Baylor didn't let Nebraska carry the momentum of a last-second touchdown before halftime into the second half.

But it simply was too little and much too late for the Bears.

Baylor had its most effective offensive performance in nearly a decade in the third quarter, scoring on three consecutive possessions to trim Nebraska's lead to 38-24. But the NU offense proved to be too much for the Bears to handle and the Huskers pulled away for a 59-27 victory.

"There was no jumping in our face and all crazy at halftime. Coach just wanted us to play a great second half," said running back Paul Mosley. "At halftime, we said we had another half to play and we had to go all-out. I wish we would have done it earlier."

The tone was set early, when Baylor drove 58 yards on its first possession before settling for a field goal. Nebraska responded immediately, then kept the Bears' offense from mounting any serious drives  again in the first half while building a 24-3 lead.

It might have seemed a lost cause for Baylor when NU defensive end Jay Moore forced and recovered a fumble by Baylor quarterback Dane King just before halftime and the Huskers scored on the next play for a 31-3 halftime lead.

"That touchdown before the half kind of took the steam out of us," Baylor coach Guy Morriss said. "I don't think the defense was flying around aggressively quite like last week. We were flat coming in at halftime and we kind of hung our heads a little bit.

"At halftime, I told the kids we had a good game plan, let's just go out and execute it. We challenged them and came back out and the offense picked it up."

That is an understatement for a team that scored touchdowns on three straight possessions for the first time since 1996. The Bears accomplished that feat on the final drive of regulation against Missouri, then scored in the first two overtime periods before finally losing in the third overtime, 49-42. The last time the Bears did it in a non-overtime game was in 1994, when they scored on their first three possessions of the game against Texas before losing 63-35.

 "The offensive line played well in the third quarter," Morriss said. "They were the difference. We ran the ball well and we had time to throw it well."

King, in fact, threw so well that he chalked up career highs in completions (23), attempts (38) and yards (281).

"Dane looks good when the O-line gives him time. He made good reads, good sharp throws and the receivers were catching the ball," said Morriss. "You just couldn't draw it up any better."

King said the only change at halftime was to emphasize the plays that could attack the Husker defense.

"We talked about keeping it short and keeping the passing game quick," King said. "The offensive line did a great job. They gave holes for the running backs and they gave me time.

"We came out thinking we had to execute. (Marques) Roberts and I connected on a stage you need and we made it work. We were able to change to routes that hit them in their weakness."

Mosley scored on a 1-yard run for the first second-half score, which capped an eight-play, 68-yard drive. The Baylor defense stopped Nebraska on three plays and King went back to work, this time hitting Dominique Zeigler with an 8-yard scoring pass to cut the score to 31-17. Nebraska answered with a quick drive for a score, but then Baylor was back within two touchdowns after King found Roberts with a 1-yard scoring pass.

"I thought we could get back in it. We were making up some ground, but we just couldn't keep them out of the end zone," said Morriss. "We weren't very sharp on third down and we couldn't get them off the field."

Linebacker Justin Crooks, who had a career-high 13 tackles, said the Bears' defensive problems were self-inflicted.

"It was just a matter of not playing assignment football. On the long screen (pass) for a touchdown, that was me. I didn't get my guy," Crooks said of Cory Ross' 74-yard scoring reception.

Cornerback C.J. Wilson agreed.

"With all the shifting they do, you have to know exactly what you're supposed to do," he said. "That's the West Coast offense. If you are off-balance, they will find the spot."

Safety Willie Andrews credited Nebraska with keeping the Baylor defense in a state of limbo.

"They were picking up the blitz and we need to blitz," he said. "They put us in an awkward position we weren't ready to be in."

Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com