The Colorado Buffaloes and Nebraska Cornhuskers competed for their 73rd rivalry matchup on September 7th, 2024. This game was Colorado head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ first meeting as a head coach in Cornhusker’s Lincoln, Nebraska territory. The Cornhuskers took home the game 2–0. The Buffs return to Boulder, Colorado, disappointed in a team with high expectations to revitalize their performance from last year, returning to the Big 12 this year. This article is a comprehensive report of its most essential information.
First Half: Nebraska Cornhuskers Put Damper on Colorado Buffaloes’ High Expectations
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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his thirty-ninth start. Colorado’s first drive started with two incomplete passes and a sack. True freshman starting quarterback Dylan Raiola is the highest-ranked recruit on Nebraska’s offense. To start the game, Nebraska played aggressively. The Cornhusker’s home-team advantage provided a noisy distraction for their mile-high rivals. Nebraska’s first drive ended in a rushing touchdown.
Colorado kick-returner Jimmy Horn Jr. showed off his speedy legs with an impressive kick return to start the second drive. He continues to shine after a 198 receiving yard performance in week one against North Dakota State University. Sanders threw a pick-six to Tommy Hill while standing in his endzone, reaching the end of the first quarter. That gave Nebraska a 14–0 lead early in the game. Sanders is not known for turning the ball over. He had already been sacked twice at this point in the game. The next drive started Sanders with another sack. Nebraska sacked him seven times last season.
Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s goal was to stop the run. After last year’s upsetting 4–8 (1–8 against pac-12) season, they are experimenting with a revamped defensive front. On offense, Coach Prime wanted to develop the run game, but with their penchant for passing attack shot down immediately, they struggled to move the chains.
Nebraska kept Colorado on their toes, balancing the running and passing games. They switched tempos on offense, conducting the ebb-and-flow of the game. During the first quarter, Raiola had the chance at two deep passes that ended in an incompletion and a pass interference penalty.
Six-foot-nine Nebraska offensive right tackle Bryce Benhart made his 46th start at his position, the most ever for a Nebraska offensive lineman. Their line of scrimmage held back Colorado’s defense and opened up plenty of gains. People like to hype Riola, but their running game carried their offensive display. The Cornhuskers lost momentum after missing a 32-yard field goal to start the second quarter.
Colorado’s offense had over 500 yards last week, but Nebraska shut them down this week. Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney made excellent plays covering Nebraska receiver Jahmal Banks. Shedeur Sanders used the Buffs’ dynamic passing spread in the minutes leading up to the two-minute warning, but the drive ended in a field goal attempt. Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson blocked the field goal. Robinson was a star, intimidating the Buffaloes’ offense throughout the game.
The Buffaloes struggled to make sense out of the Husker’s defense. Colorado had multiple drives with four plays or less. Colorado lost two of its best defenders, safety Shilo Sanders, and their leading tackler, inside linebacker Trevor Woods.
Nebraska took a close-and-saved interception into the house late in the second quarter – the highlight score of the game. The Buffaloes were left with 39 seconds to make magic happen. Colorado ended the first half with another missed field goal. Nebraska finished the first half with four sacks. The score was 28–0 Nebraska.
Second Half: Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Offense Freezes While The Colorado Buffaloes Cannot Come Back
The Buffs ran their typical man-coverage defense throughout the game. Defensive player Travis Hunter leveled up their defense in the second half. Defensive end Dayon Hayes stood out by pressuring Nebraska’s pocket and running games, too. The third quarter ended with Nebraska looking confident, as if they had already secured the win. The buffs looked dejected.
The Colorado Buffaloes continued to get backed up during the fourth quarter. Their first drive ended on a turnover on downs, losing yardage on a fourth and inches running play. The Buffs’ offensive line showed improvement from last year, but Nebraska still infiltrated the wall. Nebraska finished the game with six sacks – five on Sanders and one on backup quarterback Ryan Staub. Colorado’s BJ Green blocked a punt in the fourth quarter.
Travis Hunter secured over 100 yards receiving. Late in the game, Shedeur Sanders took a targeting-a-defenseless-player hit to the head. Fortunately, after walking off the penalty, Sanders returned the next play. The culprit, Mikai Gbayor, was required to sit out for the rest of the game and will sit out for the first half of their next game.
The Buffs scored their first touchdown in the fourth quarter. Wide Receiver LeJohntay Wester caught the pass from Sanders, his first touchdown as a Buffalo. Nebraska’s offensive line held Colorado’s defensive line back. Nebraska did an excellent job chewing the clock, but their score remained stagnant. Instead, penalties were played in the second half.
Conclusion
The Buffs finished the game with 244 passing yards and 16 rushing yards. Nebraska had 185 passing yards and one passing touchdown. They protected the ball and kept turnovers to a minimum. They finished with 149 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Their run game was led by Dante Dowdell and Rahmir Johnson this week. Next week, the Colorado Buffaloes will visit Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Nebraska Cornhuskers will take home Northern Iowa.
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