Curt McKeever: NU needs to keep closing the gap
Moments after Marlon Lucky’s halfback pass found the glove-warmed hands of Nate Swift for a touchdown that put Nebraska ahead of fifth-ranked Texas with 4:54 to play, snow flakes dancing above Memorial Stadium turned to a light flurry.
Is this the start of hell freezing over?
Husker fans would have been fine had that been the case. It would have left them in a better spot than the doomsday-like stunner the Longhorns produced in their 22-20 triumph.
Talk about a chilly aftermath. Talk about a hidden sun shining on Texas.
If wide receiver Terrence Nunn can get safely to the turf after a catch and lunge that would have given NU a new set of downs, quarterback Zac Taylor kneels out the game. The Huskers are back in the top 10, and some ornery and spoiled Texas media types stop figuring out ways the Longhorns can get to Glendale, Ariz., and defend their national championship.
Unfortunately for Nebraska, they’ll be lip-smackin’ on that topic again today.
First, Nunn, more by his effort than contact from cornerback Aaron Ross, lost his grip on the ball and it fell into the arms of Texas free safety Marcus Griffin.
Then, when Nebraska needed similar fortune three plays later, after linebacker Stewart Bradley made a one-handed grab to strip receiver Quan Cosby of possession, the ball rolled right to Longhorn senior guard Kasey Studdard.
And finally, four plays later, having watched Greg Johnson miss two field goals and get an extra-point try blocked, coach Mack Brown sent a sophomore walk-on who he couldn’t say for sure was on last year’s team in to attempt his first collegiate three-pointer from 22 yards away.
Ryan Bailey’s boot with 23 seconds to play was true and the Huskers were hooked ” stage left.
Question now is: Can they make it back for another big show?
Two competitive losses to top-five programs ” its only setbacks in the last 11 games ” is all Nebraska should need to prove it’s ready to handle the big stage. Perhaps even on a regular basis.
But the pained expression third-year coach Bill Callahan wore during his postgame interview spoke more than any words he could have uttered. Quite simply, there a precious few opportunities that will match the one Nebraska had Saturday.
“We came far and we’re closing the gap between being great,” said running back Brandon Jackson, who on the first play of the fourth quarter made as dazzling of a reception run as you’ll see while eluding the tackle attempts of five Longhorns on the way to a 49-yard touchdown. “It slipped out of our hands.”
The literal meaning of those words will no doubt hit Nunn the hardest.
But if he believes his teammates, the affable junior from Houston will get another chance to leave the Longhorns with a much different break.
“Oh, yeah,” Jackson said when asked if he hopes to get a rematch in the Big 12 championship game. “We will.”
As defensive end Jay Moore shook hands with Texas players and coaches before leaving the field, he was greeted by talk of “See you in K.C.”
That’s where they’ll play the conference title game, and it wouldn’t be considered premature if the Longhorns had already made their travel arrangements.
Nebraska, for all it’s done to narrow the gap Jackson referred to, will be wise to find motivation beyond Texas and continue with its week-to-week approach.
Saturday’s playing conditions dictated a slug-it-out, four-quarter game in the same way that a cold, southerly wind in Haymarket Park dictates a pitchers’ duel.
While Texas freshman quarterback Colt McCoy was far from spectacular, he was spectacularly poised in his first true road game ” especially during two fourth-quarter, into-the-wind drives for field goals.
Granted, the Huskers can take a lot from finding something that worked after their offensive line got stuffed for one half. The defense can pat itself on the back for keeping the Longhorns off the board when they had a difference-making wind at their backs in the third quarter.
The Huskers can also call Texas lucky, too, for the fact that the Horns recovered six of the game’s seven fumbles.
But before they start making plans for a wintry first weekend of December in Kansas City, or eye the Show-Me Showdown against Missouri 13 days from now, there’s a trap game coming at Oklahoma State.
A visit there and to Texas A&M next month will require the same kind of winning attitude they exhibited Saturday.
“It’s hard to gauge until it’s all done,” Callahan said when asked if Saturday’s game was a good barometer for how far Nebraska has come.
It matters little whether he believes the Huskers have achieved new status. It’s how his players react to their “arrival.”
“Oklahoma State, we’ve got to go into that game with great preparation like we did Texas,” cornerback Cortney Grixby said. “We want to get down to Kansas City, and this is a team that’s on our schedule in our conference, and we have to win if we want to get down there.
“That’s our major goal. We call it ‘The Main Thing.’ The main thing is ‘The Main Thing.’ ”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
Is this the start of hell freezing over?
Husker fans would have been fine had that been the case. It would have left them in a better spot than the doomsday-like stunner the Longhorns produced in their 22-20 triumph.
Talk about a chilly aftermath. Talk about a hidden sun shining on Texas.
If wide receiver Terrence Nunn can get safely to the turf after a catch and lunge that would have given NU a new set of downs, quarterback Zac Taylor kneels out the game. The Huskers are back in the top 10, and some ornery and spoiled Texas media types stop figuring out ways the Longhorns can get to Glendale, Ariz., and defend their national championship.
Unfortunately for Nebraska, they’ll be lip-smackin’ on that topic again today.
First, Nunn, more by his effort than contact from cornerback Aaron Ross, lost his grip on the ball and it fell into the arms of Texas free safety Marcus Griffin.
Then, when Nebraska needed similar fortune three plays later, after linebacker Stewart Bradley made a one-handed grab to strip receiver Quan Cosby of possession, the ball rolled right to Longhorn senior guard Kasey Studdard.
And finally, four plays later, having watched Greg Johnson miss two field goals and get an extra-point try blocked, coach Mack Brown sent a sophomore walk-on who he couldn’t say for sure was on last year’s team in to attempt his first collegiate three-pointer from 22 yards away.
Ryan Bailey’s boot with 23 seconds to play was true and the Huskers were hooked ” stage left.
Question now is: Can they make it back for another big show?
Two competitive losses to top-five programs ” its only setbacks in the last 11 games ” is all Nebraska should need to prove it’s ready to handle the big stage. Perhaps even on a regular basis.
But the pained expression third-year coach Bill Callahan wore during his postgame interview spoke more than any words he could have uttered. Quite simply, there a precious few opportunities that will match the one Nebraska had Saturday.
“We came far and we’re closing the gap between being great,” said running back Brandon Jackson, who on the first play of the fourth quarter made as dazzling of a reception run as you’ll see while eluding the tackle attempts of five Longhorns on the way to a 49-yard touchdown. “It slipped out of our hands.”
The literal meaning of those words will no doubt hit Nunn the hardest.
But if he believes his teammates, the affable junior from Houston will get another chance to leave the Longhorns with a much different break.
“Oh, yeah,” Jackson said when asked if he hopes to get a rematch in the Big 12 championship game. “We will.”
As defensive end Jay Moore shook hands with Texas players and coaches before leaving the field, he was greeted by talk of “See you in K.C.”
That’s where they’ll play the conference title game, and it wouldn’t be considered premature if the Longhorns had already made their travel arrangements.
Nebraska, for all it’s done to narrow the gap Jackson referred to, will be wise to find motivation beyond Texas and continue with its week-to-week approach.
Saturday’s playing conditions dictated a slug-it-out, four-quarter game in the same way that a cold, southerly wind in Haymarket Park dictates a pitchers’ duel.
While Texas freshman quarterback Colt McCoy was far from spectacular, he was spectacularly poised in his first true road game ” especially during two fourth-quarter, into-the-wind drives for field goals.
Granted, the Huskers can take a lot from finding something that worked after their offensive line got stuffed for one half. The defense can pat itself on the back for keeping the Longhorns off the board when they had a difference-making wind at their backs in the third quarter.
The Huskers can also call Texas lucky, too, for the fact that the Horns recovered six of the game’s seven fumbles.
But before they start making plans for a wintry first weekend of December in Kansas City, or eye the Show-Me Showdown against Missouri 13 days from now, there’s a trap game coming at Oklahoma State.
A visit there and to Texas A&M next month will require the same kind of winning attitude they exhibited Saturday.
“It’s hard to gauge until it’s all done,” Callahan said when asked if Saturday’s game was a good barometer for how far Nebraska has come.
It matters little whether he believes the Huskers have achieved new status. It’s how his players react to their “arrival.”
“Oklahoma State, we’ve got to go into that game with great preparation like we did Texas,” cornerback Cortney Grixby said. “We want to get down to Kansas City, and this is a team that’s on our schedule in our conference, and we have to win if we want to get down there.
“That’s our major goal. We call it ‘The Main Thing.’ The main thing is ‘The Main Thing.’ ”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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