Huskers Hang On To Hang One On The Buffaloes

This just in:  The AP has ranked the Huskers 23rd in their Top 25 college football poll!  Hallelujah!

There was some postgame talk about Saturday’s victory over Colorado being coach Matt Rhule’s first signature win at Nebraska.  To be sure, the win was an awesome accomplishment for a Husker football program that has been in disarray for most of the past decade.

Despite cracking the Top 25 poll, Husker fans still need to see how good (or bad) the Buffaloes will be this fall.  If CU goes on to get eight or nine wins in 2014,  Matt Rhule will deserve to have a signature win.  If CU goes in the tank the rest of the season, the signature label probably won’t fit.

Nebraska followed the recipe (in my view) for how to beat Colorado:  Take care of the ball (NU won the turnover margin, 2-0), win the time of possession (NU won it 35:21-24:39), control the ball with long drives and wear out the Colorado defense.

The one thing NU had a rough time with was penalty yardage.(12 for 105 yards).  Most of those came in the second half while NU was trying to run as much clock as possible.  The most damaging penalty negated a Husker TD that would have boosted the Husker scoring to 35 points.

With the win, Nebraska avoided being the first team in Husker history to lose to Colorado four consecutive times.  NU lost to CU in 2018, 2019 and last year 36-14 in Boulder.

The Huskers made sure Colorado didn’t get anywhere near a four-peat.  Instead Saturday, the Huskers made an emphatic statement with a 28-0 halftime lead.

What makes the win even sweeter is that the NU-CU series is not expected to resume for at least another 10 years.  That means Husker fans get to savor Saturday’s win for another decade.

Pretty dang sweet!  

So who benefits the most from Saturday’s win?  Certainly the entire football program, the players and coaches need to take a bow.  My vote goes to the Husker fans who have suffered through seven consecutive losing seasons.  Despite that, Nebraska fans have remained steadfast in their love and devotion to Husker football.  

The playing conditions in Nebraska aren’t palm trees and warm winter breezes.  

No way, Wade.

The weather in Nebraska ranges from summers in Death Valley to winters in Siberia.  Rain, sleet, snow or stifling heat, Husker fans show up in record numbers every home game in Lincoln.   To be sure, Saturday was NU’s 398th consecutive home sellout.

So go to the head of the class, Husker fans.  Take a much deserved bow.

In this week’s podcast episode, Will and I review the Husker win over the Buffaloes and take a peek at Northern Iowa, NU’s next opponent.  We also talk about the current status of the Husker volleyball program.  Don’t miss it!

MORE: Deion Sanders: Colorado Buffaloes ‘Never Got it Together’ Against Nebraska Football