The 2024 Huskers – Wary Optimism vs Red Flags: The Most Important Game of the Year! Matt Rhule Dylan Raiola Nebraska

Wary Optimism vs Red Flags moves along and, nope, it’s not going to be a review of every position group, because as Husker fans we have so many other fears damaging us psychologically, it would unfair to dismiss them all in favor of in-depth analysis.

The Colorado game, for example.

For the second straight season, we get the Deion-era Buffaloes in the second game. In 2023, Colorado was coming off a stunning 45-42 upset of TCU, a finalist in the previous year’s CFP final. Much like our phantom program-altering 2016 victory over an Oregon team which would finish 4-8, TCU had lost just about every meaningful piece from the 2023 team and would finish 5-7.

None of this deterred the national media from fawning over Colorado all the way through a 4-8 campaign which saw them finish in the Pac-12 basement (1-8), while Deion somehow managed to irrationally stay irritated with them.

Last season, the defense shined early in Boulder shutting down the Buffs while the Husker offense either struggled to move the ball or turned it over when they did. A 0-0 game with about five and a half minutes left in the half turned 13-0 by halftime after two turnovers and a short punt. Still it was only 13-7 with a nine minutes left in the third before Colorado scored on four consecutive drives. An end of game drive for a Husker TD led to a 36-14 final and the realization the offense had issues under center.

HOT TAKE – WE DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER

So why would I attribute so much importance to a rematch between non-conference opponents coming off 5-7 and 4-8 seasons respectively? Other than needing every possible win for bowl eligibility, why is it crucial.

Simple. Not to steal from Georgia-Georgia Tech, but it’s clean, old-fashioned hate.

It’s really that simple.

It goes back to around 1986, when an unranked Colorado squad dropped a 20-10 upset on the #3 Huskers ending a 17-year losing streak. Following two more losses, they then won two straight and tied one and then lost three more before Coach Bill McCartney called it quits to turn his attention toward Harrison Butker-ish religious pursuits. In 1990, he managed to grab a piece of the national title thanks to a 5th down in Columbia and a phantom clip in the Orange Bowl. Some Colorado fans remember McCartney reverently as bringing the Huskers to heel, but he finished 3-9-1 against Nebraska.

Of course, given the chest-pounding over a 4-8 season, perhaps the bar is just set differently in Boulder.

But in any case, the late 80’s Buffalo resurgence left both fan bases with a healthy dislike for each other. Tales of harassment in Boulder were many and none who were in Lincoln that night in 1992 can forget the human corridor to the locker room who harassed the Buffs unmercifully as they trudged off the field after a 52-7 shellacking.

Look for a 2014 Miami type of crowd noise as fans remember the chirping from before and after last year’s game.

FINE – A LITTLE ANALYSIS

So this one should get rowdy. Memorial Stadium is not consistently one of the loudest in the country, but they usually bring the noise for one to two games each season – not bad considering the lack of success recently.

An afternoon of tailgating followed by a night game plus the aforementioned hatred should make for a nice combo as far as decibel levels are concerned.

As for the game itself, what can we expect from Colorado?

The Blackshirts will need another top effort as Shadeur Sanders returns along with a receiving corps led by two-way Travis Hunter which will be among the best in the Big 12. The Buffalo offensive line has been completely replaced with transfers and a recruit and will likely be better – but will only be playing in their second game together.

It’s not unreasonable given this, Tony White’s schemes and Sanders’ unwillingness to throw the ball away to expect he will be running for his life again. He was sacked 52 times last season including seven by the Huskers. A solid running attack could relieve some of that pressure, but Colorado also lost its top three rushers including freshmen phenom Dylan Edwards. Don’t expect them to move the ball on the ground against the Huskers’ front.

The Huskers offense should be much improved and that’s a good thing because Colorado has replaced almost all the starters from a defense which was simply atrocious allowing 35 point and 450 yards per game last year and should be improved. Improved doesn’t necessarily mean good as, again, here’s another boatload of players expected to function as a unit playing only their 2nd game together.

But they do have Travis Hunter back in coverage, so Dylan Raiola must be careful to know where he is on the field, so as not to deliver any pick-six care packages. Simply going even in the turnover battle this time could be enough to swing things Nebraska’s way.

Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

IS THERE ACTUALLY HOPE?

I get it, I do. Amazing off-season performances have not translated to a winning record since 2016. Many games have seen the Huskers favored or looked good on paper before the ball starts bouncing on the ground or being thrown to elated cornerbacks. We’ve been there.

In addition to our hopefully many improvements, Colorado appears to be turning into an absolute shit show. (Colorado is claiming “fake news” and declaring the story debunked, while Athlon and their reporter have doubled down on the story and made public appearances to do so.) But the nightmare scenario is another blowout, this time with the Buffs prancing and taunting in front of another distraught home crowd.

Is there a reason to hope?

What the heck – how’s this for a little history trying to repeat itself?

After losing 27-21 and 27-12 and tying 19-19 from 1989-91, Nebraska started a highly touted freshman quarterback who sparked the Huskers to a 52-7 rout of Colorado in Lincoln.

Now, after three straight losses to Colorado of 33-28, 34-31 and 36-14, the series comes back to Lincoln where the Huskers with start their freshman most highly touted signal caller since Tommie Frazier.

I know neither of us will be ranked in the top 10 as previously, but isn’t it about time for history to repeat itself? Just a little?

Jump in comments to share your deepest fears and most unreasonable hopes. 🙂

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Colorado Buffaloes