Dave Weaver / AP

Texas players swarm on Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, who replaced  ineffective starter Taylor Martinez during the No. 5 Cornhuskers' 20-13 loss Saturday.

By Eric Olson

updated 9:12 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2010

LINCOLN, Neb. - Texas beat Nebraska yet again, and this time there was no doubt.

Garrett Gilbert got the Longhorns out to a two-touchdown lead in the first half and their defense shut down Taylor Martinez to key a 20-13 upset Saturday, a crushing first defeat for a fifth-ranked Cornhuskers team that was out to avenge last year's loss in the Big 12 championship game.

"They had more pressure on them today than us, and that's unusual," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I thought their fans hung in there with them. But I could feel some of their fans, when we got up 10-0 thinking, 'You've got to be kidding, not again.'"

The Huskers and the Nebraska faithful had been pointing to this game for 10 months, since last year's conference title game ended with one second put back on the clock — enough time for the Longhorns to kick the winning field goal and sneak away with a 13-12 victory.

The stakes became even higher after Nebraska announced over the summer that it was moving to the Big Ten next year.

Suddenly, this looked like the Huskers' last chance to beat a Texas program that had dominated them since the inception of the Big 12.

Barring a rematch in the conference championship game, Texas will have won nine of 10 meetings against the Huskers since 1996, with Nebraska's only win coming in the 1999 title game.

"We'll let the fans feel sorry for what happened," Huskers coach Bo Pelini said. "We have to take an experience like this and have it make us stronger. I know our team has a lot of character."

Texas (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) came as a 9½-point underdog after two straight losses. But the Longhorns surprised Nebraska (5-1, 1-1) by turning Gilbert loose in the run game for the first time this season.

Though no one will confuse Gilbert the runner with Texas greats Vince Young or Colt McCoy, the sophomore picked up 71 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He flummoxed the Huskers with quarterback draws and scrambles.

"We've been encouraging Garrett to make yards with his feet. He did that today," Brown said. "He maybe doesn't look like Vince or Colt when he's running the ball, but he's effective. We've got to keep him doing that. It's better for us when he can move his feet."

Garrett said he has no problem letting his legs do the work.

"I feel comfortable running it," he said. "It was probably just a little bit bigger part of the game plan this week. The offensive line did a great job of opening up some creases and we were able to find some yards."

The Longhorns stymied a Nebraska offense that had been averaging 494 yards a game, holding the Huskers to just 202 yards. Still, the Huskers were within a touchdown late in the game thanks to Eric Hagg's school-record 95-yard punt return.

Martinez, who came in averaging 147 yards a game and almost 11 yards a carry, was held to a season-low 21 yards on 13 carries before being pulled for Zac Lee in the third quarter.

Texas defensive lineman Sam Acho said he and his teammates tuned out any talk of a grudge match with the Huskers.

"Outside people have been saying things, but all we did was work hard the last two weeks," he said. "Taylor Martinez, first of all, is an unbelievable athlete. He came into the game with 12 touchdowns, leading the NCAA and he's a Heisman candidate with his legs. So we just went to responsibility football. He gashed us a couple of times, but we just stayed in our gaps and tackled."

More news

AP

Slain UConn CB's family wants $5M

CFT: Stabbed to death following an altercation at a school-sponsored dance in October 2009, Jasper Howard‘s parents are seeking significant financial compensation for the parties they believe are at least partly responsible.

CFT: SEC's Slive no fan of plus-one playoff model

Headlines

• Label

Sandusky charity to shut down, transfer programs

Ex-QB Brian Johnson still directing Utes offense

CFT: Miami says it's 'committed to the ACC'

CFT: Clemson would listen to other conferences

CFT: Tennessee TE booted following felony arrest

CFT: Potential Cal starter kicked off team

Friends, fans mourn loss of Stewart

CFT: Ohio St. 'not facing any major ... violations'