7 loss, or will they come in fat & happy as is the norm in college football these days after a big win? This is not a game to be overlooked. Which Doctor Watson will show up? It could mean the difference between a second straight trip to Dallas or another trip to San Diego.
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