Shatel: When you least expect it, Nebraska breaks out

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Hurricane Suh crashed into Faurot Field. Zac Lee had bailed out both himself and his offensive coordinator. Nebraska had seemingly turned an ugly night into a water color beauty.

And yet, with 5:24 left and Nebraska up on Mizzou 20-12, the thought crossed my mind.

How are the Huskers going to lose this one?

How will they have the rug pulled out this time? Will there be a turnover? Will Missouri run back a punt? Will Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel pull out the old throwback pass to the quarterback play, like he did to Bo Pelini in 2003?

Did the thought cross your mind, too? Did you trust this team to finish?

Nebraska had stopped Blaine Gabbert and the Tigers one more time, this time on fourth down, and the Huskers had the ball back with 5:24 left. Here we go again. Would this be Virginia Tech all over again?

No. In Blacksburg, the Huskers began celebrating on the sidelines in this situation and took their eye off the prize.

No. Missouri never got the chance to break Big Red hearts. On a crucial third-and-one with two minutes left, Lee sneaked three yards for the first down. A few plays later, Roy Helu burst around end and over the goal line, and it was finally here.

Breakout night.

On the road. On national TV. In the loud and raucous den of the rival that has been a huge thorn in Nebraska's side the past two years.

And now the Huskers stand at 4-1. Now they figure to shoot up the rankings. Now when the clouds break today and the sun shines on the Big 12 possibilities this season, it will look like a brand new day.

You knew it was going to happen one day.

But nobody could have known it would happen like this.

It happened in a flash, like the lightning over this soggy stadium. For three quarters, Nebraska could do little right on offense or special teams.

For three quarters, the Huskers couldn't catch a punt or get a first down or run a series without some sort of penalty.

For three quarters, this was a team that still couldn't get out of its own way with so many little, sloppy mistakes.

For three quarters, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson inexplicably kept throwing the ball into a driving rain, with a quarterback who couldn't hit the broad side of a Knob Noster, Mo., barn.

What gave? Was Helu that sick with the flu? Was the offensive line that overmatched by Missouri's eight-men-in-the-box scheme? It didn't seem to bother anyone at Virginia Tech.

Whatever was going on, Nebraska's offense had the flu. Lee was having a bad night. Watson kept putting the ball in his hands. A Tiger defense that hadn't stopped the run this season was getting a reprieve, and the greatest game of Ndamukong Suh's life was going to waste.

It was disconcerting. If the Huskers could have made a clean deep snap to the punter, and run the ball, or tried to run the ball, they wouldn't have been down 9-0 and then 12-0. There was no reason for the Tigers to be ahead. The Huskers were keeping them in the game and then giving it to them on a platter.

But then it happened.

It all turned on one play, one minute and four seconds into the fourth quarter. Lee dropped back and threw deep toward Niles Paul. But this time magic happened. This time Paul caught the ball in stride and scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass.

The next thing you knew, the walls were caving in on Mizzou. Suh, dropping back behind the line in coverage, intercepted Gabbert. Then Dejon Gomes picked one off.

Then, before you could ask, “Whatever happened to the tight ends?'' Watson pulled a wonderful play out of his hat, a little delay route against the flow to Mike McNeill, who caught Lee's pass wide open and scored.

That's how it happened. Just like that.

One minute a Missouri writer in the press box is saying, “Just to let you know, the last time Missouri shut out Nebraska was 1961.''

The next minute, a Nebraska scribe is comparing this turnaround to the 1990 Colorado game in Lincoln, when NU was up 12-0 entering the fourth quarter and the Buffs stormed back on Husker turf to win 27-12.

Same score. Weird, huh?

Time will tell how history treats this one. That 1990 loss to Colorado was one to forget. This one will be one to remember.

Nebraska needed to make a stand. It was time. That it came on this field, before this crowd, and against the quarterback who spurned them, was all cream gravy that will have a nice aftertaste for a while.

The media might want to wait a while to build those statues of Gabbert. As the game neared, this looked like his coming-out party, on ESPN.

Instead, all eyes were on Suh, including 26 scouts from 18 National Football League teams. The big man made himself a chunk of change Thursday night, and perhaps even trophies named after Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Outland.

He was everywhere and into everything. He had one interception and could have had two. He sacked Gabbert so hard that the sophomore injured his ankle. He was noticeably hobbling most of the game.

That's what you call impact.

But Suh wasn't alone. The Blackshirts — and let's please call them that after this one — were brilliant. The only gaffes were three other potential interceptions that were dropped. The defense allowed a touchdown before halftime, but had NU been running the ball, Missouri never would have had time to score.

Whatever. It's water under the Missouri River bridge on Interstate 70. The rain finally ended late Thursday night, and maybe a new reign has begun.

Contact the writer:

444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com

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