LINCOLN, Neb. — — Dylan Raiola threw for 185 yards and a touchdown, Nebraska turned a stifling defense into a big early lead, and the Cornhuskers beat Colorado 28-10 in a game that turned into a grind in the second half Saturday night.

“That’s what we wanted to come out with. Dominance,” defenseman Ty Robinson said. “We wanted them to feel us.”

The Huskers (2-0) sacked Shedeur Sanders five times and pressured him throughout as they won the final meeting of a four-game home-and-home series. The Buffaloes (1-1) had won the first three.

“We expected this score, and we expected it to be this way,” said second-year Nebraska coach Matt Rhule. “We have a good team.”

Nebraska fans had this game circled on their calendars since last year’s 36-14 loss in Boulder, and the big-game atmosphere was palpable leading up to kickoff between the old Big Eight and Big 12 rivals.

Nebraska’s 1994 national championship team and undefeated world boxing champion Terence Crawford of Omaha led the Huskers onto the field.

And while today’s programs are a far cry from where they were 30 years ago — when Nebraska won a game of the top three teams here en route to Tom Osborne’s first title — there were hints of the past for the Huskers, with their pumped-up sellout crowd and stout defense. The student section ran onto the field when the game ended.

“The way we started is just not typical of who we are, and we just never got it together,” CU coach Deion Sanders said. “Sometimes you have games like that.”

The Buffs didn’t record a first down until their fifth possession, had minus-2 yards in the first quarter and finished with 260. Robinson’s sack forced a three-and-out in Colorado’s game-opening series, and he later blocked Alejandro Mata’s 29-yard field-goal try. The Buffs also were stopped twice on fourth-and-1, with Tommi Hill intercepting Shedeur Sanders’ pass from the end zone for an easy 7-yard pick-6.

“It was a big moment,” Rhule said. “It’s really big for us to come out and not shy away from their stars, because we’re a little different. Our team is our star. I know Dylan gets a lot of publicity and we have a lot of guys that could be stars. Our defense is a star. Everyone was talking about this guy, that guy, that guy. I kept saying, they forget about our defense. They forget about the Blackshirts.”

Dante Dowdell, who finished with 74 yards, ran for touchdowns of 12 and 1 yard and the Huskers got lucky when CU linebacker LaVonta Bentley dropped what looked like a certain interception and Rahmir Johnson knocked the ball away for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Huskers’ 28-0 halftime lead was their largest since they led 35-7 at Northwestern in 2021. The Buffs had yet to go scoreless in the first half since trailing 35-0 at Oregon last year.

Mata’s 27-yard field goal and Sanders’ 5-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Webster put the Buffs within 18 points midway through the fourth quarter.

Nebraska got on offense after building a big lead, but then got sloppy with four holding calls, a false start, an illegal block and a delay in play — all in the second half.

Sanders completed 23 of 38 passes for 244 yards and Travis Hunter caught 10 passes for 110 yards.

The Buffs’ defense took a big hit in the first half when safety Shilo Sanders was out with an arm injury. Deion Sanders said in his NBC halftime interview that he thought his son had broken his forearm. He had no update after the game.

THE PICKUP

Colorado: The Buffs continue to have issues with playmaking and offensive line discipline. Shedeur Sanders was sacked five times and rushed nine times, and the run game was virtually nonexistent. Linebacker Trevor Woods was ejected for targeting, a personal foul, roughing the passer and two pass interference flags.

Nebraska: This one was all about defense. The Huskers held off the Buffs’ explosive offense for long stretches, holding nine straight opponents to 24 points or fewer, their longest streak since a 14-game streak in the 2009-10 seasons.

NEXT

Colorado: Visits Colorado State on Saturday.

Nebraska: hosts Northern Iowa on Saturday.

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