Curt McKeever: Callahan must search for positive spin
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LUBBOCK, Texas — This process of bringing Nebraska back to the top of the college football now involves recovering from the worst loss in school history.
Does that sound ridiculous, or what?
In 2003, the Huskers might have shown they weren't ready to take Austin, Texas, by storm. But things hadn't eroded to the point that one year later they should be leaving Lubbock looking like shocked victims of a lightning strike.
It remains to be seen whether the 70-10 bolt they were hit with by Texas Tech here Saturday was a fluke. But what you can definitely conclude from the worst loss in school history is that it will challenge Nebraska's once-proud tradition like never before.
"We need to, obviously, get a lot better," first-year coach Bill Callahan offered. "We are certainly capable of being a better club."
Perhaps the best news for the Huskers is the Red Raiders probably won't win the Big 12, so they can't highlight Saturday's ugly score on their championship rings like Colorado did in 2001.
It's also probably a good thing for Callahan there are no Tim Brown's on this team, because he was no match for the cancerous attitude that spread through the Oakland Raiders' locker room last year.
As it is, Callahan will have his hands full trying to put a positive spin on this. And maybe he shouldn't even attempt to, because Nebraskans aren't easily fooled.
As for defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove? He'll need to call on all his psychiatry skills to fix the damaged ego of his defense.
Red Raiders' fifth-year senior quarterback Sonny Cumbie looked like the second coming of Sonny Jurgensen while cutting up the nation's fifth-ranked defense. Before Mike Leach called off his top dog late in the game, Cumbie added to his nation-best passing average by completing 44 of 56 throws for 436 yards and five touchdowns.
Cumbie rarely touched the Jones Stadium turf while roasting the Huskers' linebackers and secondary with a mixture of shallow crossing route and pick plays that Bobby Knight should be teaching the Tech men's basketball team.
"We just have to come back next week and continue to get better," said NU free safety Daniel Bullocks, who got the Huskers' lone interception on what seemed to be the only play Cumbie had a communication breakdown with his receivers.
I'd just like to know what area Bullocks thought the Huskers got better in since last week's 14-8 nailbiter against Kansas.
I'll offer one. Joe Dailey only threw one interception. Though his 14-of-34 passing line will make you think he struggled mightily, most of his throws were strong and on target.
What he fought more was Nebraska being forced into playing catchup, and when the results didn't come, Callahan yanked him for freshman Beau Davis.
Davis committed four turnovers on his first four possessions, so there's obviously not going to be any quarterback controversy. But what Callahan has now — a starter whose confidence has been shaken to its core — might be worse.
The best thing for Nebraska to do right now is to burn the tape of Saturday's debacle on move on. The Huskers don't need to see any more physical evidence to know how bad they were.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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