LINCOLN, Nebraska - It was supposed to be a one-sided affair, with experts predicting that the mighty Nebraska running game would have its way with the Wyoming defense, and win the game going away.

Well, they were half right. The Huskers running game was pretty much unstoppable, gaining 211 yards on 36 carries, and scoring four touchdowns. However, the game was anything but a blowout. Wyoming actually led for much of the contest, and had a chance until the very end. The end didn't come until the third overtime, when Nebraska scored a touchdown and converted the required two-point conversion attempt to start the series, and then denied Wyoming on their two point attempt to escape Laramie with a 53 - 51 win on Saturday.

The Nebraska offense was simply unstoppable at the end of the game. The Huskers scored twice in the final three minutes to force overtime, and their three overtime possessions lasted a total of four plays. The first two were single passes, and the third was one pass and one run.

"It took a monumental performance by these kids, to even be in this one," a dejected Joe Glenn told reporters after the game. "No one expected it to be close, and these guys deserve a lot of credit for playing as well as they did. Of course, that doesn't make it any less painful. To come so close, and then fall just short like that, it really hurts."

The Cowboys hurt themselves several times with penalties, ending with five for sixty yards, including a monumental holding penalty on the Cowboys' final drive of regulation. The ten yard call negated a huge 18 yard run that would have put Wyoming in field goal range.

"Yeah, that might be the worst part, actually," Glenn said. "Sure we gave up a lot of yards, but they are a real good team, and there's no shame in that. But to think that with those penalties, we probably cost ourselves the game..." Glenn trailed off.

Almost lost among the disappointment are the numbers put up by the Wyoming passing game today, three in all. Aided by the three overtime sessions, quarterback Kenneth Wingate threw for the second most yards by a Wyoming quarterback in a single game, with 475. As the primary recipient of Wingate's passes, sophomore receiver Andre Kirkpatrick set school records for yards receiving, with 311, and touchdown catches, with five.

At a school known for its quarterbacks and wide receivers, it was quite an accomplishment for both, though at least immediately after the game, the players were more worried about the loss.

"I didn't even realize it until someone told me," Kirkpatrick said. "It isn't that big a deal, especially since we lost. I mean, its nice to have the records and all, but I'd rather we'd won."

The loss drops the Cowboys to 1 - 1 on the year, with another difficult game at Louisville looming next week.

"We surprised them a little bit last year," Glenn said, in reference to the Cowboys' 21 - 18 win over Louisville last year in the Liberty Bowl. "I think they are an even better team this year, and they certainly know us well and what we like to do. We are going to have to play our best game next week to have a shot at beating them at home."

The 2005 Liberty Bowl was played on a neutral field in Memphis, Tennessee, though with Louisville being just six hours from Memphis, the Cardinals certainly had more fans at the game than Wyoming did, being another 800 miles away.