 "Photo: Jason Sweeten | Daily Texan Staff")
LINCOLN, Neb. - Not in his wildest dreams would Ryan Bailey have put himself on the 15-yard line, lining up to win a game-winning field goal with less than half a minute left to play. But there he was, surrounded by more than 85,000 screaming Nebraska fans in black and red, nestled in the depths of Memorial Stadium.
The Longhorns trailed 19-20, and Bailey - a walk-on who never kicked a game-winning field goal in high school - had his number called when starter Greg Johnson experienced tightness in his kicking leg.
The snow that had just moments before swirled through the stadium stopped. Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan called a time out, then challenged the previous incompletion, all in an attempt to ice an already-frozen kicker.
But it was for naught as Bailey launched a perfect kick through the uprights, quieting the crowd and putting the final points on the board.
"I was just here along for the ride," Bailey said.
Bailey said he learned shortly after Johnson's final extra point that he'd be put in the game if the team needed another kick.
He's done in one kick what it took 2004 Rose Bowl hero Dusty Mangum four years to do.
Not even the head coach was certain whether or not Bailey played for Texas last season, but now he's firmly ensconced in team lore.
"He's going to be like Dusty," said defensive end Tim Crowder, adding that the single kicker will have to choose a girlfriend now. "This is probably the greatest win we've had, including the national championship."
The sophomore walk-on was not listed on the depth chart. He said his biggest career accomplishment up to this point was simply making the football team.
In the Huskers' final possession, a roughing the passer penalty gave them two desperate shots at the end zone, but Texas' secondary batted each pass down, and the Longhorns came out of the cold with a 22-20 win.
The storybook ending fit perfectly within the bizarre chain of events that led up to it. The final six minutes of the game saw a pair of consecutive false start penalties from Nebraska's Chris Patrick wiped out by a 15-yard personal foul from Marcus Griffin.
Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky hit a wide open Nate Swift on a trick play with a 25-yard touchdown pass to put the Cornhuskers on top. The Longhorns went three-and-out on their next possession and was forced to punt, giving Nebraska back the ball with less than three minutes to play.
With snow falling, Brandon Jackson rushed twice, netting seven yards and forcing a third down with three to go. With 2:23 remaining on the clock after Texas' final time out, the game's outcome hung in the balance.
"I knew I had to make a play," Aaron Ross said.
The senior corner forced a fumble on a tackle on Terrance Nunn.
"I was aiming for it," he said. "Put your head on the ball, and most likely, it will come out."
One thing neither of the defensive coordinators or even Brown could coach was how to handle the cold. Texas was way out of its element as temperatures dipped below 30 degrees. Brown said he told the team that if they wanted to play in the NFL, they might end up in Green Bay, so he didn't want to hear about how cold it was in Nebraska.
With exception to their trouble in the red zone, the Texas offense operated reasonably well throughout the game despite the conditions. quarterback Colt McCoy hit eight different receivers on his way to throwing for 220 yards. He was 25-for-39, including two touchdown passes, and he didn't throw an interception despite facing constant blitzes in the second half. Limas Sweed enhanced his reputation as a big-time receiver by catching eight balls for 119 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass.
That score put the momentum firmly in Texas' grasp coming one play after a Michael Griffin interception and putting the Longhorns on top by nine.
The nine-point deficit remained until the first play in the fourth quarter, when Taylor tossed Jackson a short pass that, several missed tackles later, he turned into a 49-yard touchdown. The halfback pass from Lucky gave the Huskers the lead with 4:43 remaining.
"The were fired up and ready. They were going to do everything they could to beat us," McCoy said. "Most likely, we'll see them down the road in the Big 12 Championship."
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