There was a time when Nebraska featured a fleet-footed quarterback in the mold of Tommy Frazier or Eric and a powerful I-back such as Mike Rozier or Lawrence Phillips working behind a powerful line to form one of the most unstoppable offenses in college football.

Back then, it was inevitable that the Cornhuskers, with their option attack, would show up near the top of the nation in rushing offense.

Those days have passed. The Nebraska team that will charge onto Faurot Field for tomorrow night’s nationally televised 8 p.m. kickoff against Missouri ranks ninth in the Big 12 Conference in rushing yards, averaging 183.8 through the first four games. But the Huskers, featuring Big 12 rushing leader Roy Helu Jr., could still present a significant problem to the Tigers’ run defense.

“It’s the biggest challenge we’ve probably seen yet,” MU senior nose tackle Jaron Baston said, “and it’s going to show us really where we’re at and really where we’re ready to go.”

How well it could control the line of scrimmage and shut down opposing rushers was one question facing Missouri as it began this season. That was particularly true because the Tigers lost Ziggy Hood, a four-year starter at defensive tackle who was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Missouri had its problems stopping the run two weeks ago at Nevada. The Wolf Pack, with dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick at the controls, gashed the Tigers for 218 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, though MU still won 31-21.

Baston and company don’t think that’s necessarily a sign of weakness heading into the matchup with Nebraska.

“Nevada, they do a lot of different things,” Baston said. “You’ve got to watch out for the quarterback keeping it, the running back getting it, the quarterback pitching it out. It’s a lot of different things.

“Nebraska, they’re going to do their stuff. They’re going to hand it to a great running back, and they’re going to let him do his thing. They’re going to let a great offensive line try to outphysical our defense, and we’re going to be ready for it. We prepare hard, and I think we’ll be well-prepared and ready to play.”

Missouri was effective against the run through the first three weeks of the season, limiting Illinois, Bowling Green and Furman to an average of 105.7 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per attempt.

Sophomores Dominique Hamilton and Terrell Resonno shared time in Hood’s spot at the point of attack.

“They’ve done a good job,” MU Coach Gary Pinkel said. “Jaron, obviously, is the experienced player there, but those two sophomores are big athletes that I think keep getting better. I think that’s the most important thing that you want in your whole football team right now.

“Every week’s different challenges. … Nebraska’s offensive line, they’re physical. They’re big. I think they’re very, very explosive, and that will be another challenge.”

That line is blocking for the most dynamic rusher Missouri has faced. Helu, a 6-foot, 215-pound junior from Danville, Calif., combines good size with deceptive speed and has good enough hands to be a threat in the passing game, too. He racked up 202 total yards in the Huskers’ 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech, and 169 of those came on the ground as he broke four runs of at least 20 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per attempt.

Helu, a backup until late in the 2008 season, is averaging a Big 12-best 116 yards per game and has picked up 6.4 yards per attempt.

“This summer, I saw him on the cover of a magazine in the store, and I was like, ‘Why?’ You know, because he didn’t start all last season,” MU senior linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “I didn’t really know too much about him. We played against him a little bit. But after seeing film of Virginia Tech, that game he really just showed me a lot. He made some great moves, like an NFL running back.

“I’m excited. You get to go out against a top running back in the conference and try to put on a show. I know he’s going to be ready to try to put on a show, so we’re excited and pumped up to be facing him.”

Reach Steve Walentik at 573-815-1788 or e-mail swalentik@columbiatribune.com.

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