Nebraska's defense has been put through some difficult tests early on, but nothing like what they are about to encounter as they open Big 12 Conference play this weekend.
The undefeated and fourth-ranked Missouri Tigers come to town for Saturday's homecoming matchup at 8 p.m. on ESPN, and to say the Tigers have their best team in a long time would be an understatement. This is a very talented bunch that is on the short list of teams that, at this point, could be playing for the national championship come January.
The Tigers are led by Heisman Trophy candidate Chase McDaniel. The senior quarterback threw for over 4,000 yards last year and tore apart Nebraska's defense in a 41-6 demolishing last year in Columbia. To make matters worse, he compared Nebraska's defense -- in that game -- to a high school outfit.
Nebraska's defense has gotten a lot better since then, but this group still hasn't been tested the way the Tigers are going to this weekend. With Daniel and his seemingly limitless options -- led by sophomore sensation Jeremy Maclin -- the Huskers are going to see an offensive assault that is much more potent and multi-talented than any they saw in their first four games.
The Huskers' first big test came last weekend against Virginia Tech, and it was obvious there are still a lot of holes to fill. The secondary allowed far too many open receivers and the Hokies dominated the time of possession and were able to come away with a 35-30 victory. If the Huskers are unable to rebound, Saturday's result against the Tigers could be an ugly one.
Daniel has been dominant so far this season, passing for 1,412 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 76 percent of his passes. He set a conference record earlier this year by completing 20 consecutive passes against Buffalo. If he gets on a roll Saturday, he could put up numbers similar to last year against a Husker defense that is still working at improving.
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