Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 42

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2007 C13 THIRDANDLONGHORNS The (sometimes warped) view from the press box QUICK KICKS Four L's in Bill Callahan: That would be four consecutive losses for the Huskers for the first time since 1961. Happy 100th, Mack: So, now we understand. The Longhorns wanted to make Mack Brown's 100th win rffS CTATfTQN A A Kl CCK A Watcn vide0 of tne postgame press conference and see more photos from the game I A I L.OIVIMI wWlVI Submit and view reader photos from tailgate parties and the game BEVO BUZZ: BEYOND THE GAME Cornhusker fans hit highway, stay loyal in time of trouble at Texas a victory to remember. That's why they let the Huskers hang around for so long. (Yeah, right.) Isn't it supposed to be 'instant' replay? Officials took so long to review Quan Cosby's miracle catch that Texas had time to run another play.

That would normally negate the ability to review the previous play, but this is the Big 12, where the refs Mack Brown "Everyone always gets a kick out of that," Bourdage said. She had to submit a DVD, a resume and three recommendations to be considered for the twirling position at Texas. She auditioned live in April as one of three finalists. The selection process was, in a certain way, about as difficult as getting into the architecture program, which Bourdage accomplished, too. Now she balances her studies with three weekly two-hour practices and home-game performances.

"There's a few nights I don't exactly go to bed," she said. Architecture, by the way, is a five-year program at Texas. Which means Bourdage could be the Longhorn twirler until 2011, smiling all the way. Other stars in attendance The stars came out Saturday to watch Texas and Nebraska. Former is that what he is today? major-league pitcher Roger Clemens, who pitched at Texas, stalked the Longhorns' sideline, while Yankee teammate Joba Chamberlain, who pitched for the Cornhuskers, lurked on the Nebraska side.

Tennis star Andy Roddick, who lives in Austin but was born in Omaha, spent part of the game in a suite with former Nebraska coach and current athletic director Tom Osborne. Actor Matthew McConaughey who isn't a coach but played one in "We Are Marshall" cavorted with the privileged on the field before the game and watched from a suite in the east stands. By Kevin Robbins AMERlCAN-STATfSMAN STAFF Back in August, the Texas-Nebraska game held all kinds of The Longhorns were ranked fourth in the preseason Associated Press poll. The Cornhuskers were No. 20.

Their meeting in Week 9 carried implications for a conference championship, the BCS maybe even the national title. "We thought it'd be a big game," remarked Jeff Hale of Omaha, Neb. "It's not a big game anymore." Hale, 48, said that before Nebraska had a 14-point lead in the second half. Score notwithstanding, Hale counts himself among the "Greatest Fans in College Football." Those words are inscribed at every entrance of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, where Hale, who works for a software company, has season tickets. Nowadays, he packs his red hat and clothes and goes on the road to see if Beg Red can somehow salvage a season out of its worst start in 46 years.

Nebraska came to Austin a 4-4 team. Add another loss, and it's 4-5. The football in Lincoln is so miserable the oddsmakers favored Texas by 21. Yet, in the face of such infirmity, the Nebraska fans roam the country with their Huskers. That rich shade of red dominated the visitors' corner of Royal-Memorial Stadium and eight sections of the upper level facing west.

"We could go 0-12," said Nebraska graduate Dustin Hogzett, 27. "But as long as we know next year there's improvement, During Nebraska's rough season, 'Greatest Fans' stay in the saddle we'll never go away." Next year. Like Chicago with the Cubs or Johnston High School and its Rams, there's always that. "You can't abandon the team you cheer for," said Danielle Blackstock, who wore a foam cob of corn on her head. "I'm not going to abandon them in their timeofneed." Top day for twirlers Two college football teams with five Heisman trophies and nine national titles.

A clean Texas sky. In the 70s, with a crisp breeze huffing from the north. Saturday was perfect for you-know-what: twirling. Longhorn Band twirler Alexa Bourd-age, a tall and lean freshman from Car-mel, performed twice Saturday, one of those made-for-twirling days in Austin. The wind was tricky, she said, but nothing like last week in Waco.

If she made a mistake and every time the baton goes helicoptering in the air there's a chance for a mistake she forgot to sulk. "All you can do is smile and keep going," Bourdage said. She's been smiling and twirling her baton since she was 4 years old. She got the idea from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." She tells the story all the time. make it up as they go.

Like when they used a TV commercial break to figure out that they'd announced the wrong penalties two minutes earlier. Our celebs against your celebs: Who would win this Rating battle royale: Texas' Roger Clemens and Matthew McCo-naughey vs. Nebraska's Andy Roddick and Joba Chamberlain? Speaking of Roddick: Dude, you live in Austin now. Give up the Huskers gear. Boo birds: They aren't saying, "Boo." Oh, wait, yes they are.

We're just not familiar with that sound. Hadn't heard it from the orangebloods in a long while. They were shut up soon enough. HOW THEY SEE IT The pollsters: They just check the scores each week to see which team beat up on Nebraska. Texas' three-point win won't impress many.

The message boards: "Mack Brown is holding back. We're too classy to get another coach fired," wrote one live chatter. Most were disgusted, then ecstatic. MACK SMACK What Mack said: "You didn't win 100 games with Greg Davis without him getting some of the credit, too." What Mack should've said: But all of the losses were Greg's fault." GRADES PLEASE RUN OFFENSE: A Well, that's what the numbers tell us. But the Horns' historic fourth quarter masked a pretty mediocre effort until then (116 yards on 30 carries through three quarters).

Still, we've got a hard-and-fast rule: Rush for 360-plus yards, get an A. PASS OFFENSE: C- Colt McCoy never quite got in rhythm. His completions and yards were season lows, and for first time this year, he didn't have a TD pass. RUN DEFENSE: Grade might've been worse if Nebraska had left Marlon Lucky in the game all day. Horns had few answers for him, but gave up just 132 yards on the day.

PASS DEFENSE: C- Would someone please cover Nate Swift? He gouged Texas for two TDs, both on the same pattern. Husker QBs racked up 315 yards the first 300-yard game Texas' secondary has given up this year. KICKERS: A- Justin Moore (42.5-yard average) punted well with and against the wind, and Ryan Bailey booted three field goals. Only blemish was his second-quarter miss on his shortest attempt of the day. RETURNERS: Quan Cosby continues to be more comfortable on kick returns than punts.

He returned only two of Nebraska's eight punts. LONGHORN OFFENSE i. f) ft v. jfr, r--f(. IF, DOUBLE DIGITS Today's big number 16.6 Jamaal Charles' per-carry average in the fourth quarter.

Today's little number 1:35 Average time of Texas' last three scoring drives, thanks to Charles' long runs. WHO'S GOT NEXT Longhorns head to Oklahoma State on Saturday (time still to be set by the TV execs). The Cowboys, whom we've heard are coached by a 40-year-old man, beat these Cornhuskers 45-14 in Lincoln en route to a 5-3 record and 3-1 in conference. MXV'U 1 4 Vu -x' 1 I i tBfcfc in inr tun i lllwr-Wfj TEX MESSAGE See ya, C-han LOOK BACKL00K AHEAD Keeping up with the Longhorns' 2007 schedule Deborah Cannon N-s i Texas' Jamaal Charles is cheered by members of the Texas band after scoring one of his fourth-quarter touchdowns against Nebraska. Charles busted loose for scoring runs of 86 and 40 yards late in the quarter and rushed for a career-high 290 yards.

Zone read has need for speed; McCoy makes it work GAME SEVEN OCT. 13 Texas 56, Iowa State 3: Ex- UT assistant Gene Chizik gets a view from the other side, and boy, is it ugly. GAME EIGHT OCT. 20 Texas 31, Baylor 10: Bears hang around, but only until Marcus Griffin's big interception return in fourth. GAME NINE SATURDAY Texas 28, Nebraska 25: Charles' 3 TDs in fourth quarter lift Horns past Huskers.

GAME 10 NOV. 3 Texas at Oklahoma State: Cowboys haven't been able to put away UT in 2nd half. TBA, Stillwater, Okla. GAME 11 NOV. 10 Texas Tech at Texas: Mike Leach brings high-flying circus show back to Austin.

TBA, Royal-Memorial GAME 12 NOV. 23 Texas at Texas Aggies won last year and get Texas at home this time around. 2:30 p.m., College Station GAME ONE SEPT. 1 Texas 21, Arkansas State 13: Longhorns start slow, finish slower in lethargic season-opening victory. GAME TWO SEPT.

8 Texas 34, TCU 13: UT defense rises to occasion, and McCoy, Charles carry Longhorns. GAME THREE SEPT. 15 Texas 35, Central Florida 32: UT recovers last-minute onside kick for second time in three games to hang on. GAME FOUR SEPT. 22 Texas 58, Rice 14: Horns pile up 560 yards of offense on Owls, perhaps the worst team in Division l-A.

GAME FIVE SEPT. 29 Kansas State 41, Texas 21: Wildcats score nearly every way imaginable to beat Horns for 2nd straight year. GAME SIX OCT. 6 Oklahoma 28, Texas 21: Anemic rushNg attack, turnovers at worst possible time spell doom for Horns. of carrying the ball.

"I had talked to Colt earlier in the week about being able to use (the zone read) more, and we used it several times," offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. "Colt had an explosive run on it, and Jamaal had several explosive runs on it." Including the final play of the momentum-turning drive. McCoy handed off to Charles, who broke a tackle and finished off a 25-yard touchdown with more confidence than he's had all season. "It was my time," said Charles, who busted scoring runs of 86 and 40 yards later in the fourth quarter. "It was my time to show everybody what I can do, and I proved it out there today." And the Longhorns proved that the zone read, absent through most of the season due to its ineffectiveness early on, works in the right situations.

"It works with Colt," offensive lineman Tony Hills said. "The zone read works when you have a quarterback who can make plays with his feet." That hasn't been the case this season. But it was for three key pipys Saturday. atrubowiastatesman.conv, 445-3959 big smile," Longhorn lineman Chris Hall said. "He just looked like he was ready to lead his team and do his job." Perhaps it was the threat of Chiles.

Maybe it was that Texas' offensive line finally wore down the Nebraska defensive line. Whatever it was, something finally worked for the Texas offense. Chiles, in the shotgun for the zone read, handed off to Jamaal Charles, and Charles sliced through the line and carried the ball for 25 yards to the Cornhuskers' 49. McCoy returned on the next play. "When I got back in the huddle, I could see the fire in the linemen's eyes, and I knew there was something different about them," McCoy said.

"I got back in the huddle, and I told them, 'Look me in the eyes and I'm going to look every one of you in your eyes. Let's go to work. Let's play. This is why we play college football right here. Let's go And it seemed like we had momentum from that point on." McCoy was ready for a little zone read, too.

Despite still feeling the effects of Dillard's hit, MtCoy took the snap, kept the ball and took off for 24 yards. "I was like, 'Here we McCoy said ByAlanTrubow STAFF Colt McCoy left, and the zone-read play returned. The turning point in Saturday's victory over Nebraska came on the Longhorns' lone offensive play with its starting quarterback on the sideline. "I think that really changed the momentum of the game," McCoy said of a three-play sequence, all zone reads, when the Longhorns trailed 17-9 early in the fourth quarter. "You could feel a difference." The zone read was the play that Vince Young made famous.

The quarterback takes the snap in the shotgun formation and then reads the opponent's defensive end, either keeping the ball himself or handing off to a tailback. On Saturday, it started with 13:13 left in the game. McCoy tried to scramble and throw on the run when Nebraska's Phillip Dillard hit him as he was releasing the ball. McCoy had the wind knocked out of him and was forced to the sidelines. Enter John-Chiles, Texas' mobile freshman backup quarterback.

"He came in with a lot of energy and a.