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Nebraska's Matt Rhule: Colorado Contest "Good for the Game of Football"

A night game in Lincoln in front of a captive national audience is everything Matt Rhule wants for Nebraska football when the Huskers host Deion Sanders and Colorado this fall.

Kaleb Henry

Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans during the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans during the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule is looking forward to getting another shot at Colorado.

So is every Husker fan, to say the least. And likely everyone wearing the N on their helmet this fall. But Rhule mentioned in a conversation on "The Joel Klatt Show" this week that he was disappointed with the 0-2 start to last season, with losses at Minnesota and at Colorado.

"I'm still down about those two games," Rhule said.

Rhule will have a chance at redemption against the old Husker rival Sept. 7 in Lincoln. That game is set for a 6:30 p.m. CDT kickoff on NBC and Peacock.

"How good is it for that part of the country to have this game and have it be national TV at night," Rhule asked rhetorically. "How good is it for the game of football?"

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Ruhle during the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Ruhle during the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Rhule talked about this game being a chance for his team to capture the attention of a national audience in a way that won't be there every week, including the season opener against UTEP.

"What Deion (Sanders) has done, in my opinion, is he's made football relevant to maybe people that weren't watching it," Rhule said. "It's our chance to come into that game, and people are gonna tune in to see them, and they'll have a chance to watch us too.

"If we play well, maybe people will have that same energy about us nationally that they have about them."

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

To play well, the Blackshirts will need to lock down Buffalo quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Last year, Sanders led No. 22 Colorado to a 36-14 win as he threw for 393 yards and a pair of touchdowns, adding another score with his legs in the final quarter.

"The one thing I think we always have to remember when we talk about Colorado is how good Shedeur is," Rhule said. "He is one of the best football players I've ever coached against. We blitzed him; I think we sacked him like 10 times. We hit him a ton and he stood in there.

"I know everyone sees Shedeur on commercials. They see the swagger that he plays with but he's an unbelievable competitor. He's tough."

Rhule added that other dynamic players like Travis Hunter will be something the Huskers have to game plan for. But if things go Nebraska's way, a national audience and a 2-0 start could propel the Huskers into a big year two for the Rhule era.

You can watch the full appearance below.

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Kaleb Henry

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is the Program Director and Sports Director at KLIN radio in Lincoln, Nebraska. A native Nebraskan, he competed in track and field at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville before returning home. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his work from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association, including Gold for Best Sportscast in the state of Nebraska in 2021 and 2023. Kaleb primarily covers Nebraska football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. When not covering the Huskers, he spends his days adventuring with his wife Megan, their daughter Millie, and their two dogs Tucker and Ella. You can reach Kaleb at kaleb@klin.com or on Twitter @iKalebHenry. 

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