COLUMBIA, Mo. — It was a real humdinger of a fiesta those Tiger fans threw — cluttered with sounds of popping beer tabs, hoarse screaming and shooting cannons that only brought more attention to the home football team’s dominance.

Oh yes, Husker coach Bill Callahan will likely still be hearing those bloody cannon shots as he tries to sleep this week. He’ll be hearing plenty of questions, too.

Saturday night’s 41-6 loss at Missouri will not easily be put to words in Husker camp, as evidenced by the postgame talk coming from Callahan.

“I can’t explain it right now,” he said. “It was not our standard of football, obviously. … It’s our fault as coaches. We take responsibility. I never want to put the blame on our players. I want to be clear on that.”

They shot off a cannon every time Missouri scored, which explains why your neighbor who went to the game won’t be able to hear when you ask about his trip.

The cannons sounded plenty. The Huskers went up in smoke. An adoring gold-clad crowd of Missouri fans could not have enjoyed it more.

Husker senior linebacker Bo Ruud wiped a towel to his forehead as he tried to explain it.

“It just hurts you as a defender, to see them move the ball like that,” Ruud said.

Some old Tigers were calling it the biggest game around these parts since a 1978 stopover by Alabama. Missouri lost that day. No chance of that happening this time.

Missouri junior quarterback Chase Daniel did as he pleased: running, passing and embarrassing the Huskers on national television, something not new to this bunch.

Southern California did likewise to the 4-2 Huskers just three weeks ago.

Nebraska had won eight straight against Big 12 North foes, but after Saturday night’s showing, repeating as North champions seems much more dreamy than realistic.

The Huskers mostly used a 3-3-5 defensive scheme to try to stop Missouri. A year ago, the Huskers used that defense to successfully slow down the Tigers in a 34-20 win.

This go round, the Tigers toyed with Nebraska’s defense. When yards were needed, yards were had. Missouri looked more confident, more quick, more everything.

The Tiger offense showed its dominance early, going 80 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown on the game’s first drive.

Missouri’s second drive was much the same: 11 plays, 79 yards, another touchdown.

On their way to a 20-6 halftime lead, the Tigers compiled 298 total yards and 18 first downs. They punted once.

Daniel threw for 401 yards in the game and ran for 72. Missouri put up 606 yards of total offense two weeks after Ball State had 610 yards.

“I wish I could sit here and give a statement and cover (everything),” Callahan said. “But right now, I can’t give any blanket statement on where we’re at defensively.“

Saturday’s game marked the third time this season an opposing team has put up more than 40 points against Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove’s unit.

“Coz is really down,” Husker defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt said. “It’s a conference game. You got to give Missouri credit. They beat us in every aspect of the game. … It’s hard to say right now. There’s no real quick fixes in football. I think there’s some things that we can correct and things we can get better at and will get better at.“

The Husker offense, meanwhile, seemed to be running in place all night. Even on the good drives in the first half, Nebraska walked away with 3-pointers instead of touchdowns.

The running game. … What running game? The Huskers only ran it 11 times in the first half, gaining 42 yards.

These struggles came against a defense that ranks 71st nationally in rushing defense and 93rd in total defense.

It was sick to watch for those who wore red to the game, sick enough that about half the Husker fans in attendance had cleared out by early in the fourth quarter.

When the game was over, as Callahan tried to answer questions from the media, the band started to play.

Callahan just lifted his hands to the air, forced a smile. A guy around in the business as long as him knows the wolves will be howling after this one.

“All I can do is control what we do in the meeting room, the practice field. That’s the only thing I can control,” he said. “I can’t control public opinion or comments or anything else that’s there. We’re trying to do the best we can right now with this football team, and that’s our focus.”

Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.