Nebraska's Rally Caps More Than Just Fourth Quarter

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- If Nebraska had been looking for a defining moment, that one where lip service and projections give way to real proof the program is back, perhaps the Cornhuskers found it Thursday night.

Their backs were up against the wall in a major way against Missouri at Faurot Field when something miraculous happened.

In a hostile environment where they hadn't won since 2001, in the midst of a driving Midwestern rainstorm, after three quarters in which they couldn't couldn't have played any worse on offense and special teams, the Huskers found a way. In a span of a little more than three minutes in the fourth quarter, the 21st-ranked Cornhuskers swung a 12-point deficit into an eight-point lead on the way to stunning 27-12 win over the 24th-ranked Tigers that left most of the drenched 65,826 in attendance in disbelief.

So what, if anything, does this say about the Cornhuskers in Bo Pelini's second year on the job?

"That we are a bunch of competitors," said Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, who threw three touchdown passes in a span of 3:22 to lead his team to victory. "We are going to compete to the very very end no matter what the situation is.

"To come into a place like this, on a day like this and to pull out a victory says a lot about our character as a team."

Some on the Missouri side will argue this also says something not so flattering about the character of the previously undefeated Tigers, who choked away a 12-0 lead and the game they appeared to have had won in a matter of 57 seconds.

But maybe this was just a night of destiny for the Cornhuskers. They had done everything imaginable to give the game away, muffing punts, turning the ball over in the worse of areas, surrendering a safety, and at times Lee couldn't buy a pass completion.

Yet, as badly as they played, the Cornhuskers were always within a few positives things happening from turning it around.

Finally, Nebraska's chance came with 13:56 to play when Lee saw the safety biting on an underneath route and he flung it to Niles Paul in stride on a deep post route for a 56-yard touchdown reception. But it didn't stop there as the Cornhuskers' defense, which had played superbly most of the night, gave the offense a couple gifts in the form of back-to-back interceptions of Blaine Gabbert.

Prior to Thursday night, Gabbert led the Big 12 in passing efficiency and hadn't thrown an interception in his first 164 passes this season. That was until Nebraska's defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh picked him off near the line of scrimmage and then cornerback Dejon Gomes intercepted him downfield.

Lee capitalized with a 13-yard touchdown to Paul followed by an eight-yard touchdown strike to tight end Mike McNeill that put the Huskers up 20-12 with 10:34 remaining in the game. Running back Roy Helu, Jr., who had found yards hard to come by all night added the final insult when ran in from five yards out with 56 seconds left to complete the 27-0 fourth quarter run.

Nebraska's comeback from a 12-point deficit matched its largest fourth-quarter rally in school history.

"That's how this team works," said Suh, who had six tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and an interception on the night. "We needed something small to spark us."

The Cornhuskers certainly needed something, anything, if they wanted to start off Big 12 North play on the right foot. The last three years, the winner of this game has represented the North in the Big 12 championship game.

Certainly it's too early to anoint the Huskers the division champs, but there is no denying this was a necessary win to achieve their lofty goals this season.

"It's huge," Suh said. "If we want to dominate the Big 12, we have to be willing to go in people's houses and go ahead and secure the win. That's what we had to do and that's something we will have to do later on in this season."

Pelini, however, downplayed the potential magnitude of beating the two-time defending North champion Tigers in their house.

"I don't get into all of that," said Pelini, whose team improved to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big 12. "This game is just part of the process, part of where we are.

"We're not going to address or handle this win any different than we do any other week. It's on to the next game."

Pelini has every right to feel that way after watching his offense stumble through the first three quarters. Missouri crowded the line scrimmage and dared Helu to run the football, turning the Cornhuskers an ineffective one-dimensional unit.

So much had gone wrong that several Nebraska offensive players, including Lee and Paul, had their jobs threatened at halftime. Pelini could be seen shouting at Lee on the sidelines after he allowed a bad snap to get away from him early in the third quarter.

Lee had completed just 9-of-27 passes for 79 yards through the first three quarters before going 5-of-6 for 79 yards and three scores in the fourth quarter.



"I think all of our confidence wavered some," said Paul when asked if he saw Lee wavering during the first three quarters. "We kind of let ourselves down. Coach challenged us as men."

The Cornhuskers obviously still have some things to correct with opponents like Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Kansas still to come, but this was the beginning they needed to make the remainder of the schedule interesting.

"It's a great start to Big 12 play and it's one of those that means a little bit more because it's in Big 12 play," Suh said. "We definitely want to dominate the Big 12 North and we started out the right way.

"Missouri played hard, they definitely played hard. I'm happy the way it ended, but we've still got some work to do."