LITTLE ROCK — AUSTIN, Texas - Jamaal Charles ran for a career-high 290 yards, including 216 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and carried Texas to a 28-25 victory over Nebraska on Saturday, sending the Cornhuskers to their fourth consecutive loss.
Nebraska has lost four in a row for the first time since 1961, another black mark for beleaguered Coach Bill Callahan, whose future with the Huskers beyond this season is in the hands of former Huskers coach and interim athletic director Tom Osborne.
For Texas Coach Mack Brown, the victory was a milestone - No. 100 with the Longhorns.
The Longhorns spent three quarters trying to pass against one of the worst rush defenses in the country and Nebraska (4-5, 1-4 Big 12) led 17-9 to start the fourth quarter behind two touchdown passes from Sam Keller to Nate Swift.
Then Texas started using the zone-read option and the running game quickly started piling up yards and points. Three running plays covered 75 yards on Texas' first touchdown drive and Charles' second touchdowns gave Texas its first lead since the first quarter.
Charles broke free for touchdown runs of 25, 86 and 40 yards in the fourth quarter. His last touchdown gave Texas a 28-17 lead. His rushing total was the fourth-highest in Texas history and the 'Horns finished with 364 yards rushing.
Texas went to its running game almost by chance and a hard hit on quarterback Colt McCoy.
McCoy was shaken up when he scrambled outside the pocket and the Longhorns were forced to use freshman John Chiles. Hisone play, a zone-read handoff to Charles, produced 24 yards and suddenly Texas had figured out how to beat a Cornhuskers team that had been steamrolled on the ground in recent weeks.
Still, the Cornhuskers showed some fight this week after being outscored 122-34 in their previous three games.
Keller connected with Swift for scores from 24 and 23 yards out. The defense dogged Mc-Coy most of the afternoon with a fierce pass rush that delivered several hard hits.
Nebraska had a final chance when backup quarterback Joe Ganz fired a 4-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Purify with 1:55 to play. A two-point conversion pass cut the Texas lead to three points but the Longhorns' Brandon Foster recovered the onsidekick.
Purify ran for 111 yards for the Cornhuskers.
It was four years ago against Nebraska that Texas unveiled its zone read with quarterback Vince Young and the Longhornsrolled to a 31-7 victory, a game that helped push former Cornhuskers Coach Frank Solich out of his job.
Texas understandably has gotten away from using that offense with McCoy, who's not the same running threat Young was. Texas seemed to have paid little attention to how teams have been battering the Nebraska defense on the ground this season. The Longhorns had more pass attempts (18) than rushes (17) in the first half and managed only one field goal.
In other Big 12 games, Lorenzo Williams recovered a fumble in the end zone at the start of the second half and Missouri pulled away from stubborn Iowa State 42-28 in Columbia, Mo.Jimmy Jackson, Tony Temple, Martin Rucker and Jeremy Maclin each scored for the Tigers (7-1, 3-1), who had been four-touchdown favorites against the downtrodden Cyclones (1-8, 0-5). ... Cody Hawkins threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns and Colorado intercepted Graham Harrell four times, returning one for a score in a 31-26 victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. Buffaloes cornerback Terrence Wheatley made three of the interceptions, two on back-to-back Texas Tech possessions in the fourth quarter with Colorado leading 31-19. Colorado got up early and stayed ahead.Its defense held Texas Tech (6-2, 2-3) to 470 yards of total offense, 87 fewer than the Red Raiders' average. The Buffs (5-4, 3-2) went up 24-6 early in the third quarter when Jordon Dizon, the nation's leading tackler, intercepted Harrell and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. ... Josh Freeman threw touchdown passes on three consecutive possessions to open the second half, and wide receiver Jordy Nelson broke another school record in Kansas State's 51-13 victory over Baylor in Manhattan, Kansas. Nelson had eight catches for 105 yards and broke the Kansas State (5-2, 3-2) record for receptions in a season. His 8-yard catch from backup Carson Coffman was his 76th this year, breaking Darnell McDonald's mark of 75 in 1988. Baylor (3-6, 0-5) suffered its eighth consecutive conference loss.
Sports, Pages 43 on 10/28/2007