Nebraska football’s 40-7 season-opening win last Saturday against UTEP proved to be a warm up of sorts for the Huskers. Fueled by freshman phenom Dylan Raiola’s 238 yards through the air, coupled by two touchdowns, Nebraska steamrolled its way to a win to open up the season for the first time since 2019. 

The Blackshirts were equally as impressive and installed confidence that last season’s resurgence under defensive coordinator Tony White – who was nearly plucked away for a head coaching opportunity – wasn’t a fluke. The Miners were held to a paltry 205 total yards including only 56 yards on the ground. Six of UTEP’s 11 drives resulted in gaining 10 yards or less. 

And that’s with the Blackshirts playing their base defense, choosing not to blitz as often as you would see Nebraska do last season. 

“Coach (Tony) White wanted to keep it simple for us,” Nebraska defensive linemen Ty Robinson said. “He knew with the 11 guys going out there we’d be okay and just play our base stuff. Just goes to show how true our depth really is and how far they’ve come with our red team going in here and then especially our white team. You didn’t really show a drop off, right? Mason Goldman got one of the only other sacks in the whole game. Just goes to show how much work we’ve been putting in over these past few months.”  

That’s the magic word for Nebraska: depth. The dominant performance from the Huskers severely limited the amount of snaps by the starters, allowing young players the opportunity to gain game experience and continue to build the depth that Rhule and company has quickly built in Lincoln. As Robinson mentioned, Goldman recorded a sack in one of his 10 snaps. Freshman lineman Keona Davis and David Höffken each played a handful of snaps as well.

Nebraska will be fresh up front and that’s important in a game that sees the Huskers with a on-paper advantage up front. 

“I feel great,” Robinson said. “I think a lot of other guys feel pretty good coming out. Lifted Sunday and I feel good. I got the legs back today so I’m excited.” 

Robinson and his running mates will be up against a revamped Colorado offensive line when Deion Sanders and his crew come to town. Projected first-round pick and Deion’s son, Shedeur Sanders, will be tough to limit, but sustaining pressure and getting physical will be key. 

Sanders got beat up in 2023 behind an offensive line that allowed 56 sacks on the season which ranked 132nd in the country out of 133 teams. The talent has certainly improved for the Buffaloes, but you couldn’t help but notice the shots Sanders took against North Dakota State last Thursday. The future NFL signal caller is a tough cookie, but sustaining a vast number of hits takes its toll. 

If Nebraska comes out of its primetime showdown with a win over the Buffs, the defensive line will be a big reason for that. For Robinson and his teammates, sticking to the game plan is all they need to do. 

“They’re a solid group,” Robinson said on Colorado’s offensive line. “They’re really great pass protectors. They’re pretty aggressive in the run. We’re just going to stick to our process. Stick to our technique and go play and work because we know it’s going to be a battle up front.” 

MORE: No. 2 Nebraska Swept by SMU, Loses First Match to Unranked Opponent Since 2017

MORE: Nebraska-Colorado: It’s Big Game Week

MORE: Carriker Chronicles: Should ‘Nebraska Nice’ Be Suspended for the Colorado Game?

MORE: Nebraska Must Get Creative and ‘Find Ways’ to Limit Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Pat McAfee: Nebraska Football’s Dylan Raiola ‘Made for the Moment’

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.