Colorado 136 Nebraska 0 Recap Huskers Buffaloes matt rhule deion sanders shadeur jeff sims

Let’s get this out of the way right out of the gate. I have nothing against buffaloes. I love Custer State Park and Dances With Wolves. Of course those magnificent beasts reside in South Dakota, but I don’t even bear any ill will to Colorado’s either.

The human sort of Boulder, CO, are another matter however. I have wished things on them which would’ve gotten me banned/excommunicated/exorcised had I ever gone the route of worshipping vengeful old bastards in the sky.

That is what made this utter shit show so tough to swallow.

As the game entered the waning minutes of the first half, we had overcome more Sims turnovers and were crushing Colorado’s lines on both sides of the ball….then it was like watching the end of the 2nd half of Minnesota in the 1st half today and that was that. I hate to pick on Jeff Sims but he singlehandedly took the air out of the team’s sails for the second straight week. They’ve tried handing him QB1.

It hasn’t worked out.

Next week should be an honest open competition for the job. Here’s my notes. They go from snarky to infuriated to submission. No apologies.

PRE-GAME

• The Husker injury report is empty (minus players out for the season). All hands will be on deck today.
• The Over/Under appears to have dropped a couple of points to 57.
• Fox pre-game coverage had me wondering who Colorado was playing. They want a Colorado win more than I wanted my first Playstation. Appreciate that level of WANT.
• Looks like Texas-Alabama might have some competition as the place to be today:

1ST QUARTER NOTES

• Still Turner and not Teddy at LT. Not a good sign.
• Nice pass protection and patience by Sims on a 17-yard 1st down completion.
• 20-yard completion to Kemp with nice run after the catch.
• And, naturally, a good drive ends with a fumble and zero points.
• The Blackshirt rush is weak early on Colorado’s opening drive as the Huskers allow two 3rd down and a 4th down conversion. They also give up big two big plays on Colorado 2nd and longs but stop the drive to force a punt. Unders look good early.
• Three and out for the Huskers – The 4-yard hook on 3rd and 7 is frustrating. The run is going nowhere as things are falling into predictable run-run-pass, run-run-pass rhythms. We don’t need Mike Bobo type play-calling. However, the Blackshirts come back with one of their own.
• Huskers begin moving the ball behind hard running by Gabe Ervin, so it’s time for an illegal procedure followed by some holding.

1st Quarter Thoughts: Ugly is a nice way to describe the 1st quarter, but it is playing to a Husker script right now. The Blackshirts are shutting out an offense whose confidence and composure may be shaky after a week of being told they are the best in college football. The Husker offense is both predictable and shooting itself in the foot with turnovers and penalties.

It’s all even and completely up in the air as to whether that script ends with a win.

2ND QUARTER NOTES

• Cam Lenhardt is getting pressure and the Huskers get another three and out, but naturally the refs are there to fabricate an unsportsmanlike on Nebraska. Our first nomination for “Utter Incompetence or Corruption? You Make the Call!”
• Billy Kemp is in the house today – makes a beautiful 18-yard catch after an earlier 26-yard Ervin sprint to get the Huskers out of the hole.
• As Sims gains 12 on his first carry, Satterfield does appear to have flipped to rely on his running backs, specifically Ervin, and not Sims to lead the ground attack. It appears every Husker gain over 10 will be reviewed until further notice.
• Rahmir Johnson is the relief back and Anthony Grant has yet to be seen.
• Husker offense is nothing if not consistent as Scott hits the motion man with the snap and they recover the fumble to see Alvano nail the crossbar with a 45-yard field goal attempt.
• After another Blackshirts stop, the offense coughs it right back up. The Blackshirts step up once more, but this fumble costs them 3 points this time and a Buffy-lo team which has been throughly dominated this quarter has the lead.
• Calling a play which leaves the Colorado DE unblocked was an interesting choice. Gabe probably had harsher words. Needing time to think about it, they pointlessly take a delay of game.
• And there’s a Sims interception to go with his two fumbles. “About as easy a pick as you’re gonna get.” Well said, Gus.
• The Blackshirts have had enough as they stand around and watch Tar’Varish Dawson haul in a 30 yard TD pass. This is officially off the rails and should be Sims last snaps of at least the game.
• But of course they’re not.

Halftime notes: Three halves of football into the Matt Rhule Era and we are averaging 3.3 points and 2 turnovers per half. The lines have mostly dominated but I think both have mentally had it after gifting Colorado those 10 points. Sims needs to take a seat and my call would be for Haarberg as they’re is plenty of time to recover with the ground game.

After last season, getting a repeat performance from Purdy would turn this into a blowout and Heinrich has waited for his shot. I have no idea how to reverse the psychological black hole which has the Huskers making critical errors at the worst possible times – in that half, they overcame them repeatedly until it was finally too much and the wheels fell off.

3RD QUARTER NOTES

• Early on, Hunter extends his arm and shoves the defender off for a blatant offensive PI on a long completion which got him open after some extended holding by the Buff O-line to free Sanders up. Gus quickly explains that it wasn’t extended or a penalty. Huskers recover to destroy Jimmy Horn Jr on a reverse. He taunts the Husker bench (uncalled) after a 1-yard loss giving him -3 yards in the previous two plays. Odd flex.
• And after myself berating Sims and the left side of the line following a sack, he bursts loose for a 57-yard TD jaunt.
• One turnover is credited back, Mr. Sims. You still have two your tab.
• Colorado jumps right back on the strength of a 41-yard completion to Xavier Weaver on Blackshirt blown assignment.
• The offensive line checks out again on a 12-yard loss by Ervin on the drive’s first carry.
• We’ve apparently reached the point where our punter can just be wiped out with no call. And we’re talking a blatant PF 15 yards. Not replayed. Not even mentioned. At least Buschini wasn’t injured, I guess.
• I have taken the rest of the 3rd quarter off. The combination of the us gift wrapping this thing, yet the refs still ignoring blatant offenses on one side of the battle has gotten a bit much.

3rd Quarter Notes: The offense finished out finally showing life and the defense got a big stop after some huge mistakes, but there is still a pall over this thing that crippling mistakes or some questionable flags will shut things down if the Huskers show signs of closing the gap. The Huskers allowed more total 3rd quarter yards to Colorado than they gained in the first half.

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4TH QUARTER NOTES

• Of course, the 4th quarter starts with a fumble. Gus yells that it did not appear QB-related and, also of course, the replay confirms it is QB-related due to bad handoff technique. I like Gus but he loves to howl before letting the brain inform his mouth, so perfect for Fox, maybe? With a 16-point lead and the ball, the refs finally feel confident to issue Colorado a taunting penalty. Brave.
• We might average more turnovers per game than Husker hoops this season.
• Colorado having so much fun right now, Weaver jumped up and signaled for a 1st down after a 7-yard catch on 1st and 10.
• Defense is just done at this point. I’ll be back for 4th quarter notes.
• (Not going to jump in with mean quotes about Sims being hurt. Had a chance to meet him and he seems like a great guy. I am happy to see Haarberg get a shot. I think he got a very raw deal under Whipple.)

4th Quarter Notes: With approximately 9:27 to go in this fine tilt, I took to strong drink and frankly remember little of the remainder of the game.

Nebraska Cornhuskers