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LINCOLN, Nebraska (Ticker) -- It took a little while, but once Heisman Trophy candidate Eric Crouch and top-ranked Nebraska got rolling, it was clear that Missouri coach Larry Smith would again fall to a ranked opponent. Crouch threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a score but it was safety Jamie Burrow's third-quarter fumble return that broke Missouri's back and lifted the Cornhuskers to a 42-24 victory in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. The Cornhuskers (4-0, 1-0 Big 12 North) handed the Tigers their 22nd straight loss in the series since 1978 and dropped Smith's record against ranked opponents to 1-25 during his six-plus seasons at Missouri. Crouch, who matched a school record with five touchdown passes last week against Iowa, completed 11-of-23 passes for 173 yards and carried 24 times for 110 yards. The 6-1, 205-pound junior gave Nebraska the lead for good when he found running back Correll Buckhalter with a 34-yard scoring pass 3:45 into the second quarter. Bobby Newcombe established a school record with a 94-yard punt return with just over 3 1/2 minutes left before intermssion but the Tigers (1-3, 0-1) would not go away easily. Kirk Farmer, who completed 13-of-25 passes for 214 yards before suffering a broken collarbone in the third quarter, hit Justin Gage with a 48-yard TD pass as Iowa cut the deficit to 21-14 with two minutes left in the half. Crouch answered immediately, capping the ensuing drive with a 13-yard scoring pass to tight end Jon Bowling, re-establishing a 14-point cushion 65 seconds before the break. Zack Abron opened the second-half scoring with a 13-yard TD run as Missouri, which nearly upset the top-ranked Huskers in the well-chronicled "Kicked Ball Game" in 1997, again closed to seven points. With the ball and chance to forge ahead, the Tigers dropped the ball, literally, and watched as Burrow scampered in from 28 yards out, giving Nebraska a 35-21 lead with 8:14 left in the third quarter. Missouri did not seriously challenge thereafter and Crouch capped the scoring on a eight-yard TD run with 5:31 to play. Buckhalter finished with 94 yards on seven carries.
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