Gahn McGaffie got the crowd pumped up with his 86 yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert and Taylor Martinez of Nebraska were named co-Big offensive players of the week and Gahn McGaffie was named special teams player of the week for his opening kickoff touchdown during Satruday’s 37-29 win over Oklahoma.
McGaffie, a sophomore from Galena Park, TX, returned the opening kickoff for an 86-yard touchdown after OU decided to squib a kick with a big breeze at their back. That gave MU a 7-0 lead 14 seconds into the game. His kickoff return for touchdown was the first of his career and the first for Missouri since 2008, when Jeremy Maclin took a kickoff 99 yards for score against Illinois.
In a preview of Saturday’s matchup with Nebraska, we’ll see the co-offensive players of the week. Gabbert led Missouri to its first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team, finishing 30-of-42 for 308 yards and a score. Gabbert completed 8-of-9 passes for 95 yards and one TD in the 4th quarter when he helped rally MU from a 21-20 deficit.
Taylor Martinez, the Huskers redshirt freshmen set the Nebraska freshman records for passing yards (323), passing touchdowns (5) and total offense (435) in NU’s 51-41 win over undefeated Oklahoma State on Saturday. Martinez’s 435 yards of total offense were the third-most in Nebraska school history.
Missouri plays Nebraska at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.