The Turning Point: Nebraska Football vs. Colorado

There was still a chance that Colorado's offense could flip the switch, then a punt pinned the Buffaloes deep and Tommi Hill broke the game open for Nebraska.

Tommi Hill (6) celebrates in the endzone after a pick six. / Amarillo Mullen

This weeks Turning Point was an early one. It established an energy that never left the confines of Memorial Stadium, helping lift the Big Red to a massive win over their old rivals.  

Let’s set the scene.

It’s the first quarter of (potentially) the most-watched game in the nation inside one the most-historic football venues in America. After an offensive drive stalled out, Brian Buschini hit the best punt of his career. The Huskers punter pinned Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado offense on their own two yard line. 

A fan base yearning for its first “big” victory in nearly a decade screaming at the top of its lungs, desperately trying to manifest a big play.

It worked.

The Buffaloes dropped back to pass, MJ Sherman exploded off of the right side of the line, coming within a yard of Sanders. Sanders, feeling the pressure of the second-year Blackshirt, telegraphed a pass in the direction of the Nebraska sideline.

Reading the throw like a children's book from your local library, Tommi Hill intercepted the pass and waltzed into the end zone. The pick six put the Huskers up 14-0 in the first quarter. 

Nebraska defenders prepare to celebrate with defensive back Tommi Hill after his pick six on Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

I’ve been to multiple professional playoff games, the Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2016 World Series. This was the loudest sports moment I’ve ever witnessed in my life. The energy that was created from that singular moment not only affected the proceeding plays, but set the tone for the rest of the game.

Any doubts about how the Big Red would handle the pressure of being in such a big stage were eradicated. Any butterflies circling the stomach of both players and fans disappeared. 

This play not only brought contagious energy to Memorial Stadium that propelled NU to a win, but, more importantly, it confirmed something that the team believed in before they took the field. They believed that they could not only hang with Colorado's dynamic skill players, but beat them at their own game, which led to a dominant 28-10 victory. 

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MORE: Analytics Review: Nebraska Football vs. Colorado

MORE: Nebraska Football Earns Top 25 Nod in Coaches, AP Polls Following Colorado Win

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