MU Live: Game Final MU 31-21; Offense finishes what Defense starts

RENO, Nev. - Missouri can tip its hat to its defense for even being in position to grab a five-point half-time lead.
“We did do a great job in the second quarter,” senior linebacker Sean Weatherspoon gushed over three sacks the Tigers used to stifle the Nevada offense.
But when the Tigers’ offense woke up, it really woke up, doing its part in a 31-21 victory that boosted Missouri to 4-0 after its non-conference games for the fourth straight season.
Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert - hitting 25 of 40 passes for a career-high 414 yards and three touchdowns - was simply brilliant in the second half after appearing shaken to the core in a terrible second quarter.
And this one will be remembered as a career game for senior wideout Danario Alexander. Alexander had nine catches for 170 yards and touchdowns of 74 and 31 yards. Jared Perry caught eight passes for 72 yards and a TD, Wes Kemp three for 99 and running back Kendial Lawrence one for a huge 33 yards.
“When we put it all together we can be a pretty good football team,” Weatherspoon said as a crowd of thousands in black and gold who took this road trip crooned Spoooon!.
But it was the Missouri defense that set the table. After the Wolf Pack drove 80 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown on their first offensive series, Mizzou’s defenders kept Nevada off the scoreboard the rest of the half with sacks by Aldon Smith, Jaron Baston and the combination of Weatherspoon and Will Ebner. Carl Gettis also separated Nevada receiver Brandon Wimberly from what looked to be a long pass completion inside the MU 20.
And, after Derrick Washington lost a fumble with 23 seconds left in the half at the MU 22, a 15-yard penalty on Nevada and three no-gain plays against the MU defense eased the Tigers into half-time on top 12-7.
Nevada gashed the Tigers for a 48-yard scoring drive that opened the second half and gave the Wolf Pack a 13-12 lead.
But with Missouri guarding a 21-13 lead after Alexander’s 74-yard TD ramble and Grant Ressell’s third of four field goals late in the third quarter, came another huge defensive play.
Aldon Smith knocked the football loose from the hands of Nevada’s Luke Lippincott at the Missouri three and fellow MU defensive end Brian Coulter recovered the ball to blunt Nevada’s last real chance.
With 10:07 left in the game, Gabbert hit Jared Perry with a 4-yard TD pass for a 28-13 MU advantage
Gabbert scrambled and found Alexander over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown pass and run with just 2:09 left in the first half, but that was the first good thing Gabbert had accomplished in a while.
Gabbert - as he did in the first half before rallying Missouri past Bowling Green in the second game of the season - struggled against second-quarter pressure. Gabbert very nearly threw his first interception of the season when he tried a desperation heave out of a probable sack deep in MU territory.
Somehow, linebacker Kevin Grimes didn’t come up with the pick, the football scooting out of his grasp as he dove for it near the ground.
Gabbert also fumbled on a sack and was saved only when teammate Kurtis Gregory recovered it.
Gabbert’s 16 of 26 passing for 188 yards didn’t seem that impressive to that point. Washington netted nine yards on six carries, although he finished with 75 yards on 16 carries.
“We’re all in this thing together,” MU Coach Gary Pinkel said. “I see a lot of little things that shouldn’t happen. That’s coaching and that’s teaching.
Missouri’s offense finished in high gear. Gabbert completed passes of 74 yards, 48 yards, and 33 yards to three different receivers.
“He gets out of stuff,” Pinkel said. “Sometimes you all look and say, `How does he do it?’ He finds people down field.
Alexander, Perry, Kemp and Lawrence all made incredible catches.
Perhaps the best example of the defense and the offense working together came when Smith and Coulter combined to stop Nevada at the Missouri three and then Gabbert and the offense responded with a 97-yard TD drive to put Mizzou up comfortably, finally, 28-13.

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RENO, Nev. - Missouri can tip its hat to its defense for even being in position to grab a 12-7 half-time lead over Nevada.
After the Wolf Pack drove 80 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown on their first offensive series, Mizzou’s defense kept Nevada off the scoreboard with sacks by Aldon Smith, Jaron Baston and the combination of Sean Weatherspoon and Will Ebner. Carl Gettis separated Nevada receiver Brandon Wimberly from what looked to be a long pass completion inside the MU 20.
And, after Derrick Washington lost a fumble with 23 seconds left in the half at the MU 22, a 15-yard penalty on Nevada and three no-gain plays against the MU defense eased the Tigers into half-time on top.
Grant Ressel is still perfect for the season with eight field goals in as many attempts, scoring from 22 yards and 31 yards in the first half Friday night.
But despite scrambling and finding Danario Alexander over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown pass and run with just 2:09 left in the half, this was not a good first 30 minutes for MU sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Gabbert - as he did in the first half before rallying Missouri past Bowling Green in the second game of the season - struggled against second-quarter pressure. Gabbert very nearly threw his first interception of the season when he tried a desperation heave out of a probable sack deep in MU territory.
Somehow, linebacker Kevin Grimes didn’t come up with the pick, the football scooting out of his grasp as he dove for it near the ground.
Gabbert also fumbled on a sack and was saved only when teammate Kurtis Gregory recovered it.
Somewhat like the Bowling Green game - which Missouri trailed 13-6 at the half - Missouri had to count itself fortunate at halftime of this one.
Gabbert’s 16 of 26 passing for 188 yards didn’t seem that impressive. Washington netted nine yards on six carries.
Alexander and Jared Perry did put up some good numbers. Alexander had six catches for 81 yards and the go-ahead TD. Perry caught five passes for 34 yards.
But again, it was the Missouri defense that - thus far - was saving the day.

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Grant Ressel's 22-yard field goal makes him 7 for 7 this season and a 31-yarder kept the MU field goal kicker perfect.

But Nevada leads 7-6 at the end of the first quarter thanks to taking its time.

As incredible as it seemed, Nevada used all three of its first-half time outs on its first drive of the game. Well worth it considering Nevada scored a touchdown at the end of the 13-play drive, its first points in the first half this season.

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Turns out Ashton Glaser, the third-string QB, didn't make the trip. Suspended is the word for breaking curfew or some such.
Two things thing about McGaffie. Throws one heck of a nice pass as a former QB, and would make a heck of a weapon if MU ran the Wildcat formation.

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Lambert likely won't play for Missouri.

Starting middle linebacker Luke Lambert was in a protective boot earlier in the day and while MU officials said it would be a game-time decision on whether Lambert could play against Nevada, it doesn't look likely.

That means the starter at middle linebacker for the first time in his career will likely be Will Ebner.

Ebner is already second on the team in tackles with 20 prior to Nevada. Ebner replaced Lambert early against Furman because of Lambert's inability to go full on the injured ankle.

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Vai Taua, Nevada's leading rusher through two games, will not start against Missouri tonight.

Nearly two hours prior to kickoff, a Nevada official confirmed he had told ESPN - televising the game with a 8 p.m. central kickoff - that Luke Lippincott would draw the start, although both would play.

Supposedly Lippincott had a better week of practice.

Still, Taua came in averaging 6.5 yards per carry, having netted 209 yards rushing in Nevada's 0-2 start.

Lippincott has carried the ball only nine times in two games, for 52 yards. His yards per carry average of 5.8 isn't bad either.