November 2, 2003 LONG DAY VS. LONGHORNS Husker offense derailed by potent Texas attack; 'Horns stomp NU 31-7 By Jim D. Berryman MissingNebraska.com The build-up, the expectations, the big-game excitement all came crashing down Saturday in Austin, Texas. At least if you’re a Cornhusker fan it did. The Nebraska Cornhuskers were humbled by the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns dominated every aspect of the game to thump Nebraska 31-7. Ouch. Nebraska drops to 7-2, 3-2. Texas improves to 7-2, 4-1. Despite the fact that Big Red can still win the Big 12 North division, the Huskers looked like anything but a team that would be representing the north in Kansas City come December. The NU offense was nearly non-existent and the defense couldn’t contain UT tailback Cedric Benson, who exploded back onto the scene after being injured, by gaining 174 yards against the Blackshirts. Texas fans may just argue that the Big 12 championship game should involve two teams from the south division. The loss to Texas on Saturday wasn’t just any old loss. It was ugly Husker football. Embarrassing. Wasn’t it the Nebraska defense that was generating all the positive headlines this season? Yes, we do believe it was. Well, say hello to the Longhorn defense. Husker QB Jammal Lord sure did on Saturday. Over and over. The Husker quarterback was sacked 5 times for a loss of 45 yards. Lord was hurried throughout the game by a surging Longhorn defense. So all the blame can’t be placed on Lord’s poor offensive decisions. Where was the Husker offensive line? The Nebraska offense managed just 53 total yards on the ground, the lowest number in decades. Some credit must be given to the Husker defense, which came up with a blocked field goal, forced turnovers, and some important stops of Texas drives. If not for those, the score could have been much worse. But one of the most striking things about Saturday’s game in Austin was that it appeared the Huskers had just rolled out of bed moments before kickoff. Did someone forget to set the alarm clock? Perhaps the Huskers were still trying to shake off the recent time change. Perhaps the coaching staff thought the team is better than it is? The Huskers started sluggish and finished the same way. One of the Connecticut Husker fans in attendance at the New Haven watch party at TK’s American Café said, “How can you not get up for Texas?” Point well taken. Stumbling, bumbling, fumbling. The Huskers did it all Saturday. But let’s keep this all in perspective. Nebraska is not a great team. We already knew that. This is a rebuilding season for the Huskers coming off its worst season in over 40 years. Even though the bottom fell out on the ’03 season Saturday, theirs is still time to patch it up. Nebraska has equaled the total number of victories it had last season with 3 regular-season games to go. If the Huskers win all three, the Big 12 North championship will more than likely be theirs. After Saturday, some Husker fans will have a hard time finding a good reason to win all three games. After all, the Huskers would more than likely be playing the Oklahoma Sooners in the championship game. The same Sooners that destroyed the Longhorns a few weeks ago. Even though the Huskers were pounded Saturday, one positive thing can be realized from the team that creamed them. Just look how Texas bounced back after its blowout loss to bitter rival Oklahoma. Teams can bounce back, and we certainly hope the Huskers do just that. Feedback NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS vs. TEXAS LONGHORNS GAME STORIES & LINKS 11-02-03: Texas Two-Stomp: NU is dominated on both sides of ball More From OWH 11-02-03: BULLRUSHED More From LJS 11-02-03: Huskers hooked again More From GII 11-02-03: Longhorns control ground game, rout Nebraska More From Houston Chronicle 11-02-03: Texas runs over Nebraska 31-7 More From Austin American-Statesman Husker 2003 Schedule/Results Huskers on ESPN.com Husker Hot Pics Photos from AP Husker Game Watch Locations Nationwide