Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan surely understands why fans are grumbling about the Huskers' mistake-prone offense, especially after last weekend's struggle against Kansas, when a chorus of boos followed a fourth-quarter turnover.

Nevertheless, Callahan insisted Tuesday he remains optimistic about the progress of both quarterback Joe Dailey and the offense as a whole. In a figurative sense, the Huskers are climbing a mountain, and the summit may be closer than some people think, Callahan said.

"I really felt that the other night, we were on the verge of exploding,"Callahan said during his weekly media luncheon."I really did, and I know our team did.

"We had a couple of opportunities to put Kansas away, and we didn't take advantage of it."

Dailey, in evaluating Nebraska's 14-8 triumph, cited two second-half plays that were particularly costly:A botched snap on third-and-2 at Kansas' 24-yard line that led to Sandro DeAngelis' missed field goal; and a long pass intended for wideout Willie Amos that was intercepted by cornerback Charles Gordon at the Kansas 11 early in the fourth quarter.

On the long pass play, Kansas blitzed, forcing Dailey from the pocket. He threw off-balance, and the pass was short, leading to the second of Dailey's three interceptions.

"I think we took six shots downfield (in the second half),"Callahan said."We were trying to close out (the game), and we remained aggressive in our play selection."

The way Callahan sees it, a game's outcome often comes down to a handful of crucial plays. If Dailey had handled the snap on the third-and-2 play, perhaps Nebraska would've scored instead of incurring a 3-yard loss. Dailey said Tuesday that Kansas' alignment on that particular play was set up for the Huskers to make a big gain.

If Dailey had completed the pass to Amos, Nebraska would've led 21-8, and the tenor of the game — and the mood of the fans — perhaps would've changed dramatically.

"You can see improvement,"said Callahan, whose 3-1 squad is preparing for Saturday night's game at Texas Tech. "I'm very confident in the vision of what we're doing."

As for when Nebraska's offense might click on all cylinders, Callahan declined to venture a guess.

"But I sure see the strides individually," he said."Collectively, we've got to get better."

One area that's functioning well is the offensive line, Callahan said. It's blocking well downfield, finishing plays and performing in sync, particularly in the running game. In addition, pass protection has been excellent, Callahan said, especially considering the line's transition from a run-based offense to the West Coast attack. Indeed, NUhas allowed only three sacks.

Callahan said Nebraska will continue to mix the run and pass. To this point, the Huskers have rushed the ball 160 times and passed it 120.

Nebraska has had more success running the ball than passing it, leading some to wonder why Callahan doesn't call for more running plays. Callahan said he remains confident in both phases and noted that last season, as head coach of the NFLOakland Raiders, he called 21 straight running plays against the New York Jets.

At the same time, Callahan said, Nebraska has receivers in the system who can make the passing game work.

"We'll do what we need to do to win," Callahan said.

Despite Dailey's penchant for interceptions — he and Tech's Sonny Cumbie share the nation's lead with 11 — Callahan expresses unwavering confidence in the Husker sophomore.

"This is a guy who has really, really tried extremely hard and worked hard to learn all of the little nuances of the game,"Callahan said. "He's a young guy. He continues to develop like all of our young arms."

Callahan said Dailey showed improvement Saturday with his quick passes on "out" routes and with his swing passes. Dailey's timing and mechanics are improving, Callahan said.

Dailey, ranked 83rd nationally in passing efficiency, said his main objective is to "operate within the framework of the offense." He insists he remains confident.

Of course, it'd be silly to expect Nebraska's passing game to execute at the level that Texas Tech's does. After all, the Red Raiders (3-2) are in the fifth year of running head coach Mike Leach's complex spread offense.

"It's a very unique and unconventional type of system,"Callahan said. "They have an unwavering commitment to what they do."

Callahan remains upbeat about his offense. He studied film of the Kansas game and saw improvement in several areas, he said. It was just those handful of crucial plays that weren't executed that could have made a significant difference.

"I'm really proud of our kids and the way they've accepted everything we've installed and implemented," Callahan said. "Believe me, it's tough. But I'm really encouraged where we're at right now.

"I'm optimistic, and I'm going to remain optimistic every day. That's why I came back to college football. I'm going to enjoy wins, because they're hard to come by."

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.