Nebraska vs. Colorado: Big 8 Football Foes Meet Again

On paper, the numbers favor the Big Red, but the Huskers have struggled against elite quarterbacks like Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in recent years

Dylan Raiola walks onto the field as Nebraska's starting quarterback for the first time. / Amarillo Mullen

The Colorado game is perhaps the biggest game on the Huskers' schedule in 2024. Colorado is not the best team Nebraska will face in 2024 (I think they are far from it), but an old Big 8 rival is the perfect litmus test for Nebraska's goal of taking its next step to a bowl berth.

Even though Matt Rhule is downplaying the “culture war” narrative between the programs and there is a clear difference in the coaches' team-building philosophies. Colorado boasts some unbelievable talent at key positions, but its offensive line could be a weak link against a ferocious Blackshirts defensive line. Like the 2005 “Restore the Order” game, a win this week would be a moral victory that extends well beyond a win against a team with similar win totals.

Colorado may have the most talented QB-WR combination in the country, with both players potentially going in the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders is an accurate passer and, in 2023, among QBs with at least 400 attempts, ranked second in interception percentage and third in completion percentage. The Husker defensive line will be its most important weapon in slowing down the Buffalo's passing game this week. UTEP had a great strategy of cutting the Blackshirt line while throwing quick passes to its wide receivers. Travis Hunter could have more success in this game plan than the Miners wide receivers in week 1.

Nebraska vs. Colorado Passing /

Fortunately, Colorado isn’t the only team with a potential first-round draft pick for the quarterback position. In Dylan Raiola’s first start, the Huskers had their largest opening-day margin of victory since 2016.  Raiola has the talent to hang with the more experienced Sanders if the game turns into a shootout. However, I think Nebraska will want to try to chew the clock against Colorado and make Hunter work as a corner to limit his lethal offensive potential.

No team had less success moving the ball on the ground in 2023 than Colorado, with an FBS-worst 68.9 rushing yards per game. Colorado didn’t seem much more interested in running the ball in week 1, managing only 59 yards on the ground against an FCS opponent. Nebraska, the 9th-best rushing defense in 2023, held UTEP to only 56 yards rushing in week 1. The defensive line from Nebraska will have to be able to contain the Colorado run game, as the secondary will have its hands full with the talented Buffalo wide receivers.

Nebraska vs. Colorado Rushing /

The Nebraska offense should try to take a page out of EA's playbook and focus on the wear and tear of the Buffalo defense. Travis Hunter will be the best player on the field on Saturday, and his usage on both sides of the ball will reflect that. But he’s also only listed at 185 pounds versus the 220 that each of the Husker's three starting wide receivers are listed as. I’d love to see the Huskers focus on pounding the ball on the ground and forcing Hunter into a physical game, even when he’s nowhere near the play. The average receiver/rusher for the Bison in week one was just 173 pounds. The average Husker with the ball was 212 pounds last week. Nebraska will need to use its size to its advantage against a smaller Colorado team.

From a pure football matchup perspective, I think most stats favor the Huskers comfortably. But the pedigree of Shedeur Sanders scares me this week. Since joining the Big Ten in 2011, Nebraska football is just 14-31 in games where a future drafted quarterback accumulated any stats (only includes quarterbacks drafted through the 2024 NFL draft). Since 2017, the record has been worse at 1-19, with the lone win coming against Penn State in 2020 (Sean Clifford and Will Levis). The future draft pick didn’t always do much in these games (JJ McCarthy's 1 attempt in 2021 or Joe Burrow's garbage time in 2016), but the presence of such a talented player on the roster bodes well for the team's success.

Colorado comes to Lincoln looking to do something it never has – win four straight games against the Huskers. The two best players in the game this week will be wearing black and gold, but it takes way more players than that to win, and Nebraska has a clear depth advantage. If both teams play like they did in week 1, Nebraska should win. Raiola has proven he’s capable of making big plays, but this is also his first game against a Power Four opponent. I predict a tight game that Nebraska ultimately prevails and wins by more than one possession.

MORE: SMU’s Historic Volleyball Upset Over No. 2 Nebraska Leaves Coach ‘In a Dream’

MORE: View From the Blandstands: It's Colorado Week

MORE: Keys to Victory: Nebraska vs. Colorado

MORE: Ty Robinson Leads Nebraska Football's Deep Defensive Line in Key Battle Against Colorado

MORE: No. 2 Nebraska Swept by SMU, Loses First Match to Unranked Opponent Since 2017

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.