Big Red rebuilding project looking like long haul

The Big Red's rebuilding project has never looked so big.

No. 4-ranked Missouri's 52-17 win over Nebraska Saturday night was not only the Tigers' first victory at Memorial Stadium since 1978, but it also served notice that the gap between the Cornhuskers and the Big 12 Conference's upper crust is even wider than some had suspected. And trust us on this, it could've been even worse if Missouri coach Gary Pinkel hadn't called off the dogs.

Yes, it's still early. But it's starting to look like 2008 could be another long haul for Nebraska.

First things first: How about that Missouri offense? No one is saying Nebraska's defense reminds them of the '85 Bears, but this spread attack the Tigers have going truly is something special. With the possible exception of Oklahoma -- should the two teams meet in the Big 12 Conference championship game -- it's difficult not to imagine quarterback Chase Daniel and Co. won't hang half a hundred on almost everyone they play, Texas included.

With Daniel taking shotgun snaps 7 yards deep, quickly reading the defense and cutting loose his pass in two, maybe three seconds tops, it's virtually impossible to get any kind of pressure on him. Blitzing is almost futile.

About the only way to even have a chance to hurry this Heisman Trophy contender is to have defensive linemen who can dominate the Tigers up front -- something few teams possess. Even the top-ranked Sooners might be severely tested by this crew.

Missouri's offense has become so reliable and so potent  it actually puts heat on the opposing offense. The pressure to try and play keep-away from the Tigers and to match them score-for-score is simply crushing, even against a MU defense that has a few playmakers, but is average at best.

Consider that Missouri, with Daniel in the game, has yet to go three-and-out on offense through five games this season. That's a remarkable stat that borders on incredible with each passing possession.

As if the task for Nebraska's defense wasn't tough enough, quarterback Joe Ganz throwing a pick-six, Quentin Castille losing a fumble, several big penalties and punter Dan Titchener shanking a 3-yarder raised the degree of difficulty through the roof. Saturday night's scenario couldn't have played out much better for Missouri, which needed all of 59 seconds to reach the end zone for the first time on Daniel's 58-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin.

The Huskers were able to match Missouri's opening score, but after that, simply couldn't keep up. After Brock Christopher's 17-yard interception return for a TD put the Tigers up 31-7 with 2:59 left in the first half, it was already game, set and match.

As things have turned out, the Big 12 schedule is unfortunate for a Nebraska team trying to rebuild its defensive confidence. With just spring practice and a third of the season to truly get accustomed to the new defensive system, the first two league games will pit the Huskers against arguably two of the best offensive units in the country as Texas Tech is up next.

With what happened on defense last season in the rear-view mirror, but certainly not forgotten, the Pelini brothers -- Bo and Carl -- will be hard-pressed to keep their players from losing at least a little confidence in themselves and the system. Considering Pelini has such a sparkling resume as a defensive coordinator in his past stops at Nebraska, Oklahoma and LSU, you'd have to imagine NU's defensive players are feeling like they're the ones coming up short in this equation.

Afterwards, Bo Pelini tried to take full responsibility for the loss, saying he was outcoached and didn't have his team prepared. However, everyone knows in football it's often times not so much about the X's and the O's as it is the Jimmys and the Joes.

Nebraska's offense certainly doesn't get a pass in this one, either. In fact, it's plausible to say that offensive coordinator Shawn Watson's crew has been the most disappointing aspect of this team so far. While the Huskers may rank highly in categories like scoring offense and passing yards, the complete inability to sustain any type of running game against a quality opponent continues to be a glaring weakness.

There has been plenty of debate among fans and media about Nebraska's three-man I-back rotation and who should be starting -- Roy Helu Jr. is supposedly the answer? -- but the fact of the matter is that this offensive line isn't getting it done and it doesn't matter who's playing I-back if there aren't any holes to run through.

Maybe it's a lack of talent up front? Maybe all the preseason talk we've heard about emphasizing the running game for the past five years in this system is just that: talk. While the West Coast offense was once a buzz word in these parts, it's now synonymous with unsuccessful pass plays near the goal line and throwing on third and short. Not to cling to the old-school approach, but it simply isn't Nebraska football.

As the game wore on, Nebraska's most experienced unit looked visibly rattled. Ganz, an admirable competitor but also a fifth-year senior, made several questionable decisions throwing the ball. The numerous false-start penalties were unacceptable, especially at home.

And it doesn't get any easier for the Huskers from here. Nebraska now heads out on its first road trip of the season to Lubbock, Texas, where No. 7-ranked Texas Tech awaits. The Red Raiders are fresh off a 58-28 pasting of Kansas State that saw coach Mike Leach's offensive machine pile up 626 yards -- 490 passing -- on the road.

Here's guessing Watson won't be as stubborn with the passing game as former coach Bill Callahan was in the 70-10 beating the Huskers absorbed in their last trip to west Texas, but the matchup has the potential to again get ugly. At this point, it's obvious NU has few answers for solving a spread offense operating at peak efficiency, allowing 462 total yards, including 412 yards in the first three quarters.

Realizing what might be in store for Nebraska next Saturday, this is perhaps a good time for Husker fans to recall their December pledges of patience -- at least those who were willing to make them. Considering what this program has been through in recent years, it's obvious the timetable for a turnaround is going to be three or four seasons -- not three or four games, like some had hoped in the excitement of preseason camp in August.

Terry Douglass is sports editor for The Independent.