With the Colorado Buffaloes win against 17th ranked TCU, head coach Deion Sanders has gotten off to a hot start. But can Matt Rhule find a way to halt that progress next week? Let’s break it down.
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Cover Travis Hunter And The Colorado Buffaloes Wide Receivers
Under Deion Sanders’s tutelage at Jackson State, Travis Hunter became an impact two-way player in the SWAC Conference. He finished the regular season with 188 yards and four touchdowns. Furthermore, he was also an asset on the defensive side of the ball for Jackson State. He totaled 20 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions. And his first time in a Colorado Buffaloes uniform was no different. On offense, he finished with 11 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, while nabbing a diving interception on defense. This versatility presents a huge problem to the Cornhuskers’ defense because he can be explosive at any time. But they might be able to put a handle on him. As the starting defensive backs against Minnesota, Malcolm Hartzog and Omar Brown were extremely effective in limiting what Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis could do with the football. Can they make CU’s Shedeur Sanders uncomfortable outside the pocket and disrupt Hunter and the other skill players? We’ll find out very soon on Saturday.
Limit The Talent of Dylan Edwards
Against Minnesota, Tony White’s defense completely shut down Sean Tyler by limiting him to 26 yards on 12 carries. But Colorado running back Dylan Edwards, might prove to be a tougher challenge for the defense. He had a chance to show off his explosiveness in the short passing game when he caught two touchdowns against TCU in the opener. These were off of good throws in the end zone by Sanders. But he wasn’t done attacking TCU just yet. In the ground game, the former 4-star prospect showed off his home run ability when he scampered for a 75-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. These plays present a huge challenge for the Cornhuskers, but there is a good recipe to stop him in his tracks. It just will require a sizeable step up from Nash Hutmacher and Blaise Gunnerson to outmaneuver Colorado’s offensive lineman. Plus, NU has an extra rusher from the cornerback position. It was known that DeShon Singleton impressed in his first game as a Husker with seven tackles. This means that he should be one of the main contributors when it comes to Nebraska’s plans in defending against the Colorado Buffaloes rushing attack.
Use The Power Of Gabe Ervin
In their matchup against the Horned Frogs, Colorado’s defense under Charles Kelly struggled mightily when the defensive line gave up 262 total rushing yards to TCU’s Emani Bailey. Because of this letdown, Nebraska needs to get creative with its offensive linemen to methodically wear down Colorado’s defensive lineman in the run game. And there is no question that offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has to feature Gabe Ervin’s skills. Not only did he weave in and out of tackles every time he got the ball, he gashed Minnesota’s defense by running hard. And it proved to be an effective formula, as he helped the Huskers gain positive momentum on drives. But it won’t happen without the blocking skills of the whole offense. Even though they didn’t have as many targets last week against the Golden Gophers, players like Nate Boerkircher, Thomas Fidone, and Billy Kemp will have to step up and forcefully create holes for the running back to run through against the Colorado Buffaloes. The only concern is if they are up to the challenge.
Photo courtesy: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
