Do you believe? You better. If you don’t, Deion Sanders has your number! All eyes were on Boulder as we wondered if Prime Time and the Colorado Buffaloes would repeat their week one performance. Not only did they repeat their performance, in many ways they were better.
The biggest area of improvement from last week is the Buffaloes defensive performance. Aided by four turnovers, the defense bottled the Cornhusker offense up. The offense had a frustrating first half only executing three scoring drives netting a paltry 13 points. Yet the defense blanked the Cornhusker offense in the first half.
Credit must be given to the Cornhuskers early game plan against the Buffaloes. They would show pressure pre-snap creating the illusion that the easy short passes were open. Immediately upon the snap they would drop their backers, taking the short routes away and the defensive backs executed excellent coverage on the back end throughout the first half. Eventually the Nebraska coverage began to breakdown. With 2:43 left on the clock, Colorado took over on Nebraska’s 23-yard line after Colorado intercepted Jeff Sims. Shedeur Sanders took the snap and saw Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. come open on a deep over route. Sanders hit Dawson Jr. in stride, and he galloped into the endzone for the Buffaloes only touchdown of the half.
During the second half, Colorado’s offense stalled at the Nebraska 33-yard line. Nebraska capitalized and Jeff Simms caught the defense sleeping as he sprinted 57-yards for a touchdown. Colorado responded by scoring touchdowns on their next four drives, while holding Nebraska to zero points.
Sherdure Sanders had a rough first half. He was routinely harassed and flushed out of the pocket. Running plays were routinely blown up in the back field. Sanders didn’t find his rhythm until late in the second quarter. Sanders exhibited the definition of patience and resilience. He patiently waited for things to come to him. If his receivers dropped a ball in the endzone, he continued to sling it accurately around the field. Nothing seemed to faze him today. He was rewarded with 393 yards thru the air and three touchdowns. One of his highlight moments occurred when he rushed six yards for a touchdown and executed his Dad’s patented touchdown dance.
Travis Hunter continued to be a factor with 73 yards on three receptions. However, Sherdure Sander’s go to receivers were Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr., who combined for 18 receptions and 234 yards.
Matt Rhule has a tough assignment in resurrecting the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Dropping his first two games doesn’t help matters. Yet, despite his own troubles, Rhule ran across the field to hug and shake Coach Deon Sander’s hands. He knew that the student body would rush the stadium. He knew Coach Prime can’t move like he used to. Rhule showed honor and respect in wake of a tough road defeat.
Colorado football is on the brink of being the 2023-2024 Cinderella story. Football fans everywhere are captivated by what is going on in Boulder Colorado. We all can’t wait to see where the season takes them. On to Colorado State!
