Ganz pulls hat trick on New Mexico State

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette Nebraska senior quarterback Joe Ganz joined Eric Crouch and Johnny Rodgers to become the third Husker to score a touchdown running, passing and receiving in the same game. Ganz scored on a 33-yard run, caught a 20-yard pass from Marlon Lucky and passed to Mike McNeill for a 20-yard touchdown in a 38-7 win against New Mexico State at Memorial Stadium Saturday. For more photos go to www.mccookgazette.com. [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Joe Ganz threw a touchdown pass, ran for a score and caught a TD pass, and Marlon Lucky helped revive Nebraska's rushing attack with 103 yards, leading the Cornhuskers to a 38-7 win over New Mexico State on Saturday night.

Ganz became the third player in program history to score three different ways in a game. Johnny Rodgers did it in the 1973 Orange Bowl against Notre Dame and Eric Crouch in 1999 against California. Both won the Heisman Trophy.

Lucky ran for two touchdowns and went over 2,000 yards for his career. The senior I-back also threw to Ganz for the third TD pass of his career.

Nebraska (3-0) came out determined to get its sputtering running game on track. The Huskers, who came in 82nd nationally in rushing at 118.5 yards a game, generated 330 on the ground and at times looked like Nebraska teams of yesteryear by mixing in some triple-option plays.

New Mexico State (0-1) was playing its first game because its Sept. 4 game against Nicholls State was canceled by Hurricane Gustav. The Aggies dropped to 1-19 against BCS opponents.

Ganz finished with a career-high 69 yards rushing, and he completed 13-of-17 passes for 158 yards.

New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook was 15-for-30 for 142 yards. He was intercepted twice and sacked three times.

Lucky had a hand in Nebraska's first two touchdowns. He followed right guard Matt Slauson into the end zone from 8 yards out, then showed off his passing arm after Armando Murillo returned an interception 57 yards to set up the Huskers at the New Mexico State 20.

On the next play, Lucky took a handoff and ran to his right while Ganz released out of the backfield. Lucky pulled up and lofted a perfect spiral to Ganz on the throwback. Lucky also threw TD passes against Iowa State last year and against Texas in 2006.

Nebraska led 21-0 at halftime after Ganz finished an 89-yard scoring drive with a career-long 33-yard run on an option keeper.

Lucky broke a career-long 58-yard run before scoring from 1 yard early in the third quarter, and Ganz made it 35-0 with a 35-yard pass to tight end McNeill.

McNeill made a great run after catching the ball in open field. He stutter-stepped to make cornerback Chris Buckner miss and then did a somersault into the end zone after getting hit low by cornerback Davon House.

Nebraska shut out New Mexico State 57-0 in 1979 and 68-0 in 1982, and it looked as if the Huskers were destined to hold them scoreless again after the Aggies twice drove inside the 3-yard line.

The first threat ended when Zach Potter blocked Kyle Hughes' 20-yard field-goal attempt and the second when Matt O'Hanlon intercepted Holbrook.

But New Mexico State broke through after Marvin Betts returned backup quarterback Patrick Witt's fumble 48 yards to the Nebraska 3 early in the fourth quarter. Marquell Colston scored on the next play.

Missouri 69, Nevada 17

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri wants to score on every possession. Against Nevada, the No. 6 Tigers almost did.

Chase Daniel threw for 405 yards to set the school career passing record and Missouri scored on its first 10 possessions in a 69-17 win Saturday over Nevada.

"We want to score every time we touch the ball," Daniel, a Heisman finalist a year ago, said. "We know that's probably not going to happen."

It almost did. Daniel threw for four TDs and was 23-for-28 to take Missouri (3-0) to seven touchdowns and a field goal before exiting in the third quarter. His backups, Chase Patton and Blaine Gabbert, led two more scoring drives before Missouri was finally forced to punt late in the fourth quarter.

By the time Daniel was done, he had shattered predecessor Brad Smith's record. He has 9,513 yards passing. Smith finished with 8,799 yards in four seasons as a starter.

He still holds the school record for total offense with 13,088 yards, a record Daniel has an outside chance at.

The Tigers gained 651 yards and averaged 10 yards per play. The 69 points tied a team record set against Kansas in 1969, and they've scored 173 points in three games.

Nevada (1-2) fell for the second straight time to a Big 12 opponent after losing to Texas Tech a week ago.

"Pass defense is all about putting pressure on the quarterback and we just couldn't get that done today," Nevada coach Chris Ault said.

Daniel connected on touchdown passes of 80, 14 and 49 yards with Jeremy Maclin, and threw a 27-yarder to Jared Perry. Derrick Washington ran for two scores.

Missouri also scored on a fake field goal and an interception return in the second half, after Daniel had already put the game out of reach.

"He loves to play," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. "He can't wait for game day."

When games go like this, how could he?

Maclin had six catches for 172 yards. Three other receivers had six catches -- Chase Coffman for 127 yards and a touchdown on a fake field goal, Tommy Saunders for 100 yards and Perry for 98 yards.

Missouri led 14-0 2:58 into the game on Washington's 59-yard run and Maclin's 80-yard catch-and-run -- which moved Daniel into first place on the career list.

"Catching Chase's record-breaking pass -- it's a special moment," Maclin said.

Pinkel said Daniel appears improved even over his breakout 2007 season.

"You look at him -- it looks like he's playing better," Pinkel said. "Certainly he has raised the bar to the highest level."

Nevada scored on a 1-yard run by quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the first quarter, a 31-yard field goal by Brett Jaekle in the second and on a 42-yard pass from Kaepernick to Marko Mitchell on the final play of the first half that cut the deficit to 38-17.

But after gaining 237 yards of offense in the first half, the Wolf Pack managed just 125 in the second.

Kaepernick was 17-for-31 for 152 yards and led Nevada with 71 yards rushing on eight carries.

Washington led Missouri with 80 yards rushing on eight carries. He has scored two touchdowns in all three games.

The Missouri offense has been essentially unstoppable with Daniel at quarterback over the past two games. Daniel played just a quarter and a half in leading Missouri to five straight touchdowns in last week's 52-3 win over Southeast Missouri. Combined with Saturday's effort, the Tigers have scored on the past 13 possessions with Daniel at the helm -- 12 touchdowns and a field goal.

During those games he was 39-for-45 for 650 yards, seven touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 259.33.

For the season, Daniel has completed 72 percent of his passes for 973 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception.