Lincoln. Neb. ? Without even playing a game, this year’s Nebraska Cornhuskers already have a unique claim to fame — they’re the school’s first squad in 43 years trying to rebound from a losing season.

The last time it happened was 1962, when a guy named Bob Devaney took over and led the Huskers to a 9-2 record and a bowl victory. That club won six more games than Bill Jennings’ club had the previous year, and it was the start of something big.

No one expects second-year coach Bill Callahan to win 11 games after last year’s 5-6 debacle. However, the fallout from that disappointing season definitely serves as motivation, especially for folks like receiver Mark LeFlore, who has heard about it from everyone he runs into in Lincoln and his hometown of Omaha.

“I’m not going to lie. It’s tough being a hometown kid,” he said. “Everybody has questions and wants to know why.”

The reasons, though, are pretty obvious.

Callahan arrived from the NFL, two years removed from having guided the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl, and completely revamped the offense. Forcing his West Coast offense onto a group recruited for a run-based system was the football equivalent of pounding square pegs into round holes.

Even with an emphasis on passing, Nebraska still ended up last in the Big 12 Conference and 104th nationally in passing efficiency. The Cornhuskers didn’t have anyone among the top 10 in the Big 12 or the top 100 nationally in receptions or receiving yards.

Making matters worse, while Nebraska struggled to throw and catch, the defense was letting opponents do the same with ease.

“We are starting at the bottom of the heap right now,” Callahan said. “It’s exciting, challenging. We are very encouraged about where we are at as a football team.”

The pressure is on Callahan to fix the problems — and fast. On paper, it looks as if he’s made a good start, having signed what’s widely regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes. Now it’s time to find out whether the newcomers can play and whether he can coach them.

The most tantalizing arrival is Zac Taylor, who threw for 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last year at Butler County (Kan.) Community College. He was so impressive in the spring that last year’s starter, Joe Dailey, transferred to North Carolina.

Taylor gives Nebraska perhaps is purest passer since Vince Ferragamo in the late 1970s. There’s an asterisk by that fact, though, because until last year the Cornhuskers had used mostly a triple-option offense for a quarter-century.