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Texas tries to add to Nebraska's troubles

Oct 27, 2007 - 11:34 AM Nebraska (4-4) at No. 17 Texas (5-2) 3:30 pm EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (Ticker) -- Texas likely isn't going to feel too badly if it adds to Bill Callahan's woes this weekend.

The 17th-ranked Longhorns try to hand the embattled Nebraska coach a fourth straight defeat Saturday when the teams meet in a Big 12 Conference contest.

The Cornhuskers (4-4, 1-3 Big 12 North) were 4-1 and ranked 25th in the country when they went to Missouri on October 6. But they were blown out by the Tigers, 41-6, and have yet to recover.

The following week, Nebraska was blown out at home by Oklahoma State, 45-14, leading to the firing of athletic director Steve Peterson, who hired Callahan four years ago.

Last week, after legendary former coach Tom Osborne was named interim AD, the Cornhuskers again were routed in Lincoln, 36-14 to Texas A&M.

The Cornhuskers surrendered a staggering 359 yards on the ground and were shut out in the second half after being down just two points at the break.

Texas (5-2, 2-2 South) sits in a fourth-place tie in its division, but it is just one game out of first.

After losing consecutive games to Kansas State and Oklahoma, the Longhorns have defeated Iowa State and Baylor on the road by a combined 87-13.

In last week's 31-10 triumph over the Bears, Colt McCoy shook off two interceptions to throw for 293 yards and a score.

Last year, Texas edged Nebraska in Lincoln, 22-20, on Ryan Bailey's 22-yard field goal with 23 seconds to play.

"It's an exciting time and game for us and them, and I really believe it's the respect of the two programs," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "When you start looking at Michigan-Notre Dame and Texas-Nebraska, winning over 800 games in over 100-plus years of football, that doesn't happen very often.

"So it's like playing the Michigan, USC and Ohio State out-of-conference games because they're in the North (and) we don't see them all the time. Our guys get excited about this, and it'll be a fun week to prepare."