STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, October 9, 2004 7:00 pm
LUBBOCK, Texas Nebraska football players shuffled off the field quietly, with stunned looks.
"It was pure silence," Husker quarterback Joe Dailey said of the mood in the postgame locker room. "Like a graveyard."
Nebraska knew Texas Tech, with its potent passing offense, posed a threat Saturday night. But nobody could have imagined this type of result.
The Red Raiders, behind quarterback Sonny Cumbie's five touchdown passes and 436 passing yards, rolled to a 70-10 triumph, scoring the final 49 points as a crowd of 52,954 at Jones SBC Stadium celebrated a Big 12 conquest that won't be soon forgotten.
The 70 points were the most Nebraska's given up since it started playing football in 1890. Colorado had the previous high in a 62-36 triumph in November 2001.
In addition, it was the worst defeat in Nebraska history. The Huskers had three times lost by 54 points, to Minnesota in 1945 and 1943 and to Indiana in 1944.
Nebraska first-year head coach Bill Callahan described the defeat as "gut-wrenching."
"We need to get a lot better, obviously," he said. "We're certainly capable of being better."
In his postgame speech, Dailey said Callahan told the team, "That's not the team we are. Tonight they were better than us, but tonight only."
Tech, on this night, was much better than Nebraska.
In improving to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12, Tech rolled up 523 total yards while holding Nebraska to 292. Cumbie, a fifth-year senior and first-year starter, completed 44 of 56 passes and had only one interception.
Cumbie sliced up a Nebraska team that entered the night leading the Big 12 in pass-efficiency defense and total defense.
"We just could never get in the rhythm we're used to getting in," said Nebraska junior cornerback Fabian Washington. "There were too many busted plays and missed tackles."
Trailing 21-3 at halftime, Nebraska appeared ready to mount a comeback when Dailey completed a short pass to wideout Mark LeFlore that LeFlore turned into a 74-yard touchdown on the third play of the third quarter.
"We were right where we wanted, but we just couldn't finish it out," Callahan said, pointing to a barrage of turnovers and mental errors.
Starting with Tech's second series of the second half, Cumbie riddled Nebraska with 15 straight completions, with the Red Raiders scoring two touchdowns during his roll to lead 35-10.
With 2:24 remaining in the third quarter, Callahan replaced Dailey with true freshman Beau Davis. In seven possessions, the 6-foot-4, 168-pound Davis tossed four interceptions and lost a fumble. He was 1-of-8 passing overall.
Dailey was 14-of-34 for 187 yards and a touchdown, with one interception.
Callahan said he lifted Dailey because he thought Davis might provide a spark with his "deeper arm."
Dailey said he had no problems with Callahan's decision to put in Davis.
Several Nebraska players said the Huskers will respond well to Saturday's loss, despite the margin.
"We still feel like everything's intact," Washington said. "We can still win the Big 12 North. Still win the Big 12."
Callahan was asked if he was concerned about his team's psyche.
"I work on that constantly," the coach said. "These players are from good families.
They're good people. I have confidence they'll bounce back."