Nebraska defense stifles Colorado to lead Husker win

The Blackshirts — borderline inevitable Saturday night — swarmed and smashed. In a game that champion boxer Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford led the team onto the field, the defense won round after round against an NFL-bound quarterback and a fleet of playmaking receivers.

Cornerback Tommi Hill made the defining play, snagging a telegraphed sideline pass from Sanders and the backed-up Buffs for a 7-yard pick-six score and 14-0 lead. But that was only a highlight of a relentless attack that suffocated the visitors into minus-2 total yards after the first quarter and minus-17 rushing yards at halftime.

NU held Colorado to 260 yards overall, including just 16 rushing.

Four first-half sacks — six overall — and constant pressure from a four-man man rush had Sanders under duress from the jump. Six-foot-6, 310-pound Ty Robinson deflected the game’s first pass and burst through to drag down Sanders two plays later to force a quick CU punt.

There were others. Defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher got home for an 11-yard loss to begin the next possession, which ended when linebacker Mikai Gbayor stuffed running back Charlie Offerdahl for a two-yard loss on fourth and 1 at the Nebraska 28.

The Hill pick followed — NU’s first pick-six since Cam Taylor-Britt brought back a 38-yard score against Iowa five years ago. After logging a safety against UTEP a week ago, that’s two straight scoring games for the Blackshirts to open the campaign.

Sherman added a sack on CU’s next chance to start a three and out. Star receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter — with Hill on him much of the night and a week after making seven grabs for 132 yards and three touchdowns against North Dakota State — didn’t record his first catch until a minute into the second quarter.

That drive ended with a defensive lineman Jimari Butler tripping up a scrambling Sanders on third and 8. The next one — Colorado’s best with the game in doubt, spanning nine plays and 63 yards — stalled at the NU 12-yard line after consecutive under-pressure Sanders incompletions. Robinson then extended a hand to block a low line-drive field-goal try from 29 yards out as a sellout crowd of 86,906 erupted.

“Just assault them,” Sherman said. “That was the game plan… We just wanted to attack every phase of the offense they had.”

The Buffs ended the shutout on their second chance out of intermission, though even that went down as a Nebraska red-zone win. First and goal at the 6 turned into second and 10 after John Bullock brought down receiver LaJohntay Wester on a swing try. The senior linebacker deflected a pass on second down and Gbayor did the same on third down, saving a potential touchdown on a Sanders rollout to the left as CU settled for a 27-yard kick and 28-3 deficit.

Even as Nebraska’s offense stalled, the ‘D’ didn’t budge as sunset shifted to darkness. Princewill Umanmielen careened around the edge to open another CU drive with a sack. A punt soon followed.

A late gut-check moment in the final 15 minutes ensured Saturday was for the Blackshirts. Colorado, facing second and 2 from its own 28, couldn’t muster a conversion on three straight runs. Offerdahl collided with Gbayor and rover Isaac Gifford for 1. Hutmacher stonewalled a sneaking Sanders for nothing. Then Bullock knifed through the line to toss Offerdahl for a loss and turnover on downs.

“That was just such a fun game to be a part of,” Hutmacher said. “Just relentless.”

By the end, Colorado had pulled Sanders and was running out the clock as student spectators edged closer to the field. Fittingly, the final defensive play was a takeaway as freshman Willis McGahee IV broke around the edge and knocked the ball from QB Ryan Staub. Butler recovered as NU finished plus-two in turnovers.

The night wasn’t perfect — Colorado marched 58 yards downfield in six plays capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Wester to draw within 28-10. Gbayor was flagged for targeting on a helmet-to-helmet hit of a scrambling Sanders, prompting his ejection and first-half suspension of next week’s game against Northern Iowa.

It was still more than enough for a veteran defense that broke camp reminding itself its 2023 accomplishments meant nothing. The 2024 achievements are already piling up.

“We ain’t perfect yet — we never might be perfect,” Sherman said. “But that was the emphasis this whole offseason, rush with four.”