SAN ANTONIO -- There was no Major miracle for Texas on Saturday.

	Texas quarterback Major Applewhite is likely to be in a battle for the starting job next August.

All-Big 12 quarterback and conference offensive player of the year Major Applewhite could not rally the Longhorns past Nebraska for the second time this season.

The No. 3 Cornhuskers sacked Applewhite seven times and held him to less than 200 passing yards for the first time in his 22 starts while beating No. 12 Texas 22-6 in the Big 12 championship game.

Applewhite, who led Texas on a fourth-quarter comeback that gave the Longhorns a 24-20 win over Nebraska in October -- the Huskers' only loss this season -- never got the offense going Saturday. He finished just 15-for-42 for 164 yards, his season-low as a starter. He also threw three interceptions as the Huskers blitzed him throughout the game.

"That's the same guys, they just came harder. I think we made them mad last time," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "Their guys ran by our guys or ran over our guys and made plays. The blocks that we made last time we didn't make this time."

Applewhite, who passed for 53 yards in a loss to Texas A&M last week after sitting out the first half with a stomach ailment, had a previous low of 213 in the win over against the Cornhuskers.

"I felt fine. We didn't play well," Applewhite said. "We didn't throw the ball well. We didn't run the ball well in the first half. We didn't play well. Period -- end of discussion."

Applewhite got a final chance for a touchdown, but his pass into the end zone was tipped by Nebraska cornerback Ralph Brown and intercepted by safety Dion Booker, who returned it to the Texas 33.

"We didn't play an offensive ball game like we were capable of," Applewhite said. "It was a combination of things. Sometimes there was a miscommunication, sometimes there was someone in my face where I had to just get rid of the ball.

"Nebraska did a great job of bringing pressure."

Applewhite said after the Longhorns' win in October that he had been able to pick out a number of tendencies of Nebraska's defense. He saw a different look on Saturday.

"This defense has a lot of confidence," Huskers defensive back Mike Brown said. "That did hurt a little. When guys talk it always serves as bulletin board material."