Colorado Buffaloes fold under pressure against the Huskers

The Colorado Buffaloes had a night to forget in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday. Deion Sanders and the Buffs entered the Cornhuskers’ Memorial Stadium for a week two matchup and never left neutral, stalling out from start to finish.

Colorado’s offense floundered all night, only putting 10 points on the board against a stout Nebraska defense. Flashes of the 2023 Buffaloes returned, as Shedeur Sanders was running for his life all night, taking six sacks on the night. After allowing only one sack against the NDSU Bison in week one, it looked as though the Buffaloes began to slip back into their old habits against the Huskers.

“Protections were a problem, I’m trying to be polite and say it...” said Sanders postgame “We’ve got to figure out a way to prevent that and do a better job with that.”

Even more bad 2023 flashbacks came streaming through, as Colorado could not get any production on the ground, rushing for only 16 yards and averaging 0.7 yards per carry. Colorado relied on Shedeur Sanders’ arm alone to move the ball in Lincoln, attempting 40 passes and only 22 rushing attempts, including only 4 attempts to run the ball in the first half.

Nebraska dominated to run game and chewed clock all game long, controlling the flow of the contest from start to finish. It’s hard to win football games when you can’t run the ball, which the Buffaloes have learned the hard way over the last 11 months.

“We have to figure out some sort of running game,” Sanders said. “Because we have backs that can straight-up ball. I liked what I saw out of those guys as well.”

To their credit, the Buffs finally hit the gas in the second half, outgaining Nebraska by 27 yards, but it was too little, too late. A fourth-quarter touchdown to LaJohntay Wester proved futile, as Nebraska’s 28 first-half points proved too much to overcome.

“The way we started is just not indicative of who we are,” said Sanders. “We just never got it together. Sometimes you have those games, sometimes you have those days. It was just one of those games and days, simultaneously. No excuses though.”

In a high-pressure rivalry game in front of 86,000 angry Nebraskans, the Buffaloes folded. Deion Sanders admitted postgame that the pressure did get to his team, which led to the offense’s struggles.

“Everybody wants to be him until it’s time to be him,” said Sanders. “You’ve gotta be able to handle that pressure.”

As Colorado folded under the pressure and bright lights at Memorial Stadium, Nebraska thrived. The Huskers proved themselves to be the better team on Saturday, plain and simple. Matt Rhule and his team had Colorado’s number all night, as their defensive line shredded the Buffs and made Shedeur’s job impossible.

“Hats off to Coach Rhule,” Sanders said. “His staff coached a heck of a game.”

Colorado’s 18-point defeat wasn’t all negative though. The Buffaloes’ defense further reinforced the fact that they’re a resilient bunch. CU’s defense struggled in the first half against NDSU in week one, but locked in to hold the Bison to a six-point second half on route to a win. This week in Lincoln, the Buffs once again refocused at halftime to hold the Huskers to a scoreless second half.

The Buffs’ defense is a brand-new unit, as five offseason transfers are starting for the Buffs in 2024. The group has had the opportunity to full gel together yet, but they’re proving that on-field experience together is the cause for the most improvement.

“We’re really just figuring each other out,” said Colorado starting safety Cam’Ron Salmon-Craig. “I learned a lot today just about my guys up front and the defense. I learned so much.”

CU will get the opportunity to taut their improved defense in another rivalry game next week, as Coach Prime and company will take the hour bus trip north to Fort Collins for a matchup with Colorado State. If the Buffs can learn from their mistakes, they should be able to get back into the win column for week three.