Nebraska Cornhuskers ©	Missouri Tigers
Played November 8, 1997 at Faurot Field Columbia, Missouri

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Nebraska ©	2	6	2	0	.750	3	0	0	1.000	3	2	0	.600
Missouri	0	0	3	0	.000	0	2	0	.000	0	1	0	.000

 

                          Previous Belt Meetings:       None

 

 

The top-ranked, 8-0 Nebraska Cornhuskers of coach Tom Osborne traveled to Columbia to meet the 6-3 Missouri Tigers of coach Larry Smith.  The 2^nd overtime game in Belt history saw one of the most unbelievable catches in college football history to force the overtime.  At the start of the game, no one expected an offensive shootout but the 29-point underdog Tigers were ready for the battle with Nebraska’s Blackshirts defense.  Missouri showed they were ready to play from the opening drive as they moved 78 yards in 12 plays with RB Brock Olivo scoring on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.  The Cornhuskers tied the game on their opening drive as QB Scott Frost directed an 11-play, 74-yard drive & finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.  After forcing a quick punt from the Tigers, Frost capped a 52-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 Nebraska lead entering the 2^nd quarter.  On the ensuing kickoff, Missouri's WR Ricky Ross returned the ball 47 yards to the Cornhuskers' 48-yard line.  Missouri's All-Big XII QB Corby Jones capped the 4-play drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to WR Torey Coleman that tied the game at 14-14.  Nebraska's All-Big XII RB Ahman Green dominated the next Cornhuskers' drive.  Starting from their own 21-yard line, Green carried 5 of the 9 plays totaling 41 yards with the touchdown coming on a 7-yard run that put Nebraska back ahead 21-14.  The Cornhuskers' defense held the Tigers to a 39-yard field goal from PK Scott Kickman before Frost was intercepted by Missouri's CB Shad Criss who returned the ball to the Nebraska 49-yard line.  A personal foul called against the Cornhuskers set-up a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Olivo on the next play giving the Tigers a 24-21 halftime lead.  After Green fumbled on the Cornhuskers first drive of the 2^nd half, the Tigers' punt pinned Nebraska at their own 1-yard line.  The Cornhuskers took the lead with a 10-play, 99-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 39-yard screen pass to Green.  The go-ahead score came when Frost carried in from a yard on a quarterback sneak.  The Missouri's special teams stuck again when RB Devin West returned the kickoff 62 yards to the Nebraska 35-yard line.  Six plays later, Jones carried in from 6 yards out around right end giving the Tigers a 31-28 lead entering the 4^th quarter.  Nebraska tied the game at 31-31 when PK Kris Brown hit a field goal from 44 yards with 10:50 to play in regulation.  The teams traded interceptions before Jones hit WR Eddie Brooks for a 15-yard touchdown with 4:39 to play that gave Missouri a 38-31 lead.  The Cornhuskers last chance came with 1:02 to play in regulation, no timeouts, as well as 67 yards between them & the Missouri end zone.  Frost’s 4 completions got the Huskers within range.  With the ball at the Tigers’ 12-yard line, 0:12 remained when Frost took the snap & rolled to his right.  The pass to WR Shevin Wiggins was knocked down Missouri's S Julian Jones but as Wiggins fell, he inadvertently kicked the ball in the air & WR Matt Davison made a diving catch just before the ball hit the turf.  The conversion kick by Brown forced the game to overtime.  In their first overtime possession, the Huskers took only 3 plays for Frost to score his 4^th touchdown of the day, this one came on a 12-yard run.  The Blackshirts held as Missouri’s last play was a sack of Jones by All-American DE Grant Wistrom & DE Mike Rucker.  The Husker nation celebrated as Nebraska had a spectacular 45-38 overtime win.  Frost finished with 175 yards passing with a touchdown but 2 interceptions while rushing for 141 yards with his 4 scores & Green rushed for 189 yards with a touchdown.  Jones threw for 233 yards with 3 touchdowns but an interception while rushing for 60 yards with a touchdown.  Nebraska finished the season 13-0; Big XII Champions, ranked 2^nd nationally while the Tigers finished 7-5 & ranked 23^rd nationally.  Missouri would play for The Belt again in 1998.