No bowl: Buffs hold off Huskers
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
In the end, in the historically bitter end, Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey turned philosophical.
"The way I see it, even great empires and great leaders fall," Dailey said. "Great college football teams fall, too. Sometimes you have to start over to appreciate what happened in the past."
Nebraska, throughout the 2004 season, seemed caught somewhere between its glorious past and promising future. It made for an awkward present, an awkwardness that ended with Friday's 26-20 loss to Big 12 rival Colorado before 77,661 fans at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers battled until the final gun, scoring two touchdowns in the final four minutes to make things mildly interesting and avert a feeling of unmitigated misery.
However, with a 5-6 final record (3-5 in the Big 12), Nebraska's streaks of 42 consecutive winning regular seasons and 35 straight bowl appearances vanished into the chilly autumn air.
A total of 10 recruits, including three touted defensive linemen, were on hand at Memorial Stadium as part of their official campus visits. They witnessed the kind of history Nebraska coaches and players — particularly 22 seniors — would rather forget.
"Our seniors gave their all," said Nebraska first-year coach Bill Callahan. "I'm really proud of them, and I'm really sorry and disappointed that it had to end this way for them."
Callahan, though, views the program's future with optimism, in part because his 2005 recruiting class currently is ranked No. 2 nationally by Rivals.com. He said he'll now turn his attention to procuring a strong finish to the recruiting season.
"We set a good foundation to build on, and I'm confident this group will bounce back," Callahan said.
The thing is, for the seniors, there's no second chance, no possibility for a happy ending. They finish their careers with a 33-18 record.
"To the fans, we're sorry we didn't live up to expectations," said Nebraska senior linebacker Chad Sievers, a Valley native. "As a home-state kid, that really hurts."
Sievers said he made it a point in the locker room before the game to emphasize the importance of setting the tone during the first few possessions.
The Huskers got off to a rousing start, surprising most everyone by opening the contest with an onside kick, recovered by NU true freshman Lance Brandenburgh. Callahan said Colorado's alignment that spreads four players across the field, instead of the typical five, invites onside kicks.
Nebraska, though, went three-and-out, and Colorado knocked the Huskers on their heels with a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown march.
Nebraska's second possession ended when Dailey's on-target pass to wideout Ross Pilkington bounced off Pilkington's chest into the arms of linebacker Thaddaeus Washington at the Husker 37-yard line. Mason Crosby's 37-yard field goal made it 10-0.
Slow starts have been a nuisance all season for Nebraska.
"You can't ease into games anymore," Sievers said. "You have to attack."
Colorado went up 17-0 on tailback Bobby Purify's 9-yard scamper four minutes into the second quarter. Purify started the play running to his right, then reversed field, eluding Husker lineman Titus Adams before strolling to paydirt.
Purify, a senior from Colorado Springs, finished with 130 yards on 22 carries, and backup Lawrence Vickers added 71 yards on 17 attempts.
Meanwhile, Nebraska tailback Cory Ross, who had averaged 150 rushing yards in the last three games, managed just 35 on 11 carries. He left the game for a spell in the second quarter after suffering an apparent knee injury and only carried the ball once in the second half.
The Huskers had 9 rushing yards after one quarter before finishing with a season-low 67.
"We knew the only way for us to win the game was to stop the running game, and that ended up being the difference in the game," said Colorado coach Gary Barnett, whose squad improved to 7-4 and remains in Big 12 North title contention at 4-4 in the league.
Because of its large deficit, and Colorado's tendency to load up in the box, Nebraska was forced to throw the ball. Dailey established school records for completions (29) and attempts (55). Although he passed for 306 yards, his four interceptions were more telling.
In Dailey's defense, he often threw under duress. Colorado finished with three sacks.
Among the spectators was Harrison Beck, the touted quarterback from Clearwater, Fla., who has pledged to join Nebraska's 2005 recruiting class.
On a trying day — the culmination of a tumultuous season — at least Nebraska players and coaches could look toward the future.
Callahan said he was encouraged by the "next phase we're going into."
"We're building for a championship season," he said. "It's going to take time."
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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