Loss offers few positives for MU

LINCOLN, Neb. — Whether the problem was consistency, execution, a lack of star players making plays, or turnovers, Missouri players and coaches know the team didn’t play its best offensive game of the year.

Struggling offensively is something that the team is getting used to, with three losses in the last four games.

“No one can stop us when we play our A game, but we didn’t come play for 60 minutes,” Will Franklin said. “We only played for 30 and they played for 60 minutes and won the game.”

Missouri failed to gain a first down until its fourth possession of the game, and that included not being able to capitalize on a Nebraska fumble. When Missouri finally did manage a first down, a 10-yard pass to Jared Perry, two plays later Chase Daniel threw an interception. The Cornhuskers took advantage of the turnover and scored a touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Zac Taylor to Maurice Purify that gave Nebraska a 17-0 lead.

“I haven’t played good enough the last two weeks,” Daniel said. “In this type of offense you have to have your quarterback play good.”

Daniel pointed to turnovers as the key of the game. In the last two games he has thrown five interceptions and lost one fumble. The Cornhuskers scored 14 points off Daniel’s two interceptions Saturday.

It wasn’t until Missouri’s fifth possession that the offense finally started playing like the top-10 ranking it held at one point. On the second play of the drive, Daniel connected with Danario Alexander for a 49-yard pass.

“First I was checking out my block, Tommy Saunders, then I just cut up the field to see what I can get,” Alexander said.

Before that second quarter play, the Tigers had earned just 28 yards.

Alexander had a career day against Nebraska. Going into the game he had four catches for 40 yards, but hadn’t caught a pass since the third game. In Lincoln, he had four catches for 89 yards.

“I guess I was in the mood today. I was feeling it,” Alexander said.

Daniel said he threw it to the freshman receiver because he was “open all the time.”

After Alexander’s 49-yard catch, Missouri scored its first points of the game on a 26-yard field goal by Jeff Wolfert.

Besides Alexander, another bright spot offensively for Missouri was Tony Temple. The junior running back had 99 yards on 18 carries. Temple helped establish the run for the Tigers, which was something lacking in the team’s loss last week to Oklahoma. His performance was also impressive because he was demoted from starter to backup on Monday in the updated depth chart. There was confusion concerning the move. Temple thought it was because of a left shoulder injury, while Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said it was because he fumbled too often.

“This is just another obstacle in my life,” Temple said. “I’m so hard and strong, you can’t break me, you can’t hurt me.”

Temple said he was extra focused this week, even to the extent of not taking calls on his cell phone.

“He’s a competitor,” Pinkel said. “It’s exciting to see that (bouncing back this week). I had no doubts. He’s a competitor.”

ANOTHER RECORD: Things weren’t all bad for Chase Daniel on Saturday against Nebraska. With his 19-yard touchdown pass to Chase Coffman in the fourth quarter, Daniel set the single-season passing yards record at Missouri. Daniel finished the game with 244 yards, giving him 2,531 on the season. Jeff Handy previously held the record with 2,463.

Earlier this season Daniel set a single-game record with five touchdown-passes against Murray State, and he owns the single-season touchdown passes record with 21.