Huskers ready to move forward after Cotton Bowl

DALLAS - The scene was eerily similar to previous Nebraska losses this season.

Inside the big white tent outside the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, NU Coach Bill Callahan and players tried to explain what happened and where the program was headed after coming up just short in a 17-14 loss to No. 10-ranked Auburn.

Outside the media tent, sirens blared as fire trucks sped to an emergency.

Inside the tent, there was no sense of panic among Callahan and his players.

"I thought we competed pretty well today," Callahan said. "We still have a ways to go, and we said before we came in here that we weren't ready to beat a top-10 team just yet."

A glance at the statistics, though, would indicate the Cornhuskers (9-5) actually outplayed the Tigers (11-2) for much of the game.

By halftime, Auburn had gained only 25 rushing yards on 15 carries while gaining only 46 yards of total offense compared to Nebraska's 157. The Huskers won the time-of-possession battle by nearly nine minutes in the first half. Despite the numbers, though, the score was tied 14-14 at the break.

"Our defense was playing well," said NU senior defensive end Adam Carriker. "We felt like we outplayed them even though the score was tied."

Both teams' defenses controlled the second half, but Auburn senior kicker John Vaughn's 42-yard field goal with 6 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter put the Tigers up 17-14 and proved to be the game-winner.

The Blackshirts limited Auburn's biggest rushing threat - Kenny Irons - to 72 yards on 24 carries.

Nebraska finished with 230 total yards to Auburn's 178, but the Tigers made just enough plays to win.

Auburn junior quarterback Brandon Cox completed 10-of-21 passes for 111 yards. The Tigers' senior wide receiver Courtney Taylor snagged six catches for 70 yards and was named the game's outstanding offensive player.

"Our goal going into the game was stopping the run and making Cox beat us with his arm," said NU senior linebacker Stewart Bradley. "I thought we did a pretty good job of that for most of the game."

In his final game in a Husker uniform, senior quarterback Zac Taylor completed 14-of-26 passes for 126 yards with one interception.

NU sophomore I-back Marlon Lucky was the Huskers' leading rusher and receiver. The sophomore gained 88 yards on 25 carries and also had six receptions for 67 yards.

But it wasn't enough against the Tigers.

Despite finishing only 9-5 after compiling an 8-4 record a year ago, Callahan and Husker players and coaches insisted the program is still on the right track.

Nebraska qualified for the Big 12 Conference Championship for the first time since 1999. And with the exception of an October loss to Oklahoma State, all of Nebraska's losses came to teams ranked in the top 10 when the Huskers played them.

The consensus among players seemed to be that those losses should drive returning players to work even harder in the offseason so Nebraska should be more prepared to beat the top teams in 2007.

According to NU senior defensive end Jay Moore, it's a process.

"This year wasn't like a couple years ago when there was a big gap in the games we lost," Moore said. "We're right there. It's just going to be a matter of time before we see Nebraska in the BCS."