Breaking it down: Nebraska 28, Colorado 10

LINCOLN, Neb. >> Nebraska’s star freshman quarterback is the real deal, but it’s the Cornhusker defense that really impressed on Saturday night.

The Nebraska defense harassed Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and shut down the Buffaloes’ offense in a 28-10 victory in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium.

CU (1-1) had its three-game winning streak against the Huskers (2-0) snapped, as the Buffs have still never won four in a row against their biggest rival in a series that began in 1898.

Dylan Raiola, a five-star recruit in the 2024 class, led Nebraska’s offense, guiding them to a 28-0 first-half lead. He threw for 185 yards and a touchdown. Running back Dante Dowdell ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns, but CU shut out the Husker offense in the second half.

Defensively, the Huskers sacked Sanders five times, held the Buffs to zero rushing yards on the night and limited the effectiveness of the CU passing game. Sanders was 23-for-38 for 244 yards and tossed a late touchdown pass.

CU will try to get back on the winning track next Saturday at in-state rival Colorado State.

A recap of the Buffs’ loss against the Cornhuskers:

First quarter >> It was a bad start and a disaster of a quarter for the Buffs. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Buffs’ offense went three-and-out. Nebraska countered with a seven-play march, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown run by Dante Dowdell. CU got a 61-yard kickoff return from Jimmy Horn, but couldn’t capitalize, as they were stuffed for a loss on fourth-and-1 from the Huskers’ 28-yard line. CU forced a Nebraska punt on its next possession, but that punt pinned the Buffs at their 2-yard line. On the next play, CU’s Shedeur Sanders threw a pick-six, as Tommi Hill intercepted the pass at the 7-yard line and waltzed into the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-0 Huskers’ lead. After another three-and-out and CU punt, Nebraska marched to the CU 20-yard line before the quarter expired. Score: Nebraska 14, Colorado 0.

Second quarter >> The Huskers missed a 32-yard field goal on the first play, but that was about the only thing that went well for CU. Dowdell scored on a 1-yard run midway through the quarter to put the Huskers up 21-0. CU then finally got its offense going a bit, driving to the Nebraska 12 before stalling, but Alejandro Mata’s 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked. After the teams traded punts, Nebraska added another touchdown on a Dylan Raiola-to-Rahmir Johnson pass just 48 seconds before halftime. CU tried to get on the board before intermission, but Jace Feely’s 61-yard field goal attempt fell well short. Score: Nebraska 28, Colorado 0.

Third quarter >> It was a fairly uneventful quarter, but CU did win the quarter as the only team to score. After forcing a Huskers punt, the Buffs drove down to the 10-yard line and got a 27-yard field goal from Mata to get on the board. The CU defense forced another punt, but CVU failed to generate enough offense, stalling near midfield before punting again. The Buffs defense came up big again and forced a third straight Huskers punt on the first play of the fourth quarter. Score: Nebraska 28, Colorado 3.

Fourth quarter >> Early in the fourth, the Buffs failed once again on a fourth-and-1 attempt, but the Huskers couldn’t take advantage. Despite getting the ball back at the CU 28-yard line, the Huskers moved back 15 yards because of a pair of penalties before punting. The Buffs responded with its first touchdown drive of the night. Dallan Hayden had a 17-yard run to get it going, Sanders connected with Travis Hunter for 21 yards and then capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester with 8:45 to play. Final score: Nebraska 28, Colorado 10.