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Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has been MU’s defensive catalyst in the first two games, picking off three passes and returning two for scores. Aside from that, the pass defense has struggled. •  Slide Show: Missouri 69, Nevada 17

Pardon Missouri defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus if he hasn’t scrapped his play book and benched his starters. Coaches of lesser resolve might have already taken a wrecking ball to the secondary because, through two games, there’s no denying the stats are ugly for Missouri’s pass defense.

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Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick ran for 92 yards last week against Texas Tech. He also accounted for 264 yards through the air. He will pose the same dual threat to Missouri.

Heading into today’s nationally televised game against visiting Nevada (1-1), the No. 6 Tigers (2-0) rank dead last in the Big 12 Conference in pass defense (350.5 yards per game) and 115th out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Two weeks ago, Illinois scorched Missouri with the pass, firing bombs up and over multiple coverage breakdowns in the secondary. Last week, Southeast Missouri State never touched the end zone but dinked and dunked between the 20s, throwing for 250 yards, more than half of which came against MU’s starters in the first half.

But don’t expect any wholesale changes against Nevada’s Pistol offense, a run-first attack that’s more than capable of putting the ball in the air. In last week’s otherwise dominant 52-3 win over SEMO, Missouri’s defense passed the challenge Eberflus set out: Stay on top of receivers and don’t give up big plays.

"I thought we did that last week, and it was evident in the score and the big plays," he said. "That’s what we’re trying to do."

The Redhawks had one offensive play of 20-plus yards - a 26-yard pass in the third quarter. The week before, Illinois had 10 plays of at least 20 yards.

If history repeats itself, Eberflus has little cause for alarm. After two games last season, Missouri ranked 11th among Big 12 teams in rushing defense and scoring defense and last in total defense and pass defense. By season’s end, the Tigers had the Big 12’s stingiest defense in conference games.

"I don’t really look at the stats except for the kicking stats, rush defense and turnovers," MU Coach Gary Pinkel said. "Even on offense … they’re never as good or bad as you think right now. You’ve got to let them sort out four or five games. There’s always things to improve on."

The defense should get a boost today if free safety William Moore is back roaming the secondary. Moore was a late scratch for last week’s game while recovering from a sprained foot he suffered in the second half against Illinois. Moore returned to practice this week and should be in the lineup today.

"He’ll make us a better defense right away," Pinkel said.

Moore exclusively played the nickelback position against Illinois, usually lining up at strongside linebacker or covering receivers in the slot. Eberflus said he’ll continue to assign Moore multiple duties.

"He’ll be up front or in the back based on personnel," he said. "We’ll move him around like we have been doing."

While the Missouri defense expects to have its best player back on the field, Nevada spent the week preparing for life without senior tailback Luke Lippincott, who was lost for the season last Saturday when he tore multiple ligaments in his left knee against Texas Tech. Lippincott, who led the Western Athletic Conference with 1,420 rushing yards last season, will petition the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver after the season.

The Wolf Pack plans to replace Lippincott’s production with a committee of backs, led by sophomore Vai Taua, who’s averaging 83 rushing yards a game, third-best in the WAC. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick figures into Nevada’s running attack, too. In 10 career starts, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound sophomore has three rushing games of more than 90 yards, including last week’s 92-yard outing against Texas Tech.

"They have the great ability to run the ball, and the reason they do is because their kids run hard," Eberflus said. "They really teach their kids to run downhill. … Their scheme lends itself to a lot of good running. They run a lot of misdirection that has a lot of motion to it."

If Nevada falls behind early, Kaepernick can pick apart defenses through the air. As a redshirt freshman last year, he was the country’s 10th-most efficient passer, doing most of his damage on play-action passes out of Nevada’s base offense, a blend of the shotgun and I-formation.

Will the Tigers have a muzzle for the Pistol?

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