COLUMBIA, Mo. — When Nebraska last entered Faurot Field on the University of Missouri campus, Blaine Gabbert was committed — heart, mind and 6-foot-5, 230-pound body — to playing for Big Red.
That night, he watched as Chase Daniel fired tight spirals into Husker hearts — and into Gabbert's future plans. Mizzou won 41-6.
One month later, with Steve Pederson exiled and Bill Callahan soon to follow, Gabbert opted for stability, deciding that he'd rather play football at Missouri.
Two years later, Gabbert will make his first Big 12 start on ESPN against familiar Husker faces in a hard-to-overstate, bring-your-A-game, tug-of-war for North control.
Shakespeare would've appreciated the twist.
Gabbert, not so much. Walking off a sun-drenched practice field on a perfect fall day, the Tiger sophomore didn't want to go there.
He didn't want to consider the possibility, had he stuck with NU, of standing on the visitors' sideline Thursday — “I'm not even focused on that at all.”
He didn't want to think about a potential pregame conversation with Shawn Watson, the Husker offensive coordinator to whom Gabbert once pledged allegiance — “I'm not so worried about that at all.”
He didn't engage when asked if part of him pulls for Nebraska when he sees its name on the Saturday scoreboard — “I'll pull a ‘no comment' there.”
Blaine Gabbert doesn't have time or energy to look back. He leads an undefeated pack of Tigers who stand No. 24 in the country.
He ranks fourth nationally in passing efficiency, behind Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Kellen Moore (Boise State) and Tim Tebow (Florida) — NU's Zac Lee is 16th.
Gabbert and Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson are the only quarterbacks in Division I-A who have thrown more than 100 passes without an interception.
For Gabbert, 2009 has presented enough intrigue without reliving 2007.
Still, the emotions of that fall are a little raw, especially to those who reside north and west of Falls City. Gabbert represents, to some Nebraska fans, a turncoat.
Thursday he'll try like heck to do what former Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman (another Husker commitment) couldn't: Beat Nebraska.
If September was any indication, Gabbert will make NU sorry that he wears black and gold.
Before the season, “I told everybody how good he was,” Mizzou linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “But I didn't expect him to be like this.”
Gabbert ripped Illinois for seven scores on the first nine possessions of the season. He cut Nevada with 414 passing yards. After Missouri fell behind 20-6 against Bowling Green, Gabbert led three straight touchdown drives, each exceeding eight plays.
Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel attributes much of Gabbert's success to last year, when he had the privilege of watching Daniel administer the spread offense.
“It's like getting your doctorate in quarterbacking,” Pinkel said.
One of the keys for a quarterback, Pinkel said, is identifying an emotional home base, a functional state of mind where you don't “get caught up in the hype that's going on or the negative things that are going on.”
To illustrate the point, Pinkel held his hands in front of him like field-goal uprights.
Even if you get sacked or intercepted, even if you throw the greatest touchdown pass of your life, you have to stay centered, Pinkel said. Stay in the zone amid the chaos.
The point of equilibrium is different for each quarterback, Pinkel said. Daniel, for instance, was electric all the time.
“What I told (Blaine) before his first game is you don't have to be like Brad Smith and you don't have to be like Chase Daniel. You have to be you.”
So far, so good.
“I'm impressed with his poise,” Pinkel said.
Adversity inevitably will come. So will that first interception.
Gabbert missed most of his high school senior season because of injury. He only threw 13 passes last year. And this year, he hasn't faced a defense better than 89th nationally.
But it's the experience Gabbert has had that adds spice to this matchup.
What will Gabbert feel in his gut when he looks across the line of scrimmage before a record crowd and a national TV audience and sees a red “N” on a white helmet?
Until Thursday night, “no comment” sounds just about right.
Contact the writer:
679-9899, dirk.chatelain@owh.com
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