Adam Carriker reacts to Matt Rhule and the Huskers exploding to a 28-0 lead, then holding on to soundly defeat Deion Sanders and the Buffs. This is the biggest win for Nebraska in the past 10 years, in front of an absolutely raucous crowd in Memorial Stadium. Adam breaks down the Blackshirts’ play, quarterback Dylan Raiola and why the Huskers have improved so much since last year. This is Adam’s favorite Gut Reaction ever.

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The first top-10 matchup of the season was a lopsided blowout, but we got our first major upset of the season Saturday.

No. 5 Notre Dame was stunned at home by Northern Illinois, 16-14. The Huskies drove down for a 35-yard field goal by Kanon Woodill with just over 30 seconds left in the game and then blocked the Irish’s own attempt to win it as time expired.

In the marquee showdown Saturday, No. 3 Texas left no doubt as to which team is the contender against No. 10 Michigan, blowing out the Wolverines 31-12 at the Big House.

Elsewhere, No. 17 Kansas State survived against Tulane after a controversial finish and No. 16 Oklahoma State rallied back to beat Arkansas in double overtime.

In the evening window, Colorado was blitzed by Nebraska in the first half before settling for a 28-10 loss, No. 4 Alabama struggled through three quarters before turning on the jets late against USF and No. 14 Tennessee hammered No. 24 NC State in a blowout.

Follow the rest of the evening’s action below.

Remember how insane Shedeur Sanders’ 2024 debut performance was against North Dakota State? Well, what if I told you that 445 passing yards and four scores was only the second-most impressive opening-week performance by a collegiate quarterback in the state of Colorado?

The statniks up in the Grading The Week cubicles didn’t believe it, either, frankly.  But then somebody sent them details of Devin Larsen’s prime-time inaugural appearance for CSU-Pueblo up in Rapid City, S.D.

Larsen’s record-breaking debut — A

Making his ThunderWolves debut, the senior transfer from Western New Mexico (’21-’23) by way of Garden City Community College (’21) and Iowa State (’19-’20) piled up 508 passing yards while throwing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions to power CSU-Pueblo to a 35-6 victory.

The 6-foot-4 Arizona native completed 30 of 45 throws on the night. His 508 yards were a school record and the most by any collegiate QB at any NCAA level for the week.

While Sanders has showcased his talents as a singer, writer, rapper and performer, it turns out Larsen is something of a renaissance man himself. In April 2023, the future CSU Pueblo signal-caller won a creative writing contest held by the Western New Mexico humanities department for his poetry. Larsen’s winning entry was titled “To Find My Great Perhaps,” and was described by the university as a work that “celebrates the adventure of living in nature.”

If Larsen’s initial appearance for the ThunderWolves is any indication, CSU-Pueblo fans could be in for more than a few celebratory adventures this fall.

PS2’s reign as NFL’s highest-paid CB — B

Pat Surtain II will always have Wednesday. And Thursday. And … well, that’s pretty much it. Turns out PS2’s reign as the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, while deserved, also became fairly brief. So brief, it lasted about two days.

This past Wednesday, the Broncos’ Pro Bowl defender inked a deal worth $24 million per year. On Friday, the Dolphins gave Jalen Ramsey a three-year deal worth a reported $24.1 million a season, just pipping Surtain over the finish line.

Dollander’s dominance — A

More than 13 strikeouts per game. A K-to-walk ratio of almost 4-to-1. A 2.38 ERA overall, and a 1.65 ERA over his last eight starts.

Sounds a lot like Paul Skenes, you say? Darn straight. Only those numbers belong not to the National League’s most exciting starter. They’re the latest stats for arguably the most exciting National League starter in the minors right now — and he’s a Rockie.

If you’re like the kids on the GTW staff, you’d sooner stare into the high desert sun than watch the pitching on 20th and Bleak. But would you believe help is on the way?

While Bo Nix, Sean Payton, Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter are stealing all the digital ink to start the fall, Rockies right-handed starter Chase Dollander, Colorado’s top pick in the ’23 MLB Draft, is quietly making a case to be considered one of the top pitching prospects chucking it right now.

This past Thursday, the 6-foot-2 Georgia native posted his sixth straight appearance for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats of at least five innings pitched, at least six strikeouts and with two or fewer runs allowed.

Late last month, he became the first Hartford pitcher to record back-to-back games of double-digits Ks, fanning 10 Binghamton hitters after recording 10 strikeouts against New Hampshire. The righty’s racked up at least 10 Ks in six of his 22 appearances this season for Spokane and Hartford. Other than the baseball gods, who says Rockies fans can’t have nice things?

Originally Published: September 7, 2024 at 11:28 a.m.