Tigers begin Big 12 play

The team practiced with noise to prepare for the din of the Nebraska fans.

By Lenny Goldman

Published Oct. 2, 2008

While the Tigers had the leisure of a bye last weekend, the college football world continued to play its tricks and former No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 teams University of Southern California, Georgia and Florida all went down.

Senior quarterback Chase Daniel spoke with two of the quarterbacks that faced those losses, USC junior quarterback Mark Sanchez and Georgia junior quarterback Matt Stafford.

"I talked to Mark Friday night and I talked to Matt Stafford on Sunday and just asked them how does it feel?" Daniel said. "They said, 'This is the worst feeling in the world, we don't ever want to feel like this again.' I can promise you I'm not going to let our team have a let down."

Daniel led the Tigers flawlessly through their non-conference schedule and will now embark on a new path through the Big 12.

One key to Missouri's success this season has been its ability to control the game from the start. The Tigers have scored a touchdown on their first drive of every game and held their opponents scoreless in their opening possession. They haven't even given up a point on an opening drive of a second half.

But they have done all this in the comfort of their own home and at a quick trip to the neighbor's house in St. Louis. Neither situations compare to what the Tigers will face Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

They will not only have to compete on the field, but also against 85,000 screaming fans creating the "Sea of Red."

"It's going to be really hostile," Daniel said. "We worked with sound on Saturday and you could hardly even hear yourself think. I don't know how much louder it can be out there."

Another factor working against MU is history. The Tigers haven't won in Nebraska since 1978 and the home team has won the past six matchups.

"If we focus on that, then we're not focusing on the task at hand," Daniel said. "We want to focus on the 2008 Tigers and the 2008 Cornhuskers. It's great history and everything for the fans, but if this team gets caught up in that, we're not going to focus on our goal."

Many of the Tigers have experience ignoring the trends of history as last season the team won at Colorado for the first time since 1997 and at Kansas State for the first time since 1989.    

"It's all about respect, and it's all about preparation," coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's just that simple. That's our job as coaches to motivate, educate and remind players and get our leadership to work together. If you're not doing that, then you're not going to play your best and you'll increase your chances of losing tremendously."

While Missouri is facing many of the same Nebraska players they hammered 41-6 last year, the other team will be completely restructured because of new coach Bo Pelini.

"I think the scheme has a lot to do with things," Daniel said. "If the players are in the right spot at the right times, they're the ones making the tackles. If coach Pelini can get those guys in the right spots at the right times then they're going to have a pretty good chance."

If Pelini doesn't happen to have those guys in the right spots and Missouri opens up a big lead, beware of what might happen if true freshman Blaine Gabbert hits the field. Gabbert verbally committed to Nebraska last year before changing his mind and signing with MU.

"I don't really pay attention to them more than any other team," Gabbert said. "I had a few weird phone calls, but other than that not much. What can you do? They're anonymous calls."