What does Nebraska football need to do to beat Colorado on Saturday? While there a lot of potential strategies, game plans and areas of focus, I believe there are four keys that will lead Nebraska to victory.
Dominate both lines of scrimmage
This should – and will be – priority one for the Huskers. If Nebraska can establish their running game, it should create opportunities for Dylan Raiola in the passing game. Plus, it can keep Colorado’s offense on the sidelines, growing frustrated by a lack of opportunities. If Nebraska cannot run – or worse, protect Raiola – it could be a long night.
On defense, controlling the line of scrimmage might be even more important. If the Blackshirts can shut down Colorado’s running game, it makes the Buffs one dimensional. That allows the defensive line to get after Shedeur Sanders and create havoc within Colorado’s passing game. I believe Nebraska’s Tony White trusts his defense against Colorado’s passing game. But things get harder when they have to defend the run and pass.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders scrambles past Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Win the scramble plays
There will likely be times where Nebraska’s pass rush gets through and flushes Shedeur Sanders from the pocket. Sanders is typically not a “tuck it and run” quarterback. Instead, he prefers to extend the play and wait for one of his talented receivers to get open.
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Every time the pocket breaks down and Sanders starts scrambling is an opportunity for Nebraska to swing the momentum.
In these chaotic scramble plays, three things can happen:
The defense gets a big play (sack or interception)
Sanders’ pass is incomplete (thrown away or otherwise)
Sanders finds a receiver for a big gain.
That last one is a worst-case scenario for NU. When Sanders goes into scramble mode, NU has to be able to finish the play. Colorado will get its yards through the air, but Nebraska cannot allow back-breaking plays where they’re a fingertip away from a sack before they score a long touchdown.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims (7) fumbles a snap against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first quarter at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Win the turnover battle
A year ago, Nebraska turned it over four times (three fumbles and an interception), but took the ball away only once. It’s hard enough to win a minus-3 turnover margin game, but it gets worse: In a game that Colorado won by 22, the Buffaloes scored 16 points off turnovers. In other words, without gift-wrapping multiple free possessions, it would have been a one-score game.
Turnovers have been an offseason point of emphasis with both the offense and defense. If the Huskers can break even – or like Week 1 against UTEP, be ahead – I like their chances. If Nebraska has a negative margin, the road to victory is harder.
Don’t let the moment be too big
There has been a lot of buildup for this game. The Nebraska-Colorado rivalry. Deion Sanders vs Matt Rhule. Shedeur Sanders vs. Dylan Raiola. Revenge from an embarrassing loss a year ago.
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The fan base wants this game in a very big way. I expect Memorial Stadium to be as loud and raucous as it has been in a decade … possibly ever.
But the Huskers can’t let the moment – and their emotions – get the better of them. They can’t fall apart when Colorado busts a 60-yard play. The Huskers don’t need to panic and try to answer every big play with one of their own. Slow and steady can win this race. Most importantly, they can’t say “here we go again” when a mistake happens, as has happened so many times in recent years.
One of my fears is that the buildup for CU-NU is approaching that of the “Red Out Around the World” game against Texas in 2010. Nebraska had lost a heartbreaker to Texas in the 2009 Big XII Championship, but the Longhorns were coming to Lincoln.
Oct 16, 2010; Lincoln, NE, USA; Texas Longhorns players celebrate their 20-13 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. / Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images
Nebraska released a hype video … in July. They built a special website, printed shirts, and more. This was going to be the time that Charlie Brown – ranked #5 in the country – finally kicked the football.
Except that it wasn’t. The Huskers collapsed under the pressure and lost to the unranked Longhorns by seven, making numerous mental mistakes. The moment was too big.
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In 2024, Nebraska’s staff is working to keep the moment in focus. On Thursday, Matt Rhule said the team has watched a video of the 2023 Bud Crawford-Errol Spence boxing match. In that highly anticipated bout, the Nebraska-born champion systematically chopped his opponent down and won on a ninth-round TKO.
As Rhule said: “If we play differently because of who we are playing, we’re not who we say we are.”
I like that approach. A lot.
But it’s one thing to say it. It’s another to do it in front of a screaming crowd while NBC broadcasts it in prime time.
It’s time to prove it.
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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
DENVER — As Colorado deals with bone-chilling temperatures and snow, fires continue to rage across Southern California.
At least five people have been killed and 70,000 people have evacuated, as of Thursday afternoon.
Officials said more than 1,000 structures have burned in the fires. The largest of the fires is the Palisades Fire, which has grown to about 12,000 acres in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Denver7 is speaking to Colorado agencies, some of whom have already been called to help battle the flames. While others say, they haven’t been asked to assist yet but are on standby in case they’re needed.
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Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control said they are sending one of their Multi-Mission Aircraft (MMA) to California on Wednesday afternoon.
Ethan Swope/AP
People watch as the Eaton Fire engulfs a structure Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
The MMA can provide critical intelligence, images and communication capabilities. It can aid in making sound tactical decisions and improving the efficiency of the fire response.
Jeff Rasmussen, the MMA’s Program Manager said the aircraft helps battle fires in a unique way.
“When you’re on the ground on a fire, you’re only seeing what’s in front of you, and so what we provide is a full picture of what that fire is doing and what’s going on,” Rasmussen said.
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He said the aircraft does this by utilizing infrared technology.
“With the infrared camera, one of our biggest advantages with that is, we’re able to see through smoke, right? And so the naked eye can’t see through smoke and be able to determine exactly where a fire perimeter is or which way it’s progressing. And so we’re able to do that with our infrared camera and map specifically where that fire edge is, you know, in relation to homes, structures or values at risk,” he added.
LA wildfire latest: 2 dead, thousands of structures destroyed
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The fast-growing fire, Rasmussen said, is being highly influenced by the winds. “As far as wildfire goes, it’s probably, you know, worst case scenario,” he said.
Denver7 also spoke with Westminster Fire, crews there have not been requested to assist in California but are available.
Emily Peek, with Westminster Fire said they have 21 members on their wildland team that are deployable.
“If our team is requested, they have a two to three hour window where they have to activate for deployment. They then have to get to the other state as quickly as possible. Usually that’s driving with one of our apparatuses. But occasionally we will fly out the members as well. They then will be on a 14 day deployment, but can be extended up to 21 days,” Peek said.
Chris Pizzello/AP
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A cyclist pedals past a burning structure on Lake Avenue, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Although Peek added that it’s more likely they’d be sent to other states first – that have already been called to California.
“California has a really robust wildland program where they’re able to use a lot of in-state resources. If it exceeds that capability, they would first contact the surrounding states, and then it’s more likely that Westminster would be contacted to visit those surrounding states, to be on a backfill situation there,” Peek said.
Colorado crews that are heading to California now with the infrared technology said, they’re prepared to stay as long as needed and will check to see what other support is needed.
In the video player below, watch as a mom, daughter flee the wildfire.
Mom, daughter record video fleeing CA wildfire in car
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This morning, a spot in Colorado was the coldest place in the continental United States.
The temperature hit a frigid -31° Fahrenheit in the area of Stub Creek, according to NOAA and reported on the morning of January 8. This creek is located in mountains found about 15 miles west of Red Feather Lakes in northern Colorado. The notorious Peter Sinks area of Utah tied this overnight temperature, as well.
The temperature in the area of Stub Creek was separated from the country’s warmest city by 109 degrees – Camp Pendleton (Oceanside), California and its temp of 78.
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Cold temperatures hit much of the state overnight, with temperatures as low as -28° hitting Fraser Flats of Grand County. Meanwhile, much of the I-25 corridor experienced temperatures in the single-digits to low-teens.
See a National Weather Service map of recorded temperatures below, but note that Stub Creek is not included on this map.
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Map: National Weather Service.
Cold weather is expected to continue in Colorado throughout much of the week.
Find additional weather information on the National Weather Service website.
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