LINCOLN, NEB. ? One of these days, the old adage will hold true, and defense really WILL win Kansas University a football game.

Heaven knows the Jayhawk defense is doing what it takes — and then some — to let KU compete against programs that once were too much of a fight.

Another solid outing was spoiled Saturday when Nebraska slipped away with consecutive victory No. 36 over Kansas, 14-8, at Memorial Stadium.

A crowd of 77,637 was on edge throughout. The Huskers (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) tried hard to pull away near the end, but the Jayhawks simply would not let them. The Big Red had zero first downs in the fourth quarter and punted three times to the Jayhawks.

Time and time again, KU had the ball late with only a touchdown needed to possibly win it.

“They played terrific,” KU coach Mark Mangino said of the KU defenders. “They did a very good job against the run and a good job against the pass, too. They played well enough to win.”

But KU’s offense even was more baffled than Nebraska’s and couldn’t move the ball far enough to steal the game from the Huskers. When the Jayhawks trailed, they still were within a touchdown of taking the lead the whole contest.

But as it turned out, the Jayhawks (2-3, 0-2) didn’t score a touchdown all night.

KU had just six offensive points, all on a pair of field goals by Johnny Beck, a late and unexpected fill-in after Scott Webb missed a 37-yard attempt in the first quarter.

Kansas University's Brandon Rideau, left, gets a pat on the helmet from Nebraska's Barrett Ruud after the final pass fell incomplete in the Jayhawks' 14-8 loss to Nebraska. The Huskers claimed their 36th straight victory over KU on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

“Johnny Beck has certainly given me some encouraging signs tonight,” Mangino said. “I want to give credit where credit is due.”

KU’s other pair of points came on a safety in the game’s opening drive, when lousy field position off the kickoff cost the Huskers dearly, after Joe Dailey threw away an attempted toss sweep and recovered it himself in the end zone.

Nebraska’s next drive was a Dailey interception by Charles Gordon. The next was a three-and-out. It was a sign of things to come for KU’s stout defense, which forced four turnovers, four fumbles and six punts.

“We had a great gameplan,” Gordon said. “We knew we could stop them if everyone did their assignments. That made us all comfortable out there.”

KU’s offensive line, meanwhile, gave John Randle more room to roam than at any time in the past two weeks. The sophomore finished with 105 yards on 23 carries, despite not getting a single carry in the second quarter. Often, the yardage was a result of a big hole opened between the tackles.

But not even Randle could find a way to score six on Saturday.

Beck’s second field goal — a 39-yard try with 6:59 to play in the third quarter — put KU up 8-7. That was it for the Jayhawk scoring, despite Kansas running 82 plays and garnering 305 yards of total offense on the night.

“We don’t have a problem moving the ball between the 20s,” KU quarterback Adam Barmann said. “It’s just when we get to the red zone, we stall out and can’t score.”

Barmann completed 24 of 49 passing for 200 yards, and his lone interception was a pinpoint pass that bounced off of Mark Simmons’ hands.

Hear Mangino and players: Nebraska post-game Photo Gallery: KU vs. Nebraska How they scored

Like Randle, though, Barmann couldn’t find the end zone, either.

Soon after Beck’s second boot, Nebraska answered when a third-down screen pass to speedy I-back Cory Ross resulted in a 14-yard touchdown scamper. Up 14-8, the Cornhuskers uncomfortably held the lead with 4:12 left in the third quarter.

That lead would uncomfortably stick, and the glue became concrete after the game’s last play, when a desperation toss by Barmann landed incomplete around three KU receivers in the end zone.

Mangino had no interest in faulting the offense for the lack of scoring Saturday. From his view, it was an awesome Husker defense that did the Jayhawks in.

“We played a very good defense tonight,” Mangino said. “An outstanding defense.”

So the Big 12 schedule continues for Kansas, winless in two league tries. The road doesn’t get any easier, but if you ask Mangino, he’ll say with sincerity that his players aren’t getting any easier on opponents, either.

“I won’t say it’s the best, but it’s got to be one of the toughest, hard-nosed, resilient bunch of kids that I’ve been associated with in coaching,” Mangino said. “There was a lot of folks that put us out for dead a week ago. We’re far from it.”