On Saturday, the rivalry between Nebraska and Colorado will be reignited. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Nebraska was able to dominate the Buffs. However, CU has evened the score in recent seasons. Scott Frost’s Husker teams dropped both matchups in 2018 and 2019. And Matt Rhule hasn’t had much success either. In Deion Sanders first year in Boulder, the Huskers lost 36-14. But times have changed. Rhule has a more veteran outfit this season. And the Huskers have a loud Memorial Stadium. This home environment bodes well for the Cornhuskers. This may be a big factor heading into the game. But what do the Cornhuskers have to do on the field in order for the program to win against the Buffaloes?
Offensive Mastery
After his performance against UTEP, co-offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield described Dylan Raiola as a “freaking surgeon.” In a lot of ways, he was. The true freshman quarterback completed 19 out of his 27 passes and routinely extended plays inside the pocket. However, his most notable connections in the passing game were to veteran receivers. Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor got the Cornhuskers passing attack going with a 59-yard score. And in the final seconds before halftime, Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks caught a 21-yard touchdown. Will this strategy continue to pay dividends against the Buffs? It’s something to watch for. The Buford native has never played a snap at night in Memorial Stadium. This could be a wrinkle that CU’s defense chooses to exploit. But the gamble probably won’t pay off. The Buff’s defense gave up 292 passing yards last week. Nebraska’s secondary gave up very little, while Raiola carved up UTEP’s defense. Will the Cornhuskers score at will again? Or has defensive coordinator Robert Livingston tightened up his unit?
Read more about Nebraska’s passing attack in Which Nebraska Players Stand Out Against UTEP?
Control The Line Of Scrimmage
On paper, it seems as though Nebraska’s defensive line will feast on the Buffs running backs. Last week against North Dakota State, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s rushing scheme only netted the Buffs 59 total yards. This puts Nebraska in a great position to attack Colorado’s backfield. Senior defensive tackle Ty Robinson will likely have a hand in this effort. The honorable mention All-Big Ten totaled two tackles for loss against UTEP. Nash Hutmacher should allow the Cornhuskers to get a push up front. Even though he had only one tackle against the Miners, the senior earned Big Ten honors last season. However, there’s still a few Buffs that could provide speedbumps to Nebraska’s pass rush. Left tackle Jordan Seaton looked the part in the first start of his college career. Center Hank Zalinskas was also a bright spot. According to Pro Football Focus, the Colorado native only gave up one sack in over 104 pass-block attempts. Will this negate Nebraska’s pass rush or will star quarterback Shedeur Sanders struggle to find answers against the Blackshirts?
complementary football 🏈#GBR x #WhatsNExt! pic.twitter.com/386bHBJui6
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) September 2, 2024
Limit Big Plays
It’s almost certain that the Huskers secondary will give up some big plays through the air. Colorado just has too many playmakers at the wide receiver position. Two-way star Travis Hunter headlined the Buffs passing attack in his three-touchdown performance against North Dakota State. Jimmy Horn Jr also had a great game against the Bison. The wideout connected with Sanders on more than multiple occasions, and his 62-yard touchdown reception proved that he still had big play ability. It will be interesting to see how Tommi Hill and Malcolm Hartzog will deal with these threats in the secondary. The veteran duo locked down UTEP’s receivers, which means that they might continue their production. Senior Issac Gifford is the best case to stop this from happening. He’s experienced in the ways of Big Ten football, and he played against CU last season. He has good knowledge that will only serve to benefit Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White.
