Junior wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. runs the ball down the field at the game against Nebraska at Folsom Field on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent)
Seven. That’s how old Travis Hunter was the last time the University of Colorado Boulder lost to its arch-rival the University of Nebraska. This Saturday, the Buffaloes look to keep that bragging right alive as they travel to Lincoln to face the Cornhuskers.
Colorado enters the match as 7.5-point underdogs, meaning they will be looking to turn heads in their first away game and build off of 2023’s rivalry win, which saw Shedeur Sanders account for almost 400 yards and three touchdowns.
While last year’s 36-14 victory over Nebraska should not be overlooked, this year’s matchup brings an abundance of new challenges as the team lining up opposite Colorado is more experienced, talented and prepared.
Nebraska will march out their new-look offense on Saturday, led by former five-star recruit and true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. While true freshmen rarely start in college football, let alone at the quarterback position, Raiola proved his inexperience was nothing for Cornhusker fans to worry about in his first game. Raiola impressed in his collegiate debut last weekend, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-7 win over the University of Texas at El Paso.
What will the game plan be for Colorado on defense? Getting pressure on Raiola and forcing his inexperience to present itself on the field seems to be of utmost importance to coordinator Robert Livingston’s defense.
In addition to Raiola, one of the greatest differences between this year’s matchup and last is the setting. This year, the Buffs will leave the fans at Folsom Field and travel to the always rowdy Memorial Stadium, which some consider one of the toughest places to play in the country.
In order for Matt Rhule and Colorado to come out of this game victorious, they will need to find a way to take the spotlight off of Hunter and keep him from taking over the game. Hunter’s 132 receiving yards and three touchdowns (to go along with three sweet touchdown celebrations) put him right in the mix of the early Heisman conversation in week one. To complement that, receiver Jimmy Horn Jr.’s 198 yards and touchdown confirmed off season speculation that Colorado’s offense will once again be ultra-dangerous in 2024. However, Sanders and his receivers will have a tough time winning the game if they once again have to carry most of the weight on offense. The Buffs only had 59 rushing yards against North Dakota State University; that number will need to be higher in order to consistently move the ball against Nebraska’s defense.
In Colorado’s week one matchup against North Dakota State, they were able to win on the backs of their biggest stars while suffering lackluster play from their defense at times. The North Dakota State Bison had over 400 yards of total offense last Thursday. Against arguably a more complete team in Nebraska, Colorado’s defense and rushing attack on offense will have to be more well-rounded and consistent.
Shedeur Sanders was pressured on 30.8% of his drop backs against North Dakota State, ranking 98th in the country. Against a physical Nebraska team, Sanders will need more time to allow his receiving weapons to get open down the field.
On the coaching side of things, Deion Sanders’ memo this week during news releases has been positive in favor of his counterpart, Rhule.
“I have a ton of respect for Matt Rhule,” Sanders said. “He’s in—I call it our class of coaches. We all took on a tremendous test last year along with [Arizona State] Coach [Kenny] Dillingham and several others. So, I feel like we’re a fraternity. I root for that class of head coaches that came in that year.”
This pregame approach is in stark contrast to last year, when Sanders proclaimed, “This is personal. That’s the message of the week: This is personal.”
Nebraska leads the all-time series with the CU Boulder 49-21-2, but the Buffaloes have won three straight and will be looking to cut into that historical deficit Saturday afternoon. The Buffs are looking to gain respect from their opponents as well as the national media with what could be Deion Sanders’ biggest win as head coach.
Kickoff is at 5:30 MST at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game will be streaming live on NBC and Peacock.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryan Chun at ryan.chun@colorado.edu.
