Was it . . . A: The Bears falling behind 20-0 in the first 20½ minutes, putting added pressure on an offense that had scored 24 points in its first three Big 12 Conference games?
B: Their inspired second-half defensive effort - allowing 104 total yards, forcing two turnovers, including Clifton Odom's 45-yard interception return for a touchdown, and pitching a shutout - going for naught?
C: Failing to score on first-and-10s from the Cornhuskers' 12- and 20-yard lines on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions. The miscues included hooking a 29-yard field goal that would have pulled the Bears to within 20-13 with 6:28 left and dropping a wide-open pass in the end zone with 2:45 to go that would've made it 20-17.
Or D: That Floyd Casey Stadium felt like it was teleported to Lincoln, Neb., with the large presense of red in the half-empty stands?
Think about it, because Baylor (3-5 overall, 0-4 Big 12) lost its fourth straight game and might not get a better chance for a confidence-building victory than it had against struggling Nebraska (5-3, 2-2).
"It is frustrating," said Bears freshman quarterback Nick Florence, who went 19-of-38 for 222 yards and was sacked seven times, five by Jared Crick to set a Huskers record. "A play slips through your hands. We had plays at the end and we didn't do it. We fought hard in the second half, it was a valiant effort, but it does hurt when it was so close."
Baylor - which has three offensive touchdowns in its last 17 quarters dating to the Kent State game - fell behind 7-0 in the first 89 seconds on Justin Blatchford's 25-yard blocked punt return for a score.
"It couldn't have started out any worse than it did," Bears coach Art Briles said. "I don't think you have to be a football follower for years to understand that that isn't how you want to start a football game, especially against a team that has a pretty good defense and when you haven't been as productive offensively as you'd like to be."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
