Nebraska Cornhuskers Beaten by Dropped Passes, Fumbles and Penalties, not Texas

*NOTE* the B/R editors put the word "blame" in the title; that was not my intention. My intention was to simply draw attention to some of the key players in Nebraska's pathetic performance against Texas. Please read on.

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This isn't a slam article on the Texas Longhorns. They did what they had to do, though not spectacularly. 

In fact, the 'Horns may have salvaged their season, avoiding a third consecutive loss, after stepping into a hornet's nest in Lincoln, Nebraska and pulling out a win.

So celebrate, Texas fans. Your team has owned the series vs. Nebraska and put an exclamation point on it with a victory in the final conference game between the two traditional football powerhouses, a game in which almost all of the emotion was on the Cornhuskers' side.

What's especially sickening is that every Nebraska fan and player still had last year's Big 12 Championship game on their mind and the heart-breaking outcome that followed, yet the Huskers still managed to stumble their way blindly through a game with so much meaning.

Last year's 13-12 last-second loss, in hindsight, almost seemed like a good thing for the Huskers, as it brought the team together for a common purpose. It taught them the necessity of finishing every game, to play every second of every game and to never give up until the very end.

However on this day, a day that should have been one of redemption for Nebraska and a final chance to erase some of the gut-wrenching memories of Texas games past—ones that have haunted them since 1996. Nebraska beat themselves.

This writer is not one to call out amateur players; they aren't paid millions to carry the hopes of an entire city, state or region. But in a game that meant so much to so many, several players made oh-so-costly mistakes that ruined their chance for sweet revenge.

So, while it pains me to do it, here's a brief rundown of those who meekly handed the game to Texas:

Taylor Martinez: Although he did what he could, was smothered by the Longhorns. The Texas D was more than ready for him and forced him to try and win the game with his arm, by putting the Nebraska offense in repeated third-and-long situations. His youth and inexperience finally showed through after five relatively easy games and eventually forced the coaching staff to bring in the senior QB Zac Lee to try and change the complexion of the game.

Roy Helu: Fumbled a ball near the Husker's 20-yard line, which ultimately ended in a Texas touchdown and quieted a hopeful and initially enthusiastic Sea of Red.

Rex Burkhead and Brandon Kinnie: Both dropped sure touchdown passes which would have created a totally different set of circumstances for the Huskers. Burkhead tried to run with authority in the second half, but it was too little, too late.

Niles Paul: Couldn't catch a ball to save his life. Time after time, he dropped sure passes, though the entire receiving corps seemed to have an incurable case of the "dropsies." In the end, the Huskers dropped four guaranteed scores and several other passes that would have extended drives.

Between all the dropped passes and the four fumbles (though Nebraska only lost one, the others were decisive drive-killers), the Huskers also had 10 (count 'em, 10) penalties.

All afternoon, it was a classic case of one step forward, two steps back.

Defensively, while the Husker secondary held Garrett Gilbert to 4-for-16 passing, they failed to intercept him even once. Previously, Nebraska had an interception in nine straight games.

Instead, Gilbert uncharacteristically managed to beat the Nebraska D with his legs, scoring two rushing touchdowns. In fact, the Husker D let Texas run all over them as the 'Horns racked up 209 yards on the ground to Nebraska's measly 125 yards of output on 44 carries (that's 2.8 yards per attempt for those keeping score at home).

You can talk about pressure and team jitters all you want, but this was the one game that Husker Nation wanted to win the most, and the Huskers consistently killed themselves at every turn.

Not even a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown by Eric Hagg (a school record) could salvage this comedy of errors.

And Pelini and his staff shouldn't be let off the hook either. Nebraska's decision to try an onside kick with three minutes and change remaining was a failed gamble that effectively ended any chance of a Husker comeback.

We can say that this single game doesn't define the Huskers season (as one of our own Nebraska F/C's astutely reminded us), but why try to put a positive spin on such a putrid performance?

The only positive statement I can manage to say is that, hopefully, this will be the last time we see those butt-ugly, burnt-orange uniforms again, unless Nebraska and Texas manage to find themselves in the Big 12 title game again this year.

But after watching this cringe-worthy, vomit inducing performance by Nebraska, that's very doubtful at this point.

So, you're welcome, Texas. The Huskers handed you a win, gift-wrapped in a bright red bow and with it the confidence to assert yourself in the conference for the rest of the season.

This game, "the game" to show a national audience that Nebraska had progressed to the next level, instead showed the country how mistake-prone and undisciplined the Huskers can be.

The hype is over, the "Red Out" has been painted orange and Nebraska will make the move to the Big Ten, having shown their future conference mates that they still can't hang with the big boys.

Apparently, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

(Photo: AP)