LINCOLN, Nebraska — Dylan Raiola threw for 185 yards and a touchdown, Nebraska turned a suffocating defensive performance into a big early lead and the Cornhuskers beat Colorado 28-10 in a game that proved laborious in the second half on Saturday night.
“That’s how we wanted to perform. Dominance,” said defensive player Ty Robinson. “We wanted them to feel us.”
The Huskers (2-0) sacked Shedeur Sanders five times and pressured him throughout as they won the final game of a four-game home-and-away series. The Buffaloes (1-1) had won the first three games.
“We expected this result and we expected it to turn out this way,” said Matt Rhule, Nebraska’s second-year coach. “We have a good team.”
Nebraska fans had marked this game on their calendars since last year’s 36-14 loss in Boulder, and the atmosphere of a big game was palpable leading up to kickoff between the old Big Eight and Big 12 rivals.
Nebraska’s 1994 national championship team and undefeated boxing champion and Omaha resident Terence Crawford led the Huskers onto the field.
And while the current program is a far cry from what it was 30 years ago — when Nebraska won a battle of the top three teams here and was on its way to Tom Osborne’s first title — there were reminders of the past for the Huskers, with their sellout crowd and strong defense. The student section ran onto the field after the game ended.
“Our start doesn’t say anything about us, and we just never got it together,” CU coach Deion Sanders said. “Sometimes you have games like that.”
The Buffs didn’t get a first down until their fifth possession, gained minus-2 yards in the first quarter and finished the game with 260 yards. Robinson’s sack forced a three-and-out on Colorado’s opening series, and later he blocked Alejandro Mata’s 29-yard field goal attempt. The Buffs were also stopped twice on fourth-and-1, and Tommi Hill intercepted Shedeur Sanders’ pass out of the end zone for an easy 7-yard pick-6.
“That was a big moment,” Rhule said. “It’s really big for us to be there and not be behind their stars because we’re a little different. Our team is our star. I know Dylan gets a lot of attention and we have a lot of guys that could be stars. Our defense is a star. Everyone’s been talking about this guy, that guy and that guy. I’ve always said they forget about our defense. They forget about the Blackshirts.”
Dante Dowdell, who finished with 74 yards, ran for touchdowns of 12 and 1 yards, and the Huskers got lucky when CU linebacker LaVonta Bentley botched a seemingly sure interception and Rahmir Johnson snatched the pass for an 18-yard touchdown.
The Huskers’ 28-0 halftime lead was their largest since a 35-7 lead against Northwestern in 2021. The Buffs had not failed to score in the first half since a 35-0 deficit against Oregon last year.
Mata’s 27-yard field goal and Sanders’ 5-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Webster brought the Buffs within 18 points midway through the fourth quarter.
Nebraska pulled away after taking a big lead on offense, but then let up, committing four holding calls, a false start, an illegal block and a delay of game – all in the second half.
Sanders completed 23 of 38 passes for 244 yards and Travis Hunter caught 10 passes for 110 yards.
The Buffs’ defense suffered a major blow in the first half when safety Shilo Sanders went down with an arm injury. Deion Sanders said in his halftime interview with NBC that he believed his son had broken his forearm. He did not provide an update after the game.
THE RESULT
Colorado: The Buffs continue to have problems with the play and discipline of their offensive line. Shedeur Sanders was sacked five times and hurried nine times, and the running game was virtually nonexistent. Linebacker Trevor Woods was ejected for targeting, a personal foul, roughness on the passer and two pass interference flags.
Nebraska: This game was all about defense. The Huskers were able to shut down the Buffs’ explosive offense for long stretches and held nine straight opponents to 24 points or less, their longest streak since a 14-game streak in the 2009-10 season.
Next
Colorado: visits Colorado State on Saturday.
Nebraska: hosts Northern Iowa on Saturday.
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